PRIMA VISTA's Braille Music Scores for the Blind

Hearing with touch. It's such a lovely and liberating concept.

Links:
Braille Music Scores for the Blind (Guardian) SOURCE
Prima Vista Braille Music Services
Royal College of Music

BILL HICKS is made of bricks

“Bill Hicks–blowtorch, excavator, truth-sayer, and brain specialist, like a reverend waving a gun around. He will correct your vision. Others will drive on the road he built.” – Tom Waits

Links:
Bill Hicks
Bill Hicks Wiki
The Gospel According to Hicks (GQ Magazine)
Bill Hicks (Spike Magazine)
Bill Hicks (BBC)

Introducing VILAYANUR S. RAMACHANDRAN

Vilayanur Ramachandran is a neurologist best known for his work on neurological disorders through simple, low-tech investigations that reveal the inner workings of the brain. The work of a neuroscientist may seem incongruous to SiouxWIRE, but understanding how our minds function and perceive the world is well within mandate.

In addition to pursuing a career in neuroscience, Vilayanur also studied visual perception through psychophysics and is credited with the discovery of visual effects and illusions such as perceived slowing of motion at equiluminance (where red and green are seen as equally bright), stereoscopic capture using illusory contours, stereoscopic learning, shape-from-shading, and motion capture. See HERE for Ramachandran's illusions.

The video below is Vilayanur's talk on how brain damage can reveal the links between internal structures of our minds:

Links:
Vilayanur S. Ramachandran Reith lectures (BBC)
Vilayanur S. Ramachandran TED lecture (TED)
Vilayanur S. Ramachandran profile (UCSD)
Vilayanur S. Ramachandran's Illusions(UCSD)
Vilayanur S. Ramahandran profile (edge.org)
Vilayanur S. Ramachandran Wiki

ANTHONY MINGHELLA

"The feeling of not belonging, of not being entirely worthy, of being sometimes hostage to your own sensibilities. Those things speak to me very personally."

Links:
Favourite scenes - The English Patient (SiouxWIRE)
Guardian Unlimited Obituary
Remembering Minghella - Michael Covenay (Guardian Unlimited)
Anthony Minghella Wiki
BBC4 Interview (audio)
Anthony Minghella - Screenonline

MICHEL GONDRY Interview Collection

Continuing the series of interview collections, this a set featuring Michel Gondry. Learn a lot about Michel (and the clichés of interviewing).

Interviews:
Dazed & Confused(2007) - with Paul McCartney
EW.com (2007)
Guardian Unlimited(2007)
PixelSurgeon (2007)
PingMag (2007)
JiveMagazine(2007) - Further down the page
UnderTheRadar Magazine
TheBlurb
Michel's son Paul Gondry (2006)
RopeofSilicon(2006)
AICN(2006)
BrightLightsFilmJournal(2006)
Suicide Girls (2006)
FilmJerk(2006)
New York Times(2006)
Morphizm(2006)
ComingSoon.net (2006)
Washington Post(2006)
TheReeler - SoHo chat
IndieLONDON
ReelMovieCritic(2004) - with Charlie Kaufman
MovieCityNews(2004) - with Charlie Kaufman
TheEveningClass
The Nerve(2004)
Strut Magazine (2004) - partial
UGO


Video Interviews:
VBS - discussion with Charlotte Gainsbourg(part 1, 2, 3, 4, 5) - Part 1 below
Creative Screenwriter (Part 1, Part 2)
TalkAtAppleStore
BBCmovies
Imeem
Yoox
iFilm
VodPod/Seed Salon -with Robert Stickgold (see below - 50mins)
QOOB Video - Search for "Gondry" for parts 2-8
Time Out/Picture House
BBC Collective(2004)
CoreySpring
France 4 (in French)

VBS Meets: Gondry & Gainsbourg
Uploaded by VBS_tv

with Robert Stickgold, Harvard (50mins)

Misc:
Michel Gondry with Bjork and the paint piano(video)
Directors Label
Michel Gondry Wiki
Le Monde de Michel Gondry
Director File: Michel Gondry

Introducing SIGGA

Occasionally, I stumble across a young artist who is still experimenting and for whom there is a spark of genius that hints at good things to come. I discovered Sigga's work online; my compass seems to always point to Iceland.

She was born in Paris and raised in Reykjavik. Always interested in photography, she has in the last year studied the craft in Paris and has just completed Sigurrósarkópía. Having recently been accepted to the Icelandic Academy of Arts, Sigga is now looking forward to new and as yet unknown projects.

