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ISL AND LIVING M I C H A L A J V A Z ’ T R A N S C E N D E N N E W N O V E T H E G O L D E N A G
S T L E
It is a special achievement in art when a work manages to transcend the medium in which it is created. Often this feat is accomplished through an inspection of the medium itself and painter like Jackson Pollack or the “chance operations” of choreographer Merce Cunning-
done with his novel The Golden Age
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The Book. The Book
Pale Fire Pale Fire Golden Age
The Golden Age
The Book
Te x t b y T h o m a s N i c h o l a s e d i t e d b y J o h n G l u c k m a n 57
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MICHAEL REA ortress
FSOLITUDE2 OF
INTERVIEW BY THOMAS NICHOLAS AND ANDREW ZEITER
PHOTOS BY SASHA FORNARI
ing a secret government warehouse
Star Wars
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Return of the Jedi Robocop
Ghost in the Darkness. Recreating
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friends who we had long forgotten - the heroes and
childhood.
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tion to detail and care that is taken with each miniscule component is
together. -
ANDREW
The detail is just unbelievable though. The fact that you’re
mostly self-taught is just astounding. MICHAEL : A Prosthetic Suit For Stephen Hawking w/ Japanese Steel
as real if not more authentic than
sophisticated out there as far as
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these mammoth metal sculptures
period that Michael captures so Loeser who was a furniture maker
sociated with them are as real as
New Heroes
watching other grad students and hit the ground running. I think the
Zeiter were given access to Mi-
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THOMAS It’s great to be in here. I think its kind of a fantasyland for our generation. There is stuff in here from all of the movies that our generation grew up loving. To be honest these movies are in some way responsible for me getting into art. THOMAS One of the things I noticed about your work was the detail that
I mean the Indiana Jones and Star Wars movies.
is apparent in seeing your work in person as opposed to in photos. It’s
MICHAEL :
just so intricate. Do you have a background in woodworking? MICHAEL REA
Jaws
ANDREW So what would be your top movies growing up? MICHAEL :
Star Wars
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Tsavo Manhunters, Part 1, 2009
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MICHAEL : Return of the Jedi and of course Indiana Jones were Aliens
Alien
Family Guy
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Star Wars/Robocop
ANDREW THOMAS
But I wonder if that will play itself out in future generations.
MICHAEL : -
mean it’s hilarious to us but it seems that the nature of that type of humor might be too generational. MICHAEL : watch things like Avatar Avatar
THOMAS the technology of motion pictures in quite some time. I mean you have
product.
sound, color and now 3-D.
THOMAS : I like that. You’re kind of leaving room for error.
MICHAEL :
MICHAEL :
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THOMAS : So are there any movies that you haven’t gotten around to referencing? THOMAS : We used rent a VCR sometimes on the weekend and it was
MICHAEL :
The Exorcist
this huge deal. MICHAEL :
Robocop/Star Wars Alien
The Thing was another one. THOMAS : I love The Thing! (To Andrew) didn’t we just watch that a little
Strawberry Shortcake car.
while ago?
THOMAS : My wife would love that.
ANDREW: Yeah I love The Thing. We rented it a few weeks ago but you
MICHAEL : Y
fell asleep right away. MICHAEL : Deathproof
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noticed that one of scenes has a reference to Big Trouble In Little China
ANDREW : How long do these pieces take? MICHAEL :
THOMAS MICHAEL :
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THOMAS : Yeah I can’t imagine. The shipping must be insane. How has your work evolved over the years?
THOMAS : So when you recreate these pieces do you use any type of
MICHAEL :
images from these movies you mentioned or are they just strictly from memory?
