SXSWerly shindig @ MoMA: Department of Eagles premiers their video for "No One Does It Like You" directed by Patrick Daughters and Dzama

....

Well, we love Dzama, and we also LOVE Poprally's program @ MoMA, but the enjoyment factor? Tough call. It was o.k.

To be fair, we'd come off of a late lunch after a stressful day - the last 45 mins or so of which was spent with our friend trying to convince us it was going to be a drag - even though heading to this thing was the whole purpose of our lunch:

"it's going to be like a mini SXSW.Layyme."

"you know like, what? ONE song by Department of Eagles?"

"the vid will be on youtube by midnight, and you can get the poster in the shop tomorrow."

"$50 says Patrick Daughters will have come and gone in the time it takes us to catch a cab."

"I don't feel like going."

                                  *Be that way, raincloud.

So, we went alone. Solely for the love of Dzama. We love Dzama - was this mentioned already?

Our day was kind of rubbish so free cocktails & a quickie concert? It felt prescribed, and also kind of perfect that we could hit it solo, just in case we wanted to grab a drink, our free poster, and bounce. 

 

Pooper Lunch Buddy's assessment was about %60 correct.

The DoE set was quite SXSW-y.    

*do you like this shade? the colour is "Not Surprised."

 The Grolsch was beer-y. The water was flask-y. The Q&A was drag-y. Patrick Daughters  was indeed absent and kicked it via satelite - but he was quick witt-y. The poster was poster-y, and the video was kook-y.

Fin.

                                 *all in all? Cool set, we loved the vid, the scene was waste of time-y and Marcel Dzama? Kinda dream-y.

[*yli]

Photo Source: moma.org

                                      

"Holy Hip Hop!" Alex Melamid

Can't lie, we were in a serious "mood" when we caught this showing.

We were feeling bratty due to some meetings that had gone nowhere and were probably not in the best headspace to take in what Melamid was trying to do with this show. It... it was a great show...

*howeverrrr

It's just that, well, we remember the heavy handed "People's Choice" series of  (Vitaly)Komar & Melamid from high school. We were "meh" about it.

*a) we were young, b) at that age, if we wanted our socialist realism diverted in any way, we wanted it done by Malevich.

So, when we heard this show was coming to NYC in January and that it was a solo exhibition by Alex Melamid only, AND that he was doing these life-sized portraits of hip hop greats? We were so there. But it just fell short for us somehow...

Firstly, these portraits were supposed to portray a series of "hip-hop icons... the wealthiest and most influential individuals of our time" with this roster:

Russell Simmons

Easy Mo Bee

Snoop 

MC Duke

Kanye West

Reverend Run

Whoo Kid

Lil Jon

Marc Ecko

50 Cent

Common

L.T. Hutton

Don "Magic" Juanuhhhhhmm...

Yes, according to Melamid (or rather his music video director son "Dan the Man" Melamid, who facilitated the introductions for his father) Don "Magic" Juan is a hip hop icon.

*....'kay.

Secondly, the portraits were done in the impressionist style, heavy heavy on the Monet brush stroke to the point where it seemed more cliche than testimonial. Again, we got the intent: these are men whose lives are larger than life - the portraits are life sized, these men are celebrities - the portraits are grandiose, and in the style of 19th century royal portraiture, these men are ambitious and pioneering - the portraits are rendered in the technique of old masters. But, it could all just as easily be construed as cheesy  mall art once you throw a pimp into the mix.

*jussayin'.

It is still worth checking out...

[ *yli ]

Photo Source: antiquesandthearts.com

"Don Magic Juan"

Alex Melamid 2005

oil on canvas