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THE BOOK
Manuel
DeLanda: ISM ISM
Edited by John Klacsmann, Andrew Lampert
Designed by Jason Fulford
ISBN 780989531191
Paperback, 6 x 9 in. / 150 pgs / 250 color
Published by J&L Books and Anthology Film Archives
Economically downtrodden New York City in the 1970s was
like the end of the world—but only if you chose to see it that way. For young
artists running amok in the collapsing capitol, the possibilities seemed
endless. Manuel DeLanda, a Mexican transplant enrolled at the School of
Visual Arts, saw the overcrowded sidewalks and decrepit subway stations as
blank canvases for inspired mayhem.
Recognized today as a philosopher, professor, and
author (of War in the Age of Intelligent
Machines and A
Thousand Years of Nonlinear History, among other
titles), DeLanda initially came to prominence as one of the premier
experimental filmmakers of his generation. Fueled by the gonzo humor and
graphic audacity of Frank Zappa and ZAP
Comix, DeLanda’s fevered productions were among
the most deliriously innovative movies of the punk era. While films like Raw Nerves: A Lacanian Thriller and Incontinence: A
Diarrhetic Flow of Obvious Mismatches are
certified underground classics, DeLanda’s visually striking, virtually
unknown graffiti work (signed with the tag “ISM ISM”) has long remained more
urban legend than legendary.
ISM ISM presents a
comprehensive overview of DeLanda’s ephemeral street collages with a colorful
frame-by-frame breakdown of a Super 8 short film completed in 1979 in order
to document his sweetly subversive activities. Extensive still images, an
expansive interview, and copious contextual materials combine to illustrate
the story of DeLanda’s aesthetic attack on 23rd Street, including his friendly
competition with fellow artist-taggers Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat.
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