.

Jimmy Cliff

2009-05-18T14:45:00.000-07:00

Miss Jamaica is one of my favourite songs right now, but here's a little gem from a little later on in his career, the bit where he plays the coke bottles is classic:

Jimmy Cliff - Reggae Night
by djoik

keep going back

2009-05-16T12:34:00.000-07:00

No art in the future?

2009-05-07T13:35:00.000-07:00

My friend Rory makes films under the name Crafthunter, I was followed a link to his youtube today and re-watched some his films for the first time in a while. One in particular, Tech Noir, gave me a complete revelation. I have a terrible grasp of my own thoughts and concepts which is often frustrating as though I now how I feel about something I never seem to do myself justice when trying to explain my ideas to others. I have been trying to analyse my thoughts about "the future", the age of technology and the relationship between society & technology and art & design and consumerism for a while now and watching Tech Noir was like a moment of clarity. My explorations had taken me from Pagans to Constructivism to futurism to Amish to hippies to modernism and all sorts of strange examinations and examples into how people choose to live their lives as well as explorations into how I live my life. Anyway after all that thinking I managed to reach a few solid conclusions and I now have plenty of ideas buzzing around my head in terms of art that I shall make now!

This is his film:

You cannot excape the alimighty bunghole

2009-04-17T18:32:00.001-07:00

TRUE.

I remember watching this on mtv as a kid and not really getting it. I guess that's why the parts that stuck in my mind were the simple gags like the moronic voices and visual comedy. It was only when I was a little older that I could really understand the subtle humour behind what is seemingly very blatant dialog. Still, sometimes the simplest jokes are the funniest.

Disco Dining

2009-04-17T13:47:00.000-07:00

ok ok I know so I have this new found obsession to disco music (blame ben and mario for rekindling my love of the stuff) and when I say obsession I mean it. I don't do things be half so I have invited all my fellow disco enthusiasts to my own private disco dinner:

"Did somebody say FONDUE? I can certainly promise you a "FUN-DO" if you will join me for my 70s themed dinner party on the ******* to celebrate my return. There will be 70s food, 70s music and 70s party games. Dress up is encouraged but not mandatory- attendance and participation however IS.
For those of you who haven't been to my house before then those who have can assure you that I am a pretty sweet-ass cook. I love a culinery challange- wether it's cooking for 30 people, making a traditional african mielee meal or trying to think up a range of accompaniments for a cheese and wine party. As always, the intention of the evening will be CIVIL (which inevitably means it will turn into a riot and get the neighbours angry).
Call me a bad host but I shall not be serving alcohol on the evening but you are welcome to bring your own as long as you don't try and persude me to drink it. The only rules are that you have to be nice to my parents (who are rad by the way- physchedelic love children in the 60s, stoner hippies in the 70s, yuppies in the 80s, intellectuals in the 90s and art collecters in the 00s) and that you respect my home and all the wierd ethnic shit and snazzy artwork that fills it.
My address is ********, off ********* opposite the ******* Pub which is half way between ********* and ********* Stations. You'll recognise it as it will have a ****** tree and a ******* Mini in the drive way. You'll probably want to ******** by the ******* because I may not be able to hear you at the **********.
Please RSVP so that I know how many people are coming and inform me if you have any allergies or aversions. I have two cats but can supply you with Piriton if you are allergic. Also I am a vegetarian but don't mind cooking meat for anyone who wants it- please let me know if you would like some meat (it'll probably be of the pig variety if there are any takers) with your meal. Also if anyone has any music or disco balls/lights that they wish to bring to the party then please bring them with you as I will be turning the entire downsairs floor into a 70s disco for the purpose of entertainment. Roller skates are also encouraged.
Let me know, this will be unmissable xxxxxx"

ok ok ok I know it's awesome but I already have seating issues so if you're a good friend of mine and you haven't recieved an invite then DONT WORRY, I still love you and I will invite you to dinner when I throw my next one which will be themed to your tastes. I will be having a 30s through to 50s party soon and also plan for a 60s-80 music of black origin party so YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE AND YOU WILL GET INVITED xxxxx

I cried

2009-04-17T09:45:00.000-07:00

This is possibly one of the most uplifting videos of reality t.v.:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY

Just think, that could be me in 19 days time "I live with my cats pepper and pickle, I'm unemployed but still looking, I want to be a singer...."

maybe we're soul sisters?

