New Year's Eve in Madrid

Postcard for Visual AIDS 2011

New work for UNPUNISHED

CARMELITA GETS THE SPIRIT

Going through my old tapes I found this amazing gem from the 1988 production of Candela, a collaborative multi-media production by Carmelita Tropicana, Ela Troyano and myself directed by me. Hope you enjoy.

ParisChandalierX3byUziParnes.mov

PARIS CHANDALIER X3

PARIS CHANDALIER X3

By Uzi Parnes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ky1IQZBP53k

Paris Chandalier (sic) X3 is conceived as a three channel video installation.

The piece began as a parody of YouTube travelogues and evolved to include an examination of context and meaning derived from music and its effects on visual perception. My intention was to parody the customary city travelogues strung together for many of the world’s great cities by piecing images of their most famous icons. In Paris, these are the Eifel Tower, Arc De Triomphe, Champs Elysees. In my version of the “travelogue” the Eifel Tower is not recognizable when it appears, and often not perceived at all in the abstract photos that depict it or the other landmarks.

The piece utilizes a series of about 80 images shot in Paris in December and January 2009/10. The images are all of light and capture the “City of Light” in an abstract painterly manner that transforms it into pure light and color. Intended to be seen from three monitors that are suspended, as a triangular chandelier the work continues my exploration of “Photo-Chandaliers” a term I coined to describe the objects I created that combined elements of both. These Photo-Chandaliers evolved from my 1982 performance “Chandalier Fashion Show” starring Jack Smith. In 1984 I co-founded East Village performance club Chandalier (often spelled Chandelier by others.) There the Photo-Chandaliers were created initially as part of the décor. Subsequently, they have evolved and in Paris Chandalier X3 I am striving to transform the abstracted photo images of the city of light hanging them from video monitors as a chandelier.

To the images I wanted to add music and chose three distinctly different renditions of Cole Porter’s classic song I Love Paris-a personal favorite. With the music I was interested in giving the flavor of the city as an American in Paris. I discovered as I produced the tape that each of the renditions of the classic song created a unique quality though in each sequence the images remain identical. The timing was shortened or elongated to fit the music but the visual sequence remained identical. Yet, each song creates a unique atmosphere, which interacts with the images distinctly. Together the three sequences create a much more vibrant portrait though albeit it remains an abstract one.

Paris Chandalier X3 is intended to be seen ultimately as a three channel work. I envision the viewer able to move around the suspended triangle of monitors, each playing a single version of the song, which are of different lengths. As the three sound areas interact I am interested in the soundscapes that will be created where the songs bleed into each other acoustically. Since the songs are of different lengths, these acoustic spaces will be in constant flux as different sections of each song overlap. To transform the uploaded Paris Chandalier X3 into a three channel piece: place 3 laptops or I-pads in a triangle, FF to beginning of each channel, and start all 3 versions simultaneously.

Translation of Excerpt from Article by Jan Kedeves, Berlin

This year the organiser of the queer Teddy Award could find 61 films within the Berlinale festival program. That's quite amazing when you have 400 films. But the most queer event of the festival wasn't even counted in. The New York experimental filmmaker Uzi Parnes and the Cuban filmmaker Ela Troyano had organised a wild and loud orgy of images on thursday night at the Arsenal, in conjunction with the Forum Expanded Program. Images of naked Adonisses, documentary footage from the Fuck piers ( these public cruising areas in the 80's in in abandoned buildings at the harbour in Manhattan), brain fucking sewing noises by John Zorn and a live reading by berlin actress Susanne Sachsse. This was a performance in the tradition of the "Live Film" concept of Jack Smith, whose intention it was, to create an almost non reproductable, unconventional and therefore uncommercial form of film. Uzi Parnes, who cooperated with Smith in the 80's, and Troyano, who received a Teddy Award for Carmelita Tropican in 1994, were working against the ultra-conventional films, which were most represented by the boring queer documentaries in this years festival.

