July 31, 2023

Nemo Gould ~ Trigger Warning @ the Roll Up

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Nemo GouldHand Gun V3 (2023)

 
Earlier this month The Roll Up Project showed the work of Nemo Gould, sculptures constructed to look like manufactured objects. He incorporates found elements from clocks, guns, medical devices, and more to bring attention to the history of fine craftsmanship, and to propose alternative applications for objects whose primary uses feel outmoded.     

Several sculptures based on guns fill the window on Harrison Street. For Gould, as most people, guns are symbols of violence and intimidation. But he also thinks about how Americans rely on guns to solve problems to an unreasonable degree. Gould notes that in this series, he is satirically creating specialized guns to solve the complex problems of today, such as water and fuel shortages, diplomacy, and the opiate crisis. Upon closer inspection of the sculptures, the dangerous elements of the guns have been stripped away, making space for other types of interaction. Sometimes the gun’s triggers are inoperable, and evoke feelings of powerlessness, or a loss of control. In other cases, the triggers are used as activators for kinetic elements in the sculpture, inviting the beholder to complete the sculpture by interacting with it. For example, pulling the trigger of Hand Gun V3 (2023) (photo above) activates a vibration device, so the holder can shake hands with someone from a distance. The absurdity of the interaction, paired with the space-age aesthetics of the sculpture, impart levity and imply that the solutions to issues of diplomacy clearly require a human touch rather than a piece of technology. Hand Gun V3 also plays with the language of politics, such as ‘reaching across the aisle’ and ‘glad-handing.’ 
 
Tyranny of the Masses (2017) suggests the challenges inherent in collaboration – in order for the weapon to fire, three operators have to agree on a target and simultaneously pull three triggers. The inevitability of dissent and the imperfection of timing render the gun useless.      
 
 
Nemo GouldTyranny of the Masses (2017)


In the Third Street windows, two sculptures address labor and competition. The Grind (2021) features a prosthetic arm connected to a crank that, when activated by the viewer, reaches out to grasp a dollar bill dangling on a hook.
 
 
Nemo Gould ~ The Grind (2021) 
 
 
Next to The Grind, Bored to Death (2023) is composed of two power drills in battle, drilling each other nearly out of existence. Light glows through their hole-riddled bodies, creating a dazzling disco effect at night.   
 
 
Nemo GouldBored to Death (2023)
 
 
These sculptures imply a sense of helplessness, an inevitable lack of control, where the guns in the Harrison Street windows are more focused on solutions and actions. But both perspectives encourage the viewer to envision new approaches to these complicated topics. How can we take action without relying on tools that distance us from the unsavory details? Or can we build new tools that don’t simply follow the methods of old ones?   
      
Self-described “Chairman of the Hoard” Gould is a master accumulator, of both materials and building techniques alike.  His Oakland studio is a veritable museum of old objects and technology which he blends into his signature style of kinetic sculpture.  His work pushes the limits of found object art and challenges the viewer to experience art through interaction and experience.  Gould received his BFA from the Kansas City Art Institute in 1998, and his MFA in sculpture from U.C. Berkeley in 2000.  His work is featured in museums and collections throughout the U.S. and abroad.   
   
   
   
   
    
Viewfinder link:   
   
   
Net links:       
    
Nemo Gold          
RollUp Project        
   
YouTube links:       
Styrous® ~ Monday, July 31, 2023   
    












   

July 26, 2023

20,000 vinyl LPs 332: Rolling Stones ~ Their Satanic Majesties Request

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 album cover photo by Michael Cooper 
photo of album cover by Styrous®


Today, July 26, is the birthday of Mick Jagger. My, oh, my! I remember when he was just a skinny kid; he's still skinny but he's no kid, he is 80 years old today! He was born and grew up in Dartford, England, and studied at the London School of Economics before abandoning his studies to join The Rolling Stones.     

Jagger is the frontman and one of the founder members of the Stones. He and guitarist Keith Richards have written most of the band's songs together; their songwriting partnership is one of the most successful in history. His career has spanned over six decades, and he has been widely described as one of the most popular and influential frontmen in the history of rock music. His distinctive voice and energetic live performances, along with Richards' guitar style, have been the Stones' trademark throughout the band's career. Jagger gained notoriety for his romantic involvements and illicit drug use, and has often been portrayed as a countercultural figure.              
 
