SEE THE JAGUAR

Went to Arsenal with Manuel Schubert of Film Highlights Magazine for the Hollywood Pre Code screening of the sexually charged Alfred E. Green film Baby Face starring Miss Barbara Stanwyck and fey George Brent. It was a packed house eager to see la Stanwyck triumph after reading Nietzsche "All life, no matter how we idealize it, is nothing more nor less than exploitation." That's what I'm telling you. Exploit yourself. Go to some big city where you will find opportunities! Be strong! Defiant! A woman, young, beautiful like you, can get anything she wants in the world. Because you have power over men. You must be a master, not a slave. But you must use men, not let them use you.Get the things you want! And boy does she---beautifully clawing her way up the corporate and social ladder merrily melting the stained glass ceiling in the process. I love how her character stays true to her Black lesbian soulmate Chico. When Barbara Stanwyke is living in a penthouse flat dripping in diamonds and furs she spreads the wealth to her girlfriend the blues singing Miss Chico who is also dressed to the nines while masquerading as her maid. The ending is a little sappy and unrealistic that after being pimped out by her own father she would experience true love in the form of a bland marriage to ganymede Mr.Brent. A far better climax would have been staying true to her principles and sailing off to Paris with her black gal pal and letting her weak willed husband die from his suicide attempt. But that’s just the practical Ice Cold Katy in me talking.

After the screening I had to rush off to the Friar’s Club at OstBahnof as its Hideous Creatures Week in Berlin. I was almost certain that the Friar’s pignic palasst would be crawling with touristas of the heavy genet lokki. Sad to report utter disappointment by the lame turnout of everyday lizards, grunions and archaepelicos. If I hadn’t been compted by my pal Cunnard Lines who was working the door, the trip would have been a complete waste of time leaving me in perpetual Jurgen Anger. I couldn’t believe that there was only one real beauty present in the house. This striking gorgon was much younger then I would have expected at the Friars possessing a sizzlepraelean body, full throttle breastage, high buttocks, rump and a handsome vaguely rugged face. Of course he was sporting the modern day obligatory facial hair that seems to come as standard equipment with the metropolitan mensis of late. O and yes his dorg while in a flaccid state was lengthy and widthicus. He and his swarthy Brutus looking companion like me were eager to flee the premises early with such poor pickings abound.

EITHER/OR NOR FEAR AND TREMBLING

Was at my local bibliotech (library)on the Haupt Strasse and was looking through the various German periodicals and on the cover of Emma Magazine was Hans Broich the cute 23 year old son of German actor Martin Wuttke and actress/photographer Margarita Broich. The headline was something about prostitution and I thought oh is Hans coming out of the closet as a male prostitute or sex worker---- that’s fascinating. But upon closer inspection it seems that young Hans who I’ve known since he was a child and came to LA in the late 90s with his parents who were in the Berliner Ensemble at the time doing a production of Arturo Ui is actually an anti-prostitution activist with his French girlfriend Berenice. I find that problematic.

Billy Miller of Straight to Hell Magazine-The Manhattan Review of Unnatural Acts took me to dinner at this cute little Iranian Restaurant where I had a scrumptious vegetarian dish. Billy is staying at the chich Jannowitz Bruecke/Koepenicker Strasse Penthouse Loft of Exile Gallery’s Christian Siekmeier who will be moving his gallery space to New York’s Lower East Side. Christian brought Billy out to Berlin to co-curate a special contemporary extemporaneous exhibition Das stille Leben des Sammlers Kempinski. The hysterical Mr. Miller is one of my favourite people in the entire world and at the loft he gave me a nice private tour of the over 60 artist works in this nutters exhibition plus plenty of time for all the hottest not fit for print gossip of the international art world which if I blabbed would destroy many promising careers.

