Deep Thought (on black velvet)

I have to admit that I was a bit impressed by all the countless velvet Elvis paintings that littered the streets of Tijuana (some were even presented in bird cages, maybe to prevent theft??) when I was visiting for a few hours in 1990.

Little did I know that Tijuana, Mexico is indeed the velvet-art capital of the universe so it is even more of a mystery that I didn´t find my desired blue/black panther on velvet. The one that -as a poster- graced the walls of so many classy homes in 1970s Germany.

Anyway, my love and adoration for velvet art was just blazingly re-ignited when I saw the amazing galleries of the strictly limited editions of velvet paintings by the aptly titled "Indignico Inc." (!!!)

This is not the fake stuff! No! It´s American art made by true artists in Tijuana, Mexico! "Quality you can feel" is Indignico´s motto.

Their latest masterpiece is of "Republican Party deep thinker" Joe The Plumber (whose real name "Wurzelbacher" hints at German or Austrian ancestry) in a great posture that just screams "deep thinking". It´s exclusively available via e-bay and it is NOT being shipped outside of the USA. There goes my Joe!

Do yourself a favour and read the full text that just lulls you into a buying-frenzy with it´s endless repetitions and great analogies. It´s pure poetry:


The Patriot Portrait Collectibles
of Indignico Inc. Proudly Presents:

The Last of The Undecideds
Joe The Plumber
"A Republican Party Deep Thinker"
On Black Velvet
The American Tabloid Heroes Collectiontm
Modern American Media Martyrs
On Black Velvet (tm)

No American Citizen Should Be Without One.
Genuine Original Hand-Painted Authentic Mexican
Limited-Edition American Tabloid Heroestm on Black Velvettm
~ from Indignico Inc. ~

This painting of Republican Deep Thinker and Impromptu Party Spokesmodel: Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher, AKA "Joe The Plumber" On Black Velvet is an authentic Mexican Black Velvet Painting from "The American Tabloid Heroes Collection ~ Modern American Media Martyrs (tm) on Black Velvet", a Limited-Edition series of museum-quality Tijuana black velvet paintings which was produced exclusively for The Patriot Portrait Collectiblestm by Indignico Inc.

This particular black velvet painting was hand-painted in Tijuana, Mexico in 2008 by the professional Mexican velvet Elvis artist "ARGO." It is called: "Joe The Plumber On Black Velvet" (Modern American Media Martyrtm #274/1000).


Each genuine Limited-Edition Tijuana black velvet portrait produced by Indignico Inc. for The American Tabloid Heroes Collectiontm comes complete with its very own match-numbered Certificate-Of-Authenticity. Printed on high quality parchment, this tamper-proof certificate--also produced by Indignico Inc.--guarantees that your black velvet portrait is an original work of authentic Mexican black velvet art which was painted entirely by hand in Tijuana, Mexico by a professional Mexican Velvet Elvis artist from Tijuana, Mexico exclusively for The Patriot Portrait Collectiblestm of Indignico Inc. . . . and ultimately it was all done entirely for you, The All-American American People.

And speaking of you, you will never find anything else like this anywhere else--ever: like Nature's own snowflake, no two Limited-Edition Modern American Media Martyrstm can ever be exactly alike, whether it's "Joe The Plumber On Black Velvet de ARGO #274/1000" or "Joe The Plumber On Black Velvet de ARGO #574/1000"... each one is a unique, hand-painted, one-of-a-kind, All-American Original.

And that's what makes your genuine Patriot Portrait Collectibletm Limited-Edition Modern American Media Martyrtm black velvet painting from Tijuana such a guaranteed investment, something sure to be handed down, father to son, for generations to come, quickly becoming a treasured family heirloom in absolutely no time at all--But only, that is, if you act now--right now.

Isn't it Time You Paid Your Respects?

Get Your Patriot Portrait Collectibletm Authentic Limited-Edition American Tabloid Herotm Tijuana black velvet painting today!

But you must act soon, move quickly. Buy it now. Supplies are strictly limited. Resources are dwindling. Life is very short.

Get your Limited-Edition Modern American Media Martyr Tijuana black velvet portrait from Indignico Inc. right now--before it's too late.

The Patriot Portrait Collectibles (tm) of Indignico Inc.
No American Citizen Should Be Without One.

...And that, my friends, is just the sort of patriotic product and pedal-to-the-metal All-American promotional zeal you can expect from the fine folks and patriotic Corporate-American executives of Indignico Inc., an All-American American company that can be counted on to do absolutely whatever it takes to smuggle, over the border and into your lives, just a little bit more All-American American Quality...

Phew!



Admittedly, there are a few giveaways of the satiric nature of the whole thing, but apparently these paintings exist and there are more, much more!

Who wouldn´t like to call a velvet portrait of Lynndie England, the famous Abu Ghraib warden, his own?! There is also one of Condoleezza Rice, which "pays respect" to the former secretary of state by spelling her name wrong!


The final hint at the true nature of this enterprise comes towards the end of the e-bay page. No, not the photo of ARGO, the artist! Read the Q&A section and you might get it. Why do I get the feeling that most of the customers who buy this stuff don´t get it? Or is it me getting it wrong?! The mind reels...

"...it isn´t a noise, it´s my language!"

