Up an Coming: Erin Graboski
Erin Graboski is a Colorado photographer based out of Denver Co. Erin is new to the art scene here in Denver just recently making her work available to the public. She recently launched her website under the name Cosmic Autum. Erin has a interesting style and approach to photography. Like most great artist she does not follow the main path that many people see as traditional photography. Here subjects may be everyday things, the way she manipulates her images in post processing is brilliant. Many of her images have a nostalgic feeling with a combination of vintage film and lomographic feel. The coloring and tone of the images scream dark yet leave you with a tranquil sensibility. ...Read more
The External World.
“Remember: this is merely a cartoon. None of this is real. This is a purely fictional occurrence, in no way based on reality. This is not happening in this universe or any other. Neither are these words. Neither are you. There is only a silent emptiness spreading infinitely in all directions.” -The External World by David Oreilly For about 17 minutes I was taken to another place that was a brilliant, hypnotic nothing filled with fantastic events and sick humor that forced me to leave my social reservations behind. What does it all mean? Does it mean anything? In this alternate and nostalgia-filled world, my morals...Read more
Eli Nixon: Private Investigator
Intrinsic to the value of photography since the 19th century is the belief in the realism of the medium and the camera as a truth-device. Since the mid 20th century, it has been argued by critics such as Alan Trachtenberg, Roland Barthes and Susan Sontag that the photograph only records the surface appearance of people and events; the complex meanings and truths implied by a photo are created constructs associated with the viewer’s sensory and memory experiences. Photographs describe not “reality”, but an individual perspective seen and documented.Susan Sontag explains in her classic book On Photography, "The photographer was thought to be an ...Read more
filed under: photography
tags: Eli Nixon archive mystery crime police private eye forensic photography anthropology film documentary
Democratic Vistas: Keith Davis Young and Matthew Genitempo
Now, more than ever, our everyday lives and experiences are seen as fodder for digital display, archive and abstraction on the internet - Facebook, Twitter, Blogger, Tumblr, Flickr. This unmediated access is proof of the internet’s democracy; it allows a variety of participants to create and share their own content, relying on the virtue and quality of that content for it to spread. In essence, it’s a medium “Of, for, and by the people.” However, something like 95% of the web hosts in the world belong to less than 15% of the (richest) world population, ie: The West. One could say that the internet functions as a democratic mirror, reflecting the politi...Read more
filed under: photography
tags: Democracy Americana internet Flickr Keith Davis Young Matthew Genitempo film American Dream
Phoenix Hype
Just to insert a quick blurb before I critique the new Joaquin Phoenix film, I'm Still Here: I rarely tell an audience not to see a film. To me, most possess some thematic or technical element worth experiencing. And this one is definitely an experience. I can’t say that I am well-versed in Casey Affleck’s filming style, so overall, this documentary-style piece was new to me. The film was an emotional roller coaster ride. It appeared to be a pseudo-glimpse into what Hollywood directors and actors must perceive as an “indie documentary". It is, at minimum, a high-budget look into a social experiment. It’s not what I expected, to s...Read more
filed under: film
tags: Joaquin Phoenix Casey Affleck Film Experience When Herzog Rescued Phoenix
Illiterate Film Artist Series: Jason Appleton Presents Battle in Heaven
Each month on the last Thursday of the month, Illiterate invites it's exhibiting artist(s) to present a film in relation to their artwork in the gallery. On Thursday June 24 at 8PM, artist Jason Appleton presents Battle in Heaven, a sexually charged story of intrigue and salvation set in modern Mexcio, directed and written by Carlos Reygadain....Read more
Illiterate Film Night: American Astronaut Official Screening
It's official, tonight, Thursday, June 10, Illiterate screens the widely acclaimed intergalactic frontier musical, American Astronaut. "Space travel has become a dirty way of life dominated by derelicts, grease monkeys, and hard-boiled interplanetary traders such as Samuel Curtis. Written, directed, and starring Cory McAbee of the legendary cult band The Billy Nayer Show, this sci-fi, musical-western uses flinty black and white photography, rugged Lo-Fi sets and the spirit of the final frontier. We follow Curtis on his Homeric journey to provide the all-female planet of Venus with a suitable male, while pursued by an enigmatic killer, Professor Hess. The film features music by ...Read more
Tonight! Illiterate Film Night: Artist Series - An Even With The Group Show Artists
You've seen their artwork, now learn where it comes from! Starting tonight, each month the exhibiting artist(s) at Illiterate will take over one our Thursday Film Nights to present and discuss movies, segments and shorts in relation to their own work. Grab some popcorn, take a seat and take a look beyond the wall into the influences behind the art. Tonight at 8PM we start off the Film Night: Artist Series with Illiterate's four studio artists, Sander Lindeke, Katherine Rutter, David Coccagna and Andrew Hoffman who are currently exhibiting as part of the Group Show (Closing on Friday!). Oh and in case you're wondering, admission is FREE! ...Read more
PDX Fever
Greetings Illiterati. Your friendly neighborhood film editor is here blogging from the amazing Portland, OR. (okay, okay, I wrote this blog from Portland but now I am back in amazing Colorado). "But why are you in Portland, Isis?" "Good Question. It is because I just attended the BEST FILM FESTIVAL EVER !" "What film festival was that?" "The PDX Film Festival !" Ok. But Seriously. The Portland Documentary and Experimental Film Festival was hands down one of the greatest experiences I have had. Boulder is home of the late, great Stan Brakhage and has a pretty dense population of experimental film lovers, but the Portland locals gave us a run for ou...Read more
So What is Experimental Film Anyway?
In my intro blog I promised to introduce you all to a whole new world of film. Sometimes, that might even mean *cue dramatic music* an experimental film. So I thought I would start off light. This film was introduced to me on the loverly Jeanne Liotta's class blog (watch for a feature interview with her soon!). It is an experimental film making fun of experimental film, honestly- how could you go wrong? Uso Justo by Coleman Miller is the perfect mix between humor, wit, and making fun of oneself to be the perfect film for my very first "real" blog post. Check out Uso Justo here - if you don't (or do) enjoy it, come back and comment your little film critic ass off...maybe you will say somethi...Read more