A Prosthetic Suit For Stephen Hawking w/ Japanese Steel, 2007
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ANDREW project and where you start? MICHAEL :
ANDREW : But it also seems really mathematic. MICHAEL :
pull the trigger on this Strawberry Shortcake car though. THOMAS : Do you have anybody to assist you with the work? MICHAEL :
THOMAS : Well thank you so much for letting us visit. It’s really wonderful to get to be in an artist’s creative space. MICHAEL :
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WITNESS T O R I T E
Make a Living
Routine Examination
following page : Life’s Full of Choices
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The Thief Comes in the Night
Our Gentle Teachers 1 & Our Gentle Teachers 2
A Clear Conscience
Late to Dinner
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in Japanese Manga. The New Heroes spoke -
Felix
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THOMAS : One of the most amazing things about
KELSEY
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your whole story is that you went to school to became a biologist. What motivated you to go into a new journey into something else? KELSEY
ing planes and he all of a sudden drew a plane in
through life doing what I was told and that got me something else.� THOMAS : Do you feel that you always had artistic
THOMAS : It seems like biology is still something that
tendencies growing up, or was that something you began to discover once you were a little older?
the Hindu type paintings also have this cellular ele
Kelsey in his Natural Habitiat
ment to them. Like microorganisms. Is that a conscious choice or is it something that is now just part of you that comes out in your work? KELSEY
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see how certain paintings can look like microscopic interested in is what goes with the composition of THOMAS : I was looking at your work all day on my computer and then I logged into another site and saw that there is a scientist who was just able to synthesize life in cellular form and kind of bypass evolution by controlling the compounds of life. Did you see that in the news?
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Goofball Gobbeldy Gook
THOMAS : Yeah I will forward you the link. It kind of blew my mind. The ethics involved are staggering. KELSEY THOMAS : If you don’t necessarily feel that science has a direct repreEastern religion. Is that something you’re exploring? KELSEY THOMAS : That’s interesting. I have always felt that all human beings are kind of attracted to that super-colorful aesthetic based work. I feel like everyone deep down gravitates toward that and yet it seems like a lot of highbrow art is about denying that impulse that we have in us anyway. It seems as if there are two art camps; the aesthetic based visceral art camp and the conceptual camp and they are always at war with each -
other and refuse to merge and become something. Whether or not you want to incorporate aesthetics, they should still be acknowledged for their importance.
take with something or the more allowance can grow. THOMAS : Its kind of the difference between what exists on the most basic level and then what we can grow to appreciate in our lifeKELSEY
times as we evolve as people. -
The Storm
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VICTORIA JENKINS’ SLIGHT OF HAND interview and text by Thomas Nicholas
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Institute of Esoteric Research The New Heroes spoke with Lapis Philosophorum
or did you begin working as an artist in a different medium? Victoria
dormant.
TNH : This series suggests a lack of trust in the ability of photographs to document fact. Is this something that continues to be relevant in today’s society? Victoria
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TNH : Do you come from an artistic family?
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Victoria
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TNH : In contrast, you seem to be exploring a similar theme with Lapis Philosophorum (Philosophers Stone). While things like alchemy might be considered pseudo-science now, TNH : Yeah, that seems like what all parents
they were, in their day, precursors to the
do, though. So what would you consider to times. On your website under this series of Victoria
photographs you have a great quote from
fan of reading reference for pleasure and I
Alexander Jodorowsky’s The Holy Mountain, “You are excrement. You can change yourself into gold.” How did you explore this thought into a series of photographs? Victoria
The Holy Mountain whilst
TNH : What are you exploring with your fauxImages from
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the Institute of Esoteric Research? Victoria ID or Dazed and Confused
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of the Lapis Philosophorum the Institute of Esoteric Research
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BURNING DOWN THE HOUSE THE MANY INCARNATIONS OF THE TRAGEDY OF LEONARD WOOD
Brent Green + Brendan Canty
Interview by Thomas Nicholas Photos by Ben Nicholas
I
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Fugazi called Burn To Shine. Burn to Shine is an ongoing series of concerts
have included Wilco Pearl Jam The Black Keys and Death Cab for Cutie
Gravity Was Everywhere Back Then.
a higher power and coming to terms with what little help he could -
The New Heroes
Burn to Shine. How did the whole idea come about?
lived there. THOMAS : So you bond with the house through that experience.