In case you hadn't got the idea already...

2009-04-16T14:57:00.000-07:00

this is where I am at the moment:

Eliza adds:

Whenever things are bad remember they could always be worse

2009-04-16T13:28:00.000-07:00

the hard sell

2009-04-16T13:13:00.000-07:00

"As for a little bit about me- I am a costume design student at LCF, I ran club nights for 6 years and have been DJing for 4. I'm currently working on re-launching my DJing career as a disco DJ and starting my solo singing career. Definately fall under the catagory of fashionista and have put on several fashion events, and have in the past production managed and studio assisted for designers including Giles Deacon and Chris Air. Also worked on Africa Rising at the Royal Albert Hall last year as well as production staffed/assisted several art shows. In addition to this I am an artist and designer in my own right and have styled for and starred in many well known fashion magazines, music videos and advert campaigns (Dazed and Confused, Vice, Super Super, Above, Disorder, NME, Fly 53, to name but a few!)
I have recently started collecting items with the hopes of creating my own boutique and I have many original and one-off pieces of my own design. My wardrobe is a melting pot of style, colour and kitch and is brimming with forgotten treasures that I would happily find a loving home for! I'm the type of girl who takes up to 12 hours getting ready as I will design and make my outfit before styling and putting all the finishing touches to it before I go to a killer night out. I also spend my life shopping, as someone who started earning a lot of money from the age of 14 I always had a lot more pocket money than most teenagers considering that I was making up too a few hundred quid a month running clubs, taking photos and DJing by the tender age of 15. This fact combined with my love of shoes and eye for fashion means that I have accquired quite a hoard of party dresses, impractical (but beautiful) handbags and killer heels. I've always had an eye for bargain though so although I wouldn't be bringing many designer items with me to the sale almost everything I have is vintage and hand picked either for it's eye catching design or it's high quality. You won't be dissappointed!"

The slightly moronic tone is an attempt at making me sound more chirpy and not too wierd and it's not a job application! I'm asking to sell off some of my clothes at the next "Buy My Wardrobe" event as I'm broke and would like to get some money which I shall probably spend on more clothes so it's a vicious cycle really!

I've got the X factor

2009-04-16T12:19:00.000-07:00

"In 2009 we're all going to be famous and drink champagne for breakfast and get poor people to drive us around in long cars and burn money in granite fireplaces and have lewd phone conversations with Prince Charles and marry footballers and hang out with washed up stars of yesteryears and eventually end up eating balls in a jungle or dancing on ice..."

On the 6th of May at 9am I shall be waiting in line to meet the judges for the first time, which is like 20 days away. I'm going to probably sing "Teardrops" by Womack and Womack...it's not the most difficult song in the world but it's such a great tune and I can carry it well so I think I have quite a good chance provided I put my look together right. It also means that I can save the big guns for the second round when I wont be shitting myself as much. I'm not even sure if I am nervous, I was a bit to begin with but now I'm excited. It's amazing television, it's actually genuis and it's only arseholes who sniff at it and say "it's so low brow" or whatever. It's good, accessable entertainment that encourages young people to follow their dreams and changes people's lives for the better AND I AM NOT ASHAMED TO SAY IT. What's halarious is the thought that I might actually be rich by the end of the year...like it's actually a possibility, it's REAL. I'm not saying that I'm amazing, but I think I offer a slightly more unique asthetic as well as a good attitude and voice. What excites me most though is the singing side of it all, getting to be trained by those professionals and singing alongside other great artists as well as performing with a live band behind you! It'd be incredable, I just hope I don't get in too much of a muddle when I get in the audition room- I think I might have to ask for a minute or so just to take it all in.

"I didn't sell out, everybody else just bought in"

I just killed God

2009-04-16T10:18:00.001-07:00

This is how it happened. You must excuse the spelling mistakes, Eliza is German and I was rushing my typing to keep up with my thoughts:

"Eliza Helmerich's Photos - Spring

PHOTOCREDIT.MARIO IMMORTAL.

