Wednesday 27 October 2010

NOTHING by Russell Higgs



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V46LNUYZ4G8

... an improvised vocal video performance from 2007 mashed with an instrumental from 2009, plus subtitles

Sunday 24 October 2010

belonging

I've always been an in-betweener, never feeling I belong in any social group; I have a feeling of distance from educated professional types, just as much as I have a feeling of distance from people I presume to be tabloid readers etc. I try not to pander to my assumptions and prejudices etc, but nonetheless I'm always an outsider.

... most of my relatives are what I'd call tabloid readers and most of my friends tend to come from middle class backgrounds.

... the first time I ever really became conscious of class was during my 3rd time in prison in 1985. During my first two prison sentences I was mostly just locked in a cell, but my 3rd time inside I was assigned work as a cleaner/food server, and therefore I mixed with more people inside on a daily basis.

There was a most bizarre period at the beginning when almost everybody in prison caricatured my voice. They'd greet me pitched way down low and they'd say "okay yar Harrods." Of course this just made me laugh, because it was surreal and nothing to do with my actual reality :)

... plus ... the alienation is of course added to by being gay in a world where we are dependent upon the heterosexual majority eventually evolving enough to legislate our fucking human equality one day.

... I mean, don't get me wrong, I LOVE being me, I really do and always have done. I think I'm lucky to be me etc and I've always enjoyed my own company. But nonetheless "belonging" feels nice (I assume:) I think belonging has become a topic for me since both my parents died.

Friday 22 October 2010

PLAY

‎... I've known since last weekend that I didn't make it to the jury's final 25 videos in the first Guggenheim Youtube PLAY biennial. Naturally I felt a bit deflated for awhile. But, hey, it was great being shortlisted...

‎... http://youtube-global.blogspot.com/2010/10/jury-selection-for-youtube-play.html

... http://www.youtube.com/play

... http://www.guggenheim.org/new-york/interact/participate/youtube-play

Wednesday 20 October 2010

back in the bath

"Russell Higgs In The Bath" has now been put back online by Youtube, after a false accusation of Hate Speech where I couldn't access my channel until I had "agreed" that I'd violated Youtube's guidelines; plus that pesky nazi anthem swastika video that had been prominently positioned next to my "999 Days" for the past 7 months has now been removed by Youtube.

... in the bath http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFzXdK2wh0I

... 999 days http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1e0O6OWUL3k

Friday 8 October 2010

dah dah

... I like serendipitous options with my narrative intakes;

the option to interrupt the narratives;

I think that is one reason why my 2 most recent cinema experiences felt on some levels to be too restrictive and controlling; perhaps too ideologically 1920s/1930s (the global birth of talkies AND public relations etc );

me leaf

http://www.onelifephotos.com/ruSSeLLhiGGs

Tuesday 5 October 2010

bath time


... my 2006 video RUSSELL HIGGS IN THE BATH which was accused of a "guideline violation" and was *removed* from Youtube on Fri after 4 years there, is still viewable @ http://www.e4.com/video/lPbTCZdQbQHb5plu23s4Hd/play.e4

Sunday 3 October 2010

the talkies

... my 2 most recent cinema experiences have both made me very conscious of being trapped in a seat with no option to press pause.

... and not even an alternative screen to look at from time to time.

... nor a window to gaze out of.

‎... in many ways the cinema experience is quite bossy and controlling.

Friday 1 October 2010

... a wild day

.... Today Google is "highlighting" my 999 DAYS video on its iGoogle pages

... while simultaneously today I awoke to discover my 2006 Youtube video "Russell Higgs in the Bath" (my low budget Bill Viola tribute) has been accused of a "guideline violation" and is blocked ...

999 Days: Russell Higgs Urban Barbarian
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1e0O6OWUL3k

is shortlisted for Guggenheim Youtube PLAY
http://www.youtube.com/play

meanwhile when "in the bath" is unblocked it should be viewable here
http://conformandobey.co.uk/indoors.html

and my Youtube channel is
http://www.youtube.com/russellhiggs