PHOTO SERIES #2

Dear Blogosphere,

Since Fall has officially arrived and the rustling of leaves sounds like the busy heat in the middle of July, I forgot the importance of documenting on the interweb the display of all my fun ventures over the course of Summer 2009. Onward, here it is in visual format:





















until we meet again,

annA B

5/1 ART OPENING: HEXAGON MEMBER ART EXHIBITION

If you were wondering what I've been up to all this time...

MEET THE MEMBERS
ANNUAL GROUP EXHIBITION BY HEXAGON COMMUNITY ARTISTS AT THE HEXAGON

May 1 - May 29, 2009: The Hexagon, a community-run gallery and performance space, presents "Meet the Members," a group exhibition featuring new artwork by Hexagon Members. This exhibition is an open house to showcase visual art in the spirit of Baltimore's dynamic DIY community. Featured member artists are: Josh Atkins, Krista Faist, Andrew Geddes, Alex Ghinger, Carlos Guillen, Torin Nash, Phuong Pham, Miguel Sabogal, Rick Weaver, and Marty Weishaar.

Artwork on display includes photography, video, fiber installation, paintings, wood sculpture, and other mixed media materials. Following the opening reception will be a pay-as-you-wish dance party event featuring homemade dance tunes from community members and friends. As always, Hexagon events are ALL AGES.

The Hexagon is a community-run gallery and performance space located in the Station North Arts District in Baltimore, MD. The space is operated by a collective of volunteers in a not-for-profit fashion. The focus of the space is to support diverse local artists, provide the opportunity for inexperienced arts organizers to gain skills, and promote collaboration across genre boundaries. The Hexagon features music performances, community outreach events, film screenings, art exhibitions, and many other creative events. To learn more about the space, or for more information on how you can become a member, please visit http://www.hexagonspace.com.

FINDING THE WORMS THAT LOVE THEIR ROOTS:

I'm really glad I will always have my roots embedded inside every cushion, mush, pulsating in my body. Basically it really I S all about the Y O U T H.



P.S. I'm not a big fan of the Warriosr, but I'll give you some of this:

PUBLIC ART: A RETURN TO DC

Recently, I have really been paying attention to more urbanized and unconventional displays of artwork primarily because I am taking an art history class that wants to cultivate you into the classical approaches and philosophies of art-making. Academia art is great, but I always find the urgency of sublime details in a world so ubiquitous can be the most artistic. When you start to realize that a vision can be up on a wall or on the streets, still being this fascinating phenomena, and how similar occurrences in ancient and early cave paintings in France ultimately served the same purpose, you realize that it is inherently present in human creativity.

Returning to DC is always somewhat nostalgic because I spent a majority of my adolescence and college years in that area and city. So when I was able to snag two free tickets to see I <3 a Piano @ Lincoln Theater, eat cupcakes at Cakelove, and wander 14th street, it was a splendid occasion to see this:



This is Jake Cunningham in the picture, a musician affiliated with DC bands such as Wild Stallyns, Rue the Day, Powernap, $low Lori$, among others. What has happened since our times spent in DC isn't as incredible as a diy community. Although gentrification and the cynicism that increasingly affected the DC community has been more evidently present,I think there is still something there. There's GOGO nights, dc9, the H street corridor, Smash, The secret desire of being bougie in Georgetown, Boris and other forms of street plagues still lingering,random house shows mostly for punk/thrash/metal/hxc crowds @ Corpse Fortress and sporadic Girl Cave. And I <3 DC for that. I miss being young Majority Rule @ Black Cat. Warehouse Next door and NCORE. Things that put me here.

Because of the resurgence for my appreciation of the wonderful Dead City, I present Supersystem (formerly known as El Guapo), one of my favorite bands from the later years of the Dischord era playing wordly rhythms and a rattling of indie dance explosions:

Supersystem- Miracle

Supsersystem- Miracle (Rapture Remix)

POET: CATE MARVIN

LETTER TO A MENTOR

I am driving a screw into the plump of a cork.
I am ignoring the animal tracks left on my face.
I am lying at the bottom of a clothes hamper.

Bees crowd a trash can: a bouquet of stings.
I once asked a teacher where a letter begins.
How prickly I felt as I sat within his walls:

peach-hued, smoothly painted with Zen patience.
If I am to take his advice, I'll start with where
I am presently. I am a pelt full of gunshot,

too torn in death to be made a coat. I've endured
an eclipse each day, have learned to train my eyes
to avoid the sky's direct gaze. I take the sun's light

and put it on bread, eat daily a sandwich of red.
I never wanted to build a house without nails.
Or thought I could shod a horse, and fire the shoes.

Or desired to landscape a garden where rare buttery
moths would arrive each night for nectar. I won't lie
and say I didn't mind, that I didn't cry once,

wanting to make the teacher mine, so I might
be him. He said, never strike a typewriter,
for they are delicate instruments. I am crouched

beneath the threat of toppling bookshelves.
Of all the change that rattles in my head, the pennies
are his: not worth much, yet not entirely worthless.

