ROAD TRIP, ARIZONA,
CALIFORNIA, NEVEDA, NEW MEXICO, UTAH
27 MARCH - 19 APRIL 2006
The learner must be led always from familiar objects, guided along,as it were, a chain of flowers into the mysteries of life .....
For 3 weeks I passed through 5 states and 6703 km in a white pontilac driven
by Per Platou (right - at the Valley of the Gods, New Mexico).
Here are some of the highlights:
LOS ANGELES
In LA we visited:
- Norman Klein (author of many books and essays on mass culture, media and
urban studies) and Margo Bistis (cultural historian and independent curator),
getting lost on the way to their home.
- Erkki Huhtamo (media archaeologist) and Machiko Kusahara (media scholar and media curator), who showed us their fantastic private collection of historical media artefacts (from around the world.
(1) MUSEUM OF JURASSIC TECHNOLOGY
CULVER CITY
This fascinating fact/fiction museum created by Brian Wilson really challenges perceptions. Most of my documentation is on video, but below are a few stills showing the entrance, the museum statement - The learner must be led always from familiar objects, guided along,as it were, a chain of flowers into the mysteries of life ....., and a baffled disciple. This statement was to lie at the heart of our trip form the rest of its duration.
(2) THE CENTER FOR LAND USE INTERPRETATION
CULVER CITY
At the center, which is located right by the side of the Mureum of Jurassic Technololgy, we spoke to Matthew Coolidge, who gave us a run-down of places to stop at on our planned route.
(3) THE CENTER FOR VISUAL MUSIC
DOWN TOWN LA
The Center for Visual Music is a nonprofit film archive dedicated to visual
music, experimental animation and avant-garde media. CVM is commited to preservation,
curation, education, scholarship, and dissemination of the film, performances
and other media of this tradition, together with related historical documentation
and other material.
(From the CVM webiste)
I wasn't allowed to take pictures inside the center due to copywright issues,
but got to see as yet unreleased archive material - notation systems and film
footage of archaic color organ performances.
(4) BIOSPHERE 2
TUSCON, ARIZONA
After 2 unsuccessful attempts to create a self-contained environment for sustaining
life, the future of Biosphere 2 is uncertain. Technological debry was scattered
around inside surounded by dead or dying vegetation, but the artificial lung
was still in action.
1.Biosphere 2.interior 3.lung
SALVATION MOUNTAIN
NILAND CALIFORNIA
Visited Leonard Knight, and his labour of love, Salvation Mountain, in the desert, on the edge of slab city. Over 80 years old Leonard is sharp, athletic and inspiring. Below are images of his work and some of his materials. His technique includes using desrrt debry - bales of hay, tyres, trees, paint and adobe - to create his astounding over 20-year-old work-in-progress. The last part of his tour included walking up to the top of the mountain via the yellow brick road.
SANTE FE
Visited artist Erika Blumenfeld, seen here with Per watching the
sunset on the roof of her little house. Erika works with light phenomena,
breaking down light to its essence and capturing it as photo. (Please see
(5) in links section for some of Erika's work.)
THE BLACK HOLE
LOS ALAMOS
Visited former Los Alamos National Laboratory machinist-turned atomic junk
collector, known as Atomic Ed. Over 30 years ago, Ed quit his job making atomic
bombs and began collecting what he calls "nuclear waste", non-radioactive
high-tech cast-offs from the Los Alamos National Laboratory which he sells
dirt cheap at The Black Hole. His message to the world - one bomb is too many!
Every Sunday Ed becomes a bishop and holds a mass at the Church of High Technology.
He very proudly shows us the atomic artworks of his deceased friend Tony Price.
There was so much stuff in his surplus store that would have been great for
The Emotion Organ that I considered re-locating to Los Alamos for a while.
THE GRAND CANYON
I filmed (timelapse) the sun setting over the eastern entrance of
the canyon (colour modulation by nature and Sony handycam).
LAS VEGAS - what is real?
