still from Kingfisher 0.9MB 10 sec loop
Michael Szpakowski, the brilliant artist, writer and personality behind alot of the JoyWar backing a couple of years ago (and a big supporter of Steve Kurtz) – as well as one of the core producers of DVblog – has started Scenes of Provincial Life, a new vlog of his own provocative QuickTime shorts:
A couple of years ago, I started making tiny QuickTime movies, as a kind of moving image dream diary. They quickly became a major focus of my work & I have made two or three at least every month since…
One of the things that excite me about the digital is that it makes possible a new sort of collaboration with both other artists and with non-professionals. Digitization makes the simple juxtaposition of different kinds of work straightforward, or enables a kind of framing process that, done sympathetically, enriches the work of both parties.
(Read more from the artist.) The videos, so far, range from Kentridge-like, sorrowful beauty, to quirky and experimental fluxus framing. Szpakowski’s mastery of re-mixing pop and historical culture/imagery feels like techno-poietic counsel for an ever-opening future-present, a sad co-celebration of the banal, and the possible. I want to collect them all…. Visit Scenes of Provincial Life.
