A dear friend, Audrey, gifted me with some artwork this holiday.
"After Image" by Mary Fussell
The piece is a watercolor original by CT artist Mary Fussell. Audrey is a bit of an arts community fixture and sponsor - and I have no doubt this piece is worth far more than I deserve or want to know.
It's lovely and has found a place of honor in my home. My art collection is somewhat eclectic and random - photographs by myself, by friends, and by strangers, a number of pieces of bird in various media and techniques, some framed posters and prints, and a few random abstract pieces I have been gifted, or purchased at charity auctions or benefits.
I do not really collect art per se; art, I think, collects me.
One of my favorite arts / culture events in the region is the more or less bi-monthly spoken word / story event entitled "The MOuTH". A clear homage / dig at public radio's "The Moth" (which reportedly dissed Hartford's overture in terms of setting up a local Moth event), and very appropriately held at the Mark Twain House (Mr. Clemens loved a good story), I've been to most of "The MOuTH" evenings, and have even graced the stage (back in December 2013).
Hosted by the talented, and much loved Chion Wolf, with the imprimateur and able assistance of Twin House Director of Communications Jacques Lamarre, it represents the best of Hartford's creative class.
Last night was no exception, a nearly sell-out crowd, with wonderful stories (funny, dark, wistful, tentative) around the theme of "I Quit", a featured guest (Joey DeFrancesco, famous for his Joey Quits video and resultant website / social movement working for service worker rights), and a surprise performance by the Hartford Hot Several, featuring Ms. Wolf gleefully pounding on a fluorescent pink bucket along with a score of musicians of various levels of talent and costumery.
I will, of course, take a bow for prescience, having spotted Ms. Wolf on the media horizon way back in 2007-2008) - by dint of her Flickr page and photo junkets to the Plainville Balloon Fest, Bradley Airport (Airbus A380 Visit), and Hillary Clinton's campaign stop in town as well as her continuity work at WNPR (back before I realized it was all pre-recorded, I thought she might be living at the station on weekends). And I could swear, in a fit of semi-drunken over-sharing at Real Art Ways in the dark ages (between Colin's departure from WTIC and his arrival at WNPR), that I insisted he get Chion on board if he got a gig at WNPR, but I might be mistaken there.
In any case, Colin was present last night in spirit; the dude next to me was looking around hopefully and musing out loud to his seatmate that "Colin might be here", and one of the speakers dropped his name talking about her apartment, in a building here Colin used to reside. And although she gives mad props and huge gratitude to Colin for plucking her into the limelight, Chion stand firmly on her own two feet these days in terms of talent, celebrity, and passion.
Chion announced the dates, and themes, of "The MOuTH" for 2015, which I failed to record and can not seem to find online. But you can keep in touch via Facebook, as well as on the Mark Twain House events page. So happy this series will be an ongoing event.
In other news, Real Art Ways was kind of in flux (with two main spaces presently in transition) but I wandered into the space that usually houses some smaller video type pieces, and burst out laughing with delight.
Alison Kaufman's "Amplified Stages", a re-creation of a DJ / Music Shop showroom, was so unexpected, so on the money, and so familiar from my many years of wandering into various music shops. I found myself looking carefully at the gear, the price tags and descriptions, the prices themselves, and remembering my own days of window shopping, tire kicking, dreaming.
Ms. Kaufman also has a piece called "Friday Nights at Guitar Center"which is particularly relevant to some of my rants and commentary about that store.
This one came across my social media stream this morning:
Hey Friends! We have two sweet concerts this weekend. Is anyone
available to hang few flyers out of town? We got some special ones made
up by Acme Foundation
First off, I saw your post. I was curious enough to click through to your page to see what the "special concerts" are. Of course, there is no mention of the concerts on your timeline, and no "Events" set up for these special concerts. Trying hard to be friendly, helpful, and less than snarky, I commented:
You'd have to hang fewer flyers if you told us about the concerts via social media
Because, seriously - all you'd need to do is mention the performers, dates, and times in your "please hang flyers" post and you'd kill two birds with one stone. I saw the post, I was curious - social media did it's job. But having baited your line, there was nothing to draw me in. And do set up some events for these concerts - and maybe folks might see that, comment, say they are going, share to their contacts.
It's nice to hang flyers, but it's pricey (labor to design, cost to print, labor to distribute) and social media is a lot less expensive. This particular entity has a respectable 2700 "likes" - and Monday is certainly not too soon (might even be a little too late) to crank up the social media engine.
