Brambilla is currently working on a nine-video installation for an early 2011 video retrospective at the Santa Monica Museum in California, but it was his “Civilization” installation at New York’s Standard Hotel that first captured West’s attention. MTV News caught up with the artist Wednesday afternoon (August 4) over the phone, and he said West told him the Standard installation was similar to something he would post on his blog.
“He loved the installation,” Brambilla said. “What he likes to feature on his blog — and he featured it on his blog when it first came out — it’s kind of interdisciplinary. Whether it’s photography or video or sculpture or fashion, he’s very interested in exposing the ‘best of the best’ or what appeals to him the most. He had never seen anything that complex, and the video collage technique that I developed for it was a brand-new thing.”
Brambilla said West appreciated the project’s themes of sexuality and religion, along with its overall “epic” quality. While Brambilla typically shies away from collaborations, he admired the similarities in their approaches. But it wasn’t until Brambilla heard West’s yet-untitled new album that he decided to direct “Power.”
“I instantly connected to the themes on the album,” Brambilla said. “The whole idea of celebrity, the idea of power, the idea of sensuality in it, there’s sexuality in it as well, and those were all kind of themes that I’ve explored in my work before. Once I heard the album, that was what clinched it, and I felt very much in tune with the message behind the music.
After the clip’s Thursday premiere on MTV, Kanye tweeted: “It’s not a video … It’s a moving painting!” During his recent talks with MTV News, Brambilla described the 90-second piece, which is made of 24 layers of video, as a “visual ballet.” Others have called it a “living portrait.”
A visual ballet painting? Yeah, that wasn’t good enough for us either. So we consulted people who have devoted their lives to studying, analyzing and producing art, and they’re confused too.
“What stood out to me was his ridiculous big chain. I don’t know what that was all about,” photographer Gianna Leofalcon said about the six-figure, gold medallion that depicts one of the oldest Egyptian deities, Horus.
“If that [chain] was real, he wouldn’t be standing up,” joked painter and illustrator Misha T.
“It symbolizes power,” said graphic artist and rapper Wordspit. “Back in the day, [Egyptians] used to wear nothing but gold jewelry, and that was a sense of power with them. I feel like it symbolizes that.”
Fellow graphic artist Suede Jury agreed: “The chain is larger than life. Everything about the video is larger than life.”
“Yo, this dude, Marco. He’s bananas, son,” said painter Ibrahim Baaith. “And what’s cool is that he’s shooting all this and incorporating it into, like, a painting. He’s not just taking classical images and just smashing it together. He’s completely original, and I like where he and Kanye took it. He’s definitely pushing the envelope.”
The problem comes when you ask which direction the envelope is being pushed. Some say it permanently raised the bar for hip-hop videos, but Leofalcon said when it comes to male/female relations, “Power” goes the same old route. “What are all the women doing below him?” she asked. “What message is that sending? We’re already dealing with inequality between men and women, particularly in hip-hop. I’m sick and tired of having a bunch of girls surrounding a man in videos in general.
“I would challenge Kanye to have a woman by his side to give the message that there is equality between him and a beautiful woman,” she added.
“He’s showing his position of power. He indulges in the women,” Wordspit countered. “I could understand that you want him to have a woman by his side. It probably would have looked cool. … But at the same time, Kanye is a loner. Kanye feels like he’s alone. And I think that was one of the purposes of this video — to just show that even though I’m in a position of power. I’m still mortal.”
Misha T broke down the video like this: “The song is called ‘Power.’ When you’re on top, everybody’s trying to bring you down to claim that spot. He’s trying to show you this picture-perfect world where, yeah, you have goddesses surrounding you. But at the same time, you have guys trying to stab you in the back.”
And that sword over his head? It’s the Sword of Damocles. Don’t even get us started on that … [MTV]
Eminem premiered his music video featuring a red headed Rihanna and a cameo from Meghan Fox. The video deals with the topic of domestic violence. We wonder why Em didn’t have himself portray the leading man who gets ravaged by a smoking hot Megan Fox.
Pop/R&B artist Rihanna has teamed up with rapper Eminem is his latest video about domestic violence.
The video, released online for Eminem's top of the chart single "Love the Way You Lie," simultaneously drew praise and criticism.
Rihanna, 22, stands outside a burning house singing "I love the way you Lie." Meanwhile, actor Megan Fox and Lost's Dominic Monaghan are having a heated argument that gets physical inside the house. The ending: both the house and the two lovers are swallowed by the flames.
On one point, we have to remember that the current deteriorating pop culture influences youth and young adults. Not all, but lots of young individuals might be influenced to accept an abusive relationship 'because so-and-so still loves me." It essentially glamorizes domestic abuse. On the other point, the video illuminates the dangers of being in an abusive relationship and that no one deserves that sort of treatment.
"It just was authentic," Rihanna told Access Hollywood. "It was real. It was believable for us to do a record like that, but it was also something that needed to be done. He pretty much just broke down the cycle of domestic violence and it touches a lot of people."
Both artists seem appropriate for the video—considering their personal histories with domestic abuse.
Eminem has often spoken and rapped about his tumultuous relationship with ex-wife Kim Mathers.
Last year, Rihanna was assaulted by then boyfriend, R&B star Chris Brown. Brown plead guilty to assaulting Rihanna and was sentenced to 180 days community service and five years probation.
Only time will tell how impactful the video is. [source]
No comments:
Post a Comment