Hart+Larsson Presents Ham+Lambert (HL, XL)
Jack Ham and Jack Lambert were two of the greatest linebackers to ever play in the NFL. Of course, then, it goes without saying that, of all former linebacker greats, the tandem of Ham and Lambert serves as the ideal source of inspiration for the creation of a sparkly, shining, sexy green women's blouse valued in excess of $50,000. Of course, then, as a certain twisted logic dictates, it made perfect sense to NY-based Hart+Larsson to want to build a Super Bowl event around a ridiculously expensive green garment and the other similarly priced garments comprising their Purple '05 collection.
“With the Steelers headed North by Northwest to Detroit, we figured this was the ideal time to stage such an event,” says Hart. Larsson adds, “yes, with Ham and Lambert, both former Steelers, and Ham+Lambert the garment, one of the absolute jewels of our one-of-a-kind collection, we found that the combination of the Super Bowl, a live event, and Ham+Lambert, our own live event, represented an opportunity too tantalizing to ignore.” And thus, Ham+Lambert (HL, XL) was born.
Hart+Larsson decided to simultaneously webcast the event (which was designed to serve as a supplement to a more traditional Super Bowl viewing experience) and film the event. Hart states, “although the Warholesque notion of creating an absurd and seemingly interminable film, shot from a fixed location, appealed to us, we realized, rather quickly, that the real thrill would be in condensing the five-hour event to a more watchable 15 minutes or so. For us, this type of distillation has a real revelatory quality, which, quite often, is what we are shooting for.”
In the creation of their spectacle, Hart+Larsson embraced what some have aptly identified as a certain Postmodern Baroque sensibility. Hart says, “truthfully, we're not one for labels such as Postmodern Baroque, but, admittedly, we do have a love for a particular lushness and we do like to incorporate seemingly contradictory cultural elements into our work. In effect, perhaps, one might find a certain updated Baroque quality at work in any Hart+Larsson production.” Larsson adds, "[that] regardless of the eventual look of the film, the final scene, if you will, we were simply intent on creating our own dynamic and memorable Super Bowl XL event. We were simply attempting to capture this particular moment in time, and to fabricate an experience that, paradoxically, would be both clearly real and clearly artificial."
And so, Hart+Larsson presents Ham+Lambert (HL, XL):
Andrea is alone in her living room, watching the game, snacking on Proustian madeleines and cheese sticks and Kalamata olives and grapes. She is swigging on a popular light beer and puffing away on her cancer sticks. She is at repose, on her burgundy couch, stretched out, wearing an unassuming ensemble of white jeans, black top, and cute green-and-white socks. She is thoughtful as she watches the direct descendants of Ham and Lambert march down the field. She moves her metaphorical Steeler and Seahawk, chess-like, down her homemade football field, as the game on the TV progresses. She idles through the Collected Poems of Wallace Stevens and Hemingway's Men Without Women. She decides to paint, word for word, the opening paragraph of Hemingway's short story "Hills Like White Elephants." Off camera, Hart and Larsson rate the commercials, and hand the ratings cards to Andrea who presents them to the camera. Sadly, as predicted, both Hart and Larsson find most of the spots to be rather uninspired and bland. And then, just as the second quarter comes to an end, Andrea repairs to her bedroom and prepares for her half-time show. The room goes black, a long rope of lights ignites beneath the couch, and a spotlight shines in the middle of the room. Andrea steps out into the middle of the field and models Hart+Larsson's Purple '05 collection.
To watch Ham+Lambert (HL, XL), please visit http://www.hartlarsson.com/hl_films/
Hart+Larsson is a creative solutions firm headquartered in New York. Principals of Hart+Larsson have worked with AMC, AOL, Boeing, Everyday with Rachael Ray, Fairchild, Finish Line, Foote Cone & Belding, Fuse, GE, HBO, Life, Mike & Ike, Thomson Media, Wallpaper*, Worth, and others.