Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: anti-america, bebsi bolitics, gadyanloo, iran, karim khan avenue, mehdi qadyanloo, murals, revolution, street art, tehran, twitter, us embassy, vanak square
I came across these charming trompe l’oeill murals on Wooster today, who say only that they are to be found on the streets of Tehran, Iran. The internet doesn’t say much either, except to suggest they are a collaboration between painter Mehdi Qadyanloo and city officials as part of a beautification drive. One that, of course, looks to spread hope, peace and other accoutrements through public art. This one in particular is on a building at Karim Khan Avenue; a particularly busy intersection of the city. It replaces a fairly infamous ‘Down With America’ mural that featured skulls and bombs in place of the stars and stripes.
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Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: andrew dosunmu, attribution, intellectual property, microblogging, photography, records, reproduction, tumbling, tumblr, zines
I’m exiting one of those black-navy-and-grey aesthetic phases. These gorgeous portraits, from Nigerian-British photographer and filmmaker Andrew Dosunmu make it easier. And—that’s it. There’s something touchingly honest and humble about these photos. Perhaps it’s the way the subjects are generally centred and facing the camera, or that they seem to connect through. I can’t put my finger on it, and I don’t have the visual-technical vocabulary to say much else, but there’s something here that eludes both photographic sterility and that awkward kitschy fetishising tendancy. Via my other hypertalented filmmaker roomate, Fran (or rather, her tumblr).
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Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: art, books, dollar bills, future gutter status, hypertextuality, language, money, paper sculpture, stephen doyle, visapocalypse
Words and money and money for words. I’m rather impressed by The New Inquiry, where my roomate’s an editor. I’d love to do something similar, though more visual-critical and grounded in the screen/image—along the lines of this blog (if anyone’s interested?). And/or actually under my name, now that I’m looking to cover at least a third of living through freelancing? (Or: hire/publish me! Please!).
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