can you identify this piece of performance art involving a man on a small boat (he disappears at sea); 1970s or 1960s (SPOILER: it's Bas Jan Ader)

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i read about an artist (dutch, maybe?) who decided to cross the atlantic in a very small boat, he disappeared on the way, presumed dead. well-known for his romanticism. his name slips my mind.

― lf (lfam), Wednesday, 21 June 2006 01:54 (nineteen years ago)

Oh um...hang on, I know this one!

― I woke up feelin' brand new, I jumped up feeling my highs and my lows... (papa n, Wednesday, 21 June 2006 02:29 (nineteen years ago)

It was Bas Jan Ader

― I woke up feelin' brand new, I jumped up feeling my highs and my lows... (papa n, Wednesday, 21 June 2006 02:36 (nineteen years ago)

yes!

― lf (lfam), Wednesday, 21 June 2006 02:38 (nineteen years ago)

thanks

― lf (lfam), Wednesday, 21 June 2006 02:38 (nineteen years ago)

No problems.

― I woke up feelin' brand new, I jumped up feeling my highs and my lows... (papa n, Wednesday, 21 June 2006 02:39 (nineteen years ago)

http://www.sudsandsoda.com/notes/ader_boot.jpg

― lf (lfam), Wednesday, 21 June 2006 02:39 (nineteen years ago)

i would say that mr. jan ader has some problems.

― lf (lfam), Wednesday, 21 June 2006 02:40 (nineteen years ago)

i just finished watching AGUIRRE: DER ZORN GOTTES and was reminded of this.

― lf (lfam), Wednesday, 21 June 2006 02:41 (nineteen years ago)

this might be less beautiful as a movie except in very skilled hands; then it would be so beautiful as to kill sentimental men

― lf (lfam), Wednesday, 21 June 2006 02:41 (nineteen years ago)

oh my heart

― lf (lfam), Wednesday, 21 June 2006 02:42 (nineteen years ago)

http://www.otis.edu/alumni/da/img2/ader_fallamsterdam.jpg

― lf (lfam), Wednesday, 21 June 2006 05:17 (nineteen years ago)

Hm! I have a song about something like this. Actually, I have a lot of songs about things like this. I am happy to know about this...

― Casuistry (Chris P), Wednesday, 21 June 2006 06:24 (nineteen years ago)

http://www.artnet.com/artwork_images_919_182513_Jan-Bas-Ader.jpg

― I woke up feelin' brand new, I jumped up feeling my highs and my lows... (papa n, Wednesday, 21 June 2006 06:42 (nineteen years ago)

http://www.muenchner.de/museumsnacht2000/graphics/jpg/i_kunstverein.jpg

I think he's awesome.

― Nathalie (stevie nixed), Wednesday, 21 June 2006 06:45 (nineteen years ago)

― Half loaf, half pompadour (noodle vague), Wednesday, 21 June 2006 09:13 (nineteen years ago)

I presume you're not thinking of Yves Klein's Leap into the Void? Which wasn't really a leap at all.

― Ned T.Rifle (nedtrifle), Wednesday, 21 June 2006 09:56 (nineteen years ago)

http://www2.let.uu.nl/Solis/bibliotheek/pagina/kunst/yves-klein.jpg

― Ned T.Rifle (nedtrifle), Wednesday, 21 June 2006 09:57 (nineteen years ago)

Yes, that's it I think. I thought I'd looked at the Klein pic before and it wasn't right, but I'm sure that's the picture I remember. Fucking brilliant, innit?

― Half loaf, half pompadour (noodle vague), Wednesday, 21 June 2006 09:59 (nineteen years ago)

(Thanks Ned.)

― Half loaf, half pompadour (noodle vague), Wednesday, 21 June 2006 10:01 (nineteen years ago)

Yeah, the Klein is great. He was great. But I think Bas Jan Ader is something else altogether.
You can see some of his stuff at Camden Arts Centre until July 2.
http://www.camdenartscentre.org/exhibition.asp?id=1275

― Ned T.Rifle (nedtrifle), Wednesday, 21 June 2006 10:09 (nineteen years ago)

Yeah, I've been Googling Ader since I read this thread. He's done beautiful work, it seems.

― Half loaf, half pompadour (noodle vague), Wednesday, 21 June 2006 10:12 (nineteen years ago)

Actually I think BJA did a work which involved him falling off a bldg. If you like, I can look it up. I have a book of him somewhere.

― Nathalie (stevie nixed), Wednesday, 21 June 2006 11:10 (nineteen years ago)

Apparently for "Fall I" he rolled off a roof. 'Twas what made me think of the Klein pic.

