Boogie Woogie Wonderland

I learned of Takuji Kogo recently, as I learned of the fullness of Instant Coffee’s endeavours, all through Art Metropole. It was the video work of both that Art Metropole had collated and distributed, but it is the language work of both that charms me most. A recurring element in Kogo’s work is found texts – everything from want ads to fortune cookie slips. Presented as text on a screen, but in fragments, or sung as simple melodies through a vocoder, the actualities are encountered fresh, their backstories and imagery evoked for contemplation. When matched with a slowly zoomed and panned image, the effect is to eavesdrop on the collective unconscious. The image work is effective on its own, as well, as seen above in Boogie Woogie Wonderland (with its added zest of looping frames). But for the full effect, visit Kojo’s project site *Candy Factory. Cute Or Creepy is a terrific specimen to start with.