Author: G.H. Hovagimyan
--- Date: 10/29/96
--- Copyright: ThingReviews NYC
No-Wave Cinema
John Sex in 'Space Party', 1985
No-Wave Cinema 1978-1987 organized by Matthew Yokobosky at the
Whitney Museum is probably the most important exhibition in New York this Fall.
Why? Because the real energy of the 1980's art scene was being played out in the
East Village at the clubs and in the small galleries that sprung up, not in the
marketing bid-up blitz of Soho. Art historians are beginning to revise their opinions
about what in the 1980's has influenced the future. In this context the No-Wave
artists and filmmakers are being seen as seminal.These cross-over punk
performance-art films have a raw power that is not diminished through the lens of
time. Indeed the artists who both made the films and perform in them challenged
the compartmentalizing of art into arbitrary categories. Such distinctions of
convenience as; high/low, performance artist/actor, art film/media event, rock
band/performance art have been compressed by these artists into a new
synthesis which is causing a lot of turmoil within the curatorial world. In a recent,
October 10th realAudio interview on Art Dirt, Charlie Ahearn,
whose films Wild Style and The New York Hip Hop Convention (Dec.4th, 6th thru
8th at 3:30 and Dec.5th at 2:30) tells how the No-Wave Scene got started: it seems
that Nick the Fence got a dozen hot Super 8 cameras which retailed at the time for
around $600. He was unloading them for $60 a pop. Everyone bought one. Around
the same time many performance artists were pushing out of the gallery venues ,
picking up instruments and forming Art/Rock Bands. Brian Eno, who was hanging
around the clubs coined the term No-Wave to differentiate it from the up beat
pre-packaged New Wave musicians. From Rome '78 by James Nares to The
Offenders by Scott and Beth B, these films are scenario driven portrayals of a
volatile and fragile moment in time. We believe the characters in these films
because they're really not acting as much as acting-out. Check out Space Party by
Wolfgang Staehle and Steve Pollack on Dec. 4th & 6th thru 8th at noon or The
Offenders on Nov. 1-3rd at noon. It's okay bring lunch. If you want a thrill try
Underground USA by Eric Mitchell on Nov.6th and 8th thru 10th at noon and
Nov.7th at 6:30. Better yet go every day and don't miss any thing.
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