Bread City

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Doug Magnuson Q & A

How did "OBJECTS ALSO DIE" come about?

In winter 2005, I worked with the Location Managers Guild putting together an outreach event to introduce location scouting and photography to a group of students from Jefferson High School in South Central L.A.  The two day event took place at the Ambassador Hotel (location for dozens of films over the years) on its final weekend before demolition began.  The event was designed for the students on day one, then to allow us day two to photograph the place for ourselves.  We were granted only four hours access each day.

In the weeks leading up to the event, I decided, instead of photographing stills I would shoot this documentary.  For many years I'd had a vision of how film could be used to describe a piece of architecture and the essence of a place.  The Ambassador was the ideal subject and it was incredibly fortunate to be there at that moment in history.

As mentioned, we had access for only FOUR HOURS on each day!  The first day we were busy teaching the students, so essentially OAD was shot, day two, in only four hours!  They weren't messing around either -- security kicked us out at the buzzer.  And that place was huge -- over 500 guest rooms, miles of corridors, ballrooms, pools, bungalows, basements, etc. sitting on 24 acres -- I could have easily spent four weeks shooting there, easily.

I moved quick as I could, shooting from a tripod with no time to deliberate or settle in.  My brother Greg was there taking stills, and we split up to cover as much ground as possible.  I kept the camera rolling at all times, catching as many images as I could.  The hallway shots are me jamming from one place to the next.  There was so much variety from room to room, floor to floor.  Areas that appear to be in good shape were leftovers from film production, fresh paint having been applied by art departments.  One of the greatest opportunities that day was the groundskeeper unlocking all the "off-limits" doors, giving us access to areas that had been chained shut for years.  Some of it was downright ghostly.

Was the Ambassador a place that you had been interested in prior to making the film?

I knew very little about the hotel before I became involved with the Location Manager's project.  I knew, once upon a time it was a big deal for Hollywood players and had hosted the Oscars.  I knew RFK had been assassinated in the pantry and the hotel had shut it doors.  I was aware it was a film location.  But until LASUD announced plans to destroy it, I hadn't given it much thought.

How did working with Jocko Weyland and Elk come about?

The Ambassador compound was a fortress and there was no getting on the property without some kind of official business.  Jocko, I've known since the early '90s, having met in NYC when were were both living downtown.  In 2005 he was in L.A. and I mentioned to him that I had an appointment (regarding the Jefferson High event) at the hotel, having no idea it was an object of obsession for him.  I invited him to come along and while I was in my meeting, he was able to wander around soaking in some of the derelict grandeur that was the Ambassador in its dying state.

Originally, I envisioned narration over the film and asked Jocko if he'd write it.  This led to his essay "Objects Also Die" -- the title, from which my film takes its name, inspired by a line of dialogue in Georgio Bassini's "The Garden of the Finzi-Continis.  Much later, as the film OAD took shape, I made the choice not to include any narration.  Eventually we decided to make a book about the Ambassador with his essay as the centerpiece.  This was finally realized as the Elk book "Objects Also Die", which also includes a DVD of the film.

Most importantly, Jocko introduced me to George Draguns, the brilliant musician responsible for creating the soundtrack.  George is a friend of his from Philadelphia, who just nailed it.  I love the music.  It absolutely captures the essence of that space and really makes the film.

What are some things that have inspired you?

That is a very, very, very long list.  But a few things in relation to Objects Also Die:  the photographs of Julius Shulman and Lewis Baltz, the films of Terrence Malik and John Cassavettes, the music of Arvo Pärt (thanks Greg), the guitar tones of Sonic Youth, the rock gardens of Kyoto, the ambitions of cubism, and the mysteries of my grandmother's hundred-fifty-year-old farm in West Virginia.  And of course the Ambassador itself, which was really something to behold.  Being there it was impossible not to imagine what the walls had seen in their time.  It's a sense of wonder I hope comes across in some way in the film.

What are you working on currently?  

