Five Bullets 7.29.22
This week: Hidden Van Gogh, Steelpan, CREEM & more
Happy Friday everyone! Welcome back to Circles In Space, where each Friday I share five things I found interesting. This week’s topics:
X-ray scans uncovered a hidden Van Gogh self-portrait on the reverse side of his 1885 work Head of a Peasant Woman. Van Gogh frequently painted on the back of canvas to save money. This isn’t the first time x-rays of Van Gogh’s work have revealed portraits.
I’ve been checking out Brooklyn Rail’s Instagram series in which artists show us around their studios and what they’re working on. In a studio visit with Jim Melchert, he details his process of creating with tiles. I love when we get to peek into the workspaces of artists, writers and musicians - it’s a unique view into their creative process and always leaves me feeling inspired.
Maybe you’ve heard the sweet tones of the steelpan on a New York subway platform this summer. This week’s Google doodle paid homage to this unique percussion instrument and it’s history. Watch steelpan maker Michael Perkins construct a drum from a steel barrel.
Algonquin drum group Eastern Medicine Singers have released their self-titled album Medicine Singers. I first heard this group through their collaboration with guitarist Yonatan Gat on his Universalists album (check out the track Medicine). I had the opportunity to see Gat and the Medicine Singers in early 2020. They performed a thunderous cover of Link Wray’s 1958 song Rumble which is included on their new album. (For more on Link Wray, check out the documentary Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked the World.)
Extra servings of music this week! ‘America’s only rock n roll magazine’ CREEM is coming back. The Detroit magazine was printed from 1969-1989, had a slight resurgence in the early 90s and is now available digitally and will produce a quarterly edition. Check out the CREEM documentary to learn more about the magazine’s pivotal role in rock history. (You may be familiar with Philip Seymour Hoffman’s portrayal of CREEM’s infamous editor Lester Bangs in the 2000 film Almost Famous.)
Got something to share? Leave me a comment!
That's all for this week! Hope you are enjoying your summer!
As always, thanks for reading and have a great weekend!
Until next time,
KW
Currently reading: The Hunchback of Notre Dame - Victor Hugo
Currently listening to: Tripping with Nils Frahm - Nils Frahm