That´s how Miriam Makeba explained the phonetic characteristics of her language to a 1970s Dutch studio audience. Smiling and gentle she would make sure that there was a trace of anger and sadness in her face when she mentioned the colonial madness that descended on South Africa.


Forced into exile for 31 years, Miriam Makeba went to the USA with the help of Harry Belafonte, who also introduced her to a world wide audience. Dressed in a leopard fur dress, she was welcomed as another purveyor of exotica, but she also made her voice heard before the UN, pleading against apartheid and promoting a global boycott against South Africa.

In 1967 "Mama Africa" became a global sensation with the amazing "Pata Pata", which is the song she is remembered for until today.

"Pata Pata" is one of my earliest and happiest musical childhood memories. There is something truly primal and gripping about the song that transcends time and place. It doesn´t matter where and when you put it on, people will instantly react to it.

The ebb and flow of the melody and the constant interplay of the lead and backing vocals is absolutely magical. The guttural "click", which could be mistaken for a percussion accent adds the icing on this groovy cake.
"And everybody starts to move, as soon as Pata Pata starts to play", truer lyrics have never been written!

Pata Pata


Since "Pata Pata" became such a surprising and phenomenal hit, which could never be repeated, Makeba was often seen as a novelty act and one-hit-wonder and she was later labelled as "World Music". Of course there was much more to her.


Before she became a pop-star of "Muppet Show"-dimensions, Makeba toured the planet to send shivers down the spine of audiences everywhere. Something in her voice can really bring tears to my eyes.

Thanks to a big fan of hers, Youtube features an amazing number of songs taken from a concert Miriam gave in Sweden in 1966.
Here she shows her incredible vocal talent with interpretations of African songs as well as Gospel and Bossa Nova. Truly magnificent and beautiful. Watch and listen to her rendition of "Chove Chuva" and be floored by her power, her incredible style and mesmerizing performance.

Chove Chuva


Kilimanjaro


Ask the Rising Sun


Mayibuye


Oxgam


You have to see this one: "Amampondo" starts out with Miriam introducing her fantastic band (American bassist, Brazilian guitarist, Caribbean drummer) while sexily grooving herself into a song that is pure sex and seduction and vocal artistry. Too Hot!

Amampondo


Miriam Makeba, always a strong voice against racism and hatred officially ended her career earlier this year with a farewell tour. She did however take to the stage at various occasions. Yesterday she gave a free concert in Italy in honour of anti-Mafia activist Roberto Saviano. As she left the stage she suffered a stroke and she died soon after in a hospital.


Make sure to watch this last clip! "When I´ve passed on" will ruin your Monday for a few minutes, but it will also make you happy that you have heard it.

When I´ve passed on

Cinema Inferno

Today, German news-magazine "Der Spiegel" re-visits it´s cover motive from February 2002. Back then the title read "The Bush-warriors - America´s Crusade against evil".
Today´s title: "The Bush-warriors - End of the performance".
(click to make big)
I fear that we will have to wait for the final numbers until the DVD has been released.

Charade

I actually planned to stay away from posting anything concerning the upcoming American election. After all, I am not a voter, not an American and absolutely nothing of intelligence on the subject remains to be said or unsaid.

I have to admit that I thought about posting a link to the mindboggling Mexican midget playing Sarah Palin (or Sharia Plan, as somebody has anagrammed her name).
I also liked the vintage Batobama-Poster with Biden as Robin and McCain-Palin as Joker and Catwoman. But I thought that this was only fleeting internet fodder, and there was no need for me to distribute it any further.

Today I saw this amazingly re-dubbed Golden Girls sketch and I couldn´t stop giggling. I also wondered that only 32.000 people had seen it during the last five weeks and so I decided that it could easily have two more views generated by me.
Watch it, it is a very creative and well done media manipulation. I dare to call it genius.

Pop Komplex

Paintings by Gerhard Richter
Original "Wanted"-Posters by BKA, Teaser-Posters Der Baader Meinhof Komplex

At yesterday´s premiere event they had black limousines with the title-logo cruising around. I especially love the cover for the book adaption and the "audio book" which puts the original mugshots next to their actor counterparts. A real pop complex.

Borderline

Julien Chatelin is a photographer who likes to photograph the places most of us only know from the news. News which are seldom good and as long as there are no newsworthy reports we don´t hear anything at all about them.


In his recent book "Borderline" Chatelin assembled a collection of b/w photographs from the borderland between Israel and Palestine. Some of the pictures are pretty unremarkable if you take them out of context.



We see young people partying on the beach, gay parades, nightclub excess and streetlife. Then there are soldiers, orthodox jews and the wastelands beyond the borderline.
In succession we get a glimpse into life at a boiling point. The exhausted and frightened soldiers could be the same people we have seen a few pages ealier, partying the night away.



My attention to the book was clearly drawn by the great cover design with it´s fold out title.


Extensive coverage of Chatelin´s work can be seen on his Website.

Sway the Vote: Jayne Mansfield for President

If only...
















Clicking leads to enormous increase in size!

Hey, Jayne Mansfield Superstar! This sexy alternative to the current state of affairs via The Percy Trout Hour

A Message from our Sponsors

A set of great, fake ads mocking our helpless attitude towards the farce that is the 2008 Olympics, titled Triumph of the Bill can be digested over on Hangten.