Kim Gordon-2 for 1-(In Conversation event and a Gig); An Artistic and Musicial Icon.

 

Kim Gordon-2 for 1-(In Conversation event and a Gig); An Artistic and Musical Icon.

Kim Gordon-Exhibition and In Conversation.

First up was a glorious event at the excellent The Substation in Newport. I haven't been there and this converted power station is so cool and has a beautiful ambience about it. Kim has her exhibition here until 24th August and if you dig art from a visual perspective, this will tickle your fancy:

Object Of Projection presents a compelling survey of her works, including photographic and mixed media pieces. The exhibition also places focus on her video installations including the recently completed Picture Window and Los Angeles June 6, 2019, where Gordon utilises a guitar as a navigation device through public space in a thought-provoking commentary on performance, surveillance and urban life.

In tandem with the exhibition is a special presentation of her triptych video installation Proposal For A Dance. This embodied and psychedelic audio-visual work features two female performers wielding electric guitars and wearing Rodarte dresses. Their gestures are an experimental choreography; their movements operate as a gesture towards anti-pop ideals and their implications for the female body.

It is a small, but invigorating exhibit. Particularly when I viewed this, then went to the event, where Kim was chatting with the sharp Lawrence English-chatting about her entry into the art world from low-budget art school, No-Wave and Punk influence and interweaving both music and art.

I love how she is gorgeously candid,sincere and very straight to the point. She discussed how she draws from many art movements and has a solid fly-on-the-wall approach with tons of introspection over many mediums. Kim spoke about some differences between the LA and NYC art focus,cultural influence and self-expression.

She was very open to all the questions and the conversation with Lawrence was solid and free of glorification or heroine worship(although she is an icon in so many fronts-cultural, art, fashion and obviously music!!). The breathtaking venue is so intimate and makes you really feel this is a loungeroom chat, Kim was very comfortable with Lawrence(who is great at these chats and a fantastic artist himself) dropping a few swear words, clarifying themes and at the same time being utterly inspirational. 
Even if you missed the chat, go see the exhibition:
https://thesubstation.org.au/program/object-of-projection and generally you should go to any events at this astounding venue.




(all amazing photos by the incredible https://www.instagram.com/andykitten/ )


Kim Gordon-The Collective Tour-Night 1-Northcote Theatre

After the stunning previous night, I was hanging out to see Kim Gordon deliver the live performance of the stunning new album The Collective. Previously as well as Sonic Youth, I saw her perform both a noise set and a solo gig for her first solo record No Home Record at Dark Mofo 2022. Both were easily the highlights of that festival and many people easily forget how she is an eclectic artist who loves experimentation as evidenced by the latest modern use of trap-style beats fused with industrial, noise-rock and much more. 

Kim is powered by the same band she had last time, all multi-talented musos who easily vibe out on the wild mix of tunes across the two albums. Their skills are top-tier and they thrive in the sheer wig-out on their main instruments and hectic synth/keys/pedal usage. The wild opener on both the second album and the set was the banging BYE BYE, a literal list for the shops or a holiday. It was brilliant, with the dark beats at war with the acidic and distorted riffs. The very intelligent and almost psychedelic light show worked well at the venue, although the sound was decent but not perfect (an ongoing issue for the venue, very hit-and-miss). The video footage on show was more vibe-based, whereas the previous tour seemed to be almost a road trip around Los Angeles. How Kim has so much damn energy at her age (71) is so surreal and she still looks as effortlessly cool and classically stunning as ever. 


As the performance moves through the setlist (which was all of the new album minus one track and four tracks plus a single as an encore), she appears entranced by the music and at several times seems lost in the creative moment, this is certainly helped by a fearless band that is both tight and can improvise on the fly. It was wondrous how the other members utilised the synths and even the drummer playing dark electro beats all played perfectly to Kim's very indie dance club moves and gestures. Also, sublime tracks like The Candy House; which live reminds me of both Tricky/Massive Attack in a fistfight with Nine Inch Nails and Childish Gambino make this event a splendid adventure.

Other highlights were:
the grim Trophies with its STOP, STOP, STOP magic, more dub-industrial-trap delights with Shelf Warmer, Psychedelic Orgasm; because it is the best album track and even more abrasive and weird live and the one-two knockout punch of The Believer and Dream Dollar.

The solid encore was made up of some of the best tracks off Kim's debut album and Air B-N-B is still as fresh as the day that single dropped,Paprika  Pony was always that spiky gem and Cookie Butter/Hungry Baby serves as pretty much a mix of everything vivid this brilliant woman has ever concocted(well until the next album dropped, lol) and the final track, Grass Jeans was a track that dropped between the two albums and it is a noisy riff celebration in an indie way, almost a Sonic Youth throwback.

Old, new, art, and music, Kim Gordon has the magic touch. What a sensational gig and I implore you to read her wonderful book Girl In A Band and buy her music and never miss the chance to see her when she tours.


All the wonderful and phenomenal photos were by the brilliant https://www.instagram.com/andykitten/ : a fantastic true creative and music fan of the highest order/taste.

Kim drops a new book this year, Keller-3rd Sept 2024:


The musician's tender and nuanced tribute to the life and work of her deceased brother

This volume is an intimate consideration of musician Kim Gordon's brother's life and art featuring personal photographs and pages from his journals. Following Keller Gordon's death in 2023, his sister collected mementos--relics from a shared existence spent dipping in and out of one another's lives over decades--including drawings, photos, poems and the diaries he kept at various stages of lucidity. The Sonic Youth frontwoman also authored a diaristic essay about their childhood, the complexities of family dynamics and the double-edged sword of creating and maintaining legends about those we love and admire. "I know exactly when the myth of my brother started," she writes. Designed to evoke the format of Keller's diaries, this volume features facsimiles of his writings, offering insight into the complicated figure of Keller Gordon as well as his sister's life. Through Kim's prose and Keller's own words, Keller extends and destabilizes the form of the biography, foregrounding the fragmented and the imperfect, echoing how memories themselves dissolve and take new shape over time.

Order:


The Substation:































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