palimpsest: a parchment or the like from which writing has been partially or completely erased to make room for another text.

For me, this also means anything that has had left its mark,or better yet, an impression.

Not only that, but what you are looking at above is some bad ass work By Julie Mehretu currently on display at WCMA (pronounced WICK-MUH). I love this idea and how Julie showcasing all the layers beneath layers beneath layers. My favorite thing about this work is how you can see the older identities of these structures, remain intact through out the renovation, for an interesting juxtaposition of old and new.

The idea of palimpsest is one that lends itself all across the board. Especially with music. The palimpsest itself, might be attributed to genre, and even instrumentation in some cases. But with the whole phenomena of the “mash-ups” getting onto most if not all of the places in the blogosphere, I think it is refreshing to clearly see a broad range of sources compile into one flowing song.

Although for some it is understandably annoying to have the same source material repeated over and over. (i.e. this guy and his hatred towards Pachelbel)

Aside from that, the refreshing new source material I was talking about is…

M.I.A.

(In addition to sick beats.. she’s pretty hot)

20 Dollar

(Sorry I felt that was really really necessary)

It sneaks up on you. Oh yes it does.

I love M.I.A. because its a mind fucking/road trip. It takes you along for a ride regardless of if you enjoy or not, and even if you get a little nauseous on the way there, you’re GOING to enjoy it.

Not only do you have M.I.A. being ridiculous as usual, but you have the main progression from New Order’s Blue Monday, AND the chorus from the Pixies classic( and no doubt seminal); Where is my Mind? How you could you say no to any of that?

Moving on…

As easy as it is,

I think a really good example of this palimpsest idea in the film world, goes to PULP FICTION

the evidence of this palimpsest is added as a nice touch to this otherwise very nonlinear structure of a plot. You can see traces of elements ( added on later much more clearly)appearing in the scenes. Whenever this happens- which is a lot- you get a great sense of closure, as everything makes much more sense. (espeically wtih the outfits that Vincenet and Jules wear) I feel like the more and more you watch, the more and more you notice.

And as an added feature, tarantino has all the winks, nods, and “know-what-i-mean(s)” throughout all of the movies, as he has a couple steady ties… (think Red Apple Cigarettes)

On the poetry side. There is a poem by W.S. Merwin

“Now Renting”

Nobody remembers
the original site
of course
what was there to remember

somebody nobody remembers
wanted a little building
nobody knows why

on the original site
and cleared it
no doubt
had to

later somebody
wanted a little
more space
and set up a scaffold

around the first building
and built the walls higher
and then tore down
the scaffold

then in time somebody
put up more scaffolding
and tore down
the whole building

and dug a hole in the original site
and put up a bigger
building and tore

down the scaffolding
to the accompaniment
of music announcing
a golden age.

but somebody with vision
soon put more scaffolding
on top of the building
and raised the whole structure

even higher than before
and tore down the scaffolding
but a while after that
somebody put up more scaffolding
with glass pictures on it

all the way up
of a glass building
never built
on that site

with nobody
inside it
at all the windows
to see the motionless clouds
.

Merwin is of course notorious for no punctuation, so sorry if that was hard to follow.

Either way we have the literal description and the aesthetic one in which the text is shaped to form a building going up and down and up again.

It’s important to know that the sky is motionless at the end because as much as man changes with the palimpsest ridden landscape, the natural world is not affected, at least in this circumstance..

trying to imagine what I will leave behind, aside from empty beer cans and dvd cases.

Jordan

You know that feeling you get when something is wrapped up so perfectly, that you are left a wordless jumbled mass of emotion? That’s one of the feeling that I love. I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one either. As the year winds down, I thought a post on closure would be a good way to sum things up. Recently, I watched a movie that has this vast sense of closure where not only is the viewer left at piece with the film, but with a lot more.

Ingmar Bergman, FTW.

In an astonishingly funny, and uplifting Smiles of A Summer Night, Bergman explores basically his take on a romantic comedy. His typical cerebral, and deeply philosophical exploits that we have seen in Seventh Seal are still here, however now they are shown in a different light. Any time a character has those deeper thoughts, he / she just gets made fun of by another character. It is apparent here that the Seminal Swede can do light, funny films. This is the inspiration for Woody Allen’s Midsummer’s Night Sex Comedy, except, much much better. A high recommendation for the feel-good fanatics.

Check out this shit right here.

Les Savy Fav just dropped a live album!