UNEXPECTED ARRIVALS

You would think after all those consecutive posts last month that I would have not lagged this long to make another post, huh? Well I am back to continue my rejoining of the written swirls in the current blogosphere. I'm untying all the knots, all the places needed for unraveling.

I started all my classes and have been spending time learning and working in a wonderful new venue called The Hexagon located off of N. Charles St. Aside from this, school started up again, which can account for the lack of posts since beginning January. Nonetheless, this semester will be enjoyable by trying to find balance, sanity intact by trying to find the humor in it all:






Speaking of being involved with this renewed art and music space, I've been learning more about the electronic acts or moreso musicians that incorporate varied electronics who come to the space and perform. Featured music this early morning is IDM/ambient musician Lusine.

Lusine layers minimalist techno and down tempo hip hop with slight break beats, delivering stunning trips into a whole new musical space that extracts a flow from the layers of basic instrumentation. Also evident is a slight syncopation between melodies and beat in his songs. Lusine explores a whole musical territory that is a conglomeration of most of the electronic music that we saw arise from the mid 90's like techno and the use of beat making in hip hop to even more current interpretations such as how the layers of sound is used within its composition. Lusine is definitely worth a listen especially for fans of Cex's Role Model, Mum's more visibly visceral approach to the textural qualities of music, and for fans generally interested in more IDM, and not just another electro-laptop musician or dj.

This Sunday, February 15th you might want to check out Lusine.
www.myspace.com/lusinespace

For more information about the venue:
www.hexagonspace.com



I'm really excited for all the opportunities that have unexpectedly arrived on my door step. I don't want to delve into it much but just know that I am still really alive. Also I promise I will try and find more files to download in the future.

THE UNRAVELING OF THE MUNDANE:

It's slowly unpeeling itself so that soon enough you can see what kind of mischief I've been hoarding this past month.

For now you can find these tunes rather attractive from Washington D.C., a rhythmic all-girl indie rock trio called Sinta:
www.myspace.com/sintamusic

MICHIGAN/CANDIAN BAND: BLACKBIRDS

To start off 2009 right my friend from Canada, Jesse Gongora, went on tour with his band Blackbirds all over the East Coast. I've known Jesse Gongora for quite some time now and it is usually a lengthy period before we end up meeting up with each other.



The last time that I saw Blackbirds was in Baltimore at the Charm City Art Space in August 2007. Back in those days, I was still living in that tiny yet quaint apartment in College Park with my amazing room mates Kandace Levy, Katie Sams, and Aurora Caskey.

Aurora and Kandace came with me to their show at Charm City Art Space. Both ladies have never experienced a show quite like it.




This time in 2009 Blackbirds came to Washington D.C. and Silver Spring, MD to play a show. The band played a show at the Girl Cave off of Gallatin St. in Northwest DC and they also played at the Corpse Fortress in Silver Spring, MD. If you are looking to get into some really aggressive, socially conscious, straight up angry hardcore you would probably like Blackbirds.




If you are interested in hearing their music visitBlackbird's Myspace. They have a few tunes from their 7" split with Braindead and a new song that they wrote last year that is untitled.

I think the boys and the girl enjoyed their stay here. It was a little short and I wish I had spent some time really showing them around the city. But they did eat at Sticky Fingers and had a late night rendezvous at the Blackcat. I'm pretty sure they'll be coming around this area again next time they're on tour.

Here are more pictures of their visit to D.C.:

LOCAL BAND: MR. MOCCASIN

One thing I have really enjoyed about Baltimore is their music community. When I first started driving, I use to go to thrash, a few metal, and a lot of hardcore shows here. I even got to see my ultimate favorite band in the whole world *gasp* Mates of State at the Ottobar with Braid.



Recently though, I've broaden my live musical endeavors to Wham City and affiliated shows, artsy indie rock shows, djs and clubs, and random noise at warehouses. Don't get me wrong, I will go to a good hardcore/metal/thrash show throughout the city but I guess since this new wave of musical soundscape is erupting in Baltimore and a lot of it is centered around artistic ideas and elements, I have been responding to it and generously supporting it.



When I was eating at the Paper Moon Diner in Baltimore it was still opened 24 hours a day and it still had those delicious cakes lit in a glass freezer as you entered the diner. I was eating lunch with a friend of mine from College Park who grew up in the Baltimore area and he had come across a woman named Hanna Badalova, whom he went to high school with. She was accompanied with her friend Jared Fischer, and later on throughout the afternoon I found out that they were in a band together. They gave me their cd and immediately I loved it.




Their band is called Mr. Moccasin. A very experimental progressive indie-folk band that sings about fruits, deer, distance, and foreign places. Also, Hanna (their lead singer) sings mostly in Russian! Their music is also influenced by a lot of Dischord bands but you might not get that initially. You can check out their tunes on Mr. Moccasin's myspace.




