THE VOLUPTUOUS HORROR OF KAREN BLACK AT 7PM
Hosted by Deitch Projects, The Voluptuous Horror of Karen Black, Dash Snow, and Dan Colen Special Guests Armen Ra on theramin, Edgar Oliver and more
SANTOS PARTY HOUSE
100 LAFAYETTE STREET
NEW YORK, NY 10013
NEST
This book catalogues the infamous NEST exhibition by artists Dash Snow and Dan Colen, where they turned Deitch Projects into a giant hamster nest. Along with many downtown artists in their community, Dash and Dan filled the space with over 3000 shredded phone books, and then in multiple overnight celebrations, destroyed the gallery to create a complex performance piece and earthwork. With paint poles speared into the wall, bottles protruding from hacked-up sheet rock, and a pummeling of enormous wine, pee, and paint spit-balls stuck to the walls, it seems a great deal took place during these night-into-mornings. Dark and brutal spray paint slogans commingle with moments of love and tenderness as both sentiments go into creating this ambiguous dwelling that also served as a nest for Dash Snow’s new baby Secret, born the night before the opening. Designed by Dash Snow, this book features gritty behind-the scenes photos by him and his friends of the creation of this work and the performances that took place to celebrate it. Legend Alan Vega performs with downtown band A.R.E. Weapons at the closing party in one section, while another covers another New York City band Gang Gang Dance performing at the opening.
BEAUTALISM
This is artist Kembra Pfahler’s first book in her amazing thirty-year underground New York City art career. Cataloguing her recent projects for the 2008 Whitney Biennial, which included a huge rock show in the Park Avenue Armory, this book also features her most notorious body art performances and shocking “sewn Vagina” and “wall of vagina” pieces. Numerous full bleed photos capture the making of the Biennial artworks, the preparation for her live show, the performance itself, and the aftermath. Also included are images of her drawings, sculpture, and installations.
The Voluptuous Horror Of Karen Black is the brainchild of
artist and performer Kembra Pfahler, whose do-it-yourself
ideals have shaped both the band's sound and their
iconic visual style, and from whose solo performance
work and 'Super 8' films the group organically formed.
The band originally was in fact initially conceived in an
effort to soundtrack these early performances in a
manner befitting their highly theatric nature.
One part high fashion glamour, one part cult horror film
archetypes, this group has etched itself deeply into the
New York underground, all the while continuing to follow
Kembras rules of anti-naturalism and availablism to
push them forward. Using only what is on hand, the
group is able to create complex and compelling
performances filled with low-tech props and minimalist
costumes. The brightly painted girls of 'Karen Black'
complete the equation, walking into the performance with
confidence in their stiletto boots, high contrast black and
white costumes, blackened teeth, and two foot tall fright
wigs; aware that they are the most visually stunning and
alarming creatures present.