From the album:
"Spring" by Eliza Helmerich

Eliza Helmerich at 12:26am April 16
the man in the women - we r too strong for the other gender - that justifies our single status...i guess?!

Louise Cattell at 12:41am April 16
new wave feminism...sure? No I think what justifies our single status is that monogamy is WIERD and should be AVOIDED AT ALL COSTS

Eliza Helmerich at 1:58am April 16
I'm single because I was born that way.

Louise Cattell at 8:12am April 16
boyfriends/girlfriends are a reserve for the insecure, marriage is a back up plan, it'll always come back and bite you in the arse in the end so why complicate life by trying label/officialise your sentiments...........love endlessly!

Louise Cattell at 8:12am April 16
and unrestrictedly

Che Zara Blomfield at 10:06am April 16
I just like to look at the sun.

Louise Cattell at 12:23pm April 16
sorry we roped you in

Eliza Helmerich at 3:10pm April 16
i just honestly like to look at the birds!
....and i dont let anyone put me in a cage.

and if someone decides to be around me - then he is welcome to join my road - as long as he never dares to label me as his possession and disturbes my precious peace of mind...
... Read More
and again - i agree with you - living of sexual relationships and constant change of partner - shows mental weakness - insecurity and fear of being alone - being with someone for the sake of self-consolation?!
certainly nothing to be proud of.

BTW I have released my first book - you should have a look at it!

Eliza Helmerich at 3:11pm April 16
lets call us " The three modern EVE's" "The eve of the Eve" ....

Louise Cattell at 3:33pm April 16
I'm not a christian so christian symbolism has no value to me so essentially I translate that as "the dawn of worthlessness"

HEDONISTS MORE LIKE bah hah haha

where's this book then? We've got quite a good novel going on in our private messages- we can't get boyfriends and suddenly we're all philosophers haha

Louise Cattell at 3:35pm April 16
p.s. say what you mean or mean what you say

Eliza Helmerich at 5:00pm April 16
the difference is - that I see myself as the soul with a body - not the body with a soul - as most people seem to see themselves. words can hardly express what i mean and feel - but i mean what you can hear from my mouth and what you can read in my eyes!

are you not christian because you can't see what christians believe in?

Best example: You see many stars at night in the sky but find them not when the sun rises; can you say that there are no stars in the heaven of day? because you behold not God in the days of your ignorance, one shouldn't say that there is no God.... Read More

Ive got my own costom made god - that im neither having a picture of nor a label for my belief.
ive got my own religion - and it feels good.

Eliza Helmerich at 5:09pm April 16
about the book - YES it does exist - its right in front of me - its huge and has cost a fortune.

Louise Cattell at 5:32pm April 16
Sometimes I look at this dead flesh and think about the dead bones that shape it, the dead bones and blood and organs that fill it....I am thankfull for all my machinery, but not amazed. I know that it exsists, I know that it works and thanks to the great minds of of so many great men and women I also know how it works. The same goes for the ... Read Moreworld around me, and when you know why things are the way they are then you need no longer marvel at them.
I can totally empathise with all those long lost civilisations who looked at the sky and wondered where it ended. The concept of infinity is terrifying as it proposes to us an endless unknown. Far easier perhaps to imagine that the ultimate fourth wall goes on for a very long time but ends abruptly at a ceiling that is so high that only a mind free of it's soul could ever reach it?
God is reassurance...reassurance is what you make of it - strength, power, knowledge, understanding...and perhaps the first Christians meant(out of space...
Louise Cattell at 5:46pm April 16
) what I mean when I talk about science and evolution but without the technology they're teachings turn into metaphor written and taught in a way that made sense to people who lived 2000 years ago...surely? The problem occurrs with where it went from there- all this "word of god" "heaven and hell" was used as a political weapon against people- ... Read Moremany of whom didn't spend all their time pondering their own existance and therefore could not comprehend or didn't agree with something that is so untangable, hence why suddenly theory and allogory becomes "fact" and "truth". And it all goes down hill from there really, they fucked it up basically because instead of letting people think for themselves they tried to enforce their ideas on people by lying, brainwashing and terrifying people (often for their lives).
I don't disagree with the christian message, but then neither do I disagree with the bhuddist message or that of islam or jewish or hindu etc because it's pretty much the same....
Louise Cattell at 5:56pm April 16
across the board really- love each other, be good. But I have qualms with most religion in practise.
I also don't really think it's relevant any more when you think about it...I mean we don't still believe in magic do we- it's just chemistry and the power of the human mind...Religion has it's roots in magic, but it was when people started living ... Read Morein much bigger groups in civilisation that they needed to give the "magic" abit of order and law in order to keep society stable and thriving, hence the birth of coherent philosiphy which can then be added to magic to create Religion. It was viable and neccassary in the early days of civilisation BUT...NOW...we can all be educated properly and understand good and bad and what's best for us and how the world works and then make up our own minds about why we're here and what's the point to it.
All that said, the literal interpretation of Divine Creation is probably impossible to disprove so I can not dismiss organised religion completely...but-
Louise Cattell at 6:05pm April 16

