Joy of Sex
Name: Bring Me The Head Of Victor Hugo
Artist: Joy of Six
Length: 2:08
Preview:
» Download the full track [4.9mb, MP3]
Biography
Joy of Sex are three strangers from Cardiff with twice as many instruments as band members.
They met through small ads, and agree on several things; short songs, rhythm, repetition and noise. They have been described as:
"the best slice of experimental ear-sex you'll ever be subjected to"
"potentially cool"
"crunchy"
"a heavier Fall"
"spiky, minimalist, arty"
"goes off in unexpected directions"
"[potentially] the best thing ever"
"a tonic that should come in a wraparound sleeved 7inch"
"one of the most intriguing propositions to emerge from the Welsh capital for some time"
"fantastically palatable"
"a dream to be with"
"A two-boy/one girl trio as original as they are brilliantly shambolic"
"speedy, experimental and pleasing"
"they spank a spot weld harder than a fruit bat"
"Whether you are old enough to have listened to Peel in the early 80s or simply feel he was a bench mark for music appreciation, you should and WILL love Joy Of Sex"
"Stupidly good looking and cool"
"Great in every single way"
About the track:
"We were struck by how Rodin’s sculptures always ended up making their subject look either attractive or distinguished, despite the physicality and turbulence of his style.
In short, there's not a lot of ugly to be found (either in Rodin's work or others - portraiture being an obvious example) and we found the idea of art erasing ugliness interesting.
In many ways, art has informed the standards of beauty we presently uphold. If there had only been more ugly art in the past we might have a different set of standards today. Of course, this is not meant as a slur on Rodin; we're fans. The song itself references several of Rodin's works and the theme of art disguising ugliness runs throughout."
Inspiration
Auguste Rodin (1840-1917) was born into a working-class family in Paris. He was largely self-educated and began to draw aged ten.
He applied to the École des Beaux Arts, the most prestigious art school in Paris, but was rejected three times. Instead, he attended Paris's School of Decorative Arts, and spent two decades working for several craftsmen.
Rodin entered the studio of French sculptor Albert Ernest Carrier-Belleuse as a chief assistant, where he worked until 1872. Three years later, he visited Italy, where he drew on the work of Donatello and Michelangelo, which had a profound effect on his artistic direction. By 1900, his artistic reputation was firmly established.
Instead of copying traditional academic postures, Rodin used amateur models, street performers and dancers. His models moved about and took natural positions. He made quick sketches in clay that were later refined then cast in bronze or carved in marble.
In 1883 the great French poet and novelist Victor Hugo (1802-1885) allowed Rodin to model his bust, from sketches rather than a formal sitting. The sculptor recalled: 'I thought I had seen a French Jupiter; when I knew him better he seemed more like Hercules'.
Rodin produced numerous marble and bronze versions of the head. Sir William Goscombe John described it as 'about his finest in that genre and celebrated the world over. It is a splendidly honest work'.
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