Postmodernism is not dead and I’m eating a fat bowl of my own words…

I am, however, still sick of the generic use of the term in the church by people who have no idea what it means or how it applies to the church.

What I didn’t know, until recently, is that there are people continuing the discussion within academic philosophy and theology groups who actually know what they’re talking about. The primary two appear to be John C. (Jack) Caputo and Richard Kearney.

Seriously, I couldn’t believe it when I heard that they both had studied and debated with Jacques Derrida and that Caputo had written this and on how deconstruction is viable and applicable within the context of Christianity. I liked Derrida when I learned about/read him in graduate school, but also got the opinion that the church largely thinks postmodern deconstruction to be a giant battering ram at the door of their theology. Well, as it turns out, it is. Except that the battering ram is there to remove our problematic presuppositions regarding God and religion. Ok, that was a broad, sweeping statement that I’m still chewing on. I just got Caputo’s book, “After the Death of God,” which looks to shed some more light on it. What I do know is that I find it ridiculously exciting to see someone working so formidably in the academic world in this area. I think it’s an extremely important conversation with regards to contemporary art, culture, and the church.

This podcast series has a fantastic summary of (continental) philosophical history leading up to Derrida and profound takes on how it all relates to Jesus and Christianity. I really consider it important in understanding both contemporary (continental) philosophy and the church’s relationship to/in it. I’m only annoyed that, once again, I’m coming later into the conversation than I wish I had.

*note* This series is a product of Emergent Village (of Emergent Church movement fame), which I had previously read described (pretty much) as a bunch of mega-church dudes wanting to hang out more. Where I’m fairly new to researching their positions and organization (and don’t have a fully-formed opinion yet), clearly they are doing something interesting in this conversation. Thanks to my wife’s boss, David, for recommending it to me.

Here’s the first part of the podcast series.

Go!

PAX

-W

Spiritual America (part 3)…

This is “Docucolor 1″ from the new series of paintings I’m working on.

If you’re around next Thursday, a few friends and I have drawings in: Night of 1,000 Drawings, A Benefit for Artists Space. 

I’m not sure what time I’ll be there.  It’s on the same night as at least 4 other openings/Christmas Parties I know of.

Gimme a call if you hit it.

Ok, here’s the third part in my blog review of the Richar Prince retrospective at the Guggenheim titled: Spiritual America.

The article is going through the sieve that is my genius editor-in-wife.  It promises to be much more coherent.

The thing that really kept, and keeps, me so interested in Prince’s work is probably best summarized in the exhibition’s title, “Spiritual America.”  I found myself continually comparing my own impressions of American spirituality and how it compares with what Prince has offered the public in this show.  My first reaction is, “Yeah-huh.” It’s easy to see Americans’ true spirituality as bad jokes and muscle cars.  We’re not a Christian nation and never were.  What we are (to the world) is advertising, consumerism and shallow relationships. My wife and I recently met a man from Belgium who said Americans have a reputation for being open to talking to everyone but never having a real relationship with anyone.  We said that he was probably right and promptly left.

On the other hand, I also want to react against Prince’s implication that there isn’t anything deeper or true in the spiritual lives of Americans.  I have seen some tremendously encouraging signs coming out of Christianity recently that reiterate this.  Humanitarian efforts to fight AIDS, feed the poor, and actually care for our environment are springing up all over the U.S. The spirituality that I know and grew up with isn’t about celebrity or distraction, it’s about communities in relationship, lifting each other up and meeting each other’s needs.

Maybe the resolution to these reactions is a reminder to keep them separate and let Richard Prince be right.  The concept of a “Spiritual America” is a joke, and perhaps we need to just admit it and move on.  So we’ve created a shallow, consumerist, rampantly destructive culture that’s self-righteous to boot.  The sooner we acknowledge the reality, the sooner we can work against it or to correct it.  In the end, I think Prince gives us a hard lesson that’s easy to swallow but difficult for us, individually and nationally, to digest.

and  This is why I recommend people see it.  It’s interesting work, visually, and it confronts issues about who we are.

PAX

-W

Spiritual America (part 2)…

OK, by tomorrow, apparently I meant “way off in the future.”

And apparently this is going to be multi-part.

Also apparently, the review is going to be severely edited before going into Comment Magazine.

