weekend links: RuPaul, Femme Frontera, Rocket from the Tombs and Pere Ubu
RuPaul in 1979. Image courtesy The Atlantic and Tom Hill/WireImage/Getty.
RuPaul Charles has worked for many years to bring drag into mainstream culture. Here, he discusses how drag was and continues to be a political statement, reminding us of the importance of RuPaul’s Drag Race in the age of Trump. [The Atlantic]
Master of None is back, and you’ve probably already burned through the season, so we don’t have to tell you that it’s good. If you haven’t checked it out yet, get on it—and keep your hand on your phone, because you’ll want to Shazam the soundtrack. (Personal Shazams include Ryan Paris, Will Powers, Edoardo Vianello, and Timmy Thomas). [Pitchfork]
A new Botticelli exhibit at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston features a painting of the goddess Venus that few have seen. This painting, Venus, was painted after his best-known work, The Birth of Venus. Take a look at Venus without the shell. [NPR]
Are you tired of using the same old boring colors in your artwork? Scientist Janelle Shane tried to teach a program how to choose appropriate color names for 7,700 RGB combinations. The computer almost learned to name colors correctly, but the descriptors are like nothing you'd ever see in a box of crayons. Stanky Bean, anyone? [Ars Technica]
The Guggenheim is restoring its first Web Art commission. “Brandon” was completed in 1999. The interactive Web Art is based on the rape and murder of Brandon Teena, a 21-year-old trans man in Humboldt, Nebraska. His story is best known from the film, Boys Don’t Cry, and it’s as tragic now as it was then. [Hyperallergic]
Angie Reza Tures, a 36-year-old filmmaker from El Paso is the creator of an all-female filmmaking collective called the Femme Frontera. The collective is planning on holding filmmaking workshops for young women. The collective creates films about women and immigration, by women and immigrants, hoping to create more opportunities for underrepresented women in the film industry. [Texas Monthly]
Thor Harris, one of Austin's most beloved musicians, has a new column up at Talkhouse, in which he discusses “how to proceed in the face of crushing disappointment.” His advice columns are always appreciated, whether it be instruction on how to get along on tour or how to punch a Nazi in the face, and we look forward to gleaning his gems of wisdom on a regular basis. [Talkhouse]
This weekend, punk legends Rocket from the Tombs and Pere Ubu are coming to Austin courtesy of Super Secret Records, who book the always amazing Austin Jukebox series. Rocket from the Tombs plays tonight and Pere Ubu plays tomorrow; both shows start at 8 and are $5 at the door. (No presales—go early!) Catch an interview with David Thomas, frontman for both bands, and brush up on the history of these seminal bands. [Austin Chronicle]
—Sean Redmond and Natalie Walrath