I got out to see all three of the "Oscar Nominated Shorts" shows at Real Art Ways this year. Plenty of time to see these before Oscar night.... visit the official Academy Awards site for a list of the films, trailers, and movie websites. I'm putting these in order presented.
CaveDigger / Jeffrey Karoff
Amazing story of a man whose passion is to dig beautiful, artistic caves into the sandstone of New Mexico. Amazing for both his creations and his story (many of his caves were commissions)
Prison Terminal: The Last Days of Private Jack Hall / Edgar Barens
A amazingly sensitive portrait of an embattled, alcoholic WWII vet, imprisoned for life for killing the drug dealer who supplied his son (who killed himself as a teenager), during his past days in prison hospice. A very difficult film (more tissues) but quite stunning for it's compassionate portrayal of this man, his estranged but loyal son, and the other prisoners who staff the prison hospice.
Facing Fear / Jason Cohen
Not part of the showing, but here's the trailer.
Karama Has No Walls / Sara Ishaq Not part of the showing, but here's the trailer.
The Lady in Number 6: Music Saved My Life / Malcolm Clarke and Nicholas Reed
Not part of the showing, here's the trailer.
I got out to see all three of the "Oscar Nominated Shorts" shows at Real Art Ways this year. Plenty of time to see these before Oscar night.... visit the official Academy Awards site for a list of the films, trailers, and movie websites. I'm putting these in order presented.
Helium / Anders Walter and Kim Magnusson
A lovely little story about a sick young boy in hospital, and a story-telling janitor. Helium is the place the janitor makes up when the boy complains that heaven (where folks are telling him he will be going to) sounds boring. Charming, in every way, really creative in both concept and the fictional land of Helium. My vote for the Oscar because I am a sucker for sick kids and a little magic. Also, pass the tissues.
The Voorman Problem / Mark Gill and Baldwin Li
Kind of a one note joke / sci-fi kind of thing about a prisoner who may or may not be a God. Why yes, that is Martin Freeman (The Hobbit (Bilbo) / Sherlock (Watson) as the assuredly human protaganist. Was short and amusing, reminded me a little of 2011's "God of Love" (which won) although a much more compact and punchy piece.
Avant Que De Tout Perdre (Just Before Losing Everything) / Xavier Legrand and Alexandre Gavras
A terrifying slice of life as a woman with two older kids attempts to flee her abusive husband, with the aid of her fellow workers and supervisers at a department store. The abuse is hinted at and uncovered slowly, by the end, I was on the edge of my seat. Really powerful stuff that totally communicates the helplessness and terror of a woman and family in that situation.
Aquel No Era Yo (That Wasn't Me) / Esteban Crespo
Kids in war zones are good fodder for both documentaries and live action shorts. This one was also terrifying (with good reason) and also a bit of a tear-jerker. Three aid workers travel into a war zone to rescue child soldiers. They come across a band of child soldiers with sobering results. But at the end, perhaps a little redemption. Triggering on a lot of levels, so be warned.
Pitääkö Mun Kaikki Hoitaa? (Do I Have to Take Care of Everything?) / Selma Vilhunen and Kirsikka Saari
Goofy, swell, funny. A real life family who can't seem to get it together, but end up having a good time together nonetheless. Combine Roseanne with Vicar of Dibley. Loved it.
I got out to see all three of the "Oscar Nominated Shorts" shows at Real Art Ways this year. Plenty of time to see these before Oscar night.... visit the official Acadamy Awards site for a list of the films, trailers, and movie websites. And oh yeah, the "hosts" of the show, an animated ostrich and giraffe (Clive and Martin) were hilarious. Perfect transitions between films!
First, the animated shorts:
Feral / Daniel Sousa and Dan Golden
Very conceptual, artistic film of a young boy lost among wolves, found and "civilized", and returned to the wold. Lovely, beautiful music, although kind of thin theme.
Get a Horse! / Lauren MacMullan and Dorothy McKim A Disney feature based on an old Mickey Mouse B/W short, with Mickey's nemesis Peg Leg Pete, wherein the B/W characters breakout into the color, wide screen world, and do battle with those still in the B/W small screen film. Quite cute and clever, although the Disney animation stuff always feels a little too corporate and save for my taste. I saw this before Frozen, in 3D....
Mr. Hublot / Laurent Witz and Alexandre Espigares
A fascinating dystopia / steam and cyberpunk feel to this charming movie. Very creative story-telling, characters (Mr. Hublot seems a little OCD in a charming kind of way), and a highly imagined world. This one is my pick for the Oscar.
