… I would sign up for the class that John Moran is teaching at 3rd Ward.

Introduction to Soundtrack
Instructor: John Moran
Location: Digital Media Lab
Mondays Nov 13, 20, 27 Dec 4, 11
7p-10p
$230 members/ $280 non-members

John Moran, a luminary sound artist, will introduce the “art of the soundtrack.” Although not a software study, this class utilizes the application Reason to create a wide range of soundtracks, from the simple to the most advanced. The course will begin by covering the essentials of Reason in a group lesson format. After this, course time will be spent developing and critiquing individual student projects with specialized attention from the instructor.

An emphasis will be placed on hands-on applications and techniques for individual use to enhance subtlety and expressiveness in this inherently collaborative field. Students may bring to class work in film, video, animation, dance or theater as project material. If a student would like to create a piece that is sound only, this can be done as well.

Students are asked to bring their own headphones for use in the class. A midi keyboard will be helpful for some. It is not mandatory. One will be available in class. If you have your own you are welcome to bring it.

John Moran is an award winning sound/theater artist. He has generally been considered the protegé of composer Philip Glass. In 2003, Glass was quoted as saying, “I am convinced that there is no more important composer working today, than John Moran. His works have been so advanced as to be considered revolutionary.” Moran has directed performers such as Uma Thurman, Iggy Pop, Allen Ginsberg and Julia Stiles, under commission from venues like Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, The Public Theater / NY Shakespeare Festival, The Kitchen, and a host of venues across America and Europe. Several of his works are in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art, in New York City. </blockquote>

John Moran is a genius. I would liken his audio design to something like the best minimalists, but he uses sampled sounds and speech rather than musical motifs to assemble his works. James wrote about one of his performances in late August.

His opera The Manson Family is completely brilliant. My friend Noel Simmons was in one of the productions.

Below is a video of a performance at 3rd Ward by him and his collaborator Saori. This is more low-key (musically, not visually) than other work I’ve seen.

On Sunday, Mark Roth and Janna Olson of tinsquo (there is no status quo) took us up on our offer of a tour of Dangling Between The Real Thing And The Sign In The Window for any interested art bloggers. Their wonderful review of the show is here.

We will be around this coming Sunday as well from 3-6PM.

• James Wolcott: All Republicans are gay
• Momus on not being "homosocial"

When asked lately “What have you seen that’s good?” my response has been these three shows, all seen within the last couple of weeks.

Joyce Pensato, installation view

Joyce Pensato at Parker’s Box

I don’t know why she hasn’t had a NYC museum show yet! She is one of my favorite artists, and James and I never miss a show. We are lucky enough to own two works by her — a graphite on paper “Running Mickey” and a white-on-black enamel on paper piece of Donald Duck. Check out my flickr photos for more images, including some older work at Sarah Bowen.

We had an “old school Williamsburg” visit with Joyce last Saturday, hanging out on some chairs on the sidewalk in front of Parker’s Box.

Rosemarie Fiore, Mega Dome, 2005
Oil on canvas, 48 × 60 inches

Rosemarie Fiorie at Winkleman/Plus Ultra

The paintings in this show represent a breakthrough for the artist, in my opinion. I found the ceramics entertaining, and the fireworks paintings have a kind of minimalist beauty, but the paintings in this show blew me away. I love the textures, and use of crazy scenarios and colors.

Jeremy Eilers, Eggstickee, 2006
found objects, 81 × 38 inches

Oktuber to Decumber at Moti Hasson

This show of paintings and (mostly) sculpture curated by the artist Roy Stanfield, who also works at the gallery. My favorite works in the show were by Jeremy Eilers and Ian Pedigo. We have seen Ian’s work before via Klaus von Nichtssagend Gallery. I was told by Roy that Eilers’s studio is a kind of fort, ready to have works such as the one above wrapped up and taken away. The works contain their own protective wrapping material, although that sharp point of the work above looks like it would still stick out. There are more images from the show on the gallery’s website.

Related: Tom Moody on a Roy Stanfield sculpture in the show

[photos courtesy of the galleries except for my photo of Joyce Pensato’s drawings]

I’m not meaning to make fun of the people in this photo, as the sculpture yard of Dam, Stuhltrager is in a backyard that’s available to some other neighbors. I just like the way it makes a nice illustration for the idea that we’re all stepping around the bodies to get a drink and enjoy ourselves while a war goes on somewhere else.