Anyways, so later on in the year 2008 they started recording for a new album and wanted to do a photoshoot. I was starting to get back into photography so I figured it would be a good opportunity to start shooting again, whether it was in the vein of 'artistic' photography or not. I present to you some of the pictures from the shoot:


More to explore:

BALTIMORE ARTIST SARADA CONAWAY

Sarada Conaway, apartment study I, 2008 digital photographs dimensions/prints material vary

It is hard to believe that is has been a year since I made the move back to the Baltimore area and decided that I was going to continue my efforts in participating in an artistic and/or politically-driven community in Baltimore. One thing is for sure, politically as a city Baltimore will not compare to Washington, D.C. (for obvious reasons for sure).

One person that I have had the pleasure of keeping in contact with in the DC-College Park area is one of my favorite local artists and a good friend, Sarada Conaway.

The picture above is taken from a series she participated in titled "Los Solos Series".

Her explanation for doing work is something that I encourage in artists and I can identify with when I am viewing art. The need to connect art to the implication of our reality outside of art, blurring the lines where art has a context... it is simply necessary. Sarada Conaway explains:

Through my work, I attempt to remove the division between everyday life and art. Recently, I have collaborated with “sample populations” of self-selected participants to create photographs. This process has mirrored institutional uses for photography and data collection. The banal, uniform aspects of this project act as a foil to its intention-inviting people to deviate from expected behavior.

Part of this series was part of her graduate thesis. This was taken from her Art Thesis as a graduate from the University of Maryland, which also has samples of her work:http://www.artgallery.umd.edu/exhibit/287.08/index.php?page=conaway


Sarada Conaway, Suit Study 4 2007-2008 collaboration with Aniko Macransy, 50 archival photographs

P.S. You can't see it but I participated in one of her social experiments; I'm one of the few that is wearing that red suit!

(Also, all images are copyrighted from the artist and are not to be used for commercial purposes.)

WHEN THE MELODIES MATCH THE EMPTY FIELDS.

I took this picture almost four years ago which is almost unreal because it seems like just yesterday Desirea, Jenny, and I slipped into our newly found thrift store dresses and decided that we would explore the thickets and tall grass of Southern Maryland that embroider empty fields and have a photo shoot. These were times when things seemed tranquil in my life even though the world was wrapped in a world of chaos. Bush was still in office, Anti-War sentiments were at the height by all kinds of members of society (not just activists) and meanwhile the three of us. These three confused, naive, young ladies still managed to find days to be this care-free. Still willing to find the beauty amongst everything else that was happening in the world at that time.

Desirea is still my best friend. She is my heart and my stone. In those years I think I would have not had the foundations of courage and determination that I have now. And that is why, after two years of barely finding those moments of spontaneity trapped inside a 4x6, captured by some Minolta from the 80's and developed all with hands of love I decided I would have more moments like these in 2009. Soon enough I'll have more photos for you.

This band right here though, High Places, from Brooklyn NY really reminds me of those times (which is really why I told you something more personal than intended). They have become one of my favorite bands and live acts in the year 2008. I would describe their music as ethereal pop. Their influences are hardcore, literally any high place you can think of, and art school. I think you'll be surprised to find what you hear.

This is their newest release off of Thrill Jockey Records, self-titled and all:
http://www.mediafire.com/?nz1i22nmuyw
www.myspace.com/highplaces

BUBBLE GUM GLUED TO THE SOLES OF MY SHOE.

I figured that it was the beginning of 2009 and there were a lot of things that had to be confronted, that haven't been confronted last year. My attempts at blogging were pretty nonexistent; if any blogging did occur it was pretty erratic and almost unnecessary. This year I am not making any resolutions or promises but this is a place on the internet for you to delve into or not. First and foremost, it is for me. A place where I can document all the clippings of my life outside the internet, the internet obsessions, randomness, and truisms that occur.

So peak in, let me show you what creates my world...

To start off my first post right, I must talk to you about a new hardcore band straight out of Connecticut called Ripshit.



Now many people who have been listening to hardcore and the various forms of this kind of music for years tend to become more and more picky about newer bands that rise from the ashes of the more memorable bands we all know and love. The thing I love about Ripshit is I saw them at Girlcave in Northwest DC last night with my friends in Blackbirds, a boston hardcore band Draize, and DC local Deathrats. and without even checking out more than their music online, I didn't realize that the brutality that screeches vocally in ever song is sung by the petite woman in the picture above. She delivered more energy in a tiny basement than I have seen with black metal frontmen at the Sidebar or Ottobar.

The lyrics are very politcally expressive. With titles such as "America Runs On Nothing" and "I'm not Unemployable I'm Just Young and In Love" they have alot of universal understandings that are expressed lyrically about not trusting our government, taking back control to the people who actually work for this county, and simply put anti-capitalist sentiments. The things you'd expect from most hardcore punk bands. Unlike other anti-capitalist-smash-the-system hardcore music, however, this band makes you actually want to sing along with them. Even if you didn't want to squash the man, have him underneath your nail.

They are a fairly new band so there aren't mp3s I can stream or have you download but I can link you to their myspace where you can also find information on touring, booking, and the lyrics to their songs!

www.myspace.com/ripshitct