Banana Mask
Posted by Ross Rosenberg
The internet is one of the crowning achievements of the twentieth century, an achievement that brings both joy and sadness into the lives of those who use it. It is a fantastic repository of information and ideas, as well as a forum for their exchange. For modern artists it is a tool of nearly limitless potential, allowing them to broadcast their endeavors to far more people than they would ever reach by showing that same work at a gallery. Truly it is an amazing thing, this internet, but as mentioned previously, it does have its downsides; the foremost being that artists can broadcast their endeavors to far more people that they would ever reach by showing the same work at a gallery.
With that in mind I present William Lamson’s video piece entitled Think Globally, Act Locally featuring a gentleman — presumably the artist himself — wearing a mask adorned with bananas stuffed with firecrackers, which he precedes to detonate for the next three minutes. Yes friends, the internet is a harsh mistress indeed, offering the user delicious candy with one hand, while providing agonizing jolts of electricity to the user’s genitals with the other. Indulge at your own risk.
Your Moment of Zen [YouTube] : Artist’s Site
Categories: Internet, Bananas, Rail, Videos, Artists, WTF, Art
Posted at 2:19 pm on September 3, 2008
13 Comments -
The best thing about the ubiquitous Internet is that it’s exposed the lie that we’re all unique and special individuals. No matter how freaky your niche or specific your fetish, somewhere there is a website with a couple of hundred other folks who enjoy the same thing. Hence, the regular Ectomo readership.
Comment by Oskar Kennedy — September 3, 2008 @ 2:35 pm
I’m confused. How can this man think it shows ANYTHING to tick a dozen of bananas to a mask and then blow ‘em up???
He should’ve used TNT instead, then we wouldn’t hear from him anymore
Comment by Henrik — September 3, 2008 @ 2:45 pm
“Just because nobody understand you, Dusty, doesn’t mean you’re an artist.”
-Lefty, The Lives of Cowboys, Prairie home Companion.
Comment by racerabbit — September 3, 2008 @ 3:26 pm
Ross, would you have any objections to me using this particular piece of writing in a gallery installation that is an homage to The Internet?
I’ll document the project on video and make sure you guys get to see the completed work.
Thanks!
Comment by David H — September 3, 2008 @ 4:31 pm
David - As long as I and Ectomo are credited you are certainly welcome to use it, and definitely send us the video when you’re finished!
Comment by Ross Rosenberg — September 3, 2008 @ 8:29 pm
I’m sorry. That’s the fucking stupidest piece of art. The very one.
Comment by Kingfisher — September 3, 2008 @ 8:57 pm
Ah, c’mon y’all, lighten up. If you don’t at least smile after the nose one explodes, you need to pull the banana out of your you-know-where ….
Comment by Walkathon — September 3, 2008 @ 9:52 pm
but i like the banana where it is.
Comment by Lunchboxxx21 — September 4, 2008 @ 1:12 am
Oskar Kennedy,
Everyone is unique.
Therefore, uniqueness is common. :]
Comment by eva — September 4, 2008 @ 6:22 am
I was giggling uncontrollably from the moment he pulled out the lighter. Wonderful. (Though what the piece says about his global thought processes I can’t say.)
Comment by Andreas — September 4, 2008 @ 8:54 am
Makes me think of a collaboration between Slipknot and Gallagher.
Comment by Evan J. Peterson — September 4, 2008 @ 9:53 am
I object to the malicious forethought in this! The camera angle, the lighting, the technical neglect of banana exploseur society and of homespun banananerurristes; the baneful temperature of the lens baffle and absence of skillets, all place too much burden of existence on the mask, obscured, of propped peels.
Prop-dropper! Christies’ crastener!
Comment by Stve Nordquist — September 5, 2008 @ 2:55 am
F**K, I could watch that all day.
OMFG.
Comment by Dee Bellwether — September 21, 2008 @ 8:42 pm