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Monster
texte
Daniel Johnston R.I.P
by Wilfried Paris
In this article, Wilfried Paris adopts a unique approach to one of the key figures of pop culture: Daniel Johnston. An American songwriter born in 1961, Johnston is a mythical figure in more ways than one, since his life and various activities (including drawing) make him an archetypal (post)modern (anti)hero. An epic text—halfway between rock criticism, pop philosophy, and metaphysical fiction—reflects the ambivalence of its subject.
Wilfried Paris, a musician and journalist, here offers a unique, dense, almost imaginary analysis—the first of its kind—in the form of a portrait of one artist dreamed up by another.
video
Lux & Ivy Favorites
The Cramps
by Archives 4 taxis
Hey, they look like the living dead!” “Don’t panic! I’d rather think of jellyfish.”
Freshly exhumed from the 4 Taxis archive, this excerpt comes from Lux & Ivy Favorites, a videotape devised by the Cramps at the request of 4 Taxis. A pair of VCRs, as useless as the faded pictures they record, display a frenetic series of events compiled from exploitation films, TV shows, and vintage trailers. To some extent, a guided tour of a supply store designed for the likes of Richard Prince, Paul McCarthy, Mike Kelley & Co…. “Most of these films were made in a garage or living room with basic equipment and were shot in no time,” say the Cramps. “B movies are like going into a trance: they’ve got soul, but ask no questions.” The video piece, which lasts 4 hours and 45 minutes in all, was shown in November 1983 at the Sigma Festival in Bordeaux during a 4 Taxis evening, as an appetizer to the issue devoted to Los Angeles.
When everything is fake, it all becomes real. Brr…. Many thanks to “l’oreille d’un sourd”, a.k.a. Philippe Garnier.