Possessions / Shuhei Morita
Remember when I asked for a Miyazaki-ish snowman in Disney's Frozen? Well, here it is. A tinkerer / traveler stumbles upon a haunted hut in the woods. Imaginative, colorful, sweet and dark as the same time. I loved it for a lot of reasons, just felt Mr. Hublot was a little more inventive.
Room on the Broom / Max Lang and Jan Lachauer
Highly charming in the vein of (and by the creators of) 2009's The Gruffalo and based on the book of the same name. It was very sweet, and funny, done in a claymation-ish style. I liked this a lot (the music was a big plus also) but again it seemed (to me) a little too well designed and implemented.
And who am I to argue with him? I've been seeing a lot of movies myself this awards season. It's not something I do every year, but this year the combination of frigid weather, work schedule, interesting movies, and a fairly dormant (dare I say, comatose) social life has drawn me to the big screen more often. And while my normal movie watching generally is about 60% Real Art Ways, 10% Cinestudio, 10% mainstream movies, and 10% Out Film Fest, I've been out to the local multiplex (in provincial Berlin CT, matinees at the Starplex run until 6 pm and cost $5 - very affordable for the self employed with a flexible schedule).
So, with Oscar season around the corner, here is a listing of what I've seen, what I've liked, and what I've missed. Although I'm trying not to drop too many big plot bomb, there are probably a few spoilers following, so be warned.
In no particular order:
America Hustle: Did not expect to go see this, but what a treat. A double feature with Dallas Buyers Club would have worked in terms of bringing back the fashion, cars, and vibe of my youth. Loved the story, loved the music. Jennifer Lawrence was awesome in a "not the Hunger Games" role. Christian Bale was so deeply lost in a role as insane as Andy Kaufman's Tony Clifton alter ego, that I needed to wait for the credits to see who it was. Totally not something I would ordinarily go see, but it was a total joy to watch.
Dallas Buyers Club: Confession, I went to see how problematic Jared Leto's portrayal of transwoman Rayon was. In fact, Leto did a great job, and was really such a secondary character. Loved Matthew McConaughey, loved the 80's vibe, Jennifer Garner was great. Totally loved it.
Gravity: I could totally have done without the star power (Clooney and Bullock carry so many of their roles with them, I think I liken it to the Uncanny Valley phenomenon wherein a human features look and move almost, but not exactly, like natural human beings, causing a negative response) and there were enough technical holes in the plot to fuel a half dozen web sites. But it was nevertheless a visual thrill ride in 3D ($8 at the Starplex matinee) Her: Another one I might have skipped, but for some positive reviews and comments from friends. Joaquin Phoenix was great in a role that vibed John Hodgeman; Scarlet Johansson's vocal work was perfect, and there's Amy Adams again (also in American Hustle). As a "be here now" yoga teacher, seeing all those folks with their noses in their PDA's, interactive video games, etc. was a little unsettling, but I liked the idea of the sentient operating systems evolving and deciding what to do about that in a way that did not involve Skynet and Terminators. Call it dystopia lite.
Nebraska: Just saw this one tonight (Oscar nomination brought it back to Berlin) and I was totally charmed. Not 100% sure that the decision to use black-and-white was perfect (or at least, required) - although there were some really amazing landscape and townscape shots that probably would not have worked as well. I kind of wanted a 70s era instagram filter for the thing. While Bruce Dern is getting kudos for his portrayal, I was much more interested in Wil Forte (familiar to this nerd as Jenna's cross-dressing love interest in 30 Rock). Loved the film, in a lot of ways,
Blue Jasmine: I saw this when it first came out. Did not wow me (if I recall correctly) and so very dark in a lot of ways (except cinematography, if memory serves it was a pretty bright film, in terms of light and color). Alec Baldwin does not seem right for a lot of roles, but her he was. And Cate Blanchette's journey through the film was hard to watch.
Frozen: The only thing that kept this from being perfect for me was the damn snowman. Get rid of that "we gotta sell toys" candy-ass Ewok / Jar-Jar Binks plot excuse for a snowman and put a ghostly Miyazaki silent snowman in there, and it would have been awesome. But it was still pretty great. A few odd plot points (I totally got Ana's loss of her beloved big sister, not so much Elsa's trauma and fear), but so much ran pleasantly counter to the typical Disney princess meets prince plot. And if the songs made it seem like Wicked II (I was mentally comparing the songs as I watched, Idina Menzel's lovely voice only made it more pointed), that's not a bad thing. I'd go see it again....