...this obviously leaves us scratching our heads and saying but if Allah can exist and God can exist and Vishnu and Isis and Thor and all those other guys then it must be getting pretty crowded on the second floor. Imagine that hey...how awkward haha. Yes they exist as ideas, possibilities but I find it highly unlikly that they're all waiting ... Read Morearound in some final destination up in the sky squabbling over who made the mountains and who REALLY invented the light bulb and even what type of afterlife they're sitting in --it all becomes totally surreal, how can you possibly expect someone to chose rationally?Logically you'd chose the one that sounded best...but you could never know...it's not a fair system and all very unlikely.
And it's also all about langauge, take away langauge and religion can't exist....so is religion thought? is it science? Perhaps, but what if I did not have the language for this...without langauge there is no thought and without thought there is no god...BUT..
Louise Cattell at 6:13pm April 16
I believe that thought is the highest level, because you can unthink god but you can't unthink thought........However it is only the highest level within our own demensions, and I believe - and it is the most likely possibility- that there are infinate random dimensions beyond our conception where there is no langauge- because language is the ... Read Morereserve of our random dimensions - which would mean that they could have no God....therefore if these parrellel universes are just as complex and wierd and random but definately not created by God as the understanding of God is completely unique to our understanding of God and therefore IMPOSSIBLE in any other dimensions THEN WHY THE FUCK SHOULD OR WOULD GOD EXIST?

ahhh there I've said it"

So I guess now I just wait for the hate mail to start flooding in right? But seriously if you have something interesting to say about this then I welcome your responses. I'm not an expert and I'm not presenting this as a fact- it is merely what I think to be true. Furthermore I think it's fucking awesome that we live in a world with so many different faiths and philosophies and of course everybody is welcome to their own interpretations and I couldn't say that it wouldn't be true because if they believe it then it exits for them and if it improves their lives then of course it's a good thing and I'm happy for them. But I'm also really happy about my own conclusion so teach it don't preach it y'know?

Because Seeing is Believing

2009-04-15T16:18:00.000-07:00

Or should that be hearing?

It is a rare occasion that I have to share a room with my brother and thank god for that because I dislike sleeping in the same room as anyone on the whole as I find it difficult to get to sleep with any distractions in the environment and my brother grunts like a little piggy which is irritating to say the least. It's not his fault but he choses to annoy me further by his complete denial so I have made this little, albiet slightly creepy, film of him asleep. I think his sixth sense (spider sense) must've told him something was up as when I started recording he fell quiet - the piggy got a little shy perhaps? Anyway after a few moments (and some loud fumbling on my part) the little piggy decideds to come out and play again. You'll have to excuse my appearance and the tomatoe puree stain on my top as I am in my sibling bedroom sharing gear ready to go to sleep - if only! Anyway the resulting video evidence may amuse you, please do tell me if you think this is an acceptable volume of sleep noise and I can reassure you that he can crecendo pretty noisily and seems to be doing so quite regularly tonight!