The 1967 album, Between the Buttons, was considered largely unsuccessful commercially but up to that point, I thought it was fantastic! Keith Richards claims in his 2010 memoir Life that “none of us wanted to make [Satanic Majesties], but it was time for another Stones album, and Sgt. Pepper’s was coming out, so we thought basically we were doing a put-on.” Even Rolling Stone Magazine does not give it high value (links below) but I loved it!         

In the 2000s, Jagger co-founded a film production company, Jagged Films, and produced feature films through the company beginning with the 2001 historical drama Enigma. In the late 1960s, Jagger starred in the films Performance (1970) and Ned Kelly (link below) (1970), to mixed receptions. Beginning in the 1980s, he released a number of solo works, including four albums and the single Dancing in the Street, a 1985 duet with David Bowie that reached No. 1 in the UK and Australia and was a top-ten hit in other countries.        

In 1989, Jagger was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and, in 2004, into the UK Music Hall of Fame with the Rolling Stones. As a member of the Rolling Stones and as a solo artist, he reached No. 1 on the UK and US singles charts with 13 singles, the top 10 with 32 singles and the top 40 with 70 singles. In 2003, he was knighted for his services to popular music. The genus Jaggermeryx naida and the type species Aegrotocatellus jaggeri are named for him.              
 
Their Satanic Majesties Request was released in a gatefold sleeve . . .  
 
 
 
front above
interior below  
photos by Styrous®


 
 
. . .  with a lenticular image on  the front cover of a photo by Michael Cooper.            
 
 

 



 
As with all albums I have loved, I have favorites. Topping the list is In Another Land. It features an electronic-watery sounding vocal that is very trippy. The follow up is 2000 Light Years from Home. Now THIS is definitely in the trippy category!           

The album, the strange result of a bizarre set of personal, professional, and cultural circumstances, was reissued for its 50th anniversary in 2017 (link below).       
 
Of course, they couldn't be content with labeling the record as side 1 and side 2; they are labeled 'front side' and 'back side'.        
Tracklist:
       
Side 1:
        
A1 - Sing This All Together - 3:46
A2 - Citadel - 2:50
A3 - In Another Land, Written-By, Vocals [Sung By] – Bill Wyman - 3:13
A4 - 2000 Man - 3:05
A5 - Sing This All Together (See What Happens) - 7:58
       
Side 2:
       
B1 - She's A Rainbow, Strings – J.P. Jones* - 4:35
B2 - The Lantern - 4:24
B3 - Gomper - 5:12
B4 - 2000 Light Years From Home - 4:45
B5 - On With The Show - 3:40
       
Companies, etc.
       
    Engineered At – Olympic Studios
    Engineered At – Bell Sound Studios
    Designed At – Pictorial Productions, Mount Vernon
    Copyright © – The Decca Record Company Limited
    Published By – Gideon Music, Inc.
    Printed By – Robert Stace
    Lacquer Cut At – Decca Studios
    Pressed By – Decca Record Co. Ltd., Pressing Plant, UK.
       
Credits:
       
    Artwork [Cover Photo Built By] – Artchie, Michael Cooper (8), The Rolling Stones
    Design [Album], Photography By – Michael Cooper (8)
    Engineer – Glyn Johns
    Illustration [Back Cover] – Tony Meeviwiffen*
    Lacquer Cut By – K (52)
    Piano – Nicky Hopkins
    Producer, Arranged By – The Rolling Stones
    Written-By [Songs By], Vocals [Singing By] – Mick Jagger And Keith Richards* (tracks: A1, A2, A4 to B5)
       
Notes:
       
Released in a gatefold sleeve with a lenticular image on front and a special 'psychedelic' red and white printed inner sleeve. Catalog number on spine and back: TXS 103

This stereo version has green labels with visible grooves and the following differences between the A and B sides:

Side A:
- Catalog number with dot: TXS.103
- Matrix number with dot and within brackets: (ZAL.8126)
- Non-italised writer credits.
- San-serif typeface for speed and side indicators, publisher, matrix number and credits.

Side B:
- Catalog number without dot: TXS 103
- Matrix number without dot and brackets: ZAL 8127
- Italised writer credits.
- Serif typeface for speed and side indicators, publisher, matrix number and credits.

There also exists a similar version with the A and B side label characteristics swapped around.

Engineer: at Olympic and Bell Sound
Cover photo built at Pictorial Productions, Mount Vernon, N.Y.
And many thanks to Harry Farmlett Studio
Published by Gideon (BMI)

© 1967, The Decca Record Company Limited, London
Printed in England by Robert Stace.
       
