Eliza put out a call for suggestions and the Ectomite Hive Mind responded with a bevy of bizarre links and nostalgic requests leaving us with a hodge-podge of old childhood favorites and surreal art-house films. Thanks to everyone who took the time to post and if you don’t see your contribution here, rest assured it will make an appearance in the very near future. Now, go Ectomomites! TO THE JUMP!
French artist Zamak produces work that immediately brings to mind all manner of media in which his work would be appropriate; from anime, video games, or even a vinyl toy, each exquisitely bulbous piece only serves to fuel my lust to see the work realized in a tactile form. The gorgeous forms of Zamak’s characters simply beg to be touched, to bound on their oddly jointed limbs, and to lumber and glide through the strange world I long to share with them. Hit the jump for a few more of Zamak’s pieces.
One of Ian Burns’ latest pieces, End of an Era, is the ingenious pairing of 16 black and white televisions (all displaying live feeds presumably from the cameras mounted above them) and chandelier. The piece is decidedly dystopian, likely intended to make a statement on the ever-decreasing level of privacy the citizens of supposedly free countries are afforded in this day of near constant surveillance.
However, to many the appeal of this piece will lie in the fact that it looks like something ripped from the crinkly celluloid of Ridley Scott’s cyberpunk masterpiece, Blade Runner. I can’t be the only one that thinks these chandeliers would have fit perfectly among the grungy detritus of a futuristic Los Angeles, or better yet my very own cavernous, abandoned apartment building.
Back in the early 90’s David Cronenberg adapted Naked Lunch to film, a release that had a profound effect on my development, introducing me not only to the works of Cronenberg but also Burroughs and then further into the strange labyrinth of cinema and beat poetry. Naturally, the film was received with a mixed reaction; an unsurprising turn of events considering the combination of both Cronenberg and Burroughs was likely to stir the hornets nest of fanboyism for the latter. Personally, I found my first (and subsequent) viewing of it similar to the abject horror followed by near post-coital bliss of the insipid Reese’s commercials from the 80’s; two great tastes that did indeed taste great together.
While I could prattle on about my love for Cronenberg, Burroughs, and the combination of the two artist’s work for hours on end I’m also able to admit it’s not going to be to everyone’s tastes. Regardless, if you’re enough of a thick-skulled bint not to wholly appreciate the film in its entirety (it’s ok, we still love you, but you only get half an Octobee for Christmas this year), simply mute your TV; because this movie is pure eye-candy ladies and gents. Hit the jump for more stills from Naked Lunch.
In sheer defiance of the World Wide Web Consortium's will, Ectomo was designed using a non-web-standard font. Luckily, it is included in the excellent font pack released by the H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society, which can be freely downloaded in Mac and PC formats here. Ectomo should still look fine without it, though.