Despicable Me II: OK, it's been a while. When the original came out I never saw it, not really a Steve Carell fan, and my loss (happily rented it after seeing the sequel). The Minions were amazing in their whimsy, slapstick, and irreverence - Harpo Marx meets the Oompah-Loompahs, and cranked up to 11. Inside Llewyn Davis: There's a lot not to like here (Greenwich Village seems kind of sanitized and empty), but a lot to like also. Here, Justin Timberlake gets lost in his supporting role, it was fun to grab all the musical characters and plop them into my knowledge of the nascent folk scene, I loved the "wrap around itself" plot device. Even the cat, which could have been a cloying and annoying bit, was deftly and amusing employed. "Oh Brother Where Art Though" seemed a lot more contrived, to me (there's Clooney again, unable to escape his celebrity)
Saving Mr. Banks: Tom Hanks might have the same sort of problems for me that Clooney does (hell, I remember his breakout role in Bosom Buddies, much as I try to forget) but for whatever reason, he does not. He was great here, Emma Thompson was similarly awesome, and I much enjoyed the period piece (Mad Men without the alcohol and sex) and the behind the scenes look at one of my childhood memories (the Sherman brothers were great, and love to see Bradley Whitford in anything, West Wing actors are beloved). I was a bit young to see Mary Poppins when it first came out but I am sure I saw in on Wonderful World of Disney, and perhaps from the back of my parent's ranch wagon at the drive-in.
Finally, Twenty Feet from Stardom: Another mental double-bill for me, along with this year's Muscle Shoals (not nominated). Both were great looks back to rock n' roll history, and if Muscle Shoals was a bit more relatable to me (late 60's and 70's is the music of my youth) Twenty Feet was an amazing, heart-breaking, and ultimately inspirational story.
In the "not really nominated for much" category, I did belly up to the cinematic bar for three "junk food" movies in the past few months. Catching Fire (the Hunger Games sequel) was pretty good but not much new as compared to the original. The Hobbit II / Desolation of Smaug - pretty much the same, with perhaps a tad more resentment for dragging what amounts to a thinnish book into three movies without a particularly meaningful of satisfying break point between the folms. And Thor: The Dark World was also pretty good (I especially like the way Marvel is bringing in young nerdish folks as foils / adjuncts for the heroes; I've kind of gotten hooked on Agents of Shield).
Now, what have I not seen? Captain Phillips: No reason, really. Perhaps the Tom Hanks star vehicle (that Uncanny Valley thing, again), although I've heard a lot of NPR interviews that make me think I'd like it, and Tina Fey's "I am the captain, now" line from the Golden Globes (which, it turns out, was ad libbed by the Somali actor, per Tom Hanks) is bringing me around. I'll rent it between now and Oscar night, probably.
Twelve Years a Slave: Again, no real reason. Friends who saw it were kind of shocked by it, and being a lone wolf theater goer, mostly, (and being a bit down in life of late) perhaps I did not feel up to it. It's still in theaters so I really ought to try to get to see this one. I really enjoyed Lincoln (last year's "big, meaningful historical picture" that I did go see). On the other hand, I also seems to have missed "The Butler", so perhaps I'm a bit scared of pulling the scab off of my country's history of racism.
Wolf of Wall Street: Just not a lot of interest. Leonardo Dicaprio has done nothing for me, in fact, looking over his CV, I seem to be actively avoiding films he's been in (Titanic, Gilbert Grape, and Catch Me If You Can are the sum of his films I've seen). Oh wait, I saw (and was pretty much unimpressed with) this year's Great Gatsby. Similarly, Jonah Hill is another Jude-aversion actor (seeing only 2011's Moneyball).
And finally, Philomena: Having spent my youth in the 60's and 70's catholic church (albeit south central Pennsylvania, not Ireland), I've got a kind of PTSD around a lot of the issues here. Themes of adoption, abortion, priests, nuns, folk mass, and catholic education swirled around my childhood. I love Judi Dench, so I'll probably see this. But might want to not see it alone....
