Ian Bunn | Political & Popular Culture Arts

Marco Brambilla the 52 year old Italian – New York based filmmaker and installation artist known for his elaborate recontextualizations of popular and found imagery, has been profiled by Bob Morris for an article published in the New York Times titled ‘Where the Art Is Wild in 3D’. Morris states “…“Creation (Megaplex),” opened at the Nicole Klagsbrun gallery in Chelsea last week, the third of a trilogy that makes art from film. It uses Mr. Brambilla’s lavish sampling of hundreds of movie clips to create a swirling helix in which Maria von Trapp, Yoda, Dr. Strangelove and others seem to be flying through the air overhead before spiraling into a celestial toilet. “It’s about the disposability of film and images in an oversaturated world,” Mr. Brambilla said, explaining his inspiration. “Content in the background to marketing.” He may be a cynic when it comes to aspects of popular culture, but he is also a sunny, sociable and sought-after guest at art and fashion parties these days. It helps that his work is generous and accessible, and it doesn’t hurt that he has had a few mainstream commercial outings, too, with a 15-second Michael Jackson Pepsi spot last September, a Ferrari collaboration in 2011 and a Kanye West video in 2010.  Mr. Brambilla, born in Milan and raised in Canada, even had his moment as a Hollywood player in 1993, when he directed “Demolition Man” at 28. He found the level of compromise discouraging, and refocused his talents on video art. His work has received good reviews and museum shows, and he has seen it projected at a parking lot at Art Basel Miami Beach, a piazza in Rome, film festivals and even in St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral (in NoLIta), where he enjoyed the sight of thousands wearing 3-D glasses…”

Inspired by Bob Morris, New York Times ow.ly/hnJ2G Image source Facebook ow.ly/hnJ1H

Kevin Gosztola the American undergraduate writer and filmmaker has posed the question: Why Did Ecuador Grant Asylum to Julian Assange? in an article he published in The Nation magazine. In the article he states “…in the face of rumors that British authorities were considering storming the Ecuadorean embassy in London to arrest Julian Assange, Ecuador’s Foreign Minister, Ricardo Patiño, announced that his country will grant the WikiLeaks founder diplomatic asylum. He declared that his government endorsed the “fears” expressed by Assange that he could face political persecution if sent to Sweden, and that such asylum would protect him from the possibility of being extradited to the United States. …Patiño read from a list of points detailing the foundation for the asylum request by Assange, who he described as “an award-winning communications professional” known “internationally for his struggle for freedom of expression, press freedom and human rights in general.” He cited “strong evidence” that Assange faced possible “retaliation by the country or countries that produced the information,” revealed by Cablegate, noting that such retaliation “may endanger [his] safety, integrity, and even his life.” He said that “given an extradition to the United States of America, Mr. Assange would not have a fair trial, could be tried by special courts or military” and could be the victim of “cruel and degrading” treatment. …if the Swedish government is genuinely concerned over the women who brought forth the allegations against him, it is troubling to see its government continue to refuse to send someone to question Assange in London. It is this refusal that ultimately helped convince Ecuador to grant asylum.”