A REVIEW OF THE SILENCE OF MARCEL DUCHAMP

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The teddy bear is against Guido

Not merely the QUEER SUJETS now losing sight of social relationships: Despite the almost traditionally failed gala ceremony of the Teddy Award in 2010 had its beautiful moments

BY JAN KEDVES

This year could make the organizers of the Teddy Queer Film Award at a total of 61 films in the Berlinale program queer subjects. At a certain total number of 400 films shown not a bad cut.

This is by far the queerste film event of the Berlinale was not even included. The New York filmmaker Uzi Parnes and the Cuban filmmaker Ela Troyano übereinandergeblendet had on Thursday night at the Arsenal, in the framework of the Forum Expanded Program, in its performance "The Silence of Marcel Duchamp," a wild orgy of noisy images: pictures of naked Adonis, documentary photos Fuck of the pier (those used in the eighties to the public Cruising abandoned warehouses in the port of Manhattan), deafening Sägegeräusche by John Zorn and a live reading of the Berlin actress Susanne Sachsse. This was a performance in the tradition of "live movie" concept by Jack Smith, which it always was to find possible irreproducibility, unconventional, and thus unkommerzialisierbare form for film.

Uzi Parnes, who cooperated in the eighties with Smith and Troyano, received in 1994 for her short film "Carmelita Tropicana," a Teddy Award in Berlin, braced themselves in this way, not least against the cinematic Ultrakonventionalität with which, paradoxically, especially the documentary of the queer This year's Berlinale program herumödeten. One example is known: James Razin "Beautiful Darling: The Life and Times of Candy Darling," which makes the life of a glamorous Warhol drag superstar zusammenschnurren privatfernsehgerecht a tragic freak story.

Teddy awarded with a trophy on Friday night were finally Lisa Cholodenkos lesbian family comedy "The Kids Are All Right" (Best Feature), Pietro Marcello's La bocca del lupo "(Best Documentary) and James Franco's" The Feast of Stephen "(Best Short). Have become James Franco, Sean Penn's Lover already last year appeared in "Milk" and could be seen in this year's competition in "Howl" as Allen Ginsberg, seems to have fun out something like the gayest hetero Hollywood too.Congratulations!

The Audience Award at the Victory Column magazine was "Postcard to Daddy", a documentary by Michael Berliner of the floor on his firsthand experience sexual abuse by the father. Wieland Speck, director of the Panorama section, said, "Postcard to Daddy" was the first film to deal with the taboo subject of child abuse "authentic and unverlogen.

So far, so encouraging. Only the gala came - this time at the track triangle in the halls of "Station Berlin" - as in the last few years entertainerischen tragedy. It already started with the presentation: Because an evening gala was broadcast later on Arte, led once again completely impossible Arte Conférencier Annette Gerlach of the evening. They crossed the winners on stage with flat jokes and demonstrative pals, the teddy she either called "Deddy" or "Tetty. Even the appearance of Ton Steine Scherben Rio Reiser's honor, who would have turned this year 60, was a disaster. Not only the remaining shards members contributed to "Hold your love down" military hussar jackets, as if they would suddenly become the Sgt Pepper's band, also the choice of Ich + Ich singer Adel Tawil as a substitute Reiser was a bad mistake . Claudia Roth still felt provoked to standing ovations.

Klaus Wowereit, in his welcome address then consistently used the outdated terminology "gay and lesbian" instead of "queer", so dazzled by the many other teddy represented trans-, bi-and poly-out identities. After all, he gave the order then with the Special Teddy for his life's work honored Werner Schroeter, the through ball: In his moving acceptance speech, Schroeter noted how gratifying it was for the Teddy Award, now at 24 Given time, today it encompasses much more than just "Gay" and "Lesbian". There was a poetic appeal of the director, not to be satisfied with its achievements and not lose sight of social relationships.

What he meant to say was quite clear - only it was perhaps worded a little too elegant. The biggest cheers of the evening certainly echoed through the long hall, one of the Arte-cameramen zoomed in the audience to Rosa von Praunheim basketball lawn green jacket and the message of the blue and yellow buttons sparkled on his lapel on the large screens: "Gays against Guido."