Currently I am in post on a new feature length documentary the working title of which is "Into a New Dimension: The Making of US4" about the making of director John Hyams' latest film "Universal Soldier Part 4".  It's an amazing, in depth, warts-and-all adventure into filmmaking and the creative process I spent the past year filming in Los Angeles, New Orleans and Baton Rouge.  We're launching a Kickstarter campaign this Saturday, January 28th to help raise finishing funds for the project -- so please check that out at here for more information!

Anything else you'd care to mention?

Thanks to AMIGOS SHOP!!!

Thanks to Doug Magnuson and Elk for allowing us to screen Objects Also Die.  Please note the screening will be held at the store tonite at 7PM.  Refreshments and other Elk titles will be available.

Objects Also Die Film Screening 1/28 @7PM!

Objects Also Die, a short film by Doug Magnuson, is a "filmic memorial" of Los Angeles's now demolished Ambassador Hotel. Home to presidential hopeful assassinations, numerous Oscar ceremonies, and now the site of a Los Angeles school, The Ambassador truly lived a life of its own. The film, accompanied by the zine of the same name, was originally published by Elk in 2011.

Elk zines and books was founded by artist and writer Jocko Weyland. You can learn more about Elk and its publications at www.elkzine.com

Refreshments and copies of Objects Also Die, as well as other Elk zines and books will be available for purchase.  You can also purchase the DVD with comes with a 44 page zine below. 

Scrap Mountain

Lila Jarzombek Q&A!!

Your work was recently up in the shop in the Rocket to Nowhere show.  You created both prints and paintings for the show.  Can you talk about how your creation of the two mediums vary?  

I’ve been painting for a while now. I am lot more comfortable with the process and materials than I am with screen printing. When painting, my hand is involved and I can manipulate and control the composition, color, paint, and support as I wish. Silkscreen does not afford the same kind of freedoms. It is a process that demands pre planning, and a real technical skill/knowledge. It’s more about producing an image. Rarely do I approach my paintings with a pre-mediated plan. They are usually worked out over an extended period of time, resulting in something that is unexpected. WIth the silk screen prints I did for the Rocket to Nowhere show, I really tried to approach the process of printing more like I do with my paintings and drawings. I treated each print as an experiment. I have little experience with screen printing, so I had a lot of fun working on the series for the show. The images I used for the prints were created from my drawings, and photos. I cut them up, and reassembled them on the photocopier. The compositions feel fragmented and very abstract... None of the prints I did are the same. I used the images in a way that let me really mess around with over printing colors, and screens. I could really work with color in a more direct way than I do in my paintings. I wanted to work with bright, intense colors that give off a sense of light and luminosity. 

You and Jeff are a couple who also share a studio, how does this environment have an effect on your work?

When Jeff and I arrived in Providence 3 years ago, we spent weeks looking at studio spaces in Pawtucket, Olneyville, Lincoln, and Wakefield. We finally stumbled upon a space in the Providence Metallizing building in Pawtucket. Within a very massive space, we ended up building out our space with the help of my dad. There was always some question about how it would work out sharing the space. When we finally moved in and got working, it took us a few months to get used to the new set up. Jeff puts up with a lot of my crap, you know, but I couldn’t imagine working in a space without him!! We’ve worked out a real balance in there, and have a lot of respect for each others work. He inspires me!

And finally, what are some local things in Providence that are inspiring or have interested you lately?

AS220 Print Shop, B-Sharp, RI Antique Mall, Ken Weber, RK Projects, Amigos Publishing, Ada Books, La Arepa, Fort Wetherill, West Bakery in Hope Valley, Pizza Strips from Borelli’s on Charles.

You can purchase the above prints in the shop or here:

Lila Jarzombek Prints

Pink & Black Large $55.00 USD Orange Small $45.00 USD Black Small $45.00 USD Orange & Black Small $45.00 USD

Relief for Amigos' Friends!