They do an awesome cover of “Everybody’s Gotta Live” by Love, as the ending song. They only way this would be cooler is if it had Arthur Lee came out and done it, but, granted, that’s kind of impossible. Either way love this fucking song. Also, noteworthy performance of the lowest bitter, off The Fav’s newest cd.

Bernadette Mayer!

One of my fave’s.

Great great stuff here, This poem takes you through everything, when there is nowhere to go. It makes you warm when everything is cold, it gives you security even though your against the odds.

god I just want a hug afterward.

The way to keep going in Antarctica

Be strong Bernadette
Nobody will ever know
I came here for a reason
Perhaps there is a life here
Of not being afraid of your own heart beating
Do not be afraid of your own heart beating
Look at very small things with your eyes
& stay warm
Nothing outside can cure you but everything’s outside
There is great shame for the world in knowing
You may have gone this far
Perhaps this is why you love the presence of other people so much
Perhaps this is why you wait so impatiently
You have nothing more to teach
Until there is no more panic at the knowledge of your own
real existence
& then only special childish laughter to be shown
& no more lies no more
Not to find you no
More coming back & more returning
Southern journey
Small things & not my own debris
Something to fight against
& we are all very fluent about ourselves
Our own ideas of food, a Wild sauce
There’s not much point in its being over: but we do not speak them:
I had written: “the man who sewed his soles back on his feet”
And then i panicked most at the sound of what the wind could do
to me
if i crawled back to the house, two feet give no position, if
the branches cracked over my head & their threatening me,if I
covered my face with beer & sweated till you returned
If i suffered what else could I do

Buy her books!!!!!!!

Jordan signing out,

But i will issue a challenge to any readers.

Go figure out what Smile of the night you are.

Have the start of a good summer!

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Literally, this shit is falling into my lap. Random occurances lead to associations lead to stuff I need to type on my blog.

ARS (fill in latinesque sounding word here)

Poetica (typically a poem pertaining to nature)

W.S. Merwin

To the Book

Go on then

in your own time

this is as far as I will take you

I am leaving your words with you

as though they had been yours

all the time

of course you are not finished

how can you be finished

when the morning begins again

or the moon rises

even the words are not finished

thought they may claim to be

nevermind

I will not be

listening when they say

how you should be different in some way

you will be able to tell them

that the fault was all mine

whoever I was

when I made you up

ANYWAY. This is just one example of the ever fear inducing question-

Can we differentiate the author and the art?

It seems all critiques, theorize that the two are inseperable.

Could this be Merwin dismissing his critiques? or just addressing criticisms of poetry?

This ties in to one of many ideas discussed in…

ARS Cinematica?

BULLETS OVER BROADWAY

Allen’s interpretation of the author vs the art. This is immediately post the Soon-Yi scandal, and Allen is questioning if his fans can trust him because of his art, or will they abandon the art because of the artists action?

Seriously hysterical, and very insightful typical to the Allen style, a lot of difficult questions come up…

Is it worth it to sacrifice a human being’s life to save great art? Do you fall in love with the art, or the man?

If we consider that life is temporary, and art (typically) is permanent, shouldn’t we try to preserve art more? Comments, concerns? Chazz Palminteri is incredible in this movie as well as everyone else. Very comical, very neccessary to watch.

Oh wait, I just remembered this stuff should be funny…eh fuck it.

I don’t like the pressure of feeling like I have to make the one or two consistent readers laugh.

ARS Duramen????

(latin for art is hard which is a clever way to tie in….

CURSIVE!

Sweet picture of Tim Kasher huh?

Ok funny story…. I went to see these guys awhile ago, and at the door as I was getting all excited at the door, then random girl came up to me.

Hey man, you want some bananas?

I had to interrupt my train of thought, ( which currently was “the martyr” running ad nauseum through my head) but then I realized. At that time in my life, I wanted a banana more then I ever did before.

My reaction: Oh god! Yes! I would love some!

( no I was not high)

but biting into that banana, was like experiencing god* cooking for me.

Anyway, Art is hard is clearly about the struggle of being an artist.

Tim speaks to this with lines like ” Keep churning out those hits, ’til it’s all the same old shit.”

When art is mass produced, and suited for the MASSES not the MUSIC FANS what does it typically become? (see line above for answer)

Either way listen to it, and it feel like you get an insight in the life of Tim.

It’s been fun kids…

Keep on rockin in the free world!

Jordan

(Yes that was a Neil Young reference)

* god= synonymous w/Giada de Laurentis.

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