A New Breed Of Artist In Seattle?

From the AP wire…

…perhaps you haven’t heard of John Billings, but you may be hearing from him soon.

Billings is on the leading edge of a group of Seattle performing artists “exploring social justice with acts of creative defiance” at the Lumnik gallery this spring.

“I try to bring the dissonance of cultural diversity into my work,”  the 33-year old, bearded Billings said as we toured his installation.  “I try and find the spaces, the gaps society overlooks…so I can explore and identify the tonal landscape.” 

Billings and a group of four others are self-procaimed “fartists,” who are just now emerging into the mainstream.

Their multimedia show is scheduled to run until June 4th at the Lumnik gallery which has agreed to temporarily bill it’s left wing…a ”fart museum.” 

“We’ve heard it all” jokes Billings, I especially like ‘”artsy-fartsy.”‘  

While the show itself is mostly silent, it’s deadly serious and getting rave reviews, having toured the UK and Austria with high ticket prices gallery-goers seem willing to pay.

The central piece,”Black 24″ is a multimedia exhibit consisting of a block of wood with a tin horn attached to the side.  Inside is a loop tape of the various farts of different races and genders:

“I think of malaise,”  Billings mused, “a lament at the price we pay for conformity.”  He went on: ”it’s an attempt to recreate this mood of melancholy restraint, to defy the taboo.  I want to point out the joy all of us must take in that which won’t last…”

Can this be real?

No, it’s not, but if you think you can do better…I throw my hat into the ring…

Metroblogging: Seattle’s Art Scene. Is There An Art Scene?

                    

                    Photo found here with a short defense of Seattle’s art scene.  The post suggests that one of Seattle’s strengths is it’s forgiving and inclusive public, which allows a lighthearted approach and a spirit of independence and individualism to thrive. 

Skeptics can easily say that the forgiving public is essentially an immature and uncivilized public, and Seattle is an outpost which hasn’t yet grown up enough to produce the conditions for a deeper conversation (and tensions) that will shape its artists into something more.

Though, it’s art, after all, so who knows? 

See also:  Video of the event here at SuttonBeresCuller.  Watching the inane T.V coverage, you can guess one reason why they might have done it.  As for the castaways, the anchor line broke on the island, and they were towed back to land.  

The New King (of Pop) County

Those of you not from Seattle may not have heard about this.  They’ve renamed and “rebranded” King County.  Click here for the new image. 

Originally, King County was named after William R. King, who was elected as Vice President, but did not serve due to ill-health (tuberculosis).  He also owned a plantation.

The original reasons for naming the new territory after William King were somewhat self-interested (as wikipedia reports, to curry favor), but it’s a little unsettling to alter the historical record in such a way.

All else aside, and continuing with this line of thought, I hereby propose a new King of King County:  The King of Pop:

In a few decades we’ll realize the true depth of his contributions.  He has touched millions of people through his music and throughout his life. 

(Thanks to the Taoist Secret for the pic)

The Five New States of California…and Seattle?

Thanks to Althouse for this link at Immodest Proposals.

As for me, I was born in a lower district of Reagan, accustomed to the occassional sonic boom from Miramar, breaking the afternoon calm and lack of weather.

I now reside in Seattle, which is in Upper Cascadia, which I would call Upper Groovy, where it’s cloudier, colder, and besides Alaska, one of the most geographically isolated regions of the country. 

You get used to the knee-jerk liberalism, populism, and wacky progressivism.   It’s been successful at the “capitalism” too.  Still a boom and bust town.

And absolutely beautiful as well.

News from Seattle

Don’t tell anyone, but the summers here are absolutely beautiful.