Lou Reed hangs around new art-minded TV series

'Twas art what extended a silkscreened banana of good fortune to the Velvet Underground in its early days, turning the obscure group into a slightly less obscure group with a German model and solid record deal. And lately, when he's not recording tracks with the Killers or appearing on the covers of Kung Fu magazines, ex-Velvets-frontman Lou Reed continues to fancy a foray into the visual medium.

Tonight, Reed and record producer Tony Visconti will appear on the new Gallery HD program, Aperture, joining conceptual videographer and photographer Justin Guariglia in his New York City studio - only after hanging out with a Shaolin Monk on the roof, mind you. According to Aperture, "A student of China in the mid '90s, Guariglia took an interest in Taoist and Buddhist philosophies, spending months visiting Buddhist mountains, holy sites, and temples throughout China – from the Silk Road grottoes to the Shaolin Temple . He would remain in Asia for nearly a decade, traveling extensively through nearly sixteen countries, while working on documentary projects throughout the region."

Meanwhile, at Mark Seliger's 401 Projects in New York, Reed's own photography is on display next to pieces from a motley crew of other musicians like Patti Smith, Jakob Dylan, John Mayer, Michael Stipe and Bryan Adams. Everyone's work can be previewed here, accompanied by an audio interview. The exhibit continues through October 7.

Related links:
LouReed.org
Gallery HD on Voom.TV

Got news tips for Paste? Email news@pastemagazine.com.