Was very sad to hear about the recent death of Baby Brian Tennessee Claflin the mastermind behind the wild oldestyle EastVillage Sunday latenite party space Pork @Ficken3000. Brian also went by the name of Prix in his alter ego of hostess at Pork. I first met Brian Tennessee at the old sex lizard leather bar Scheune@ NollendorkyPlatz - Motzstrasse 25 back in 2006 as he was grilling a French piss pig with questions about Nazi Germany. I interrupted him explaining that the man is Gallic not German and only in his 60s so not old enough to have been a part of National Socialism. I was immediately taken by Brian who I later found out grew up a Mormen ,has travelled extensively around the world and was an out and proud sex worker/activist having been in his youth the hustler boyfriend of A-list Hollywood directors Gus Van Sant and Brian Singer of the X-Men franchise. Anna Muelter of the Hebbel Theatre once showed me a video documentation of a movement performance Brian did at HAU that was riveting.  Larry Bob Roberts of Holy Tit Clamps and Now Queer Explosion just sent me a link to a lovely written online obituary of Brian Tennessee by Berlin DJ and musician Snax aka:  Paul Bonomo.  Club Pork under the guidance of Brian Tennessee Claflin and his team of collaborateurs that included over the years writer Travis Jeppesson, designer Mario Dzurila and artist Master Patrick was one of the only clubs in Berlin other then Chantals House of Shame with a true hedonistic shamelessly sleezy anythinggoes vibe.

Now that the summer holiday season is here those of you visiting Berlin may be interested in checking out some happenings with the team of La Moustache:

La Moustache presents:
Double Record Release Show with Jenn Kelly + You're Only Massive
Thursday June 19 @ Schokoladen

Jenn Kelly presents her new EP "Fervent"
You're Only Massive present "Midi Grrrl"!

Ackerstraße 169, U Rosenthaler Platz
entrance: 5-55€, doors 7pm, show 8pm
10pm DJ team Cyborg vs. Moustache

JENN KELLY
is a shapeshifter, music-maker, writer, performer from Philly/NYC/Berlin based in Oakland, CA who began touring solo in 2010 after performing in the Berlin-based anti-folk band Space Rainbows. Jenn’s been described as a post-punk cross between Kristin Hersh and Lou Reed—with a delivery that is fierce, direct, and lyrically provocative.

http://jennkelly.net/
https://soundcloud.com/yeahyeahjennkelly
http://jennkelly.bandcamp.com/

YOU'RE ONLY MASSIVE is an electronic/experimental band, formed in 2007 in Waterford, Ireland. The band has experienced significant growth since its inception with a set of two turntables and a microphone, while retaining a strong commitment to core values. Since 2008 they have been based in Berlin, Germany.

As a male fronted feminist synth duo, You’re Only Massive deviates from the norms of gender binaries in electronic music, with both members producing, playing instruments and contributing vocals.

The name “You’re Only Massive” is taken from a common phrase heard in the south of Ireland. “It’s something your aunty might say to you, just as you are heading out the door. It’s a compliment, not just that you are beautiful but that you are ready for the world!”

http://www.youreonlymassive.com/
https://soundcloud.com/youreonlymassive

And this little announcement from the cosmos of Antonia Baehr/Werner Hirsch:

Dear friends, liebe Freund_innen,

The book launch ABECEDARIUM BESTIARIUM is finally on the doormat here in Berlin! The framed etchings will be given to their authors afterwards and there will be champagne, signing books, and a sneak-preview of the collaborative video-film INSIDE THE TIGER. There will also be a conversation with Franz Anton Cramer and myself (in german).

Please pass the word!

I'm so happy it is finally happening and I send you many greetings,

Yours,

Antonia the Baehr and Werner the Hirsch

BUCHPRÄSENTATION „ABECEDARIUM BESTIARIUM–PORTRAITS OF AFFINITIES IN ANIMAL METAPHORS“ UND SNEAK-PREVIEW „INSIDE THE TIGER“

18.06.2014 18 UHR Studio 11, Hochschulübergreifendes Zentrum Tanz Berlin (HZT), Uferstudios, Uferstraße 23, 13357 Berlin U8 Pankstraße U9 Nauener Platz S-Bahn Gesundbrunnen

Die Veröffentlichung des Buchs „Abecedarium Bestiarium – Portraits of affinities in animal metaphors“ von Antonia Baehr und Freund_innen wird gefeiert. Gastgeber ist das HZT, an dem die Künstlerinnen Antonia Baehr, Steffi Weismann und Isabell Spengler, die auch Beiträge zum Buch gestaltet haben, im Sommersemester Lehraufträge wahrnehmen. Die Vorstellung des Buches findet zeitgleich zu ihrem Workshop am HZT statt, ist aber thematisch eigenständig. Ein Gespräch zwischen Antonia Baehr und Franz Anton Cramer gibt Einblicke in den Zusammenhang von choreographischer Arbeit und Dokumentation, über Scores, Partituren und Verschiebungen von Autorschaft. Anschließend werden Exemplare des Buches signiert. Auch werden die originalen Titelblattradierungen und -zeichnungen der Illustrationen ausgestellt.