Inspired by The Nation ow.ly/d7cxQ image source Twitter ow.ly/d7d4c

Thierry Guetta the 46 year old French American Los Angeles based filmmaker and street artist known as Mr. Brainwash has been profiled by Matilda Battersby for the Independent in an article titled ‘Mr Brainwash: Banksy’s street-art protégé and his latest brainwave – The master of hype arrives in London for a blockbuster new show’. Battersby states “…when we met last month Mr Brainwash told me he still had no idea what to do with the 120,000ft space [the Old Sorting Office] and isn’t anywhere near finishing the work for it. He has the blind optimism of a child, and is convinced it will come together magically. …He propels himself through the conversation like a Duracell Bunny on steroids, wearing paint-spattered jeans and hoodie. His legs jiggle, his arms flap, he jumps up and down and uses his hands to draw in the air. He’s often been accused of being a fake. But after spending an hour in his company I’m astonished to find myself thinking he’s anything but: kooky, yes; scarily energetic, too; but endearing and bubbling over with vim. If this is an act then he deserves that Oscar. …he says: “I take everything seriously and I do everything with my heart. So when I got the chance of doing something I was like a mental patient who finally got to see a shrink. I vomited out everything I had inside.” … His signature style pitches somewhere between Banksy’s black and white stencils and Andy Warhol’s colourful prints. He draws straight on walls or prints computerized images onto large sheets of paper and pastes them up in separate pieces. It is a technique he learned while following Fairey and his work is now almost as ubiquitous in LA as Fairey’s own.”

Inspired by The Independent ow.ly/d0Lnl image source Facebook ow.ly/d0Lg3

I still prefer to fight and resist than do nothing (April 8th 2012)

Patrick Rouxel the French filmmaker has released a “visual essay ‘Green’ about the impact of deforestation in Indonesia as seen through the eyes of a dying orangutan [with] stunning images of the natural world and its biodiversity are counter-pointed with scenes of their destruction and the resulting cruelty to animals.” Rouxel in an article published on Aljazeera states “I know that the impact of the film is insignificant regarding the global picture. I know that human greed and indifference will eventually destroy all of Indonesia’s forests, but I still prefer to fight and resist rather than do nothing. I didn’t put any shots of local Dayak people in the nature sequences of the film because these sequences refer to today’s forests, the ones where orangutans and many other species are presently being wiped out to make room for oil palm plantations. Today in Kalimantan, there is hardly any forest left with both Dayaks and orangutans still living in them. Usually, where there are Dayaks all the orangutans would have long been shot and eaten. It is mostly in the patches of forest where there are no Dayak hunters that one can still find orangutans.”

Inspired Patrick Rouxel http://ow.ly/9O9pg by image source Earth Touch http://ow.ly/9OajH

“getting money out of politics” his top goal (April 5th 2012)

Michael Francis Moore the 57 year old US filmmaker, social critic and activist has published an article calling out for the occupy movement to take political action from within the political system. Moore states “Here’s what we don’t do: don’t turn Occupy Wall Street into another bureaucratic, top-down organization. That will certainly kill it. Baby boomers who grew up working within traditional organizations need to calm down and not shoehorn this movement into the old paradigm of “Let’s elect people to office and then lobby them to pass good laws!” Let Occupy take its natural course. The candidates for office that we need are in this movement. (Are you one of them? Why not? Someone has to do it, and it would be better if it was you!) The laws that must be enacted to make this a more just nation will come in due time. And not ten years from now; some of this will happen this year. The leading candidate for Congress from my hometown of Flint, Michigan, has already taken a pledge to make “getting money out of politics” his top goal once in office. Others have joined him. We need to vote for them and then hold them to it.”

Inspired by Michael Moore http://ow.ly/9MLc0 image source David Shankbone http://ow.ly/9MM8H

We just come from a bad place (October 6th)

Steve Rodney McQueen the 41 year old UK artist and filmmaker has released his new work titled ‘Shame’ at the Venice Film Festival to much acclaim. The film is about a 30+ male sex addict having issues managing his sexual urges after his sister moves in with him. The main character Brandon, skilled at the easy pickups, is constrained by his sister’s presence and disastrous activities including self harm, and a relationship with his boss. McQueen’s films are typically black and white minimalistic pieces, projected on an enclosed art gallery wall. He often appeared in his own earlier works, and is renowned for restaging a Buster Keaton stunt titled ‘Deadpan’ where a house collapses leaving him standing and unscathed through a window opening. McQueen is a Turner Prize winner, and received the Caméra d’Or Award at the Cannes Film Festival.

Inspired by Ann Binlot http://ow.ly/6FVTA image source futureshipwreck http://ow.ly/6FW7E