Barcode and Other Identifiers
       
    Rights Society: BMI
    Matrix / Runout (Label side A): ZAL.8126
    Matrix / Runout (Label side B): ZAL 8127
    Matrix / Runout (Runout side A, stamped): ZAL-8126-T2-6K
    Matrix / Runout (Runout side B, stamped): ZAL-8127-T2-5K
 
The Rolling Stones – Their Satanic Majesties Request
Label:    Decca – TXS 103, Decca – TXS.103
Format:    Vinyl, LP, Album, Stereo, Lenticular
Country: UK
Released: Dec 8, 1967
Genre: Rock
Style: Psychedelic Rock

         
Viewfinder links:        
             
David Bowie          
Michael Cooper               
Keith Richards         
The Rolling Stones              
Charlie Watts       
Ronnie Wood
        
Net links:        
        
American Songwriter ~ Behind The Album        
Pitchfork ~ Their Satanic Majesties Request reissue       
RollingStone ~ Their Satanic Majesties Request        
uDiscovermusic ~ When The Rolling Stones Went Psych    
        
YouTube links:        
         
2000 Light Years from Home             
In Another Land         
Their Satanic Majesties Request (complete album)          



        
    Enjoy!     
         
        
        
        
Styrous® ~ Wednesday, July 26, 2023       
       




















July 10, 2023

Gray Loft Gallery ~ Summer Salon: 2023

The Gray Loft Gallery is presenting it's latest exhibition, Summer Salon, this Saturday, July 15, 2023, in Jingletown, Oakland.       
 
 
    
 
Bright Day - painting by John Wood
 
 
SUMMER SALON

July 14 – August 26, 2023


Opening Reception:

Friday, July 14, 5:00 – 8:00 pm


Tessier Wine Tasting: 
 
Sunday, July 23, 3:00 – 5:00 pm
 
Closing Reception: 
 
Saturday, August 26, 4:00 – 6:30pm
  
Summer Salon will feature new work by 12 Bay Area artists working in a broad range of styles and mediums.  The annual summer exhibition celebrates the extraordinarily accomplishments of these painters, printmakers, photographers, mixed media and hand-wrought jewelry artists.
 Featured in the exhibition will be: 
 
 Beth Fein – printmakingJennifer LaPierre – paintingSue Matthews – paintingMelina Meza – photographyDorie Meister – jewelryGinny Parsons – mixed mediaJenny Sampson – photographySimone Simon – paintingJan Watten – photographyAndrea Wedell – paintingStephanie Williamson – photographyJohn Wood – painting Please visit our Instagram page for more photos of work in the show.Gallery Hours: summer hours are by appointmentPlease contact us!  We would be happy to meet you in the gallery!GRAY LOFT GALLERY2889 Ford Street, third floorOakland



ABOUT  GRAY  LOFT  GALLERY
  Gray Loft Gallery has promoted the rich art culture of Jingletown and the greater Bay Area for 11 years. The gallery has been referred to as a hidden gem in Jingletown, and noted by the late Kenneth Baker, former SF Chronicle Art Critic, in his Visual Arts Don’t Miss Column as “…A space gaining prominence in the Bay Area…”   The mission of the gallery is to provide exhibition opportunities for artists in a setting that is an alternative to the traditional gallery model. We hope to inspire, engage and celebrate artists in our community and beyond.  We acknowledge the achievements of emerging, mid-career and established artists – with an emphasis on those who live and work in the Bay Area – in a non-traditional art space. A number of artists began their art career at Gray Loft Gallery. “I have always enjoyed this gallery, superb atmosphere and lighting. The polished and worn hardwood floors creek slightly in places as you climb to the third floor, providing a granular and unique, organic aesthetic. This is a do-not-miss venue in the East Bay.”  –  Facebook ReviewGray Loft Gallery has received "Best Art Gallery" in the Oakland Magazine's Readers Choice Award in 2016, 2017, 2021 and voted one of five top art galleries in 2022.




GRAY LOFT GALLERYis a proud member of the Oakland Art Murmur andJingletown Arts and Business Association.Hours: Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays by appointment2889 Ford Street, third floor, Oakland CA 94601Not wheelchair accessible.



Viewfinder links:       
         
Gray Loft Gallery                        
     
Net links:        
         
Gray Loft Gallery          
 
 
 
               
        
Styrous ~ Saturday, May 20, 2023