Having been asked by friends to act in a commercial, she learned to turn her photographs into videos. Here are some samples of her work:

Sigurrósarkópía


I'm Hungry for your Love

Links:

YouTube - SiggaT
BonoBoPlanet advert
Icelandic Academy of Arts

Introducing DJANGO REINHARDT

I was first introduced to Django Reinhardt by a teacher in school, but it wasn't until I was a little older and saw Woody Allen's Sweet & Lowdown that I really delved into his work. And since I mention it, Sweet & Lowdown is the last film from Woody Allen that really knocked my socks off. A real bittersweet work full of regret and self destruction with great performances from Sean Penn and Samantha Morton. Here is the trailer...

Born in Belgium, Django spent his youth in gypsy encampments around Paris learning to play violin, banjo, and guitar for which he played professional at the Bal-musette halls in Paris. Injured in a fire at 18, he was left with paralysis of two fingers which he used for some chords. Despite this, he went on to become one of the most talented and influential guitarists of all time.

His music is deceptively light, full of life, ghostly, and tinted with hints of melancholy if you listen hard enough. Here are a few performances captured on film. Look at all those beautiful cigarettes...

Django Reinhardt And Stephane Grappelli
Uploaded by evilmaks

Django Reinhardt (1938)
Uploaded by travis001

Links:
Django Reinhardt Wiki
RedHotJazz.com
ClassicJazzGuitar.com

Introducing CHRIS BURDEN

Chris Burden is a performance artist best known for his works where he challenged the dividing line between audience and art often putting himself in danger to do so. For his most well known performance, Shoot, an assistant from 15 feet shot him in the arm. In another, Trans-fixed, he was nailed onto a Volkswagon beetle. In Through the Night Softly, he slithered shirtless across broken glass which was strangely broadcast on television as advertising(see the clip below).

These kinds of works challenged the audience to intervene. In 1975, he began Doom in which he set a clock set at midnight on a wall and laid himself down under a leaning piece of glass. He stayed there for 45 hours and 10 minutes until a museum employee, Dennis O'Shea, took it upon himself to put water within Burden's reach. Burden stood up, smashed the clock with a hammer and left. This marked a turn in Burden's career.

He moved onto more scientific and political work reconstructing the first television, creating an instrument with which to see the speed of light with The Speed of Light Machine, and crafting his response to Maya Lin's Vietnam Veterans Memorial in which he engraved three million Vietnamese names onto hinged copper panels as a symbol of the native casualties of the war.

In a time when JackAss, David Blaine, and Jim Rose's Circus are relatively mainstream, I wonder what the future holds for the kind of performances that Burden orchestrated in his early career. Perhaps, Burden knew the answer when he stood up and took the hammer to the clock.

Links:
New Yorker/Peter Schjeldahl
ArtSceneCal/Elenore Welles
Tate-Discussion(mp3)
Chris Burden - Wiki
Ghost Ship
Artforum
Ohio State Univ. Write-up

LARS VON TRIER Interview Collection

Lars Von Trier has described how depression has left him unable to work so it may be some time before we see a new film from him though his contribution to the collection of 3-minute shorts for Cannes is still yet to be seen. Here's hoping that he turns a corner soon.

As a part of a new series of posts documenting the online interviews of artists, this is a listing of interviews available online with Lars Von Trier. Enjoy.

interviews
GUARDIAN - 22 September 2006
FILMSOCIETY-LINCOLNCENTER - 2006
GUARDIAN - 20 October 2006
SPIEGEL - 15 November 2005
TIME OUT - 28 July 2005
BRIGHTLIGHTSFILM - 2005
FANSITE - Series of interviews
SIGNANDSIGHT - 17 November 2005
BBC Collective - Dogville
INDIEWIRE - 22 September 2000
TIME OUT NY - 27 April 2000 (excerpt)
MOVIECRAZED - circa 2000
DOGME95 - 4 November 1999
STIG BJORKMAN - 1998
DOGME95 - ?

video interviews

Misc.
larsvontrier.net
Statement of Revitality - 2006
Dogme 95
Senses of Cinema Profile
Lars von Trier Fansite
Lars von Trier Wiki

KURT VONNEGUT

"I want to stay as close to the edge as I can without going over. Out on the edge you see all kinds of things you can't see from the center."

Interview: SCROOBIUS PIP

If the name Scroobius Pip isn't familiar to you, jump back a few days to THIS POST or follow the links at the bottom of this post. Given the ever-increasing attention he's getting, I was surprised he spared the time for me and he was so damn nice. Anyhow, here's the interview:

What’s behind the name Scroobius Pip?
Its taken from an Edward Lear poem of the same name. The basic story is of a creature in the jungle that doesnt know what it is so it tries going with the lions for abit, then the fishes, then the insects, etc. In the end it realises it is simply a Scroobius Pip

"What calms a drunken scuffle better than a sonnet?"