Im Anschluss gibt es eine Sneak-Preview des 2014 entstandenen Films „Inside the Tiger“ von Steffi Weismann, Isabell Spengler, Georg Klein, Sigrid Keil und Antonia Baehr. „Inside the Tiger“ ist eine Dokumentation des „Tasmanian Tiger Immersive Self-Therapy Program (TTIST)“, in dem TeilnehmerInnen die Möglichkeit erhalten ein Kostüm anzuziehen und so zum 1936 ausgestorbenen Tasmanischen Tiger zu werden. Das Filmprojekt ist inspiriert durch Steffi Weismanns Partitur "T is for Tasmanian Tiger", geschrieben für Antonia Baehrs Stück „Abecedarium Bestiarium“.

Veranstaltung in deutscher Sprache.

Eintritt frei

ABECEDARIUM BESTIARIUM – Portraits of affinities in animal metaphors

by Antonia Baehr & Friends

Artists: Antonia Baehr, Frédéric Bigot (electroniCat), Pauline Boudry, Valérie Castan, Lucile Desamory, Sabine Ercklentz, Dodo Heidenreich, Lucy McKenzie , Christian Kesten, Itamar Lerner, Andrea Neumann, Stefan Pente, Josefine Reisch, Catriona Shaw, Isabell Spengler, Steffi Weismann, William Wheeler, Ida Wilde (Keren Ida Nathan), Alison Yip

Texts: A. S. Bruckstein Çoruh, Bettina Knaup

Photo gallery: Anja Weber

Aditional photographs: Angela Anderson

Editing: Lindy Annis, Pirkko Husemann

Translations: Daniel Hendrickson, Charles Penwarden, Catriona Shaw, William Wheeler

Copy editing: Ann-Kathrin Reimers, Daniel Hendrickson

Production: Alexandra Wellensiek

Graphic design: Jocelyne Fracheboud

Publishers: far° festival des arts vivants & make up productions (2014)

Hardcover; 144 pages

Language: English

ISBN13: 978-2-970-08861-5

16 €

Distribution: books on the move, http://www.booksonthemove.eu/
***
Had gone to the Arsenal awhile back with my kollektiv CHEAP cohorts Susanne Sachsse, Marcuse Siegelstein, Daniel Hendrickson the Scandinavian Muzlim jihadist with his beau Piero Belhomo to see the pre code Hollywood comedy of manners film Dinner at Eight directed by faggots faggot George Cukor and produced by David O Selznick, which of course I’ve seen a million times, but never get tired of viewing the magnificent performances of Marie Dressler, Billie Burke, Jean Harlow, John Barrymore, Wallace Berry and May Robson in the film’s best performance as a grifty maid.

MOODY INDIGO

For all you Vagimule Davis fanatics in the New York Tri-State area I am in a group exhibition that opens tonight in lower Manhattan 6-8pm. The details are below:

Daughter of Bad Girls
June 13 - July 27, 2014 | Opening reception Friday, June 13th 6-8PM

Twenty years ago Marcia Tucker wrote in the exhibition catalogue for her show Bad Girls of a discussion between herself and Marcia Tanner about how the show "grew like kudzu . . . and still cries out for more (Daughter of Bad Girls, Part XIV?)." In 1994, Bad Girls comprised two independently organized sister exhibitions, the first at the New Museum curated by Tucker, and Bad Girls West at the UCLA Wight Art Gallery (now the Hammer) curated by Tanner. At the time the third wave of feminism was in full swing; Riot Grrrls and Guerrilla Girls were raging, feminists were talking about female sexuality, and questioning “woman” being defined by biology. Previously there had been a sobriety to feminism; the third wave in the 1990s had a sense of humor to its outrage. Tanner and Tucker created expansive shows exploring the vast material surrounding these issues.

