Bryan Lewis Saunders (c. 1969) is in some ways easier to describe by saying what he isn’t rather than what he is. He is anything but ordinary, boring, or predictable. In 1995 he began drawing and painting self-portraits, vowing to create at least one self-portrait every day until he dies. He has more than kept his word. By his estimation, at present he has actualized somewhere around 12,000 daily-self-portraits using his hands, feet, mouth, penis, and/or even his own asshole. These nakedly honest pictures, in which he filters the world through himself (rather than vice versa), are perhaps most striking or notable for their extreme variety of stylistic approaches, as well as their utilization of drastically different expressive mediums (it’s sometimes difficult to believe that they were all created by the same person). The video artist David Larcher dubbed this work "The Endlessly Reconstructing Auto-Autopsy." In his ceaseless search for experiences that possess the ability to profoundly alter or affect his perception of self, Bryan began a series of self-portraits in 2001 entitled “Under the Influence”, in which he began experimenting with making self-portraits while under the influence of different drugs. The series eventually went viral and brought attention to his myriad of other projects and experiments as an endurance artist (often involving prolonged sensory deprivation), videographer, poet, raconteur, stream of unconsciousness writer, recording artist, exterior decorator (See: “Extreme Makeover ‘Fuck Mattress’ Edition”), museum director (his Johnson City, Tennessee home doubles as the world’s only Steven "Jesse" Bernstein museum), found photography collector, and stand-up tragedy performer (a type of cathartic/traumatic performance he created following a failed attempt to become a famous stand-up comedian in China). On this episode of THE ...
On December 13, 1973 French automobile journalist and race car driver Claude Vorilhon purportedly experienced a physical encounter with what he believed to be an extraterrestrial human. This celestial being, which referred to itself as Yahweh, allegedly claimed to be a representative of a civilization from another solar system within the Milky Way referred to as the Elohim (meaning “Those who come from the sky”). Yahweh apparently went on to describe in detail how the Elohim were advanced scientists responsible for creating all life on Earth 25,000 years ago using DNA and advanced genetic engineering, eventually creating man in their own image. Vorilhon claimed that Yahweh also revealed to him that members of the Elohim appeared as terrestrial humans throughout history when having encounters with descendants of the humans they created in order to purposefully mislead them into believing that they were angels, cherubim, or gods. Prophets or messengers of the Elohim apparently included Buddha, Jesus, and Muhammad among others. Vorilhon purported to have been informed that he was in fact the last prophet, and was given the final message of the Elohim conveying to him that their purpose is to bring global awareness about the Elohim, and that if humans become peaceful and aware enough, they are prepared to return to Earth and be welcomed by all of humanity. Following his extraterrestrial encounter, Vorilhon changed his name to Raël (meaning "messenger of the Elohim") and founded the International Raëlian movement. On this episode of THE EXILE HOUR we are joined by U.S. Raelian Movement Communications Director and Head of Public Relations Felix Clairvoyant. Clairvoyant is also a certified massage therapist, personal trainer, and former molecular biologist. Additionally, he holds ...
“Every calamity is to be overcome by endurance.” -Virgil “Endurance is more important than truth..." -Charles Bukowski Ben Bennett (c.1984) is a unique, virtuosic free improvising percussionist who rose to international prominence and notoriety in 2014. After creating a series of live-streamed internet videos, in which he sat cross-legged and gazed into a camera all while maintaining a ceaseless grin upon his face for four hour durations, Ben joined the ranks of weird YouTube celebritydom. In 2017, after creating 300 episodes of “Sitting and Smiling,” he inexplicably began a new series entitled “Walking and Talking,” in which he walks and talks (often self-reflexively) on camera, typically also for four hours at a time. Ben is the son of American experimental text, sound, and visual poet John M. Bennett and brother of composer/performer John Also Bennett. Additionally, he is also a highly skilled urban forager, survivalist, and as we discover towards the conclusion of this episode, something of a freestyle rapper. Join us for this episode of THE EXILE HOUR in which we engage Ben in a fast & furious dialogue about the nature of post-human consciousness, endurance art, artificial intelligence, virtual reality, conspiracy theories, and suicidal selfie sticks. ...
