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Strange
Früt: Rock Apocrypha
The "noise"
band Destroy All Monsters—including
Mike Kelley, Cary Loren, Jim Shaw, and Niagara—formed
in the 1970s; the current members (Kelley,
Loren, and Shaw) work as artists both individually
and as the Collective. Strange Früt:
Rock Apocrypha consists of a video and
four mural-sized images painted on canvas
in the manner of classic freak-show banners.
The paintings, created by Kelley and Shaw,
focus on entertainment and subculture personalities
associated with the Detroit area in the
late 1960s and 1970s. At that time, the
city was renowned for its alternative hard
rock scene, and syndicated network programming
was eclipsing local television fare. The
designers hint at their "take"
by adding symbols or unlikely context to
the portraits.
For the video, director
Loren mixed tapes of local music promoters
with archival footage of television programs
aimed at young viewers. The recording
also features reenactments of period rock-oriented
urban myths, with a soundtrack by Destroy
All Monsters. Strange Früt: Rock
Apocrypha is the first part of Loren’s
"Detroit Culture Trilogy."
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