“Every generation gets the ‘Bad Girls’ it needs,” Marcia Tanner says. “Marcia Tucker and I used the term ironically in the 90s to reflect the feminist art we were seeing then. It flouted conventions of ladylike behavior, using bawdy humor and over-the-top expressions of female sexuality to disarm the viewer. Feminist anger was transmuted, often flamboyantly, into pointed mockery of the systems of oppression. Those systems haven’t disappeared, as anyone who reads the news must know. Female artists everywhere are constantly revisiting these issues, whether they define themselves as feminists or not (and why not?). ‘Daughter of Bad Girls‘ will be an important contribution to this ongoing exploration.”

The early 1990s was a time filled with exhibitions about identity politics; many of them received bad press and the subject waned from contemporary curatorial practice. Have artists stopped exploring the subject as well? A recall of recent exhibitions and studio visits answers this question - there are still bad girls at work. Today's artists do not necessarily position themselves as feminists or bad girls, but many of them are working through issues of female sexuality, questioning identity based on biology, and doing it with a sense of humor. Their work builds on previous ideas and prior criticisms.

Klaus von Nichtssagend Gallery cannot possibly tackle this subject to the full extent it demands, but with "Daughter of Bad Girls" we would like to take the the baton, hopefully to be passed on to more shows at more venues.

Daughter of Bad Girls

Ellen Altfest
Donna Chung
Vaginal Davis
Ann Hirsch
Marina Kappos
Alice Mackler
Jessica Rath
Ridykeulous
Xaviera Simmons

Robert Hult
Director

KLAUS VON NICHTSSAGEND GALLERY
54 Ludlow Street
New York, NY 10002
212 777 7756
http://www.klausgallery.com
rob@klausgallery.com

THE MANY LOVES OF DOBIE GILLIS

Was shown an image of a the young Austrian singer who goes by the nomme de plume of Conchita Wurst by my good pal and sister of the clothe, the internet radio host and cinema journalist Manuel “Vicki Baum”Schubert of FilmHighlights Magazine. I didn’t know anything about Miss Conchita or the Eurovision contest as I am not involved in social media and don’t own a TV. I was aware that Abba became pop stars in the 1970s because of the Eurovision international music competition but as Eurovision is very much a part of the mainstream entertainment industrial complex it didn’t really hold my interest. After Manuel showed me an image of Conchita singing a bland ballad on YouTube I was a bit perplexed by her fake gender fuck appearance and why she chooses to do glamour drag mixed with an obviously drawn on beard. In Germany there is a tacky jewelry and fashion designer who calls himself Harald Gloocker who also presents himself in an oddball mix of genderfuck, combined with plastic surgery damage and proto Liberace realness. Back in the 1970s there were groups like The Cockettes and Cycle Sluts From Hell who did gender fuck that was quite subversive mixing masculine and feminine with heavy beardage and other forms of facial hair with make-up, wigs, glitter and trashsex costuming. Maybe this new cycle of gender fuck is in reaction to the fact that so many gay men and hetero hipster types feel its necessary to be unshaven. Not everyone looks good with or can even grow facial hair. I’m hoping that this beard trend gets replaced with something else and soon. Please don’t let that something else be Sigmund and the Seamonster style dreadlocks.

Mucho thanx, with love and kudos to Manuel Schubert and Olivier Nowitsky for helping me with my big move from the Cheese Endique Trifecta.  You two are tops and I owe you a fab din din. Sad to report that Ann B. Davis who played lesbiana housekeeper Alice on the ABC sitcom The Brady Bunch  in the early 1970s and “Schultzy” on the Bob Cummings Show in the 50s died age 88. Ann B. Davis was a lesbian icon of the highest order.

