Bah Humbug!!!

Well, Santa left me with a computer crash for Christmas. But don't count an obsessive blogger out too soon. ;-)

Posting may be sporadic over the next few days, as I determine the fate of my old machine, perhaps deciding upon something new, shopping about to wisely get something that fits both my needs and my budget. Moreover, my upcoming posts will be picture free.

But videos are still an option. Woo hoo!!!

We Travel the Space Ways

Detail of Fantastic Garveyite (2011) by Robert Pruitt

Back in May, I discussed my admiration for the music and style of Sun Ra. Well, imagine my enthusiasm when I saw the new exhibit at Koplin Del Rio, "Them from After the End of the World: Works by Robert Pruitt." The show features many of the same concepts of afrofuturism that can be found in Sun Ra's work, but given a contemporary expression in portraiture.

Rather than the glittery Egyptian-like headdresses and paraphernalia of Sun Ra and his Arkestra, Pruitt gives his subjects accouterments of technoscrap, reminiscent of neon signs, old fashion radio/television antennae, and early aerospace detritus. There is both a futurism and an obsolesce to these figures. They have a patient certainty in defiance to their abandoned state. They are not the sleek protagonists of standard Space Adventures, with shiny gadgets capable of conquering the challenges among the stars. No, Pruitt's subjects feel more like the determined survivors of a Post-Apocalyptic world, in which technology is resurrected from the junkyard of a failed civilization.



El Saturn (2011) by Robert Pruitt


There is no triumphalist afrocentrism in Pruitt's work, although there are plenty of African elements such as the various totems, fetishes, and headdresses that the subjects bear. And I think the lack of overt ethnic celebration is intentional. Afrofuturism and afrocentricism have often been used as forms of escapism. Pruitt's subjects are not drifting away into "the Mothership's" dreamspace. They are given a focused presence in the here-and-now, although they express a yearning for that escape into the stars.

Space Is the Place

On this date in 1914, Sun Ra (born Herman Poole Blount) was born. Among all the jazz greats, he was the most eclectic and innovative. His utilization of an afrofuturistic blend of Egyptian/Nubian and Science Fiction elements into his persona and performances really stood out from the crowd. Stylistically, this influence can be seen during the Funk and Disco eras with such bands as Parliament/Funkadelic and Earth, Wind, and Fire. Moreover, in spite of the avant garde nature of his music, the afrofuturism always kept a playful mood, avoiding the self-important seriousness of other cutting edge jazz composers.

As regards his music, he was a prolific composer and performer willing to try out all kinds of new styles. Usually, the result is very engaging. And that's the crux to appreciating Sun Ra's work. Given the vast diverse influences that he incorporates into his music and the experimental improvisation of his performances, it is really difficult to make recommendations in regards to his music. Personally, I like his proto-space music music most, with their rich ambient drones and and exotic rhythms.

Here are two of my favorite pieces:

I hope you check out his music. Sun Ra is unfairly overlooked in surveys of jazz. I only heard of him when he passed away in 1993. That boggles my mind because I had a decent awareness of the history of jazz. And yet somehow this fantastic innovator totally escaped my awareness.

Here's a link to Sun Ra's Wikipedia page.

Enjoy!!!