Live Wire

Wire-- I love this band.  This particular song, The 15th, makes me feel happy and sad at once.  Strange performance setting-- looks like a German TV show for teens.  The discontinuity between the banal location and the biting music adds to the overall magical and menacing quality of this clip:

- Peter LaBier

Art Shows

Some friends of mine have solo shows up in New York.  Talia Chetrit has a new group of photographs up in her second show at Renwick Gallery.  Marc Handleman has paintings, an artist's book, and a film piece up at Sikkema Jenkins & Co.  Check these shows out if you can.

If you're not in town you can take a look online here:

Talia Chetrit at Renwick Gallery, March 12--April 23:

http://www.renwickgallery.com/?q=Exhibition&ID=7

Marc Handleman, at Sikkema Jenkins & Co., March 17th- April 16th:

http://www.sikkemajenkinsco.com/marchandelman_viewexh2.html

also I have a piece in a big group show of drawings at Sue Scott Gallery:

http://www.suescottgallery.com/exhibitions/view/paper-a-z

-Peter L.

Spirit Moves

I have been obsessed with this footage for some time: the overexposed, white, infinity extending room contrasted by the hard edges of the dancers.  Incredible steps and moves here.  It is a great documentation of another time and place.

 Watching these post war dances one can get  a sense of where James Brown's showmanship comes from.  The elements that he absorbed, synthesized and built upon are evident in the footwork, glides and spins of the various performers.   

Even today it is apparent that these dances are still alive and present in popular culture having evolved into break dancing, popping, locking, krumping, etc.

Looking back into the past we catch glimpses of the future.

- Peter LaBier