HAENDLER DER VIER JAHRESZEITEN

Swollen ankles and knees withstanding was helped by a horde of students, friends and admirers to pack up 8 years of being in my suite in the Schoeneberg area of Berlin. Won’t say anything more other then I am proceeding at a snails pace, but during the recent Christi Himmelfahrt holiday I had the pleasure of two young Humboldt University hotties Richard & Jacob helping with their giant muscles and wearing next to nothing providing the doll with hairy eyeball candy supreme. I asked the boys if they would mind doing their work in a thong and they didn’t object so lucky me got to see more then 25 centimeters each of rather heavy bouncing equipment, flat stomachs and bubble butts. Yowza!!!!! Later it all kind of turned into a party with guests including Daniel Hendrickson the Scandinavian Muzlim, his husband Piero Bellomo, Susanne Sachsse, Marcuse Siegel and the beautiful Arsenal Empress Stefanie Schulte Strathaus who has also just moved into a giant privat mega compound/royal palace that overlooks Goerlitzer Park near the Wrangel kiez. Madame Schulte Strathaus’ new crib doesn’t just have a balcony but an entire rooftop terrace.

Earlier in the week I also got help from Billy Miller of Straight To Hell Magazine and the Manhattan Review of Unnatural Acts along with my former student the French beauty boy Christophe DeRohan Chabot. Billy is in Berlin for the entire month with events he is curating with Exile Gallery. Exile Gallery and its proprietor Christian Siekmeier will exit Berlin for New York Cities Lower East Side. Billy Miller is one of my alltime favourite US personalities. He is just the most sexy, adoreable creature alive. We klatched for hours gossiping some of the most scandalous items that can’t be reprinted here or anywhere else for that matter. I am so happy that Billy has found love with Jay Slot an Emmy Award winning television film editor. Billy’s long time companion had died several years ago so it makes me happy to see him in the blume of at long last love. Billy also mentioned that former US Presidential Candidate Joan Jett Black (whose slogan was “Lick Bush in 92”) is once again living in San Francisco. Back in 1990s Black use to star in her own delightful stage artist talk show in San Francisco at defunct artist space Josie's in the Castro. Joan Jett Black is a native of Detroit but lived for many years and was a fixture in Chicago queer life. Billy and Joan Jett Black go way back with each other having been best friends since high school. Billy is one of the few working class whites to have grown up in urban Detroit being that his family was too poor for white flight to the suburbs. Make no mistake Billy Miller is the real deal.
***
So sad to hear about the recent deaths of cinematographer Gordon Willis(Annie Hall) and poet/actress Maya Angelou(I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings).
***
Just got this missive from DJ Snax:

Snax, Random Records and the entire House Of Snaxine would like to invite you to pre-order Snax's newest ep, UP AND COMING CHILDREN, for just ¢99!*

*price in euros Your pre-order comes with an immediate download of the hot jam '%150'
You will receive a download code by email upon official release June 6th.
And the full download includes a magical video of the title track directed by Philipp Goeser!

'...Children' is a long awaited new studio production from Snax - an EP of four sparkly new tracks plus equally diverse remixes from Hard Ton, Per QX and Elias Bravo, which is already getting support from:

MIXMAG - "Cheeky cowbells, grainy disco synths and even non-cheesy string sections are all cleverly arranged into well formed songs with jazzy overtones."

DIEGO CORTEZ SALAS (DC Salas / Polar) - 'Phantom Voice is so fuuuunky! '

RICARDO BAEZ (Gomma/ Toy Tonics) - 'Up and Coming children is great! superb hard ton & Per QX - ELias Bravo remix too! well done! Thanks RB'

SAMMY FEDY (LeSale) - 'Great return of SNAX! Really like Up & Coming children and the remixes, but my fav is the laid back Nothing To Yourself'

TOM FINDLAY (Groove Armada) - 'Hard Ton rmx is brilliant, lost classic vibes.'

LUKE SOLOMON (Classic / Freaks / Music For Freaks) - 'love love love this '

OLIVER JONES (Skream) - 'AmazinG!'

SEVERINO PANZETTA (Horse Meat Disco) - 'Per QX rmx is great hard Ton too'
***
And those of you in the New York Tri-State area one of my favourite New York artists Kathe Burkhart has a book launch at Participant Inc Gallery:

Kathe Burkhart
DUDES
Reading and book launch
Friday, May 30, 7-9pm

“I’ve been a fan of Kathe Burkhart’s writing since before West Virginia was even a state, when it was nothing but a mountainous region of hard drugs from which wild women emerged like they’d already escaped a lot of dumb dumb guys. Her writing says the things we all want to say but don’t even know that we know, the horror and beauty and comedy of human life, the banal complicity of desire. She shows how the art world is like the bedroom is like the work of the memoir-cum-essay, at least the guys in each.