THE SILENCE OF MARCEL DUCHAMP

BY ELA TROYANO & UZI PARNES

AT THE 60TH BERLINALE--FORUM EXPANDED

Thursday, Feb. 18 at 9pm @ Kino Arsenal 1

The title of this live film performance comes from a graffiti – the silence of Marcel Duchamp is overrated – found on a wall in an abandoned pier on the West Side Highway in New York City. The piers were a meeting ground for gay sexual encounters in the late 70’s and early 80’s. Partly in ruins, with long hallways, open rooms, broken windows, all surrounded by water, the piers were photographed, written about and filmed before they were torn down by the 90’s. The piers no longer occupy a physical space but they have since evolved into a historic artistic presence, becoming a metaphor for a shared past.

The performance includes music by John Zorn: Beuysblock, a portrait of the late artist Joseph Beuys. It begins with images of the pier, male torsos, cave like drawings, urinals, the Hudson River, a spectacle memorializes the creatures that inhabited the piers. Toy soldiers seen through broken shards of glass are a playful take on the „Uzi“ machine gun, referencing his expatriate Israeli and Jewish upbringing. His torn Barbie dolls and drag divas are superimposed on Troyano’s projections: a burst of fireworks and ballerina shadow play. What appears to be an image of a graphic fence is a projected fragment of a small mesh evening bag, one of the few things her mother was able to bring from her native La Habana, Cuba.

The Silence of Marcel Duchamp--Berlinale, Feb. 18 @ Arsenal, 9pm

SO MUCH OF WHAT IS PUBLISHED ABOUT JACK SMITH IS INACCURATE, BUT I WAS DISMAYED TO SEE ON WIKIPEDIA AND NUMEROUS SITES THAT HIS PASSING HAS BEEN MOVED UP TO SEPT. 25, 1989. THIS IS SIMPLY WRONG. I AM PUBLISHING THE CARD FROM HIS MEMORIAL ON OCT. 16. JACK PASSED ON SEPT. 18, ---09-18-1989. (I do not know the photographer's name in this early photo.)

Jack Smith 20th anniversary of his passing Sept. 18, 1989

Friday on Rosh Hashana it will be the 20th anniversary of Jack Smith's passing. I am still haunted by the guilt I feel at not stopping Alan Ginsberg from taking Jack's photo as he lay helpless attached to tubes at Beth Israel hospital. I was not there alone, two friends were with me, but I was the official monitor, there expressly to mediate between Jack and the hospital.

I think it was Ivan Gallieti who set up the system. A group of Jack's friends volunteered to take turns. This was my shift, and I of all people knew how important Jack's appearance was to him.

He spent hours applying makeup before every time I photographed him. To be photographed as he lay dying was not something he would approve of. I learned years later Alan had exhibited those photos; It is one of the many crosses I will have to live with.

I am excited to be taking part in the amazing world spectacle-- FIVE FLAMING DAYS IN A RENTED WORLD--LIVE FILM--JACK SMITH in Berlin. I will be doing a live film performance of BUBBLE DOUBLE Starring Jack Smith with the Brilliant filmmaker Ela Troyano using her legendary movie BUBBLE PEOPLE and my own slides and strips from the early 1980's. I will also show more than 200 original transparencies of Jack photographed from 1982-89--At The Arsenal Thursday Oct. 29 at 9:30. Finally, I am especially excited about my ALLIUM CHANDALIER Installation, a Day of the Dead Shrine to Jack at The Kino Arsenal in Berlin's Sony Center.

Photos of Jack were taken by me as he prepared for the role of Death and as Death in the movie SOULS OF THE CITY by Ari Rousimoff. Jack asked me to come along to take photos. These were the last photos of him before entering the hospital for the last time, 1989.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

I AM THANKFUL THAT DINAH DRAGASAURAS AND I ARE A LAST TOGETHER IN OUR NEW SECOND HOME MIAMI BEACH.

