Josiane Keller

Ray Harryhausen, Elvis’ Vegas Outfit and more of Daniel the Saint of Irony

J.K. — Fri, 10 May 2013 03:30:37 +0000

Last Tuesday Ray Harryhausen died in London at age 92. If you think you don’t know who that is you may be familiar with a certain movie fighting scene between Jason and an army of skeleton soldiers (“Jason and the Argonauts” / Don Chaffey , 1963 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jason_and_the_Argonauts_(1963_film))?

Ray Harryhausen “Jason and the Argonauts” (1963)

So that’s him, I mean, he did that sort of animation with miniature figures replacing actual life size creatures where they are actually extinct along time ago (dinosaur battles) or never really existed in the first place, he also created a freaky Medusa-like lady with a snake body and a bad attitude (“Clash of the Titans” / Desmond Davis, 1981, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clash_of_the_Titans_(1981_film):

Ray Harryhausen “Clash of the Titans” (1981)

Here is the updated wiki-page on him: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Harryhausen

Here the clip with the skeleton fight: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pF_Fi7x93PY

and here the battle scene with the Medusa: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8X7W-oPhY48

There are tons of other cool things by him, never gets boring, and since he is now come to the spotlight of the moment you can find it all online easily so for here it’s enough, but you can see the above images from this site and get other info there for your own check-up:

http://www.scifinow.co.uk/top-tens/42073/top-12-best-ray-harryhausen-monsters-creatures-and-creations/?utm_content=buffer46eda&utm_source=buffer&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Buffer

Hang on, this one is an ABSOLUTE FAVORITE of mine, the dancing statue of the Goddess Kali in The Golden Voyage of Sinbad / Gordon Hessler , 1974:

Ray Harryhausen “The Golden Voyage of Sinbad” (1974)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TsZzfQNzKMk

which, so I found out just now actually, was modeled authentically after an antique Indian sandstone carving, read about it here: http://gwangipedia.wikia.com/wiki/Hoysala_Carving_(Kali)

And since we are already looking at it, compare with a statue of Lord Shiva depicted as Nataraja, the Lord of Dance, destroyer of a universe full of crap to be rebuilt by Lord Brahma, more better and …well, that’s left to dispute; anyways; nice story. Read more, for instance on wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nataraja

Nataraja – Lord Shiva dancing

Meanwhile, Compagnie Mama’s has not been resting at all and neither have those dear family members and friends we manipulated into helping out! And to some extent “The Lincoln Brothers” and “He was famous in the neighborhood” Jim Wolpaw’s documentary on street poet Daniel Thompson have been overlapping.

Here a band new Vegas-Elvis outfit created by Mike Bradley’s sister Patti:

Josiane Keller “Vegas Elvis suit” (2013)

and Mike was working on this Elvis head, of course with movable jaw as always:

Josiane Keller “Mike Bradley with Elvis head” (2013)

Of course Elvis is, like all of Mike’s puppets, credibly fabulous.

Meanwhile Jim Wolpaw sent me more thoughts on Daniel, the Saint of Irony:

“If the central irony of human existence is death, in that all our capacities, abilities, memories seem to disappear at the moment of death — I like the idea that statue is a representation of St. Daniel exalting in the instant before everything he disappears (he’s taken the pin out of the avocado grenade and is waiting to explode?) — then the audience, in consuming “Daniel”, is participating in the irony? playing the part of the reaper?”

And my thoughts about this are right here these:

“Well, the way you put it sounds in deed very grim, but in a ZEN way death and decay are inseparably connected to the circle of life and one level with birth, youth and health. So in Japanese Wabi-Sabi there are certain very honored tea-bowls that were deliberately fired in a such a way that they would crack, and to emphasize the crack people would fill it with gold, so the crack becomes the most precious think in the whole bowl. Interesting huh?”

So far for now. I am off to bed.

Half Moon and a ‘Thank You!’- picture: Pippa in the Grass

J.K. — Wed, 08 May 2013 14:10:41 +0000

Here another moon photo taken some days ago (half moon is my favorite moon, don’t ask me why):

Josiane Keller “Half Moon” (2013)

Since Pippa is helping me (once again) so much with getting my interview with Cookie I thought she deserves a THANK YOU! – picture, and so I ventured out yesterday and took a bunch with her figure.

I admit I recently watched Elia Kazan’s “Splendor in the Grass” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Splendor_in_the_Grass, which is very good and very depressing in some ways, or maybe I should just say ‘sad’, tragically illustrating what happens when you are surrounded by people seemingly well meaning but in reality big time projecting onto their offspring, relying on them to make their unfulfilled dreams come true at last, so everyone ends up in the end somewhere totally different from where one wanted to go to, hurrah!

The film may have subconsciously influenced me a bit here, but not entirely. Also the lush, lush C-town spring-summer mood and how good that feels after that local winter here that is always just that one tic too long.

These are two of the pictures I took, this one:

Josiane Keller “Pippa in the grass” (2013)

a bit too romantic, perhaps…?

And this one:

Josiane Keller “Pippa in the grass No.6″ (2013)

Typing out Cookie’s story and collecting ideas for Daniel Saint of Irony- Jim Wolpaw’s ideas

J.K. — Sat, 04 May 2013 03:20:33 +0000

So I finished typing Cookie’s interview, which is very interesting, but some odd words are not readable.

I have to ask Pippa for help, who can then ask Cookie. The words are only few and could be guessed, but it is important to get it really right and not guessed, so I supposed this extra step in between is necessary.

Meanwhile Jim Wolpaw is sending me ideas for the Daniel-sculpture per e-mail:

“so I’m thinking that while traditionally statues of saints are meant to inspire and comfort the faithful, maybe Daniel, as the saint of irony, could inspire laughter and and convey confusion rather then comfort,,,

Perhaps 2 unrolled scrolls, one representing Bible verses and the other representing Daniel’s poems, could be slung over his shoulders like ammunition belts, — they could cross over his stomach, just above the Christmas ornament…

Possible visual pun — “avocado desperado” (Fruits&Veggies, page 86) – maybe he’s holding an avocado grenade (they kind of look like grenades) – he’s already pulled the pin (which is in his mouth?), and he waiting for the explosion— “Which side are you on? Suicide or Genocide?” (Hail to the Chief, pg. 50)”

To which I say:

“bible is in Christian community considered abound book, not a scroll, and especially in saint figurines often represented as such; I’d stick to the book.

His poems are also in book form, so same again: why make it a scroll if there is no scroll?

Book is fine, I think.

Cross over sounds interesting, need to think about it.

Christmas ornament, wow, we are getting more and more complicated, I need to see if it shows clearly enough in the video what the ornament actually is.

Holding an avocado is neat, like that idea a lot!”

And so forth.

The next topic is: what kind of marzipan will be used.

It can be purchased (easy, but generally not so fantastic quality, if we waant to stay within reason at least, OR: homemade (perhaps that would be NOT staying within reason as well?)…

MORE LATER. Today: time for bed… Good night!

Brief Intermission: British painter John Emanuel and Naomi Frears

J.K. — Fri, 03 May 2013 03:05:26 +0000

Just came across once again a person who is very dear to me, painter John Emanuel from St. Ives, Cornwall/UK.

I used to live in St. Ives for a winter in 1998/99 to prepare my MA application. At the time it was a dark, jobless nest by the sea and every man in town seemed to be on the wrong side of 50. But the good news were: everyone in town was a fisherman and at the same time also a painter, and in the evenings they would meet at the St. Ives School of Painting to do life class and that is where I earned my daily bread as a life model.

I was also modelling for individual artists, specifically John Emanuel:

http://www.johnemanuel.co.uk/

(The Telegraph) “John Emanuel” (2008)

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/art/3559057/Porthmeor-artists-studios-crumbling-beauty.html

(*I have no clue anymore which of these paintings may or may not show me modelling… it is too long ago, all I recall is that he loved my looooong back… perhaps this one is one of the ones…?:

http://www.johnemanuel.co.uk/Pages/Painting2/7.htm

Really not sure anymore. Anyways. He is the greatest!)

and Naomi Frears:

http://naomifrears.com/

Andreas Sterzing “Naomi Frears in her studio” (2009)

By the way: the photographer who took this picture, Andreas Sterzing, is right here, have a look at his work, too: http://www.sterzing.co.uk/asp/people/Pages/24_Artists.html

Both painters are amazing artists, but with John I guess I fell a little bit in love (how could you not???) and so to see this film here is wonderful for me!

Have a look! https://vimeo.com/album/1903746/video/1966216

Oh, and since we are here already: also a video about Naomi, who is just as impressive, even if much younger: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=VGItlX1IfIo#!

BUFFALO RUNNING versus Daniel Saint of Irony, Klaus Effern’s advice and animation by Brent Green

J.K. — Wed, 01 May 2013 19:30:24 +0000

So. Two projects. Hmm. Cookie’s interview arrived last night together with more Daniel footage from Jim Wolpaw.

I am not sure how I can effectively document process of working on BOTH of them next to each other without being utterly confusing to people. Well. Good news is that the Daniel-project is really much faster and the filming of the completed statue will be in July, so not too long from now. That means after that I have full work power for the BUFFALO RUNNING-project alone, but it also means that I have to chunk in to get the Daniel-project going in a proper way.

The BUFFALO RUNNING-project then again is way too interesting for me to postpone it. So we simply have to put them side by side for time being, I have no better idea.

Cookie sent his interview in diary form copied, which looks like this:

Josiane Keller “Cookie’s interview” (2013)

So first thing to do with this is deciphering it all and typing it all out. (*In the back on the right top side of the copies you see latest Daniel-footage material “More Famous Excerpts” to screen through too.)

And if you want to see how I look like reading and watching this material right now I can show you, it looks like this:

Josiane Keller “reading Cookie’s interview” (2013)

Jim Wolpaw is sending me more ideas in e-mails, so I am accumulating stuff to work from. So far we established the Daniel sculpture will wear either a raincoat or a bathrobe.

In terms of Saint statues I am lucky, as right where I grew up, in beautiful Bavaria, is a school dedicated to the art of wood carving exactly these saint sculptures so very popular where I am from since centuries; if you feel inclined to learn how to do that you can apply right here: http://www.berufsfachschule-berchtesgaden.de/pages/bildhauer/start.htm

And luckily I have a friend who went to high school with me, Klaus Effern, sculptor in Bremen http://www.klaus-effern.de/start.html, who originally went to this school. His work by now looks completely different, but he can still give me the necessary advice:

Klaus Effern “Junge Schmerzensmaenner/ Unantastbar”, Installation (2009)

Klaus suggested I should check into Baroque sculptures, being the most typical in our home area, but my think is really Gothic style. We will see.

And the rather excellent art museum here in C-town is also not empty of nice examples:

Josiane Keller (photo) “Saint Sebastian at CMA” (1600-1620)

For example this one.

Today I came across for the first time an animator named Brent Green. Apparently he is from Pennsylvania and makes very Svankmajeresque work, if I may say so, check it out here: http://site.nervousfilms.com/

Particularly I liked his film “Carlin” on his diabetic aunt: https://vimeo.com/10525510;

One big reason why is that he created a stop-motion animation, but instead of using small scale figures he used a life-size house and furniture, stuffed chicken and 1:1 scale puppet = BRILLIANT!!!

I asked the man if he is available for interview, we will see. Pretty amazing!

*It turns out YES, the man is available! Hurrah! So I will schedule an interview date with him and you will read everything about it right here on this BLOG!!!

African profile and two new projects: ‘Daniel, The Saint of Irony’ – material collection and BUFFALO RUNNING – material collection

J.K. — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 20:29:22 +0000

Josiane Keller “African profile” (2013)

I took this picture yesterday off the city bus. In 2000 Cleveland’s population was 50% African-American, I think by now it is way higher http://planning.city.cleveland.oh.us/cwp/pop_trend.php

Meanwhile I got a number of CD’s from Jim Wolpaw about the Daniel Thompson project “Famous in the Neighborhood”.

I am working myself slowly through it to come up with a draft for the saint sculpture for him, Daniel, the Saint of Irony:

Josiane Keller “Daniel Thompson, film stills” (2013)

And further I got material from Cookie back for BUFFALO RUNNING. It is in diary form and at times a bit hard to read, but one thing I can already see: it is fabulous!

So I have to type this all out and then see what do with it.

But for now: off to bed, I am nagged!

Buffalo Running – Cookie’s price

J.K. — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 15:14:22 +0000

Ha. So Cookie let me know YES, he is willing to do the project, but he would like a reinstatement of a carton of “American Spirit” cigarettes. At first I did not understand (bloody foreigner!!) and thought it is some kind of cartoon, as in drawing. I thought “fair enough!”, but a box of additive free cigarettes is fine, too. (I smoke them too, on a very rare occasion…)

Yes, that could work.

Let’s see how things proceed!

Josiane Keller “Cookie painted meets the White Buffalo” (2012)

Not so brief interlude – The Children of Foujita: “What’s the difference if I am here or not here?”- Show, Volume II with Yasuo Imai at the Kyoto Art Center

J.K. — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 21:04:21 +0000

Meanwhile I am discussing with my friend Yasuo Imai an exhibition option at the Kyoto Art Center in 2014.

Deadline, of course, is tomorrow, which in Japan is actually today, thanks to Japan being EAST of here.

At the time of the 3/11 tsunami and Fukushima Daiichi accident we had a collaboration at JARFO with the title “What is the difference if I am here or not here?”

We had the show booked and planned before everything went wrong in Japan and consequently had to adjust it almost by the week. It was very stressful, but in the end we did get it done.

I had to leave shortly before, as the radiation levels were unclear and I was in Japan together with my little daughter, who was going to Japanese school at the time, and Japanese school was serving still milk and outdoor vegetables for lunch, and free play in the quartz sand on the school playgrounds.

Now I am old enough that back in the days I experienced Chernobyl as a teenager in Bavaria, which occurred on a warm spring Saturday afternoon. I was outside with my best friend and doing pretty much everything we heard on Monday in school from our various Physics teachers we should rather not do for a while. Like going barefoot through grass or sand, play in outdoor waters, eat fruit like mushrooms or berries and so on. At the time we were informed that it was unclear if the girls among us would ever be able to give birth to healthy children, so we better not do that at all. Meanwhile both my friend and myself gave birth each to one healthy child, so we were fine, but it was a very impressive Monday and I remember it very well.

And with that in mind I thought it might be better to leave. So the show then was re-formatted to me sending my images in fax format.

You can see the images, which in original are large scale graphite drawings, here: http://www.josianekeller.com/category/usagi-chan/more-bunny-women/

I painted five of these in Kyoto and on the back there are clips from newspaper articles from the time, documenting how very safe it all is or how many foreign students are lining up at the embassies to obtain a permission to leave. The drawings are inspired by various people in Kyoto I know, for example this one:

Josiane Keller “Little Nationalist” (2011)

and five I painted in US after I reluctantly had returned to a certain place and time I prefer to refer to as “life in the sticks”, for example this one:

Josiane Keller “Daddy’s back” (2011)

Link to the show is here, you got to scroll down til you get to it, it took place in May 2011: http://www16.plala.or.jp/jarfo/kaisaiyotei2011.html

By now we decided to form a 2 people group and give ourselves the name “The Children of Foujita”, after an artist we both admire very much for his strange images of mostly woman, cats and children: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsuguharu_Foujita .
So, now Yasuo had the absolutely BRILLIANT idea to re-do this show, but this time me actually being there, in Kyoto.

I love the idea and it makes so much sense anyways to continue, as otherwise if one has only one side of a question, how can one really compare? Besides, ‘being there in Kyoto’ is generally a very favorable condition, as it happens to be the most beautiful city in the world and I dare to say that although I readily admit I have not seen all cities in the world yet.

It is basically like going around in one huge book, and that equals my vision of Paradise.

So now, whist waiting for the deposit check from Jim Wolpaw for the Daniel – The Saint Sculpture I have to make some draft for the application for this exhibition. Wish me luck, guys! I want to do this show! (Also, since for once they pay for some of the expenses…!)

James Wolpaw and Daniel Thompson, The Saint of Irony – a statue

J.K. — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 02:32:20 +0000

I met with this person, James Wolpaw. He is film professor at Rhode Island School of art and Design RISD http://www.risd.edu/Film-Animation-Video/James_Wolpaw/,

and he is currently filming a documentary about Cleveland Heights late street poet and activist Daniel Thompson.

Josiane Keller “James Wolpaw in my studio” (2013)

So Mr. Wolpaw wants me t make an edible sculpture of this Daniel, which will be devoured at the end of the film and

all that shall be filmed, in June. The statue shall resemble Daniel as “The Saint of Irony”. I guess we will see what happens next with that….

Nina’s elephant as a cover and some pics from the latest Compagnie MaMa’s outing: The Lincoln Brothers in nature

J.K. — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 15:24:15 +0000

Now working on getting Nina’s elephant also poshed up as a potential book cover.

Hmm. Where to start? OK, version one, something like this:

Josiane Keller “Somewhere in a town you never knew existed somewhere – cover 1″ (2013)

Something like that. Maybe.

*Later on Nina and me decided to finish up without the writing as some publisher would anyways ant his one designer work on it, and so Nina’s elephant project is completed.

Further, let me show some of last Sunday’s work with Compagnie Mama’s filming “The Lincoln Brothers / Spring Recital”:

Josiane Keller “Compagnie MaMa’s filming ‘Spring Recital’” (2013)

I put it up a tic bigger, so you can admire the details. You can see the fearless Mungo dangling from an old willow tree (or is it?) and genius puppeteer Mike Bradley animating The Lincoln Brothers here in free nature doing their thing.

Compare it here with Millais’ “Ophelia”… :

John Everett Millais “Ophelia” (1852)

Pretty friggin’ gorgeous, isn’t it?

If you want to see what Compagnie MaMa’s is all about go to this site here:

http://www.compagniemamas.com/compagnie-mamas-is-born-presenting-the-lincoln-brothers/