Aesthetica Magazine Issue 45

February / March 2012

This issue is centred on exploration and re-examination. We start with the blockbuster retrospective Cindy Sherman show opening at MoMA, which brings together over 180 photographs tracing the artist’s career from the 1970s to the present day. The idea of “innovation in the modern age” is surveyed in the V&A’s British Design 1948-2012 show, which opens this spring. Lifelike opens at the Walker Art Center and examines artworks based on commonplace objects and situations that question authenticity. This Will Have Been: Art, Love and Politics in the 1980s opens at MCA Chicago, and is a timely re-appraisal of the tumultuous decade from a social, economic and political angle. IMMA Dublin opens Conversations, and we showcase a selection of works from this fascinating show, as well as looking at three photographer’s new series of works.

In film, the Chemical Brothers release Don’t Think, directed by Adam Smith and Marcus Lyall, which skilfully records their performance at Fuji Rocks, Japan. There is also a Q&A with Jes Benstock, director of The British Guide to Showing Off, which brings the Alternative Miss World pageant to the big screen. In music, we look at Intelligent Dance Music and discuss the love-hate relationship with the term. We also chat with the Staves about being in a band with your sisters and singing backing vocals for Tom Jones. In performance, we look at the rise of puppetry in theatre with the Manipulate Festival.  Finally, Shilpa Gupta discusses her interdisciplinary approach in her new show, Someone Else, which opens at Arnolfini in March. Enjoy the issue!

The Front Line

Set during the Korean War and based around the final and decisive moments between North and South, the battle rages in the Aerok Hills.

The Guard

Following hard-bitten Police Sergeant Gerry Boyle as he closes in on a group of drug smugglers, The Guard’s action takes place on the west coast of Ireland.

Urbanized

As the third instalment in Gary Hustwit’s trilogy on the impact and function of design in the modern world, Urbanized is a concise exploration of the urban habitat of the Homo sapien.

Tyrannosaur

Paddy Considine’s directorial debut about two lonely, damaged people brought together by circumstance is a powerful drama about violence and loss.

Weekend

When Russell heads out to a nightclub, he picks up Glen, and after a brief encounter, the pair experience an intense relationship that lasts only for 48 hours.

The Burma Conspiracy

Beginning with a car chase, the film is packed to the brim with action shots and gunfire. It’s more than your standard action film though, with a gripping story and some stunning cinematography.

Diagrams

Black Light is singer-songwriter Sam Genders’ first album as Diagrams, dubbed a “solo project of sorts” but also one embracing the numerous collaborations.

Team Me

Team Me might just be the happiest band we’ve ever come across. Actually, happy isn’t the right word. This Scandinavian six-piece is joyous, jubilant, flamboyant.

Flash Fiktion

If you’re feeling the winter blues and need a musical pick-me-up, this sparkling debut from London-based trio Flash Fiktion will propel you towards spring with new gusto.

The Raven’s Empire

Here are some facts about David Bramwell. He runs a Victorian freakshow. He runs a folk club night. He “recently presented a radio program for BBC3” and also hosts a Wickerman tribute show.

Breton

Throughout his adult life, what interested the band’s namesake, André Breton, was less an author’s work per se than the human attitude behind it.

Ana Silvera

The Aviary is multi-instrumentalist and singer Ana Silvera’s debut album. A talented and diverse musician, Ana imbues the album with drama.

Graphic Design A History

Now in its second edition, Graphic Design A History is a weighty compendium that charts the history of graphic design from the 19th century to the present day.

David Shrigley: Brain Activity

Filled with a generous selection of works across a variety of disciplines, David Shrigley: Brain Activity highlights the artist’s ability to cross boundaries.

How 30 Great Ads Were Made: From Idea to Campaign

This fascinating book takes you behind the scenes of some of the best advertising campaigns from the last decade.

Gary Hume: Flashback

This book accompanies the third exhibition in the Flashback series, in which early acquisitions from key international artists are juxtaposed with newer works from British collections.

Critical Dictionary

This book is the incarnation of the group show at WORK gallery, which presents a whopping 24 artists from Simon Faithfull, and Paola Di Bello to Sophy Rickett and Simon Cunningham.

Alighiero Boetti: Game Plan

Boetti was one of the most innovative artists of the 20th century and a key member of the Arte Povera group.

A Question of Exposure

Tina Chang creates images that transcend their component parts to create a world where fantasy and desire dominate.

Documenting Quiet Spaces

American photographer, Bryan Schutmaat, is concerned with nostalgia and its representation within the context of the landscape of the American west.