All right, on to the paintings. I’ve pretty much liked Prince’s paintings from the start. The racist, off-color and tacky jokes just add to the conceptual jab at what America is largely about. Face it, we’re just like them (the paintings). We’re big, loud, tacky and inappropriate. That’s what American culture is. Not that other countries don’t have or do similar things, but really, who does them as loudly or with as much waste as America? Our foreign policy is a racist joke. Our TV and movies are sex jokes (or just bad ones), and all those marital infidelity jokes…they could be so many things…how about good ol’ American corporate policy for one. America does have its good side, but that’s often not the side we lead with. Something I also noticed in the paintings was a thinness I hadn’t seen before. I guess I had always seen them in shows and thought they were much more thickly or richly painted. some of the ones at the Guggenheim were fairly rich, but many came off as just barely enough to support the weight of the concept - leaving me in a similar position as with the advertising photographs. I wanted better paintings.

This brings me to his famed “Nurse Paintings.” A lot of people told me they think that the Nurse Paintings are Prince’s best work. I can’t figure this one. They are more aesthetically balanced, in my opinion, than the joke paintings. This is to say that they give the viewer the same conceptual weight to absorb and think about but also a bigger and richer visual payoff. That said, I don’t think they come close to the car hoods and sculptures. They’re nice paintings, but nurses seem too easy a stand in as metaphor - maybe when compared to the jokes they come off as subtle.

Part 3=Why “Spiritual America?”

PAX

-W

Rob Bell: The Gods Aren’t Angry…

whew.

Last night Beth and I went to hear Rob Bell preach in Times Square as part of his “The Gods Aren’t Angry” tour.

If you aren’t familiar, Bell is pastor of Mars Hill Bible Church, a church I used to attend in Michigan, and author of Velvet Elvis and Sex God. V.E. happens to be one of the most encouraging books on faith/Christianity I’ve read. It’s not that it’s revolutionary or dynamically profound, but it is an explanation of the dynamic nature of both the Bible and the Christian faith. It’s also probably the only book I’ve read that encourages people to continually question their faith and the scriptures - go ahead, God can take it and you will grow from your search. This seems pretty simple, but the church has had a hard time letting people think for themselves for, oh, a week or two.

So we went to hear what he had to say.

The message generally surrounded Colossians 1:20 “…and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.”

What was unique, however, was the extent to which Bell led up to this passage in giving a narrative context to the ancient idea of the altar and sacrificing - first to pagan gods and, later, Jehovah. He built the case for the radical nature of the gospel message by putting biblical events in historical context relative to pagan traditions. Again, I don’t know that this is altogether unique, as I’m sure I’ve heard sermons on how God’s calling of Abraham was different from pagan relationships of worshipers to their gods, but the point of why Abraham didn’t seem to bat an eyelash at the idea of roasting his child was lost in so many homilies on Abe’s tremendous faith. Bell points out the cultural history of pagan sacrifice, including child sacrifice, in explaining the poignant nature of what was being symbolically done. Abraham, it was argued, would have been perfectly familiar with the idea the the deity would demand a sacrifice and that it would possibly be his child. Bell reiterates that it is precisely this familiarity that warranted such a dramatic demonstration to Abraham from God. God takes him through an act very similar to the current pagan traditions, right up to the point of committing the sacrificial killing to drive home the point that this was NOT how Jehovah operates. He would provide the sacrifice. You don’t have to live like that any more (relying on pagan sacrifices to please unknown/unanswering gods).

You don’t have to live like that any more.

That eventually became the mantra for the end of the talk - reiterating God’s interruption of the cultural norm to provide for us through Christ’s reconciliation of all things. Bell gave other historical examples that led up to Jesus Christ as the once-for-all sacrifice and how understanding that truth can play out in people’s lives. This is where I think the real appeal and popularity of Bell and his teaching comes in. He gave example after example of what can happen when people live from a standpoint of being at peace (shalom) with God (and everything else, by extension) - people giving generously to meet needs in their communities, people sacrificing to meet needs in impoverished countries, people working within their disciplines to help the poor, the sick, the dying. When you hear actual accounts of people’s lives being changed and their needs being met, you start to get a glimpse of what the kingdom of God is really about. It’s quite appealing, I must say. I have a friend in Michigan who goes to Mars Hill because people he knows working in Africa said this church is making a difference there in people’s lives - not preaching to convert them but feeding them and giving them clean water and helping keep them alive. I get that. That’s what it’s about.

If he’s coming to your town, it’s worth checking out.