Kathe Burkhart is one of the makers and shapers of a new American literature. The way I see it, she’s the gold standard of both showing and telling. Dudes is a remarkable achievement.”

– Kevin Killian, author of Impossible Princess, Little Men

ISBN 978-0-9802324-6-2
Design Klaus Kempenaars for xSITE
First Printing Publicide, Inc., New York, 2014
175 pages, $20
PARTICIPANT PRESS is the publishing enterprise of PARTICIPANT INC, whose primary focus is to publish artist's works of fiction. Our first book, published in 2005, was Kathe Burkhart's illustrated novella, The Double Standard. We are pleased to now publish its companion, DUDES, an illustrated collection of short stories by Kathe Burkhart. An exclusive limited edition slipcase for the set is available.

ZATZELMACHER

Rising Stars Falling Stars-We Must Have Music was packed to the rafters and bursting with gallic gaiety with our screening of Jacque Demy´s 1982 tragioperetta Une Chambre en Ville starring statuesque androgenue Dominque Sanda running rampant through Nantes naked under a fur coat.  The veteranas veteran Danielle Darrieux who is still alive at almost 100 years of age was splendid as a white wine lush of an impoverished aristrocrat. The music was not by Michel Legrand but by another Michel nee Colombier. Michel Legrand was busy at the time working with La Streisand on Yentl. In honor of the holy Frenchness of the proceedings I dug out my Giorgio St. Angelo gown from the early 1980s. Daniel Hendrickson the Scandinavian Muslim on klavier wore a lovely puce shirt to match my dress and even Axel Lambretta the cute big peniled projectionist was dressed very Francaise charmante. Didn´t expect such a huge crowd as it was the first warm spring weekend and most Berliners don´t want to be trapped inside a Kino when its so lovely outside but the hayfever has been so strong this year some people were welcoming the indoors.

Seen during the post screening wine reception American art filmmaker Liz Rosenfeld on a date with lovesexy Austrian babydyke rent boy and video installation artist Kornelia Kugler who was one of the people responsible for inviting me as a guest lecturer at the UDK back in 2010. Part of the juicy La Liz posse visiting from London: Christa Holka, Justin Hunt, Johanna Linsey, Season Butler, Sophie Robinson, and Olga Raciborska. Arsenal Empress Stefanie Schulte Strathaus was away on VIP business in Cairo. Filling in for her was Europas handsomest man Uli Ziemons whose book on George Kuchar will be out soon so buy it on Amazon. Just back from the Canne Film Festival Vito Schnabel looking dour with his cougar girlfriend an almost unrecognizeable Heidi Klum, British writer Edward St. Aubin of the latest tome Lost For Words and the Patrick Melrose Novels, prima ballerina Trixie Schönherr aka: Beatrice Cordua with the personable Dr. Tonya and company, handsome Israeli modern dancer Asaf Hochman, a jubilant Markus Ruff, and the great GDR curatorial film goddess and Forum legend the ever amazing Frau Erika Richter. A little tidbit about Erika: she is the great granddaughter of underground cine royal Hans Richter. See what educational info you gleam from reading this very blog. Next month RSFS will screen the Shirley Clark jazz docu on Ornette Coleman.

***

Had a busy Monday dealing with issues concerning my move from my flat. Susanne Sachsse of kollectiv CHEAP made a fab luncheon where we met along with Marcuse Siegel Mr. Jamie Stewart of the sensational indie rock band Xiu Xiu who was in town performing at the Volksbuhne. Jamie will be working with Susanne and I in New York on our performative installation of Mozart´s The Magic Flute. I adore Mr. Stewart who has been staying at that incredible hotel tower The Park Inn at Alexanderplatz. I first met Jamie when he was a mere weenager performing at my Sunday afternoon punk rock beer bust/performance salon Club Sucker at the Garage in Silverlake back in the last century. He was a delight back then in his radiant youth and is so handsome and sensual now that he is a fully grown man---Yowza. Jamie will continue his tour of Germany performing in Hamburg but will be back in Berlin on the 28th doing a special choral presentation as part of the Berlin Biennale.