One thing I try to do most years is get to Real Art Ways to see the Oscar Nominated films - they generally run the Oscar Nominated short films, short documentaries, and animated shorts in rotation and promise to this year from Feb 1 - 13. So I'll probably make it up to Hartford 2-3 times in the coming weeks. And finally, all this cinema-passion is generally a preparation for the annual "Oscar Night Hartford" (a CARC / CT Aids Resource Coalition fund-raiser). CARC became AIDS Connecticut this year, and Oscar Night became Red Carpet Experience (probably for legal reasons). I've kind of pulled back from formal fund-raisers the past few years (not feeling particularly good about myself to dress up and be social) but Red Carpet Experience is in a good venue (Spotlight Theater) that offers some good hidey-holes for the anti-social (like, the theater, to watch the show) and the opportunity to put on a movie inspired costume. (Hm....I do recall a certain Minion costume) and besides, my friend and fellow yogini Wendy is the adult-in-charge of the event. So MAYBE....
Dug in a little deeper to New Britain CT (my home town) this weekend.
1) Visited the New Britain Museum of American Art (or NBMAA) - primarily to see the Maurice Sendak exhibit, but also to become a member. I live in this fair city, might as well support some of the local arts organizations. There was also an opening (Hawaiian art) and a Kwanzaa celebration - so plenty of music and food. The Sendak exhibit was lovely - and when I think of him I recall his last Fresh Air interview with Terry Gross and cry a little.
2) Dropped by the New Britain YMCA to hand in my Groupon (6 months membershio for $99) - I was a member a while back and enjoyed the pool 1-2 times a week, hoping to get back on that particular horse starting this week. I love swimming; it seems to be good for my shoulders, and then I can get a nice soak in the jacuzzi. And might even find my way back onto the racquetball court or some of the cardio machines.
3) Packed up two cases of empty bottles to return to Avery's Beverages (still in the car though, they are not open Sunday or Monday) - the bottles have been hanging around since summer, waiting for me to finish up the last strays. I'll probably pick up a case of adult mixer soda's (their Orange Dry is particularly good, as is the Lime soda) in case I feel like a little holiday cocktail. I do not drink a lot of soda, so do not mind spending a bit more for local and unusual flavors.
One of my local holiday traditions has been to shop local artists and craftspersons. I've been a bit more active this year, with visits to several Hartford spaces (Artspace and The Dirt Salon) during Open Studio, the Holiday Artisan Marketplace (via the Connecticut State of Makers) at Waterbury City Hall, and a more regular visit to Wesleyan Potters.
At Artspace, I picked up a couple of holiday gifts (which I will not share here), along with a delightful bowl made by Colleen Colabella from Towers of Hope & Pottery Creations, from East Granby. Most of her work involves small towers - but I sussed out this bowl - loved the raised pattern on the outside - organic, kind of china-like, and signaling a lightness or translucence.
Not on the web that I can find, but she's worth finding at local shows and fairs.
At the State of Makers Holiday Artisan Marketplace, I found some yummy jams, concocted by Omnomnom Jams and Jellies - I've been enjoying their Monkey Mayhem (banana, pineapple, cocoanut, I think) on my morning and also picked up a jar of Pretty Peach. They are just getting started (and could use nice labels on their jars!) but a fun and affordable treat!
Also at the Waterbury event, I found some nice earrings, created by Kate Stephen Jewelry - I'm always looking for something fun and funky and these resonated - being an electrical engineer, it's fun to find something copper.
And, I bought a lovely and funky decorated shirt for a fashionable friend.
Finally, at Wesleyan Potters, I found a few lovely pieces. I'm a big fan of the birds of late, especially once I realized they are the modern dinosaurs, and the Great Blue Heron is perhaps one of the best reminders of that. Walking my dog at a local farm, a heron swooped overhead (a mere 10'-20' high) and I felt that primitive, mammalian fear that was perhaps implanted in my DNA eons ago when my tiny ancestors were prey for flying pterodactyls. So this photo, by Tom Flynn, of a heron in flight, was perfect.
My friend Amy is a stained glass artist (you can view her work and shop at Singing Whale Stained Glass) - so I am always looking at stained glass. I found this fused glass fish (not sure of artist) - I liked the rainbow / chakra colors, I'm a Pisces, and one of the images or concepts of the divine that have come to me through Enlightenment Intensive work over the years was of a fish. So yeah, great for my yoga space.
Finally, this vase (artist unknown) spoke to me - it's solid and somewhat primative with it's figuring that feels reminiscent of hieroglyphs or cunieform. No idea why I like what I like, but I liked this enough to purchase it.
Seems like spoken word performance / story telling is all the rage in these parts.
I attended the inaugural "The Mouth" at the Mark Twain House this past month; anything carrying Chion Wolf's imprimateur has got to be good. (and it was....) You can keep up with "The Mouth" on Facebook.
