Kiss the shark aka "Almost Famous"
A Wittgensteinian style introduction:
1 1.1 Carolina Pimenta is an artist.
1.2 She is an artist who, among other things, takes many photographs.
2 2.1 Most of the photographs portray people.
2.1.1 Most of the people in Carolina's photographs are (or appear to be)
young, beautiful and rich.
2.1.2 Few of the people portrayed are not (or do not appear to be) young,
beautiful or rich.
2.1.3 Some of them are even not young, banal or broke (but do not appear it).
2.2 Only some photos don’t portray people.
2.2.1 When they don’t have people they have other equally interesting things. The ones that don’t have people, have animals, or plants, or land or air.
3 3.1 Most pictures depict the night. People at parties, having fun. Or
that seem to be having fun.
3.1.1 Few of Carolina's images are taken during the day. But even the ones taken
during the day almost always portray people at parties, having fun.
3.2 Daytime pictures are almost always cheerful and (or) optimistic
4 4.1 Water is almost always present. In swimming pools, in showers, in glasses,
in vomit.
4.1.1 People are often in contact with water. Inside it, on top of it or even with it in them.
5 5.1 The time is almost always at a party. Of folly. Of pleasure. Of fun.
5.1.1 Often the parties are at night. Or during the day slipping into the night.
5.1.2 Rarely are the parties in the daytime.
6 6.1 When they are in daytime, they are luminous. With sun and blue skies,
as it should be.
7 7.1 Carolina seems to have a kind of "Midas touch". All people portrayed by
her seem to be famous.
7.2 Not all will be. But almost all of them seem, even, "almost famous"
8 8.1 And so on ...
In the year that began this millennium, a movie was released: "Almost Famous" by Cameron Crowe. The story seems banal: a high school kid writes music reviews. He’s discovered by Rolling Stone magazine that commissions him a text about the tour of an up and coming band. The Stillwater. Many things happen during this tournée. All this would have nothing of extraordinary, was it not that the first time I saw Carolina's photographs I remember the whole movie. And a second time, and the third time too!! Why?? A rhetorical question no doubt!
Black on white, confetti on the floor, a shoe with mud, disco balls on the ceiling, erect hand with raised smartphone ready to shoot, legs flung, dresses flying, swimming pools in the background, bum in air under the table, white lace dress on a black floor, red nails, white donkey on yellow earth, red sat on blue in front of green with a foosball table, banana on the groin, glitter in the eyes and body in the mirror, latex and sauce, the finger on the zipper, Kellogg's Cornflakes, the endless land and mountains in the air, shadow clock and a wet lap, golden dress, Bloody Mary, beach chairs, a rat in a cup, boobs out, tongues out and stolen kisses, face smashed on a glass, a rehearsed gesture & kiss the shark
What color is the grass? Green ... What time is the night? Ten. Who is the friend of sex? I.
How's a tongue kiss? How much does a chin weigh? How many cigarettes do you smoke at night? How many bodies do they sway? How many white nights? How many red lips, how many eyes that cry? How blue is the pool water? Or is it green? How many garments are changed. How many dresses are undressed at night? How many tongues are
sucked? How many eyes lock? How many looks do they disguise? How many bodies are enjoyed? How tender is the night? When is it morning? How much sex is the other? What does moisture on the skin smell like? How many legs are shown? How many hands find each other? How many eyes are exhausted? How many smokes are dragged? How many bodies embrace?
Carolina Pimenta is gifted. She is gifted in observing. Discerning people, places, things, hours. To always have the right gaze at the right time, at the right place. Fast and deadly on the trigger!
And now, at last, and blatantly plagiarizing Richard Brautigan, I would say that I always wanted to be able to finish a text with "Almost Famous"
Julião Sarmento
March 2019