How old were you and why did you write your first poem?
Its really hard to say. Ive been writing lyrics since i was about 12 but I didnt realise that they were poems too in a way. Something doesnt neccesarily have to be spoken for it to be poetic.

What makes you laugh?
Loads of stuff! Karl Pilkington, Scrubs, the Tick, The adventures of Pete and Pete, The White haired kid from Eerie Indianna. Its a pleasantly long list that just keeps going.

What makes you cry?
Not an awful lot specifically. Havent had much cause to cry of late really.

What kind of pictures do you draw?
Well i was a stencil artist for quite sometime and ended up drawing more and more pictures of people in film/art/music/tv that i respect.

What’s your reaction to the new talking surveillance cameras? (Perhaps they could read poetry?)
Would that be nice! What calms a drunken scuffle better than a sonnet? I havent thought about them to much but i think they could help in some situations purely because it shows that they are manned. But will that then just mean the unmanned ones are pretty much ignored?

"Thou Shalt give equal worth to tragedies that occur in non-English speaking countries as to those that occur in English speaking countries" – Why do you think this is?
This happens because of how the media over here is. Generally, if it doesnt concern us or there isnt much we can do then its easier to just not mention it. Thats the media for you. Atleast we have a better run at things than the American public though. Clear Channel pretty much use the media as a advertising tool.

I noticed that images of Vincent Gallo crop up a lot around you; you’re a fan then?
Yeah definately. He's a legend. Buffalo 66 is my favourite film of all time.

Who are your favourite poets and/or musicians? And why?
Poets- American - Sage Francis, Gil Scott Heron, Saul Williams.
UK - Polar Bear, Poem Inbetween People, Nial Spooner Harvey
As for the whys? Take a listen to any of these guys and its pretty clear.

What do you think about digital art?
Any art is a positive thing in my humble opinion!

"The beauty of poetry is anyone can write it."

What’s your advice to the budding poets out there?
Write, write and write. And if you want to...perform. There is a great variety of open mic nights out there. The beauty of poetry is anyone can write it. It doesnt have to rhyme and there are no rules. You just need to have something to express.

What do you want to be when you grow up?
An astrounaught?
No not really. Strange you ask though because i just recorded a new track with a guy called Yila on that exact subject so instead of answer i will just suggest you seek out our myspaces and it should be up in the next week or two!
Shameless self promotion!

:)

Thanks, Scroobius Pip. What a diamond you are.

LINKS:
Scroobius Overviewland
Scroobius Pip MySpace
Dans le Sac vs. Scroobius Pip Myspace
Lex Records
Matt Frew MySpace
Yila MySpace

Yes, I know I was meant to be on my weekend break but thought this was worth posting immediately.

INTERVIEW: Thomas Gladysz, founder of the LOUISE BROOKS Society

The following is one of my favourite interviews from the Ramble Rocket era(2005). Thomas Gladysz created Pandorasbox.com in 1995 and founded the Louise Brooks Society in 1994. He is a treasure trove of information and has been very generous with his time.

Can you briefly explain to the uninitiated who Louise Brooks was?
Louise Brooks was an actress whose greatest fame came during the silent film era. All together, she appeared in 24 films between 1925 and 1938. Today, she is best know for her 1929 role as Lulu - a sort of femme fatale - in "Pandora's Box." Some have called her one of the most beautiful women to have ever appeared in films. I agree. She is also a fascinating personality.

How long have you been interested in Louise and what started this off?
I have been interested - some would same obsessed - in Brooks for more than 12 years. My interest started after having seen her in "Pandora's Box." It is a remarkable film, and Brooks herself is really quite stunning. Seeing that film led me to want to know more about the actress, which led me to the remarkable biography by Barry Paris. Wanting to share my enthusiasm for the actress with others, I started the Louise Brooks Society. This year, the LBS celebrates 10 years on-line.

"European directors, European film critics, and European film lovers have long appreciated this Kansas-born actress."

Louise did a lot of work in Europe?
Of her 24 films, Brooks only made three films in Europe. However, those three films are considered among her very best. She went to Europe to play Lulu under the direction of G.W. Pabst, a great German director. Soon after, she made another film with Pabst, the equally acclaimed "Diary of a Lost Girl." Her third European film, "Prix de Beaute," was made in France. It was based on a story idea by Pabst and Rene Clair, a great French director. European directors, European film critics, and European film lovers have long appreciated this Kansas-born actress. I suppose some would say that the "cult" of Louise Brooks was born in Europe. Today, Brooks is considered an important actress on the continent.