The exhibition at Dam, Stuhltrager now has a dedicated website with images (via flickr) and information on all of the artists.

From a Reuters story, titled Foley singled out “hot” boys: report:

Another former page said he felt he had to flirt with Foley, who has said he is homosexual and an alcoholic and that he was abused by a priest as a child.

“I didn’t want to piss off a member of an institution that I really revered,” the former Republican page said.

“I figured maybe someday I will want to be involved in Congress,” the newspaper quoted him as saying. “I didn’t want to make an enemy.”

I forgot to add something to my last post on recommended events.

Annual Gowanus Artist Studio Tour

Saturday October 21st and Sunday October 22nd from 1-6pm

James and I went to a couple of openings last night at Apex and KS Art before seeing Adam Bock’s play Thugs at Soho Rep. Before I distract you too much, tickets to the play are only $15, and I recommend seeing it if you’re interested at all in theater, or if you ever worked as a temp in NYC. Our friend Anne Kauffman directed it. It’s described on the website:

Mysterious things are happening on the 9th floor of a big law firm. What could a new temp have to fear? A new play about work, thunder, and people you don’t know.

It’s quite like a music chamber piece in form.

On the way home around 9, the Eighth Avenue trains were running express. They said it was due to some kind of “passenger emergency.” We decided to take the A to 34th and walk back down to our apartment. As we passed through the 14th Street station, we saw plenty of cops, some yellow tape, and a body bag on the platform plus some amount of blood. When things like that happen, one always expects to come home and see all kinds of headlines, but it’s strange that it actually takes a while for what seem like pretty shocking events to show up in the media, whether online or on NY1.

Today, the New York Daily News has the story.

A man trying to board a crowded C train between cars was crushed to death last night when the train started moving and he became wedged against the platform, police said.

ArtCal is really set up for exhibitions, not one-time events, so I’m listing a few of note here:

EFA Open Studios

Thursday, October 19, 2006 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Saturday, October 21, 2006 2:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Sunday, October 22, 2006 2:00 pm – 6:00 pm

EFA Studio Center
323 West 39th Street, NYC 10018
between 8th and 9th Avenues

Participants in the EFA Studio Center Open Studios include:
Samira Abbassy, Clytie Alexander, Chris Anderson, Augusto Arbizo, Regina Baumhauer, Jeff Bechtel, Sarah Beddington, Nicole Been, Ragna Berlin, Jimbo Blachly, Tom Bogaert, Patty Cateura, Sang-ah Choi, Theresa Chong, David Collins, Vicky Colombet, Judith Croce, Annabel Daou, Lisa Corinne Davis, Jane Dickson, Madeline Djerejian, Megan Dyer, Sally Egbert, Cara Enteles, Cui Fei, Suzan Frecon, Beth Ganz, Del Geist, Lauren Gohara, Ana Golici, Nicolae Golici, Pablo Helguera, Arturo Herrera, Marietta Hoferer, Jeffrey Hoppa, Catherine Howe, Jessica Hutchins, Eunjung Hwang, Valerie Jaudon, Kate Javens, Susan Jennings, Richard Kalina, Airan Kang, Tamiko Kawata, Jane Kent, Jung Hyang Kim, Noah Klersfeld, Greg Kwiatek, Sowon Kwon, Sarah Leahy, Patricia Leighton, Reiner Leist, Dan Levenson, Holly Lynton, Paul Moran, Gary Petersen, Thomas Pihl, Kanishka Raja, Tomas Ramberg, Evan Read, Louis Renzoni, Simon Rigg, Rafael Saldarriaga, Carl Sandler, Jonathan Santlofer, Noah Sheldon, Hilda Shen, Karina Skvirsky, Howard Smith, Devorah Sperber, David Storey, Taro Suzuki, Sali Taylor, Dannielle Tegeder, Scott Teplin, Sally Tittmann, Carlos Vega, Tom Warren, Marjorie Welish, Bryan Whitney, and others.

Bushwick Open Studios

Saturday October 21st, 12pm – 8pm. There are some familiar names on the list of artists.

Pulsewave – a monthly event at The Tank showcasing low-bit, video game influenced
musicians and video artists.

Saturday, Oct 21 @ 10pm Sharp
Admission: $7
Featuring: One Bit Music, Animal Style, Radio Shock, and Voltage Controlled