Former Living Colour frontman performs at the Portrait Gallery this weekend
On Saturday, artist Vernon Reid — perhaps best known as the former frontman of rock band Living Colour — comes to the National Portrait Gallery to perform “ Artificial Afrika .” The multimedia work, sponsored by the National Museum of African Art, features Reid playing guitar against a backdrop of video art and animation.The piece, according to the museum, is meant to explore “the West’s mythologized conceptions of African culture.” What can you expect if you go? I caught up with the artist this morning to get his perspective:
Tell me about your upcoming performance.
The basic idea is that Africa is a continent of the mind. It’s a continent with many different countries, but Africa is also a bunch of suppositions and it’s a notional place as well, from Joseph Conrad’s “Heart of Darkness” to Aunt Jemima. They’re kind of meant to be paintings that move, if you will.
Did you have to learn new skills for this?
Yes, it was a challenge. I learned some unusual software because I want [“Artificial Afrika”] to have it’s own kind of look and identity.
What inspired it? Where did the idea originate?
It started with the phrase, “Artificial Afrika,” and I said, “I don’t know what that is, but it’s something.” Then I just started thinking about the representation of the continent, from newsreels to Mother Africa with her fist in the air. All these representations and misrepresentations, it was all a part of it. There’s also a way I always think I’m supposed to feel about the continent. And there’s post-colonial reality, but also Africa as an aesthetic reality.
What do you hope people will take away?
I hope that it intrigues them. I hope that it makes them think. It may seem like a bunch of squiggles and colors and not make sense, I don’t know. It’s meant to have an overall feeling. It’s almost more like abstract painting. Think more Ed Clark and Jackson Pollock than “Toy Story.” As I describe it, it’s an “Afrodelic experience.”
“Artificial Afrika” is from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Saturday in the McEvoy Auditorium in the National Portrait Gallery . A Q&A will follow the performance.
How To Make Artificial Rocks - News
Vernon Reid performs "Artificial Afrika" at the National Portrait Gallery on Saturday. (Bill Bernstein) On Saturday, artist Vernon Reid — perhaps best known as the former frontman of rock band Living Colour — comes to the National
There are real plants mixed in along with artificial ones. And even the artificial rocks were painstakingly carved by artificial rock experts, a process that took months to complete. "Everything is so in-depth in that exhibit," said Roesner.
ZouDave: I would rather have seen the guy make up a fake recruit, convince everyone that this guy was THE GUY to have in the 2013 class, and then convince people he was about to commit to *whatever school*. It would have been hilarious to see fans
Her best songs on “Artificial Gardens” combine pop charm and rock smarts with punk-bred enthusiasm and light shifts and turns that seem to register more in retrospect than on first listen. Her apparent influences are many, from Beatles-tinged
Dad always seemed to do well on the Missouri, catching walleyes on rock banks by pitching a jig head with a twister tail or trolling Rapalas. It was always his enjoyment to trick fish with artificial bait, instead of using night crawlers or minnows.
HOW TO MAKE FAKE ROCK
Many methods can be used to make fake rock and boulders and all achieve realistic results.The method you choose to make fake rock is often determined on the price of the filler material and availability. Very realistic faux rocks or boulders can be made using any of the following filler materials.
Building Materials and Methods
- Building rubble such as second hand bricks or crushed concrete.
- Recycled real rocks
- Polystyrene
Alternate methods to make fake rock involve using some way of giving an approximate shape to the finished rock before the application of the mortar.
- Chicken wire bent to shape is widely used for the smaller rocks
- The general shape can be formed with carboard boxes cut to size.
- Rebar and expanded metal.
If the same design of rock needs to be repeated many times the use of moulds will greatly assist.
- Casting from a mold
The material and method you use to make fake rock will be the one that you consider to be the fastest and cheapest to give you the best finished result. The level of detail in the rock usually determines the amount of time needed to complete the job.
Garden boulders and other larger rocks usually look best with a smoother and less detailed finish compared to smaller decorative rocks and require less work and material.
A garden landscaping job will often require the use of several of these different finishes to give the required natural look. The more methods and techniques you know how to use to make fake rock the better the final result will be.
Solid Fill Method
Due to readily available building material on site this is one of the most widely used methods but it is also slow and expensive. Not being of hollow construction it also gives the closest sound and feel to natural rock.
Materials which are required for this method include:
Rubble from demolished buildings
As a by-product from packaging this material can usually be found free of charge. The nature of the product allows it to be easily shaped and produces quite a light weight finished faux rock. It holds the shape of the rock and does not slump with the weight of the mortar, unlike some of the other filler materials.
Recycled rock and other natural materials
These are often on site and easy to use giving very natural shapes. Wash before use.
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