painting of John Lurie, "the bones are ouside", my favourite one
Japan is for murderers
album of The Lounge Lizards, No pain for cakes's cover
John and Jaya
the cavern
the messageOnce upon a time, I saw a film that moved and impressed me. Its name was “Stranger than Paradise”, by the director Jim Jarmusch. 
I can’t remember the story exactly, but I still feel the atmosphere.
One day, from somewhere in Hungary a girl arrived to New York. She looked for her aunt, but she found a cousin and his friend and they went around places.
John Lurie was the cousin, the absenteded mind, wondering, Willie.
I think it was a good film, with good feelings, youth and some special mood I liked.
Who doesn’t know who was the fabulous John Lurie?
Born in 14 December 1952, in Worcester (Massachusetts) John Lurie is an american actor, a Jazz star, a musician, and a painter.
I remember the wonderful Jim Jarmusch’s film, Stranger Than Paradise (1984) with a “non-professional” young John Lurie, acting in a crazy and marvelous way, as “Willie”.
Playing with him, the ex-Sonic Youth drummer, Richard Edson (as “Eddie”).
Here they were, fooling around, driving to California, looking for aunt Lotte, with the beautiful Eszter Balint the country-girl cousin, from Hungaria. Young and charming girl, generous and funny this cousin.
The absurd of life, and the struggle to re-invent the days, with humour (in black), tenderness and charm.
I saw the picture in Rome with my daughter. Remember how we laugh and at the same time we wanted to cry.
Only one album released in 1983, Live from the Drunken Boat.
(1) The band's initial incarnation was led by saxophonist John Lurie, with brother Evan on piano, Arto Lindsay on guitar, Steve Piccolo on bass, and ex-Feelie Anton Fier on drums; this lineup appeared only on the band's acclaimed, all-instrumental, self-titled 1981 debut. collection Live 79/81 was released.
Suddenly, he disappeared from movies, and he was “lost” in shadow and dusk .
Many years later, I discovered the “same” John Lurie, in Facebook: now as a painter (he was before a painter...) And a good one.
the juge looking to the rum bottle
Cleopatre
Catch!
the pigs of Ben Franklin
the anchor
invention of animals
I was glad to discover his works. I liked his “naïfs” paintings, the warm colors, its light.
Delicate drawing, japonese looking drawings.
the panter is outside
Inside the paintings I found the young boy, “catched” in the world, the adolescent that doesn’ want to grow up, a rebel, a “salingerian” hero, like young Caufield was.
In the same “thinkful”, unhappy and sad mood of Stranger than Paradise’s young man.
A curious one, looking around for something new, funny, to catch and continuously desilusioned by life.
Keeping the same childish humor, the poetry of colours, and shapes, fainting “naïf” shapes…
The “new” John Lurie I found in Facebook, was no more the actor I knew, he was a painter.
I was not sure it was the same John Lurie.
I asked: “it’s you, the real John of Stranger Than Paradise?
He answered: “It is me.”
I liked the sensibility of his paintings, the colors, meanings, ideas, poetry in some a way of the naiveté he showed in the film’s hero.
I wrote my opinion in my blog. I’ve sent it to him. In Portuguese.
He said; “I didn’t understand…”
It was not fair from me. So, I tried to translate my “post”, -the best I could…
So, here is again my post, Mr. John Lurie.
The past is already gone, the future is before us and it’s uncertain…The present is the only certain thing. Your paintings are the present and they are “moving” things, real, lively things: they try to say something.
I think that if you create this, your present is certainly good!
Friendly
M.J. Falcão
John Lurie’s paintings:
Lounge Lizards:
Espero que John Lurie aprecie o teu gesto como se merece.
ResponderEliminarGosto do quadro The Message, muito.
Não há dúvida de que é um homem polifacético, interessante de certeza.
Beijinhos