I AM THANKFUL THAT MIAMI BEACH HAS SEEN THE LIGHT AND FINALLY MADE THE GAY FLAG LEGAL TO FLY.

I AM THANKFUL THAT WE HAVE A NEW ADMINISTRATION COMING THAT MAY SEE THE LIGHT, IN TIME, AND ALLOW GAYS, LESBIANS AND TRANSGENDERS THE SAME CIVIL RIGHT ENJOYED BY ALL OTHER AMERICANS.

I AM THANKFUL FOR A BEAUTIFUL MIAMI BEACH SUNRISE AND HOPEFUL FOR AN EQUALLY BEAUTIFUL SUNSET

FIGHT H8 -- MARRIAGE IS A CIVIL RIGHT

SOME PHOTOS FROM THE INSPIRING FIGHT H8 RALLY AT NEW YORK'S CITY HALL PARK, WHERE CONTRARY TO THE NEW YORK TIMES REPORT OVER 25,000 PEOPLE CAME OUT TO SUPPORT BASIC CIVIL RIGHTS FOR GAYS AND LESBIANS, 11/15/2008

AN OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT ELECT BARAK OBAMA

 CONGRATULATIONS.  AS THE COUNTRY REJOICES IN THIS HISTORIC MOMENT, I AM PERSONALLY SADEND BY THE PASSAGE OF PROPOSITION 8 IN CALIFORNIA BANNING GAY MARRIAGE AND THE ADOPTION OF PROPOSITION 2 IN FLORIDA BANNING DOMESTIC PARTNER BENEFITS.  YOU HAVE PROMISED TO BE OPEN MINDED, AND I ASK YOU TO RECONSIDER YOUR VIEWS ON GAY MARRIAGE.  I UNDERSTAND YOUR VIEW THAT "MARRIAGE" SHOULD BE AN ACT BETWEEN ONE MAN AND ONE WOMAN.  I FOR ONE CAN ACCEPT THAT, AS LONG AS GAY AND LESBIAN HUMAN'S HAVE THE SAME CIVIL RIGHTS AS HETEROSEXUAL ONES.  THOSE OF US, IN LONG TERM RELATIONSHIPS, CAN NOT LEAVE OUR LIFE PARTNER PROPERTY WITHOUT BEING SUBJECT TO AN INHERITANCE TAX.  AND IN NEW YORK THAT CAN MEAN, FORCING THE REMAINING PARTNER TO SELL THEIR HOME, EVEN IN CIRCUMSTANCES WHERE THE PROPERTY WAS PURCHASED TOGETHER.   WE ARE TAXED ON THE HEALTH BENEFITS THAT FORWARD THINKING CORPORATIONS GRANT THE DOMESTIC PARTNERS OF EMPLOYEES.  WE ARE NOT ALLOWED TO FALL IN LOVE WITH SOMEONE FROM ANOTHER COUNTRY, AND HAVE THEM STAY IN THE U.S, A RIGHT GRANTED TO HETEROSEXUAL COUPLES.  THESE ARE ONLY A FEW OF A LONG LIST OF BASIC CIVIL RIGHTS GAY AND LESBIAN COUPLES LACK.  THOSE OF US WHO ARE GAY, AND VOTED FOR YOU, ASK YOU TO BE OUR PRESIDENT TOO.  KEEP THE WORD "MARRIAGE" IF YOU MUST.  BUT GIVE US GLARRIAGE, OR ANY WORD THAT AFFORDS GAY AND LESBIAN CIVIL UNIONS, THE SAME RIGHTS MARRIAGE AFFORDS HETEROSEXUAL UNIONS.

YOU HAVE THE POWER TO CHANGE THIS COUNTRY, AND HAVE ALREADY DONE SO,

PLEASE RETHINK YOUR SUPPORT OF GAY AND LESBIAN AMERICANS.  GIVE US GLARRIAGE.

