In his nearly four decades as a vanguard of pop culture, Malcolm McLaren has worn many hats: musician, producer, filmmaker, impresario, fashion designer, reality TV star.
At age 63, the one-time manager of The Sex Pistols is adding another discipline to his resume: visual artist.
"Shallow 1-21," a series of 21 short video works that combine snips of obscure 1960s sex films with musical "cut-ups" by McLaren, is on view at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, in Philadelphia, through Jan. 3.
It's the first time the 86-minute piece is being shown in its entirety in the U.S.
The 21 segments -- only four of which include nudity -- consist of just a few frames of film, slowed down and repeated to match the length of each piece of music.
Depending on the music and the scene, the moving portraits in "Shallow" can feel wistful, sad, threatening, banal, hypnotic, lusty, even comical.
McLaren is currently working on a musical portrait of Paris. He divides his time between that city and New York.
The Associated Press
