The House Party Spirit in All Its Glory
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Sunday, December 28, 2008 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Photographs of men in drag, erotic murals in the bathroom, and glittery painted stars hanging from the THE HOUSE PARTY SPIRIT ceiling are all part of The B Sides, a new, boldly unconventional show IN ALL ITS GLORY at Aljira, a Center for Contemporary Art in Newark. It looks at visual art Exhibits That Show the Influence of Dance, inspired by 1980s and early ’90s Music and Movement post-disco dance music, especially the pared-down genre known as By BENJAMIN GENOCCHIO house music. The show gathers 32 artists and artist collectives with the emphasis on paintings and documentary photography of people partying. But there is also sculpture and installation art, for house music concerts, clubs and parties, which began in Chicago, Detroit and New York in the ’80s before spreading to Europe, often involved elaborate setlike environments. Several artists selected for the exhibition by Edwin Ramoran, the curator, are recording artists or worked as party promoters or set designers for clubs. Among them is Carlo Quispe, a stage designer and comic book artist who was given the task of decorating the structural columns in the gallery. Influenced by graffiti art and party culture, DESIGNING Above. Lincoln his column designs depict writhing, Motel Birdhouse dancing figures, cartoon characters, (2006) by John tribal motifs and text. Mr. Quispe Parris. Left, Javier also did the restroom murals Ninja Performance (involving sex and drugs). (2007) photograph by Ryan Joseph. continued on other side… 591 Broad Street, Newark, NJ 07102-4403 p. 973 622-1600 f. 973 622-6526 www.aljira.org An interest in the body, dance figure in Jennie Livingston’s 1990 I liked this work a lot, as much for and movement is a common documentary Paris Is Burning about its eccentricity as for its intricate thread among the artworks in the world of drag balls in Harlem. construction. For me, the idea of a this show. Take, for example, the birdhouse also evokes the original videos by Rashaad Newsome or The strong connection between spirit of a club where like-minded Uraline Septembre Hager of house music and the gay club people congregated. a dancer performing poses from scene is referred to in many works, Afro-Brazilian martial arts, one of ranging from Ryan Joseph’s 2007 The power of music in bringing several influences on house music photographs documenting New together people of diverse and dance; others include hip-hop, York’s subculture of transvestite backgrounds and cultures crops traditional African dance and 1960s dance balls and beauty pageants, up here and there throughout this funk music and dance moves. to Howie Keck’s painted portraits show. It is most noticeable, however, of well-known gay performers in the photographs of Tony Graves, The rise of the D.J. in the late 1970s, from the music and dance scene. a Newark-based photojournalist during the disco era, led to the Mr. Keck’s portrait of the singer who documents the performers emergence of ’80s dance music Kevin Aviance, in fluorescent and audience at the annual Lincoln styles, including house. D.J.s feature metallic oils, shows his subject Park Music Festival in Newark. in several works here, including a surrounded by tropical flowers. House music is an important part color photograph by Tony Graves of the festival. of Joaquin Claussell, known as The show also includes works Joe, a widely admired D.J. on the relating to the house music scene in But beyond the obvious historical house music circuit. Ivan Monforte’s Newark. Especially memorable is a and sociological significance of diaristic video Throw Your Hands series of documentary photographs this work, a lot of it deserves Up in the Air (2004–7) also includes by Vincent Bryant of the performers our attention for another reason: various shots of well-known D.J.s, at the famed Club Zanzibar at the It is good art. That it is often fun often performing at clubs and Lincoln Motel. Among those shown and funky at the same time is an parties. in the photographs are Grace Jones, added benefit. La Toya Jackson, Patti LaBelle and One of the show’s most arresting Hippie Torrales, one of the more exhibits, for pure wall power, is famous house D.J.s who worked here Jayson Keeling’s black and white in the 1980s. photographic portrait, a diptych, of the house music choreographer While Club Zanzibar no longer exists, The B Sides, Aljira, a Center for and dancer Willi Ninja. It is a it is immortalized in John Parris’s Contemporary Art, 591 Broad powerful portrait, showing Lincoln Motel Birdhouse (2006), Street, Newark, through March 7. Mr. Ninja, who died in 2006, a scale-model birdhouse imitating Information: (973) 622-1600 or staring out searchingly at the the motel’s brick facade, made of aljira.org. viewer. Mr. Ninja was a central wood, metal, asphalt and paint. 591 Broad Street, Newark, NJ 07102-4403 p. 973 622-1600 f. 973 622-6526 www.aljira.org.