Amigos' pal Monica Yi and her roommates were recently involved in a fire which destroyed their Brooklyn apartment.  A donation site has been set up here to help them; one roommate is in critical condition after a 5 story fall and two surviving pets are being treated from smoke inhalation.  Please donate if you can and spread the word!

Sticks and Stones at 186 Carpenter St.

Amigos buds, John Hesselbarth and Kate Foster are showing new work at the awesome 186 Carpenter St this Friday, 1/13/12 from 7-10PM.  This is sure to be awesome.

Abby Grenon Q & A

 
Abby Grenon, the artist behind Amigos 003 Prospects, recently answered some Q's for us via email.  Currently based in Los Angeles, Abby talks about her Amigos release, more recent work and what's good in art publishing lately. 

Your awesome photo zine Prospects was our 3rd publication at Amigos.  Can you talk a little about the work?

Most of the photographs in Prospects were taken after I moved to Los Angeles in 2008. Moving to California wasn't exactly the smoothest of transitions so when photographing here I mostly photographed things that reminded me of the east coast: dreary days and Halloween. Other photographs in the book were from the past few years and include some of my favorites, like the balloons on the sidewalk. Despite the inclusion of older work, the photos and the title were very much about moving to a new place and trying to feel comfortable. 

Other than snapping kewl instant photos, what other types of work have you been creating recently?  Anything on the horizon?

I'm still collecting fliers in the hope that one day I'll actually make that book I've been talking about since high school. I've recently acquired a better digital camera and got some film for my other camera so I'm just trying to get back into the habit of taking photos every day. And I still blog, but change my Tumblr URL every five seconds. For now it's abigailharrison.tumblr.com.

 

 

What are some cool thangs in art/independent publishing that have interested u lately?

Since I'm also a big fan of vintage internet, Monica Yi's Bookmarking Da Spirit Through Dial-Up: Coming of Age in America (Online) is like, the ultimate. Who can't relate to wasting costly dial-up minutes on AOL keyword channels? I won a horror fiction writing contest on one of those channels! Unbelievable!  Monica's zine remind me of the times when we all thought the internet was so innocent, and not a horribly creepy black hole. 

 

 

Any website/video/something on the internet you're currently obsessing over?  

It is hard for me to get motivated to do my own projects so I'm into people that actually do, make, and accomplish things. I'm reading Rena Tom's retail strategy blog, it has a lot of great advice for small businesses and start ups. My friends Audrey and Ryan just opened up a gallery in Los Angeles called Favorite Goods and their second show is up right now. Make it happen, folks.

 

You can purchase Abby's zine Prospects in our webshop or in store.  Select photos are also available in store or here.

Mass Moca Day Trip!

We recently made a trip out to Mass Moca to check out their current exhibits.  We especially enjoyed Memery: Imitation, Memory, and Internet Culture, of which this piece by Penelope Umbrico is a part of:

One Floor Up More Highly by Katharina Grosse in the museum's massive Building 5 gallery was also really sweet, (although unfortunately it came down January 1st):

Other exhibitions well worth the trip were The Workers and of course, the Sol Lewitt retrospective.  If you get the chance, you should definitely check out Mass Moca, it's in a beautiful old complex of mills and they run a sweet hotel right across the street, Porches Inn, where you get breakfast delivered to your room!  All in all, a great mini vacation.

AMIGOS 007 Now Available in Web Shop!

We are super psyched on our new release, a 13x19, double-sided, digital offset print from Yolene Grant.  These prints come from the project, Domestic Excavation.  Here's Yolene:

"Domestic Excavation is a series of images derived from family photographs destroyed in my room during a flood. These images depicted my family in various states of play while we were living in Jamaica before we moved to the States. What happened next was a syrupy dispersion that formed on the underside of each photograph; using these abstracted forms, I then proceeded to collage various pieces of my own c-prints and rock formations taken from geology books into the project. Thinking about land and its connection to the family especially as it relates to a Caribbean household, the resulting work then pieces together this investigation of collectivity, movement and the creation of new space bounded by memory."

You can purchase the print below, or, in our web shop.