Intro to "Looking for Lulu

She appeared with John Wayne in a "talkie" but then vanished. Why? What happened?
Brooks' last film was "Overland Stage Raiders," a B-western. After trying to re-establish her faltering career, Brooks came to the end of her days as an actress. John Wayne was at the beginning of his. (He would soon go on to star in "Stagecoach.") Regarding "Overland Stage Raiders," Brooks biographer Barry Paris wrote, "It is a dreadful film from start to finish, with every cliché known to Western man and western genre. Louise adored Wayne but could not stand the humiliation of the film. "Raiders" was the last straw. She never made another movie."

READ THE FULL INTERVIEW BY CLICKING HERE

Storytime: CHARLES BUKOWSKI reads The Genius of the Crowd

94 seconds; spare the time to listen to Bukowski at his best. Enjoy. (avec des sous-titres)

Bukowski
Uploaded by XLanig

Introducing EVIL TWIN Publications

Created by Stacy Forte and Amber Gayle, Evil Twin Publications was started in 1994 inspired by American personal zines. Initially set up to publish their own work starting with Greetings from the Endless Highway, the first in their "My Evil Twin Sister" series.

After pushing several of their own narratives, poetry, and photography through a series of books, they started working on collaborations with other artists starting with a trio of books from poet Zachary Lipez and photography/musician Nicholas Zinner Stacy: No Seats on the Party Car, Slept in Beds, and I Hope You Are All Happy Now.

From this, they went onto to create CATHOLIC No. 1: Cats, edited by photographer Glynnis McDaris and writer Jesse Pearson. The contributing artists were simply told "Make us something about cats" and the results span from the beautiful and humorous to the disturbing and though provoking.

The first edition of was released in a set of 1000 numbered copies with stitched and silk screened covers. An expanded second expanded edition was published in 2005 in cooperation with D.A.P..

The work of Evil Twin Publications has been added to the permanent collections of museums and art institutions and has been included in several gallery shows. Stacey Wakefield currently lives in New York and is design director at Artforum magazine. Amber Gayle lives in the mountains of southern Oregon acting as distribution manager for Index magazine.

Evil Twin Publications

Lorenzo Fonda's MEGUNICA

Director Lorenzo Fonda(aka Cerberoleso) set out to make a documentary introducing the work of Blu and the project developed into a study of how surroundings and exposure to new things stimulates artistic vision. Crossing Mexico, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Costa Rica, and Argentina, they are documenting their journey with little planning and just a few guides and contacts on their route.

When the film is completed, they plan to release a DVD and book set. The book will feature a reproduction of Blu's diary providing an alternative perspective to the journey. The project is being produced by Mercurio Productions. I'm looking forward to seeing the result of their work. Their blog is a lot of fun.

The official site with blog and a generous amount of images and background information is HERE. Also have a look at Blu and Lorenzo's personal sites which are full of interesting work.

Megunica official site
Blu's official site - Blublu
Lorzeno Fonda's Site

Composer LEOS JANACEK

For some of you, this may come as quite a turn, but bear with me if this is the case. Leos Janacek(1854-1928) was a Czech composer who is principally remembered for his nine operas which are so incredibly diverse, it's amazing they all source form the same man.

As a sample, one opera is about an immortal(The Makropulos Affair), another an Alice in Wonderland-like affair that may or may not be a result of the protagonist being drunk(The Excursions of Mr Brouček), one tells the tale of life through animals in the wood(The Cunning Little Vixen), and another is set in a Siberian Prison(From the House of the Dead).

I was first hooked on his music on the cinematic release of The Unbearable Lightness of Being which features his music heavily. Then I started listening to his operas and could hardly believe how varied and sometimes peculiar his narratives and music were.

He really was a pioneer and in his innovation was hardly taken seriously in his lifetime.

Leos Janacek Site
Janacek Wiki
Future Performances

Forgotten Faces: MAURICE TILLET

I've stumbled across several posts about Maurice Tillet recently which are dubbing him the "real Shrek" which is a shame as they're as misrepresentative of the man as Irving Penn's "beauty & the beast" photographs (see above).

Born in France(1903) and a keen poet, he spoke 14 languages and was eager to become an actor yet in his twenties, he developed acromegaly which caused his bones to grow out of control leading to his disfigured appearance.

Moving to the US, he became a wrestler as this fit his outward appearance. Known as "The French Angel", he won the American Wrestling Association World championship in 1944 and soon after became a recluse.

Among the few who he befriended was businessman Patrick Kelly with whom he would regularly play chess. He died in 1954 of heart disease in Massachusetts.

** If anyone has access to any of his poetry or know where samples can be found, send me a message.