The places to go to feel some POWER

For me, there's nothing like starting off your week by opening an email and experiencing off the charts creativity. I'll take that anytime, anyplace. . .

This past Monday morning I received my daily email from Creativity Magazine. When I opened it up I saw a brief write up and an embedded video for Kanye West's latest assault on the video world. When I saw it I was like...whoaa...a-m-a-z-i-n-g.  

Now I'm not a huge fan of Kanye's music per se (and I neither praise nor vilify his antics) but what I deeply appreciate is the unique sensibility he brings to his craft that makes him a very distinct artist, as he pushes the boundaries of hip hop culture. I really liked this particular piece of work because it is at the intersection (something we are huge fans of here at Cnvrgnc): hip hop meets art meets mythology.

The next day I'm reading a blog post by Seth Godin entitled "The places you go", which got to the core of why I really liked Kanye's 'video' (he actually says "it's not a video...it's a painting"). Seth says this:

Over the weekend I visited one of my favorite places...The second I walked in, heard the noise, saw the walls... even the way it smelled... I was transported.

It’s incredible to think about--a room could magically change the way I felt. A physical room with the right memories can do this in just a heartbeat. So can a metaphorical one, even a brand...

Great brands figure out how to supply a ‘room’ to anyone who chooses to visit....The Apple store is carefully calibrated as an architectural and retail room that will change how you feel when you enter it. Chiat Day built offices in New York and LA that triggered huge waves of creativity...

Is your brand providing the right room to the right people at the right time? Most products, most services--they provide a thing, a list of features, but not a room for my emotions.

As soon as I saw Kanye's video I was transported to a room. A place where my emotions were engaged. I felt curiosity, awe, and helplessness (how do you react/respond to something you don't normally see?)

I see you Kanye...I see you...

Additionally you really get a feel for the the energy and center of gravity of the work when you see the 'making' of it in the video below. 

Early in the video Marco Brambilla says "my work deals with the seduction and the alienation of technology in contemporary culture" and later sums up his entire goal by saying "I wanted the audience to engage with the music on a more visceral level and react unexpectedly emotionally."

Comments

[alison claire]

Reminds me A LOT of the work of Kehinde Wiley whose art is ALL about that CNVRGC principle of creating at the "intersection" ....I think this (Kehinde's work and this seemingly Kehinde-like or "inspired" video ) is so powerful primarily because it's bringing two seemingly contradictory ideas ( ie. 1) images of hip hop/contemporary urban culture and, 2) an aesthetic/ style that is reminiscent of "Classical"/"Renaissance" painters/paintings...a la Michelangelo's "The Creation of Adam") and puts them together. So, neither of the elements is really new, in and of themselves, but combining them together seems hella new and phresh....POW! Here's a piece that kind of illustrates what I mean:

http://www.artnet.com/usernet/awc/awc_workdetail.asp?aid=424500692&gid=424500692&cid=99877&wid=424500714&page=7

Ooooh, and this one (below) showing his "Down" exhibit. I love what the writer says.."you see a strong juxtaposition of the men’s contemporary looks against the noticeably inconsistent styles of the backdrops which reference “fallen warriors and saints..." That's some CNVRGNC "intersection" stuff for you right there, my man!

http://hypebeast.com/2008/11/kehinde-wiley-down-exhibition-recap/

[Rasul Sha'ir]

Alison, the work of Kehinde's art and Kanye's 'Power' video are definitely both in the same vein of historical and contemporary fused but, with Kanye' and Marc's collabo I feel that in the 'video' it exists with a somewhat different center of gravity. I think that it is otherworldly because you actually have the images past and present literally fused and seen together. As with Kehinde he replaces and substitutes. Similar approaches with both of them, yes, as you mentioned, but I feel in many ways different animals altogether.

Thanks for the comment. You always bring a wealth of ideas and insight!