― Half loaf, half pompadour (noodle vague), Wednesday, 21 June 2006 11:15 (nineteen years ago)

WE NEED A HERZOG SIGNAL

http://media.arstechnica.com/journals/apple.media/thumb/250/250/iamthenight-Batman-Bat-Signal-CEL.jpg

― lf (lfam), Wednesday, 21 June 2006 13:25 (nineteen years ago)

He attempted to cross the Atlantic on that boat?! Didn't anyone try to stop him?

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Wednesday, 21 June 2006 13:33 (nineteen years ago)

GOD STOPPED HIM

― lf (lfam), Wednesday, 21 June 2006 19:15 (nineteen years ago)

There was an unemployed guy in Thatcher's Britain who set off in what was basically a barrel and never came back.

― everything (everything), Wednesday, 21 June 2006 19:19 (nineteen years ago)

I've been trying all day to remember who the disappearance reminds me of. It's Arthur Cravan.

― Half loaf, half pompadour (noodle vague), Wednesday, 21 June 2006 19:21 (nineteen years ago)

I just found a used copy of "The Strange Voyage Of Donald Crowhurst" which details this guy's story.

Donald Crowhurst (1932–1969) was an English businessman and amateur sailor who died while competing in the Sunday Times Golden Globe Race, a single-handed, round-the-world yacht race. Crowhurst had entered the race in hopes of winning a cash prize from the Sunday Times to aid his failing business. Instead, he encountered difficulty early in the voyage, and secretly abandoned the race while reporting false positions, in an attempt to appear to complete a circumnavigation without actually circling the world. Evidence found after his disappearance indicates that this attempt ended in insanity and suicide.

― Fsck Washing Ong's Hat (Chris Barrus), Wednesday, 21 June 2006 19:39 (nineteen years ago)

leo, i know i tell you this all the time, but you should really watch Fitzcarraldo. Popol Vuh even did the soundtrack, along with Caruso. it is much more triumphant that Aguirre.

ader ader ader

― trees (treesessplode), Thursday, 22 June 2006 16:39 (nineteen years ago)

He attempted to cross the Atlantic on that boat?! Didn't anyone try to stop him?

yeah wtf

― jhoshea (scoopsnoodle), Thursday, 22 June 2006 17:35 (nineteen years ago)

I love the Bas Jan Ader piece "I'm Too Sad To Tell You"- it's just him crying his eyes out. So good.

― Drew Daniel (Drew Daniel), Thursday, 22 June 2006 17:53 (nineteen years ago)

ten months pass...

revive

― lfam, Tuesday, 8 May 2007 04:44 (eighteen years ago)

I would like to recommend the book "Bas Jan Ader: In Search of the Miraculous", written by Jan Verwoert and published by Afterall Books. It's about Ader's disappearance and his art. It is short and great.

Ader 4 eva!

― Drew Daniel, Tuesday, 8 May 2007 05:30 (eighteen years ago)

recommendation seconded. i think i bought in sf, actually.

― robotsinlove, Tuesday, 8 May 2007 06:16 (eighteen years ago)

..and he also taught where i am going to school: UC Irvine.

― robotsinlove, Tuesday, 8 May 2007 06:18 (eighteen years ago)

two years pass...

Gotta love youtube. All this seems to have cropped up since this thread.

I love the Bas Jan Ader piece "I'm Too Sad To Tell You"- it's just him crying his eyes out. So good.
― Drew Daniel (Drew Daniel), Thursday, 22 June 2006 17:53 (3 years ago) Bookmark
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUzBCl6iVoc

This thread might be the answer to something I've been looking for for years. Does anybody know if one of his "Fall" works includes a photo of him jumping out of a second floor window, or off a roof maybe? I can't find the pic on the net, I've forgotten who it's by. I saw it years and years ago and it's stuck with me.
― Half loaf, half pompadour (noodle vague), Wednesday, 21 June 2006 09:13 (3 years ago) Bookmark
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRHba4IAdsI&NR=1

And not to forget the endlessly entertaining and oft copied Fall 2.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EiWyrEyLY8Y

― PC Thug (Ned Trifle II), Wednesday, 28 October 2009 16:44 (sixteen years ago)

I've got those last two round the wrong way. Curses.

― PC Thug (Ned Trifle II), Wednesday, 28 October 2009 16:45 (sixteen years ago)

three weeks pass...

I just found a used copy of "The Strange Voyage Of Donald Crowhurst" which details this guy's story.

― Fsck Washing Ong's Hat (Chris Barrus), Wednesday, June 21, 2006 2:39 PM (3 years ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

i am fascinated by crowhurst and "the strange last voyage of donald crowhurst" is fantastic. anyways, there's a recent documentary about crowhurst called "deep water" that you can stream from netflix. it's not as good as the book but there is lots of period footage of crowhurst and his family and the other contestants that makes it an interesting watch if you're into the whole thing. the movie seems a lot more sympathetic to crowhurst's situation than the book.

― congratulations (n/a), Friday, 20 November 2009 23:00 (sixteen years ago)

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