IDP Blog

Featured Articles

Great Eastern Sun Art vs. Setting Sun Art #9: James Case-Leal's Radical Spirit

Submitted by Matt Jones on Tue, 9/28/2010, 10:10am
Category: 
Tags: 

This week we'll look at James Case-Leal's "Radical Spirit," a big sculptural environment, video projection(s), performance(s), among other things at a Lutheran Church in Greenpoint.

The opening is tonight and I advise all to attend. Here's the information:

Announcing "Radical Spirit," a pirate television broadcast, monumental sculpture, and video installation by James Case-Leal built inside the sanctuary of Lutheran Church of the Messiah in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. The exhibition will be open to the public September 28 - October 2. The broadcast signal will be receivable by the local public on their television sets on analog channel 17 during these times. Please join us for a performance and opening reception on Tuesday, September 28 from 6 to 9pm.

Lutheran Church of the Messiah - 129 Russell St. Brooklyn, NY 11222

There are a few reasons to talk about this piece now, the day of the night it opens. It deals directly and indirectly with awakening, spirituality, presence, meditation, media, social change (revolution?), etc. all things close to IDP's heart. More importantly the show only runs for just shy of a week and it's something not to be missed. I've toured a test installation of the building and installation. Great Eastern Sun or Setting Sun "Radical Spirit" is definitely something to behold.

So what do you think? Which is it? Great Eastern Sun Art or Setting Sun Art?

I hope to see you there tonight and look forward to some thoughtful and rambunctious dialogue in here on it.

Log in
to vote
292
Vote for this article to appear in the Recommended list.
  • Login or register to post comments
  • Share this

Comments

Mixed

Submitted by Anonymous on Mon, 10/4/2010, 9:53am.

After seeing the show, I left with mixed feelings. I think the installation/performance was successful in creating a mystical experience which can be a powerful GES experience. However it lacked in a feeling of authenticity, a genuine human to human discourse, any sense of joy/uplift. Setting Sun.

eastern sun

Submitted by Anonymous on Sun, 10/3/2010, 10:13am.

i went to see this show yesterday and have to say it was an AMAZING experience. not really what i expected to feel. but very transcendent. beautiful. it made me feel like i was sharing someone else's magical dream. like maybe i was in it somehow. with all those beam of light those towers feel like they are radiant! so definitely eastern sun. thanks for sharing this artist's work!

meditation.

Submitted by Anonymous on Fri, 10/1/2010, 10:46am.

those videos look nice. i havent seen the show, but want to try to get over there, but it doesnt seem like the show is about christianity per se, but maybe more like meditative practices in general. that video of the artist seems like some sort of meditative prayer and i imagine the whole atmoshere to be very traquil. i dont know what to think of it exactly but it seems like more is going on than a christian show. and ps dismissing something just because its in a church IS judgmental and cynical. we need to open our heart and minds toward all people's paths to enlightenment even if they disagree with ours. I'll definately check it out. probably tomorrow. last day its open i think?

i dont know yet if its eastern or setting sun. will update

video #3 from the opening performance/reception

Submitted by Matt Jones on Thu, 9/30/2010, 8:41am.

video #2 from the opening performance/reception

Submitted by Matt Jones on Thu, 9/30/2010, 8:39am.

Setting Sun

Submitted by Patrick Groneman on Wed, 9/29/2010, 5:06pm.

Judgement and Cynicism without a path.

confusion?

Submitted by Matt Jones on Thu, 9/30/2010, 7:40am.

Patrick - what do you mean? Please elaborate. What is judgement and cynicism without a path? The Bosch painting? James' installation/etc.? Would love to hear more thoughts on this.

rejection

Submitted by Patrick Groneman on Thu, 9/30/2010, 11:39am.

The last video of the sky might have an inkling of openness, but more of the installation seems to have a very dreary/defeated sense of the human condition.  I see the pillars as a triumph of materialism within a space that is normally designated for working with the transcendent.   This is all just based on the photos and videos, but perhaps if I was in the actual space there might be more of a sense of the material AS transcendent rather than opposing it.  The photos make me feel more like they are opposing each other in this piece, which for me contains judgement and cynicism, which = setting sun.

The fact that you posted the Bosch piece does not seem coincidental either.

 

coincidence

Submitted by Matt Jones on Thu, 9/30/2010, 1:14pm.

Yeah the videos were scary when I saw them on their own. Your reading is interesting Pat and I'm down with it. Interesting that you seem them as opposing. I would maybe read that they're both the same or similar. A controling media represented by a controlling agressive object (the towers) and a controlling religion/ideology in a heavy/aggressive space? Churches always seem like they'll be uplifting but really they're quite freaky to this dude.

yeah

Submitted by Patrick Groneman on Fri, 10/1/2010, 11:00am.

I think I'd have to see it in person to know for sure, but I'm curious what your experience of the towers were like.   Based on the documentation there doesn't seem to be a sense of path or movement through the aggression, but just a reflection of the aggression.  Perhaps the reflection itself is the insight?

Aggression

Submitted by Matt Jones on Mon, 10/4/2010, 10:38am.

I see the towers as aggressive. Yes. You actually can't move past them, it was blocked off. I hear you man, I hear you.

Judgement day

Submitted by Matt Jones on Wed, 9/29/2010, 9:06am.

Site developed by the IDP and Genalo Designs.