PAX

-W

Spiritual America…

Stop the presses! Cool Kieth (a.k.a. Dr. Octagon) has spoken out for the world’s defenseless!

“Trees are Dying.”

Spread the word.

*note* The dull repetition that is the cataloging of my daily meatless consumption shall cease. I, however, remain a veg-head.

Saturday I went up to the Guggenheim to see the Richard Prince retrospective, Spiritual America.

I thought it was a bit of a mixed bag. As someone who’s been a fan of Prince’s work for about 10 years or so, I sort-of expected a little more out of the show - maybe too much. For me, Prince embodies someone who has successfully carried his conceptual interests out in three distinct mediums, excelling at each.

The photographs of printed advertisements start off the show and are exactly what you would expect if you’ve ever seen them in reproduction (which is sort of an irony in itself, I suppose). They are poignant in their appropriation of fashion, advertising and cigarette ads and how they question authorship and embody an American ethos. At the same time, they leave me wanting what they cannot give - the aesthetic payoff of the object (image). They are, after all, reproductions of reproductions. They expose the grain of the printing process and distress the image from its original flawless context. This is essential for them and yet obviously changes their aesthetic. Only some of the Marlboro series seem to hold up on their own against the grain. I know this is problematic - they’re obviously not supposed to be perfect. They’re conceptual pieces, but almost hold the balance aesthetically. The upstate photos, on the other hand, I thought were pretty fantastic and that’s all I need to say about them.

The sculptures were dope. From the full chassis of a muscle car mounted into a block to the car hood paintings and sculptures - awesome. These are my personal favorites of Prince’s work. A good friend of mine once said (in a grad school crit) that we’re all just making speedboats here. It’s the thought that artists are often producers of useless objects for the rich. This seems to be both epitomized and used as a social critique in these pieces. Prince fetishizes the already fetishized objects (American muscle cars) and I think it works completely. The sculptures have an immediate, strong presence and seem to exude a modernist confidence in their simplicity. They reflect the American hubris and industry - along with all the failings that come with an over-weight consumer-driven car culture. I want one.

gotta run…more tomorrow…
-W

Dave Hickey preaches hellfire and brimstone.

Well, not in the Biblical sense, but definitely in the art sense.

He’s a genius at what he does. Invited to speak as the keynote of the Frieze art fair in London, Hickey gave the perfect speech for his audience. Everyone else has probably already talked this to death, but if you haven’t heard it or read it, I think it should be required reading/listening.

Here’s my overly-simplistic summary

I. The art world sucks and most of it is crap and over-priced.

II. No one is willing to risk backing what they believe in.

III. Someone has to step up and just buy/show what they really like.

IV. Go out and buy stuff.

Everyone got challenged for perpetuating a failed (finite) system and encouraged to buy new stuff. Artists got kicked to make interesting work and a plug for someone to buy it when they like it. Throw in a few curses and drug references and you have an entertaining speech.

…oh, and there were some other rather poignant bits in there that shouldn’t be missed.

One of the things I liked was the point he made that “if you want to be an icon of virtue, this is the moment because you’ll stand out.” He rips the industry for being shallow, greedy and cheating and poses the new fashion art trend - integrity.

Character is the new sleaze.

If you weren’t careful, you might have gotten the idea Hickey was looking for modern art that fulfilled its expectations. He calls post-modernism dead after 911, history after Robert Kennedy’s death, and modernism alive and at it’s height (we still haven’t quite gotten rid of medievalism yet).

*religious note* Please let pastors know that post-modernism is finally over and the church can stop holding committee meetings to figure out what it means and how to make it sound “adult contemporary.” Anyone caught discussing post-modernism in the foyer shall be commanded to visit shut-ins ’til Easter. *end note*

The priceless moment was at the very end when Hickey said (paraphrase), “This is great, I made you all want to go out and buy stuff. I should sell Christian real estate.” nice.

Here’s to makin’ new stuff!

Still a Veg Head…

Monday, November 5, 2007

Breakfast: Raisin Bran, coffee

Lunch: Burrito (really)
Dinner: random leftovers

Tuesday, November 6, 2007

Breakfast: Raisin Bran, coffee
Lunch: Vietnamese sandwich

Dinner: pizza (mushroom)

Wednesday, November 7, 2007

Breakfast: last of the Raisin Bran, coffee
Lunch: Vietnamese spring rolls over noodles.
Dinner: Sweet potato pot pie (puff pastry crust) awesome.