oh and p.s. that's a continental twin you're looking at, we are not sharing the same bed as that would be wierd and unpleasant

Very Best of Stars on 45

2009-04-15T15:47:00.000-07:00

I am addicted to this at the moment, you can buy the full best of on i-tunes, I recommend it! Current facourite: ABBA Medley
Here's a teaser from the original 12" release

Holiday to Hampstead Heath

2009-04-15T15:10:00.001-07:00

Ok, so Nathan, Cara and Kate lived on primrose hill for three weeks; now I'm not sure that I can afford to dedicate that much of my time to ignoring the rest of the civilised world right now but I would like to propose a Holiday to Hampstead Heath maybe for a few nights/a week or so starting on May Day. The great thing about Hampstead Heath is that it's fucking massive (London's largest open space) the downside to this is that it can be a scary and dangerous place at night hence it would be optimum for us to be a large group.
No rules besides RESPECT for the environment and other heath-goers. Leave the rest of the logistics down to common sense.
Who's game?

RECESSION RULES OK?

mr snake

2009-04-15T13:37:00.000-07:00

"I have been working on my high priestess costume as I am in switzerland and I can't get the smell of death of my hands after spending all afternoon carving animal bone"
"I found a bone in the woods and I have carved it in to a snake head for my shaman stick- I'm doing all my wood carving tomorrow - I gave it big blue eyes with tiny chunks of plastic acrylic that I got from an old drainage pipe I found. Ahh killing time"*

it still needs some work but I don't have any proper tools with me! Stupidly left all my carving tools at home!

*taken from conversations I have been conducting via the cult of facebook

Mein Hut Hast Kiene Ecke!

2009-04-15T11:09:00.001-07:00

I Have Turned Swiss

"Dean:
are you blonde at the moment?
you look like an angel in your pic :):)

Louise:
yeah I'm blonde but going to change it soon as it totally washes me out! I'm going to go for a tan first and ride it out (need to take advantage of all the hard work I put into bleaching it!) I tried to dye it grey and it went a kind of soggy petal pastel pink at the tips and now I look like I have reverse-frosting. ERROR. I decided to part it though and now I look like Hitler Jugend!

Dean:
hahaah. it's a good look

Louise:
thanks love. I'll still always be jealous of long haired beauties like your very own silken barnet but like I aways say who needs hair when you can get a good wig eh?"

I got this cool hat today at a garden center in the valley on the way from Verbier to Champery despite my family telling me it was "stupid". I am going to use the amazing feathers and fur that I found the other day when I was climbing a mountain and walking through the woods. I also found some other bits and bobs(basically rubbish) that I'm going to have a fiddle with and turn into garments/accessories. I found a sheep bone and it stunk and so I boiled it with bicarb after washing it and then it stunk out the whole appartment which now smells like dead animal. I have put it outside to dry, smothered in bicarb so hopefully it will neutralise any remaining odours. When it is dry I shall carve it into some kind of head to add to my High Priestess outfit. Cool.

Currently listening to: Stars on 45

***update

"Stick a feather in your hat and call it macaroni" (I never understood this line personally but perhaps I've misquoted? I sewed a couple of the spotty feathers I found on my walk in to my hat, I'm going to go on another scavange tomorrow and will hopefully be able to find some different ones to add to it!

2009-04-14T08:08:00.000-07:00

This is yellow...

2009-04-14T07:44:00.000-07:00

***UPDATE- they're playing Koko on the 11th of June...
"Our dream gig. It took six months of wrangling schedules but it had to be absolutely perfect. This is a UK exclusive and pretty much a European first so make sure you're there.

You know Glass Candy as the darlings of Italians Do It Better and you know Mike Simonetti as head honcho of said record label and an extraordinary DJ.
You also know Lindstrom as Norway's favourite cosmic disco export whose latest album with Prins Tomas is destined to become a classic.

This will be your first chance to see the mysterious band Desire and new Italians Do It Better act Twisted Wires.

This event is unmissable.

