whats the hype about cutting up concert posters

September 23, 2008 9:56 PM

In the film HYPE, why does that guy keep on cutting up concert flyers, and what does it mean?

i am not sure who the guy is, but through the film they cut to little snippets of commnetary from him. he will make some social remark about seattle or grunge, then get a concert leaflet, quote how much it is worth, and cut it with a guillotine.
what is he trying to express by telling us how much they are worth and then cutting them up?
and why was that considered important enough to include it so many times in the film?
i obviously am missing something, because when i watch HYPE it just seems lame and out of place.
please explain

posted by edtut to Media & Arts (8 answers total)

it's Art Chantry.

He designed many classic flyers and album covers for the pac nw scene, mostly retro-styled garage rock bands... he's got a real throwback clip-art style and non-computer mentality.

I guess he's making the point that what was just-for-fun among friends was now a huge, corporate enterprise, and expressing his dismay by cutting 'valuable' flyers into shreds.

He's most assuredly not a lame dude.
posted by tremspeed at 11:04 PM on September 23, 2008 [3 favorites]

Response by poster: thanks, i never expected such a quick answer.
i will do some reading on him, thanks
posted by edtut at 11:12 PM on September 23, 2008

Here's a bunch of his work in one place:
http://www.gigposters.com/designer/3275_Art_Chantry.html
posted by bradbane at 11:23 PM on September 23, 2008

He's saying that he doesn't give a shit about how much his creations are worth. Because worth was never the point. And that can also be applied to Nirvana, grunge, and even Seattle itself at that time. It was a metaphor for how many of the artists in that scene felt about their commercial success and the changes that the success brought.
posted by afx114 at 12:20 AM on September 24, 2008

Response by poster: great i get it. i actually think it would have had better impact if he didnt mention how much they were worth.
it sure is an interesting film, doesnt seem like that long ago but it is getting on 20 years.
the film tries to make the point that none of them are in it for the money,
and in a way that the artists are all manipulated victims.
dont take this the wrong way, but to be honest i am not sure i buy it from eddie, the soundgarden guys etc. Some of the featured bands in the film did stay independant, while others grabbed spotlight. could go either way i guess
posted by edtut at 1:58 AM on September 24, 2008

Johnny Rotten did the same type of thing when he blew up (with explosives) an outfit formerly worn by Sid Vicious on his short-lived show on VH1. Before he did it, he explained why he was doing it in depth: because during the period Sid wore it, it was important, but now it has a false value and it's ridiculous to pay so much for something so worthless. BOOM!
posted by ostranenie at 5:27 AM on September 24, 2008

I love the part toward the end where they talk about bands moving up from LA etc to capitalize on the Grunge thing, and they show that rehearsal studio with the more-Spinal Tap-than-Spinal Tap band. beyond belief.
posted by tremspeed at 7:38 PM on September 24, 2008

tremspeed - that rental rehearsal space is in a building called "The Insitution" which is still active and I believe still run by the guy who conducts the tour in the movie.
/irrelevant
posted by arcanecrowbar at 2:35 PM on September 25, 2008