“The aesthetic experience is a simple beholding of the object . . . you experience a radiance. You are held in aesthetic arrest.” - Joseph Campbell
Aesthetic Arrest is our weekly dip into the Epicurean pleasures we’ve been enjoying lately. Cheers to that!
This Week’s Apéritif: Badel Orange Pelinkovac & Tonic with an Orange Garnish
Ryan Wildstar’s Recommendations:
Reading: Cultural Insurrection: A Manifesto for Arts, Agriculture, and Natural Wine by Jonathan Nossiter
A Manifesto for the Agriculture and Natural Wine by Jonathan Nossiter (via Newsweek)
The Natural Wine Movement is About More Than Just Wine (via Lit Hub)
Listening: Chain of Light by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
Chain of Light Liner Notes (via Real World Records)
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Party: Chain of Light Review – Rediscovered Raw Emotion of a Qawwali Genius (via The Guardian)
Looking: The Art of Judy Blame (1960 - 2018)
Jeweler Judy Blame and Punk’s Baroque Period (via 032c)
10 Judy Blame Catwalk Moments That Electrified Fashion (via British Vogue)
‘So Much Purpose. So Much Talent’: Punk Designer Judy Blame Dies Aged 58 (via The Guardian)
Judy Blame Obituary (via The Guardian)
Viewing: Tramps! (2022) — directed by Kevin Hegge, a documentary about the New Romantic scene, including artists Judy Blame, Leigh Bowery, Duggie Fields, Boy George, Marilyn, John Maybury, Mark Moore, Philip Sallon, Princess Julia, Les Child, Scarlett Cannon, Christine Binnie & more!
Tasting: Lake Ohrid Trout with Rosemary, Dill and Ryan Wildstar’s Garlic Butter with Italian Parsley (for his garlic butter recipe, click here)
For more about the fascinating place that is Lake Ohrid, check out our article, Impressions of Illyria: Our Journey from Skopje to Tirana. We also discussed a great book about Lake Ohrid on one of our early podcasts (from August 2022!), which you can listen to here.
Ryan Elston’s Recommendations:
Reading: And the Roots of Rhythm Remain: A Journey Through Global Music by Joe Boyd
And the Roots of Rhythm Remain: A Journey Through Global Music by Joe Boyd Review – The Proust of Music (via The Guardian)
Joe Boyd's New Book Reveals the West's Fascination with Music from Around the World (via Songlines)
Playlist #1 — Joe Boyd handpicks 10 songs pivotal to his new book:
Playlist #2 — Joe Boyd chooses 99 tracks discussed in the new book:
Looking: The Art of Leigh Bowery (1961 - 1994)
Next week in London! Check out the new exhibition, Outlaws: Fashion Renegades of 80s London, at the Fashion and Textile Museum (on view from October 4, 2024 - March 9, 2025!)
Next year in London! Check out the new exhibition, Leigh Bowery!, at the Tate Modern (on view from February 27 - August 31, 2025!)
This Upcoming Exhibition Recreates Leigh Bowery’s Iconic Club Taboo (via Hero Magazine)
Leigh Bowery Exhibition Coming to Tate Modern in February 2025 (via Maxwell Museums)
Viewing: Sing Sing (2023) — directed by Greg Kwedar, based on the real-life Rehabilitation Through the Arts program at Sing Sing Maximum Security Prison, starring Colman Domingo & Paul Raci, alongside many formerly incarcerated men who were themselves alumni of the program during their incarceration, including Clarence “Divine Eye” Maclin & Jon-Adrian “JJ” Velazquez
‘Sing Sing’ Filmmakers Paid Everyone On Set the Same, and Now Their New Company Wants to Do It Again (via The Hollywood Reporter)
Tasting: Lake Ohrid Trout with Rosemary, Dill and Ryan Wildstar’s Garlic Butter with Italian Parsley (for his garlic butter recipe, click here)
For more about the fascinating place that is Lake Ohrid, check out our article, Impressions of Illyria: Our Journey from Skopje to Tirana. We also discussed a great book about Lake Ohrid on one of our early podcasts (from August 2022!), which you can listen to here.
That’s it for this week! But we want the dinner party to continue! So each week we are asking a “dinner party” question for everyone joining us here at our table. Last week, we asked: “What's one of YOUR favorite birthday traditions? How do YOU like to celebrate your birthday?” Here are some of the great responses from the comments:
Ryan Wildstar said he likes to “do absolutely nothing for my birthday but read, listen to music and maybe watch a classic movie from 1971! Typically, I also like something tasty to be delivered to the door and some bottles of my favorite wines at the ready.”
Ryan Elston said likes to celebrate his birthday by “reading a good book, listening to great music, looking at beautiful art, viewing a favorite film (or two), and tasting spectacular food and wine.” He also likes to celebrate by reading the poetry of H.D. and listening to McCoy Tyner's Atlantis.
Katie Kleinhesselink said her husband Chris makes key lime pie for her birthday every year!
kde said her favorite birthday “is an understated one with a good dinner and time with my boys.”
Thank you everyone for your wonderful responses! That was last week . . . but we don't want this week's dinner party to end either!
So here is this week's question for the table:
Our word of the week is “inspiration.” We were both genuinely inspired by the books and films and artists and music we talked about on this podcast. In fact, we like to think that every week we choose our recommendations based upon the art and culture that truly inspires us and which we hope will inspire you. So, our question for the table this week is:
What's a work of art that has recently inspired YOU? It could be a film or a book, a painting or a sculpture, a play or a song or a poem . . . any work of art from any genre or medium. Tell us in the comments about a work of art that YOU find inspiring!
Tell us your choice and we’ll share some of your responses on next week’s podcast!
And, as always, thank you for joining us for Season 3 of The Aesthetic Arrest Podcast!
Cheers to that!
Aesthetic Arrest Podcast: Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Sing Sing, Joe Boyd & The New Romantics!