WHEN MAN RAY MET DUCHAMP
In 1920, Man Ray used a two-hour long exposure to document a year’s worth of dust that had accumulated on a glass etching Marcel Duchamp was working on in his New York studio. The photograph, Dust Breeding (Élevage de poussière) 1920, provides a conceptual hook for the new exhibit at The Polygon Gallery, A Handful of Dust.
In his memoirs Man Ray writes about meeting Marcel Duchamp at the Grantwood artist colony, in Ridgefield, NJ, in the autumn of 1915. Man Ray, 25, at the time, spoke no French and Duchamp, 28, knew no English, when they were introduced by modern art collector Walter Arensberg. The two artists picked up tennis rackets and began playing a game without a net. “In order to have a conversation I would give a name to each pass […] and each time Duchamp would reply in English with a single word, ‘Yes.’ “
The two, who became life-long friends, were unlikely companions.
“They seemed to be opposites in every way,” says Séverine Gossart in ‘Marcel Duchamp and Man Ray,’ translated from the French text and published as part of a press pack in the catalogue Dada (Editions du Centre Pompidou : Paris 2005). “Duchamp, born of a notable Normandy family, received a classical education. Closely linked to his brothers and sisters, who were already recognized as artists, Marcel inherited social legitimacy and cared little for a professional career. He had ‘no solutions because he has no problems.’ (M. Duchamp, quoted in M. Sanouillet, 1998, p. 212). Man Ray on the other hand, was the child of Russian immigrants. He was raised in a modest Brooklyn household, where he helped his parents in their garment workshop. He took drawing classes in New York City, frequented anarchist groups, and unlike Duchamp, his situation worried him. Fashion photography provided Man Ray with financial security and recognition. Man Ray had “no problems, just solutions.”
dada-companion.com/duchamp/duchamp-manray.php.
ROBERT FRANK
Robert Frank's America, featuring unpublished photos from The Americans, opens at New York's Danziger Gallery: nytimes.com/2019/02/04/lens/robert-frank-the-americans-danziger-gallery.html.
NINTH STREET WOMEN
New book on abstract art history is a must read from the author of Love and Capital: Karl and Jenny Marx and the Birth of a Revolution: Mary Gabriel’s Ninth Street Women: Lee Krasner, Elaine de Kooning, Grace Hartigan, Joan Mitchell, and Helen Frankenthaler: Five Painters and the Movement That Changed Modern Art.
Mary Gabriel in conversation with Deborah Solomon | Live from the Whitney: youtube.com/watch?v=_5_Kho05aDo
TANYA TAGAQ
Avant-garde Inuk throat singer Tanya Tagaq was supposed to perform in Seattle tonight at the Meany Center for the Performing Arts, featuring a 50-person community choir, but it's been cancelled due to snow.
Her first book, Split Tooth, published in 2018, is part memoir, part fiction about growing up in Nunavut in the 1970s.
She's released a new track, “Snowblind,” in connection with the National Maritime Museum's "Polar Worlds" exhibit in London, U.K. The song will be part of a five-track digital EP titled, Toothsayer, set for release via Six Shooter Records on March 1.
ELLA MAI
Ella Mai with guests Kiana Lede and Lucky Dave performs at the Commodore Ballroom on Feb. 12.
JIMI HENDRIX ELECTRIC CHURCH
Screening at Vancity Theatre on Monday, Feb. 11 at 8:10 p.m. as part of a new theatrical run of the 2015 concert film of Hendrix’s performance at the Atlanta International Pop Festival on July 4, 1970. He played a midnight set for half a million people, double the size of his Woodstock audience. Hendrix’s sister, Janie Hendrix, who serves as C.E.O. of Experience Hendrix will appear at a Feb. 13 screening of Electric Church in Seattle.
https://www.loudersound.com/features/hendrix-the-gigs-that-changed-history-10-atlanta-pop-festival-2
ROBYN
Robyn performs at the Pacific Coliseum on Feb. 28.
She goes through her new album, Honey, song by song in Pitchfork.
https://pitchfork.com/features/song-by-song/robyn-breaks-down-every-song-on-her-new-album-honey
I AM CUBA
The Cinematheque is screening a new restoration of Mikhail Kalatozov’s 1964 film, I Am Cuba, this weekend. First screening tonight at 8:30 p.m.
http://www.thecinematheque.ca/i-am-cuba
MAREN MORRIS
Maren Morris releases a new track, “Girl,” the lead single from her upcoming album. The video was directed by Dave Meyers. Girl: The World Tour kicks off in Chicago on March 9 and includes dates in Seattle at the Showbox SoDo on March 22 and 23 with Cassadee Pope.
Morris (marenmorris.com) will also be one of the headliners at this year’s Rockin’ River MusicFest in Merritt, B.C. Aug. 1-4. She plays the Main Stage on Friday, Aug. 2 (rockinriverfest.com/tickets).
She performs at the Grammy Awards on Sunday, Feb. 10.
VILLAGE VOICE PAZZ & JOP POLL
The crème de la crème of music critics’ polls is out now via Robert Christgau. Spoiler alert: Kacey Musgraves’ Golden Hour tops the 2018 album list but there is an infinite number of ways to access the results, including each ballot:
villagevoice.com/2019/02/07/pazz-jop-the-deans-list.
