James Franco: An Evergreen Media Fascination

James Franco

Every once in a while Hollywood delivers an actor that is fascinating in more ways than one and although everybody has their opinion, for me, there is none more fascinating than James Franco. The Oscars 2011 host and nominee (for his role as mountain climber Aron Ralston, who in April 2003, became trapped by a boulder in Robbers Roost, Utah for more than five days before amputating his arm with a dull knife) is not only one of the next generation great actors but he is talented in more ways than one. The actor recently showed that he intends to rival the art installations of big names such as Terence Koh, Dan Colen and Bruce LaBruce, when he opened his first European solo exhibition at the Peres Projects Gallery in Berlin. Although Franco is a household name, fame was not the focus of his "The Dangerous Book Four Boys", he sprinkled grace note allusions to his star power throughout the witty multimedia exhibition. But the theme of play that links his clutter-art installations is a fun sort of play, not necessarily the acting sort - it animates his melted toy houses and video installations of Captain Kirk and Doctor Spock and in the process explores their sexual tension (making this just the sort of video that makes is-he or isnt-he speculation such an evergreen media fascination). I for one lay in hope that Franco, a true artist, is a member of the team! (",)

Ahhh here now!

From his portrayal of James Dean (above; for which he won a golden globe) back in 2002, Franco and his insanely  handsome yet rugged looks have continued to thrill the art world, and if asked that is precisely what he would class himself as, an artist. At the exhibition in Berlin, Franco explained that art is the forum that enables him to connect widely disparate and often controversial endeavors in acting, literature and academia. "All these worlds influence each other and translate into art," he explained. Artists are expected to work in different mediums and explore different disciplines. They are permitted to experiment. Outside the art world, even in established creative fields, there are still perceived divisions between high/low culture and different areas of intellectual inquiry. But art is freer and more forgiving".

Now forgive me if I'm wrong, but is this not the type of stuff that makes you fall in love with him. An actor, director, artist, model and (as a friend informed me yesterday) an avid tweeter (which if things keep going the way they are, will be a verb before long, I tweet, you tweet, he tweets, she tweets - just like google), is there anything Mr Franco can't do? Judging by his inherent intellectual nature and love of all things art orientated, one thing is certain we will be hearing a lot more from James Franco in the not too distant future. If we can urge him to wear more Tom Ford suits, I guess that will just be a bonus.

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