VOTE NO ON FLORIDA'S AMENDMENT 2

THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT.  IF YOU CAN VOTE IN FLORIDA, PLEASE VOTE NO TO AMENDING THE STATE CONSTITUTION TO OUTLAW DOMESTIC PARTNER BENEFITS.

THIS WOULD BAN DOMESTIC PARNER BENEFITS NOT JUST FOR GAY AND LESBIAN COUPLES BUT FOR ALL UNMARRIED PEOPLE AND FAMILIES.  WHETHER YOU ARE FOR OBAMA OR A MCCAIN FAN VOTE NO ON TWO!  

WHY DOES MIAMI BEACH OUTLAW THE RAINBOW FLAG

How many of you knew that the City of Miami Beach still bans the display of the gay flag.  Now as bad as this does seem, this particular Miami Beach ordinance is not intentionally homophobic, but allegedly part of the restriction on flying the flag of anything but a "Sovereign Nation"  Well excuse me but the glbt nation is way more then SOVEREIGN and its time to change these antiquated laws or get left behind by FORT LA DE DAH. Get with it Miami Beach, make this first Gay Pride on the beach, this next April 18, 2009 the Queerest Flag Flying Florida Fest of all times.

WHAT IS EXPANDED CINEMA

NO SOONER THAN MY POST ABOUT PERFORMING BUBBLE NOW?? WITH ELA TROYANO ON OCTOBER 11, AT THE LEGENDARY STONE WAS PUBLISHED, THAT I HAVE BEEN BOMBARDED BY QUESTIONS FROM READERS CONCERNING WHAT IS "EXPANDED CINEMA".

IT IS A REVOLUTIONARY MEDIUM THAT PROTESTS THE SACROSANCT NATURE OF FILM THAT IS OPINED BY BOTH MAINSTREAM AND AVANT GARDE FILM MAKERS AND CINOPHILES.  EXPANDED CINEMA, PIONEERED IN THE 1960'S BY LEGENDARY FILM MAKER JACK SMITH AND SOME OF HIS COHORTS, TRIED TO REINVENT THE FILM FOR EACH SHOWING.  RATHER THAN REPEATING THE SAME FILM OBJECT, AT EVERY SCREENING, THE INTENT OF EXPANDED CINEMA IS TO CREATE A COMPLETELY NEW ART EXPERIENCE AT EVERY SCREENING BY RECOMBINING ELEMENTS FROM THE FILM, PROJECTING NUMEROUS IMAGES--RELATED OR NOT, UTILIZING SLIDES AND OTHER PROJECTORS AND ESSENTIALLY CREATING A NEW VISUAL AND POSSIBLY AURAL EXPERIENCE WITH EACH SCREENING.

IN PART JACK'S MOTIVATION FOR DOING SO WAS THE REACTION TO HIS STILL INFAMOUS FILM "FLAMING CREATURES"--IF NO SINGLE OBJECT EXISTED IT COULD NOT BE BANNED OR CONFISCATED AND MOREOVER--NO ONE COULD "SUCK THE TRAVEL OUT OF HIM" BY TAKING THE FILM ON TOUR IN HIS PLACE. 

BUBBLE NOW?? an Expanded Cinema Performance by Uzi Parnes and Ela Troyano

BUBBLE NOW?? an Expanded Cinema Performance by Ela Troyano and myself, Saturday, October 11 at 10pm,   at the world famous STONE where Ela is booking the first two weeks in October

MORE FIRE ISLAND WILD LIFE

SUNSET FIRE ISLAND PINES

TOWERING GENIUS--CINDY TOWER FACTORY PAINTINGS at Haven Arts Gallery in the Bronx

Cindy Tower is without a doubt THE MOST BRILLIANT AND DEDICATED ARTIST.  She is relentless and has been away teaching art in St. Louis.  But for a few days that most under appreciated genius and fabulously flawless femme fatale Cindy is back in New York presenting her amazing new oversized paintings of "The Original Armor Factory" in East St. Louis.