PAX

-W

Rock and Roll still blows my mind…

OK, so here’s the deal.

I’m all set to go to the Blogger Show and then see the TM Sisters perform at Artists Space when my friend, Tony, IMs me with an offer of a cheap ticket to see Sufjan Stevens‘ debut of BQE at BAM (Brooklyn Academy of Music). Alas, I opted for Sufjan Stevens because I haven’t ever seen him in concert and the BQE BAM commission is a rare event (and it sold out before I could get tickets).

Here are some photos from the show, along with what I thought was a clunky (jaded?) review. I understand some of the technical criticisms, but disagree with her points regarding expressive markings and her apparent disdain for using pop/rock instruments in the vicinity of those played whilst wearing tuxedos. As far as the “rock opera” analogy…um …yeah …no (ugh, did someone step in dog poo?). BQE was probably the best example of orchestral and pop instrumentation working seamlessly in a unique piece I’ve heard - which is to say it wasn’t Tommy and it wasn’t this.

This will also give you some idea of what it’s like.

As far as the film side of the show, my friend Joe (both a film professor and knowledgeable on classical music) said, “His music was more interesting than his filmwork, which was basically Koyaanisqatsi on three screens (though the triptych idea was pretty effective).” I’ll take that and like it.

After BQE, Sufjan played the hits! The orchestra stayed.

Susan Enan sums it up nicely, “I just got back from seeing what could be the best concert I have been too… ever.” Keep your eye out for her new album.

As for me, I was really blown away by the show in its entirety. I don’t usually get all teenage-fan about concerts, but this struck me as particularly moving. BQE was great, and better than I had expected, but combined with the orchestra-backed performance of his “hits,” it was a fantastic concert experience. John Wayne Gacy might be one of the most beautiful songs about one of the most horrible subjects ever…or maybe it’s just my favorite song about human depravity. Stevens mentioned that he thought he had to put that song away for a while - not for too long, I hope.

…and apparently the NYTimes agreed.

Thanks to Michael for the set list:

Part I:
BQE

Part II:
Seven Swans
Illinois
Oh Detroit, Lift Up Your Weary Head
Jacksonville
John Wayne Gacy
The Predatory Wasp Of The Palisades Is Out To Get Us
Barn Owl, Night Killer
Casimir Pulaski Day
Majesty, Snowbird
Chicago

So if this comes to your town, I highly recommend it.

btw, I’m still a Veg Head.

Friday, November 3, 2007

Breakfast: Raisin Bran, coffee

Lunch: Thai vegetarian sandwich from this place on 6th st near 1st ave…amazing.

Dinner: Burrito casserole!

Saturday, November 3, 2007

Breakfast: toasted bagel w/ cream cheese, banana, oj, coffee - compliments of the Aiuto household.

Lunch: Thai crispy duck @ Thai Cafe - awesome. It actually tasted like duck (it was fake meat).

Dinner: Burrito casserole!

Sunday, November 4, 2007

Breakfast: Bagel w/ maple-raisin cream cheese from Bagelsmith, coffee

Lunch: eggs Florentine at Julliette

Dinner: Burrito casserole!

Veg Head: Day 3

Hi Folks,

The art poo is on its way - yesterday was a bit crazy.

Food:

November 1, 2007

Breakfast:  Raisin Bran + coffee

Lunch:  veggie burger from Quantum Leap (I tasted freezer burn in there, somewhere)

Dinner:  4 cheese lasagna + bread from Whole Foods.

-W

FrankenStephen Jack-O-Lantern + Veg Head: Day 3

October 31, 2007

Happy Halloween!

I was entered, against my will, into a pumpkin-carving competition with the fiance of my wife’s writing partner.

I threw down with FrankenStephen.

Ate:

Breakfast: Raisin Bran, coffee (Mud Truck - always Mud Truck).

Lunch: Tofu-infused Mac and Cheese (leftovers)

Dinner: Leftover dish of awesomeness from last night.

-W

Veg Head: Day 2

Day 2:

October 30, 2007

Breakfast: Raisin Bran, Coffee

Lunch: Fried Rice and Spinach side at Men Ku Tei with Chris Bradley. Straight out of Tampopo.

Dinner: Spinach, Quinoa, caramelized onion, cheese dish of awesomeness that Beth made.
-W