Percussion sounds

There is a fantastic new tumblr out there called I HATE THIS FILM, which delves into the deepest recesses of rare experimental and educational celluloid. Here are a few clips from Pieter Van Deusen's "Percussion sounds" (1968), featuring Emil Richards and co. playing instruments made by Harry Partch, and educator Hardja Susilo jamming out with an elementary school class from Santa Monica(!)

Arleta

Arleta, Exi Meres (Lyra). This is a Greek neo kyma ("new wave") record from 1970. Beautiful chanson pop through a Greek folk prism. I love the twinkly harp and mallet percussion. Arleta seems to be among the higher profile new wavers in the 60s, along with Popi Asteriadi. It's so inspiring to me the way these artists take the folk/psych of Dylan and Baez and run it through the vernacular spin cycle. Great scissor cut-out sleeve art as well. Listen here.

Pop Goes the Easel (1962)

Watched this Ken Russell film the other day and feel like it unlocked a new part of my mind. Everyone is so young and beautiful. Pauline Boty! In the jazz party towards the end you can see David Hockney dancing around. Watch here.

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Ian Wallace

Quick morning post so that I can look at these all day. Ian Wallace at Vancouver Art Gallery.

Rag Jog

Sunday lunch with this, this, and this.

Valie Export / Space Seeing Space Hearing (1974)

Veruschka poesia di una donna

Veruschka: poesia di una donna (1971). What a beautiful movie. A collaboration between top model Veruschka (Blow-Up, etc.) and fashion photographer Franco Rubartelli. This is in many ways a continuation of the Vogue photoshoots they did in the late 1960s. Very melancholy and surreal, a bit like Le Orme. Some great body-painting sequences, pastoral flashbacks, calisthenics in architectural ruins, etc. (favorite scene 1:01:00). And I don't even need to say it but the soundtrack by the maestro is breathtaking.

Toastrack

Heads-up on a great new blog about the forgotten history of Manchester Metropolitan University's Hollings Campus. Nicholas James is on a creative residency there for the year, collecting archival material about the campus building popularly known as Toastrack, designed by LC Howitt. Visit the blog here for some amazing photos, including the 1977 faculty prospectus above. Some of this material will be presented to commemorate the 52nd and final year the University will be using the facility. Nice one Nicholas!

Art Afternoons

My poor neglected blog. Hope everyone's having a good weekend. Here's a mix of things I've been watching and listening to whilst I've been away. Started out as an homage to women artists with long straight black hair (Leslie Thornton, Maggi Payne, Laurie Spiegel), but then went down the Channel 4 rabbit hole... Back soon -- lots of stuff to catch up on.

 Jennifer, Where Are You? - Leslie Thornton
Therinos Nyktos - Arleta
Woe-man - Current Obsessions
Walla Mashallah - Xhol Caravan
December Winter - Schibbinz
Glass Chaim (live) - Inoyamaland
Handsworth Songs (clip) - Trevor Mathison
The Gardener - Tim Hart and Maddie Prior
Up in my Mind - Idy Lynn
Air de plage - Olivier Gallois et Son Septuor
Devtero Kalokairi - Arleta
Genuine England - Sam Smith
Back to Forth - Maggi Payne
Cold Nose Part 3, 4th Movement - Sensations' Fix
Infinite Lucifer - Aaron Dilloway
The Garden - Laurie Spiegel
Commitment to the Band - Howard Eynon
Contrapunto - Los Que Vivimos
Handsworth Songs (end titles) - Trevor Mathison