The show takes place at Haven Arts gallery, 50 Bruckner Blvd.  Bldg A.  Cindy Tower presides over gallery 1 and has brought along her protege Scott Lowenbaum who she has generously shared her discovery of the amazing Armor Factory with and is introducing to the New York Art Scene.  Rumor has it that he's very cute and just out of art school.  Scott's paintings and wire installation are in gallery 2.  The show opens Friday, July 25 from 5-9 and continues daily through 8/27 with hours from 12-6pm.

I'm including some photos of Cindy's work I shot during her show at my Uzi NY Gallery which is no longer in physical space.

MORE PHOTOS FROM CHERRY GROVE PRIDE, JUNE 29, 2008

CHERRY GROVE'S 10TH PRIDE PARADE, Saturday, June 28

PRIDE PHOTOS BY UZI PARNES OF DOWNTOWN LEGENDS WHO HAVE PASSED INCLUDING: JACK SMITH, JOHN SEX, ETHYL EICHELBERGER, ASSOTO SAINT AND MARCIA P. JOHNSON

FAT IS THE NEW THIN

I've gotten some feed back on my first blog.  Some of you were surprised by the serious tone of my article on Glarriage and honestly, I was surprised myself to find out that there is quite a strong movement for GLarriage out west.  I was asked for some levity and "COLOR" because "after all color is what you're good at.." so for you dear readers, I will try.

So we all already know that GREEN is the new Red and the new Pink, Orange and BLACK.

But we must spread the word that FAT or Phat if you prefer is the new Thin.

...And while we're at it let's not forget to also spread the news that OLD is the new Young.

Remember if enough of us believe it it shall be so.  ...and since all of you dear readers are international trendsetters, if you spread the word, it shall be so.

SEE IT, BELIEVE and you can ACTUALIZE IT!

Photos include Ellen Stewart, Carmelita Tropicana and Manhattan borough Pres. Scott Stringer

GIVE US GLARRIAGE

“BRAIN STUDY PROVES ‘YOU ARE BORN THAT WAY’’ declared the New York Post on June 17, 2008.  The bastion of conservative values reports that a Swedish study  published in the journal of the National Academy of Sciences has found significant correlation in the brain structure of both heterosexual women and gay men as well as heterosexual men and lesbians.

It is important to celebrate the adoption of same sex marriage in California, but there is already talk it will not last past the November election when an amendment to the California constitution will define marriage as an act by one man and one woman.

‘Being born that way’ as opposed to choosing your homosexuality should afford gay men and lesbians the same inalienable rights shared by all other U.S. citizens, including the right to create a familial and economic bond with another human.  Something most commonly referred to as MARRIAGE, or its second class substitute domestic partnership.  Domestic partnership, though well meaning, has shown to be especially economically a poor substitute for the spousal rights a couple gains by marrying.  A recent poll has shown a vast majority of this country agree that gays and lesbians should have a right to form unions with only 36% percent of the population disagreeing.  64% nearly two thirds see the need for acceptance of homosexual unions.  Yet of that only 36% are willing to let it be “marriage”.  I can accept that.  Let them keep their word.  I will be GLAD to get GLARRIED if that allowed me all the rights and responsibilities of marriage, including: inheritance rights, immigration rights, recognition by the IRS of Glairriage as equivalent to Marriage, health care rights and all the other benefits associated with Marriage.

It seems a bit ironic that all the armies of religious zealots arising to defend the defense of marriage act seem to have forgotten that historically marriage was not always an act for one man and one woman—Adam and Eve, but often times one man and several women, more like Abraham and Sarah and the concubine, and Isaac and Rachel and Rebecca  and Jacob and his four wives.  But let them keep “marriage”.  We are better off inventing our own way of being together than falling into the patriarchy’s stifling views on marriage.  Just as seizing the word “Queer” and transforming it into a positive, helped with the impetus to fight the AIDS crisis the right to GLARRY can allow for the differences that do exist in the union between a man and woman vs. two men or two women while still allowing for all the rights and privileges associated with marrying.