Spread the word
x

£15 tickets now on sale:
http://www.etickets.to/buy/?e=2519"
-Deadly/This Is Not London 2009

R-R-R-Recommendations

2009-04-13T16:37:00.000-07:00

Five Golden Oldies:

Luther Vandross - "Never Too Much"
Van McCoy - "The Hussle"
Chaka Khan - "Clouds"
Bony M - "Motherless Child"
Jermaine Jackson - "Erucu"

I will be making a mixtape as soon as I return to London

Disco 3000

2009-04-13T15:09:00.000-07:00

Disco Survives...

2009-04-13T14:20:00.000-07:00

Viva La Disco!

After having heard this song slaughtered many a time at Kareoke you forget what a great track it actually is!

Viva Gloria!

A darker vain

2009-04-11T15:16:00.000-07:00

developing geometry, photomontage. Sexual imagery juxtaposed with metaphor. Strangeness and darkness inspired by the films of Kenneth Anger.

Cross:

Cross me again:

Untitled:

I think the metaphor is obvious so I won't go into detail. I have started with a more blantant, perhaps base approach, just in order to get some ideas flowing.

socialist, productivist

2009-04-11T15:05:00.000-07:00

Study day attended at the Tate Modern, the following extracted from Tate online:

Constructivism and the Art of Everyday Life

This study day explores some of the issues raised by the Rodchenko and Popova exhibition, including the relationship between art and every day life in post-war Russian constructivist art. Contributors investigate the languages of 'construction' and the move from abstraction in art to social forms in every day life, architecture, theatre, product and graphic design.

Steve Edwards provides an introduction to this study day on Soviet Constructivism by asking what it means to look from the Left.

Christina Lodder Liubov Popova: From painting to textile design
This paper will consider Popova's engagement with textile design, focusing especially on the four years 1921-1924, which include the paintings that she was producing over this period, the theoretical context of her entry into design, as well as the actual designs that she executed for the First Textile Printing Factory (formerly the Tsindel factory) in Moscow between the summer of 1923 and her death in 1924. Particular attention will be paid to the relationship between the paintings and the designs, and the different ways in which the former informed the latter.

Alexander Lavrentiev The Three Constructivisms of Alexander Rodchenko
Discussed are the three levels of the constructivist concept developed by Alexander Rodchenko.
Constructivism as the way of life and behavior, organization of the artist's own environment and his workshop. Constructivism as the practical environment for everyday life (architecture, interior, communication design) and ideally organized project planning.
Constructivism as exploration through art. Graphic sources of constructivism: draft, geometrical schemes and the idea of a plane, scientific models and ways of representation in biology, astronomy, logic.

Round Table and Q&A chaired by Ben Borthwick

Brandon Taylor From Line to Construction: Rodchenko's Laboratory of Form
From the earliest straight-line paintings of 1917 and 1918 through to Rodchenko's article 'The Line' of 1921, lines alone summarised the ambitions of Constructivism for efficiency, simplicity and functionality - and for energy, direction and speed, all metaphors of a new art and a new attitude to three-dimensional form in the real environment.
We shall look carefully at the 'laboratory' attitudes of Rodchenko and Popova in their efforts to transcend painting, but with the resources of painting and the graphic process. The subsequent career of the line in modern art will be mentioned briefly: from 'drawing in space' to the rise of complex curvature in the more recent past.

Margarita Tupitsyn A Russian Journey of the Grid
Constructivism had developed its own genealogy of the key modernist emblems such as the grid, and the monochrome as well as theorized on the status of the everyday object in the field of aesthetics. This talk presents a case of the resuscitation and redefinition of the grid's visual and theoretical formats through the work of artists associated with the Moscow conceptual circle in its past and current "membership."

David Mabb William Morris and the Constructivists. What went wrong?
David Mabb has recently discovered through extensive research of newly opened up archives in Kelmscott and Moscow, that William Morris, Kasimir Malevich and the Constructivists secretly developed an extensive collaborative body of work that has until recently remained completely hidden from public view. In his presentation Mabb examines some of the many paintings, videos and photographs that make up this collection. He will explain his own role in their discovery, mount a critique of the works' limitations and suggest some possibilities for what the artists might have been trying to achieve.

Round Table and Q&A chaired by Gill Perry

END

---

my response:

Birthday card for Kendall: