Jeff Scher, hidden under my nose for months

Warning: This story is potentially useless, save for all of the great links it allows me to share.
A customer called Facets one day asking about some old school animation films.  He was from New York, either knew or worked with Jeff, or mentioned his name at least.  I became curious to see what kinds of films he'd made but must have been cut short or gotten sidetracked (that never happens, honestly) and stopped my search abruptly.

 

 Today, I received my periodic email newsletter from a film distributor called Re:Voir.  I noticed that they had posted some Stan Brakhage films on their blog and decided to check it out.  I watched the Brakhage stuff for a bit, then began scrolling around the page.  Just below the Brakhage films was a clip of a Jeff Scher video, apparently taken from his most current release, A Year in the Animated Life.  I watched it and googled the name again.  I came upon a running column in the New York Times online.  On this site, several of his movies are posted and he's posted some of his own commentary on them.  One of them looked familiar, and I knew I'd seen it before (at least in part) somewhere else.  I clicked the link to Jeff's webpage, and saw the words, "Reasons To Be Glad".  I knew it was familiar and clicked on it.  It took me to Jeff's blogspot page.  It all made sense.  Jeff Scher was the person through whom I originally found the posting of Francis Thompson's N.Y., N.Y. film (the very first post on my little blog) and whose blog I've been watching (apparently not very closely) for some time!
Jeff's Animation is great and his New York homage film, NYC certainly stands tall next to Thompson's.

Arzachel - Arzachel - 1969

More excellent sounds from the Canterbury scene.  I'll post the Egg albums that followed (Egg & The Polite Force), as I'm partial to those (even though Steve Hillage had left by then).  More on this one from Prog Archive.com

"Comprised of what was then the band URIEL, this was the earliest formation of Steve Hillage and Dave Stewart. Arzachel had two things which helped it transition into the CD era: the music is a head above most other psych rarities, and the four musicians later achieved marginal success within the '70s progressive rock "Canterbury scene".

The record itself featured some of the most explosive psychedelia by an English group. The sound of sustained keyboard and guitar passages are full blown drawn-out psychedelia of the highest order, think Egg, Gong, National Health, Caravan, etc. Collectors of rare psychedelia recognize Arzachel's sole LP as being one of the most desired (and pricey) relics from the late '60s." - Prog Archives.com

Thanks to "Totem Songs" for the original.

The Soft Machine - Jet Propelled Photographs - 1967

Early Live recordings of the Soft Machine in action.  Released (as in import in the states) by a UK label called CHARLY.  It's also known as Shooting at the Moon.  I'll let Prog Archives.com take it from here:

This album is also reviewed elsewhere under the title FACES AND PLACES VOL. 7, and it's a collection of very early Soft Machine demos, performed by Robert Wyatt (drums and vocals), Daevid Allen (lead guitar), Kevin Ayers (bass and vocals) and Mike Ratledge (organ and piano).
Apparently Daevid Allen hates the album, and he's indignant that it is even available, as he's not happy at all about his guitar playing on some of the tracks. It's true that he sounds amateurish on cuts like "She's gone" and "I'd rather be with you", but he's delightful on the immortal "Memories" (which he later put on his BANANAMOON album); moreover, the psychedelic fuzz-guitar he employed to some effect on early Gong albums like CAMEMBERT ELECTRIQUE will be immediately recognisable.
Although I would advise everyone who simply wants to find out about the Softs to start with their first three legitimate albums, this collection will be an absolute must to anyone who already knows and enjoys the band. Not only can you hear a full half hour of fascinating perfomances (crisply recorded) by the band's historic first incarnation, you will also recognise many key passages from the band's first two albums as well as the immortal "Moon in June" in embryonic form, with lyrics that are still surprisingly conventional (early Beatles style, almost) and non-Dadaist. It's amazing to note that so many of Mike Ratledge's lovely keyboard arrangements are already in place (he must have written some of them in the cradle!) and it's a delight to hear such energetic, jazz-tinged singing from Robert Wyatt, with a few characteristic vocal contributions from the great Kevin Ayers thrown in for good measure.
Essential to "Canterbury" fans; just a good album to everyone else!

Thanks to blogger "LET'S FREAK OUT" for the original post on this one.

The Impossible Project: Where your Polaroid Film will come from soon!

This crack team of stellar, space-age geniuses have banded together to form an alliance with one sole purpose: "...to re-invent and re-start production of analog INTEGRAL FILM for vintage Polaroid cameras."
Check out their website and see how they're progressing, take a virtual tour of the factory, buy shirts (proceeds from which go towards keeping the factory running), and meet the team.

New Digital Instant Camera's...Digi-Roids?

Interesting article from USA Today, in which a brief outline of things to come from polaroid (no mention of Ga Ga here) is laid out.  New cams to have built in digital printer.  I'm curious to see the prints...

Lady Gaga: Polaroid's New Creative Director

Sure she can sing, shake it, hypnotize my six year old cousin into memorizing her every word/move, etc...but can she make polaroid film any cheaper?

Geometric Art/Structures

Found while researching Alexander Rodchenko.
Text on page is entirely in spanish, but the pictures should transcend.

Ben Pegram - Lit Bulb

Very literal study of light and it's source.

These are re-shoots (2-1-2011) of a past project.

Comments happily welcomed.

Georges Rousse - Photographer

I first came into contact with Rousse's work via the "Contacts" DVD series (the segment on Rousse is on the 3rd DVD of the series).  The whole "Contacts" series from Arte Video of France is excellent, and a must have.  Most importantly, almost every segment is narrated personally by the photographer who's work is being shown.

Contacts Volume 1: Photojournalism

Contacts Volume 2: Contemporary Photography

Contacts Volume 3: Conceptual Photography

"Dravert - 2007"

After he discovered Land Art and Malevich's Black Square against a white field, Georges Rousse altered his relationship to photography, inventing a unique approach that shifted the relationship of painting to space. He began making installations in the types of abandoned or derelict buildings that have long held an attraction for him--creating ephemeral, one-of-a-kind artworks by transforming these sites into pictorial spaces that are visible only in his photographs.

-Taken from Georges Rousse's website

Zeke Berman - Photographer

After seeing some of my work, Caleb recommended that I check out Zeke Berman's photos.

"Since the late 1970's Zeke Berman has been making singular, studio-based photographs. These works reflect his long standing interest in visual cognition, optics and the intersection between sculpture, photography and drawing. The formal range of his work, and his sculptural use of materials is varried, original and idiosyncratic."
- Intro from Berman's Website

Caleb Charland - Photographer

– Whether he is devising mechanical and pyrotechnical contraptions to perform for his camera or coaxing microorganisms into manipulating his imagery, Caleb Charland’s playful and experimental photographs evoke a sense of wide-eyed wonder and offer a celebratory view of the intersection of art and science
-Description taken from Michael Mazzeo Gallery