BRENDAN CANTY BRENDAN
THOMAS : Do you have a favorite memory from one of these sessions? BRENDAN Wilco
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Burn to
Muzzle
Shine these groups were coming and
of Bees
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to Shine
The Black Lips
of this and see what it looked like in
Burn
THOMAS : The life cycle of these groups sounds similar to that of the house. On the way out. THOMAS : Tell me about the session BRENDAN
that you had in Louisville at Leonard Fugazi
Wood’s house. What was it like when you came upon this house? BRENDAN
I wanted to take a moment to stop
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THOMAS : That’s a beautiful way to think about the life of a building. It doesn’t feel like homes are built the same way today. Back then
Gravity Was
it seemed intensely personal. Someone actually laid their hands on
Everywhere Back Then. When I read the synopsis it was amazing to
each board and carved each nook and left part of themselves in each construction.
completed all of the production in your backyard, its kind of unreal.
BRENDAN
BRENT GREEN
Burn to Shine
left and above : photos of the recreation of Leoard Woods’ home previous : Brent Green on the set of Gravity Was Everywhere Back Then
BRENT
Lucky Pineapple Burn to Shine. Bren-
THOMAS : When you were actually in the place did you get a sense of how Leonard thought that the house would be able to save his wife’s hung out with Leonard a lot in the nursing home and so he was tell-
life from cancer? BRENT
THOMAS : I love the idea of creating an event in a place that’s been condemned, especially in a house with such an eccentric history. BRENT
Burn to Shine
to convince God that this was worth while. It had this real cathedral-
THOMAS : So you saw this house being torn down and then you recreated it in your yard right? BRENT THOMAS : That’s crazy. How long did it take?
than science.
He was almost trying to
earn a miracle or
convince God that this was worth while. He was trying to
get closer to God.
BRENT
THOMAS : What happened to Leonard?
Gravity Was Everywhere Back Then
BRENT
and honest. THOMAS : How did you meet up with the musicians that you use in the process? I noticed that you use some members of the Chicago band
stop-animation?
Califone. Did you have a dream group of people you wanted to work with or did the collection of people that you put together kind of come
BRENT
about naturally? -
BRENT
Califone
Red Red
Meat
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vorite musicians. Califone called Francis Califone is going to seem like the most important part of the staircase to them
Garland of Hours Fugazi
the most prominent. THOMAS : That feeling must have been what inspired you to have live music accompanying each screening?
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Posted by Ben Nicholas
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Pineapple Express
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Topic: if heʼ’s a folk hero, than Iʼ’m the queen of England Nick **** Thatʼ’s not the definition of a hero... a hero is a man distinguished by exceptional courage and nobility and strength; a champion: someone who fights for a cause. This guy is none of that. He is a selfish prideless, p.o.s. who will be caught and turned into someoneʼ’s lilʼ’ bitch in prison. My idea of a hero is a soldier that holds a new found orphan while he sleeps because thatʼ’s the only thing that keeps him from crying. A policeman who puts his life in danger everyday to uphold the law. A fireman who rushes into a burning building to save someone heʼ’s never met. A father who kisses his baby girlʼ’s boo boo.. These are heroʼ’s and you shame them by claiming this joker is one! Heʼ’s a fugitive, a crook, a theif, and doesnʼ’t deserve to be called anything but totally wrong in all his efforts and ventures. Shame on all of you for allowing him to be called a hero! 1 week ago
Barefoot Bandit
Michael ***** im 40 yrs old..had my own illegal adventure when i was 19 (borrowed and crashed a police car)... paid for it with 18 months of my prime...walked the line ever since!!! lol but that was NOTHING compared to this guy..unfortunately he and his mom will prolly come out of this in 5 years better off than they are now..... go figure lol. 3 days ago
the result of collective admiration for human achievement.
about 1 month ago
its most literal level it is a forum for artists photographs. In addition we have included of the narrative threads that run throughout -
illuminate the work of these artists. But ac-
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ture movie adaptation. Our greatest accomplishment as -
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