Vegas recreating itself, again and again and again .... New York New York
2. Building lot 3. Special effects - hourly volcano eruption at Mirage
1. Virtually Venice, outside inside 2. Real wedding 3. Empty casino
Hyperreal: 1. Caesars Palace 2. Paris 3. Incoming Sports data
Downtown activities: 1.Oxygen bar 2. Painting on rice 3. Sound and vision
show.
(6) DEATH VALLEY
CALIFORNIA
In Death Valley I got first hand experience of heat, scale, aroma, colour,
texture and sound of an incredibly diverse and harsh environment. I also filmed
the blooming for the installation In Death Valley, everywhere we looked,
gently waving stands of desert gold blossoms danced in the wind, their daisy-like
faces punctuated with vibrant orange centers. (7) We visited the Amargosa
Opera House and Hotel at Death Valley Junction, just outside the national
park.
(8) AMARGOSA OPERA HOUSE AND HOTEL
DEATH VALLEY JUNCTION
Run by Marta Beckett, dancer, singer and painter, who at the age of 80 something
still performs desert-inspired shows each Saturday night in her own opera
house. She has covered both the hotel and opera house with murals, the latter
including depictions of her audience (3rd image to the right).
FILMING THE BLOOMING
What does red feel like?
BADWATER
Salt lake, 86 meters below sea level.
Badwater was crunchy and boucy to walk on. The reflection from the sun was
scorching, despite the heavy wind, and tough on the eyes, even with fancy
sunglasses on.
1 & 2. Badwater lake 3. salt detail
SAN FRANCISCO
In San Francisico we met up with long-time friend and colleague, Aric Ruben and family. Aric has participated in several online concerts with the Internet-based band, Nood.(9)
(10) EXPLORATORIUM
The Museum of science, art and human perception, with over 650 hands-on exhibits.
2 imgs from the Exploratorium
(11) CRAIG BALDWIN AT OTHERCINEMA
DOWNTOWN SAN FRANCISCO
Visited found footage hero Craig Baldwin in his den in Othercinema, downtown
San Francisco. Talked walked around his neighbourhood, watched several experimental
films, saw his optigan keyboard (12) from the 60's, went out to eat and drink,
etc, etc.
1. Craig and his archive 2. Optigan disk.
(13) SAN FRANCISCO MUSEUM OF MODERN ART
Vistied the "Beyond Real" exhibition and spotted this work by Hans Haacke:
Blue Sail, 1964-1965
Chiffon, oscillating fan, fishing weights, and thread
134 in. x 126 in. (340.36 cm x 320.04 cm)
Very synaesthetic if you ask me.
INFINITY LOOP
SILICON VALLEY
We just had to take pictures at Apple's Infinity Loop at Silicon valley.
From San Francisco we took the coastal route back to Los Angeles.
LINKS AND REFERENCES:
(1) THE MUSEUM OF JURASSIC TECHNOLOGY
http://www.mjt.org
(2) THE CENTER FOR LAND USE INTERPRETATION
http://www.clui.org/
THE CENTER FOR VISUAL MUSIC
http://www.centerforvisualmusic.org/
(4) BIOSPHERE 2
http://www.bio2.com/
(5) ERIKA BLUMMENFELD
See some of her works here:
http://www.sfeditions.com/Erika/erika.htm
(6) DEATH VALLEY RESOURCE
http://www.death-valley.us/
(7) IN DEATH VALLLEY .....
../DEATHVALLEY/index.html
(8) AMARGOSA OPERA HOUSE
http://www.amargosa-opera-house.com/
(9) NOOD
http://www.notam02.no/nood/
(10) EXPLORATORIUM
The Museum of science, art and human perception.
http://www.exploratorium.edu/
(11) OTHERCINEMA
http://www.othercinema.com/
(12) OPTIGAM RESOURCE
http://www.optigan.com/history.html
(13) BLUE SAIL AT SFMOMA
http://collections.sfmoma.org/OBJ120791.htm