In addition, there's a weekly Urban Storytellers series at MCC on Main, Manchester. This is a great space (and not just because my beloved Guinea Pigs have a gig coming up, March 22.
And a last minute addition, the ongoing Other People's Stories series, held irregularly at La Paloma Sabanera in Hartford.
Finally, the twitter reveals a new series, Speak Up, to be held at Real Art Ways. The inaugural date for this event is Saturday. May 4, at 7:00 pm.
I'm a big fan of The Moth and Snap Judgement - so hopefully these things will do well. The quality of stories told at The Mouth was just steller, IMHO, so hopefully that is a harbinger of some good talent in the area.
Stole away for the evening tonight, to watch the Oscar Nominated Short Films - Live Action and Animation - over at Real Art Ways. The Live Action and Animated films are playing now through Feb 14th, the Documentary films arrive Feb 15th. Click through to find out more about the films and see the trailers.
First off, apologies to Real Art Ways. My membership expired in September - and I have just tarried on signing back up. I wrote a check out and everything, but figured I'd drop it off the next time I was there. And I've been horribly anti-social (and also a big underfunded) since then; this was my first foray back in months. But I'm back on the member roles and hope to show up in the real world occasionally as we start to move towards spring.
Now, on to the films. First, up, the Animated Shorts, in order of viewing:
Maggie Simpson in "The Longest Daycare" - Maggie Simpson attends the Ayn Rand Daycare Center, where she finds a caterpillar and faces off against her nemesis.
I'm a huge Simpsons fan, have been for years, and the creative team has kept me amused for over two decades. But I just do not get this (or any other animated franchise) in this category. Yeah, cute story, yeah, nice to see an underused character fleshed out, yeah nice to see the show animated in a bit more detail and texture. But....not really what I want to see.
Adam and Dog - A playful dog exploring the newly created world comes upon the first man.
OK, maybe it's the dog owner in me, maybe watching the Genesis story from a different perspective and fleshed out, made human, was enough. But I was sobbing. Beautiful old-school animation, sweet, substantial. My vote for the Oscar, hands down.
Fresh Guacamole- An unseen cook uses a series of unusual ingredients to prepare a bowl of guacamole.
Totally charming, very short (2 minutes) and a little bit of a one joke wonder that sustains and amuses for the lentgh of the short.
Head over Heels - The emotional distance between a long-married husband and wife has resulted in an unusual living arrangement.
Very sweet, and little weepy, done with puppets. It has a little bit of the cleverness of last year's winner The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore, although a bit less magical. I liked it, did not love it.
Paperman - A young man working in an office tries desperately to attract the attention of a girl in the building across the street.
Very clever animation and story, and aiming for the same turf as Mossis Lessmore. But a little too perfect and Disneyfied for my taste. Suffers a bit too much from "me too" flying paper, sweet romance, wind all hearken back to last year's winner.
Between the films, there were some bits by Morris Lessmore's William Joyce and Brandon Oldenburg who were funny, smart, and magnanimous in telling their story. Nicely done!
Now, on to the Live Action films, again, in order of viewing:
Death of a Shadow - A soldier attempts to ransom his soul from Death and return to the girl he loves.
Beautiful, creepy, dark, romantic, steam-punk. All of this and more. It was a really engaging, creative, beautiful film. Not my favorite, but the competition was fierce in this category.
Henry - Henry, an elderly concert pianist, undergoes a series of confusing experiences as he searches for his wife.
And...more tears. Having a friend's mother struggle with Alzheimer's, this film was especially poignant. Again, not my fave, but a real winner.
Buzkashi Boys - Two boys in Afghanistan, a
blacksmith's son and an orphan living on the streets, dream of winning a
popular and fierce polo match.
This one gets my vote for the Oscar, in a very strong field. The Kabul cinematography is stark, gorgeous, and so very sad - shot amidst burned out buildings, palaces, and rubble. The story is amazingly simple and yet so well told. I am sure there was a lot of money behind this (including the US Dept of State) and it shows - normally I'd discount that but for this one time, it does not matter. There is no sign of ongoing war here - just the charred remains of decades of war, poverty, and a beautiful, up close and personal, and so very sad story set in that backdrop.
Curfew - A young man on the verge of committing suicide receives a call from his sister asking him to babysit his niece.
Like Paperman, this film has a similar vibe to last year's winner (in this case, God of Love) - albeit darker. It was very sweet, had it's whimsical moments, and a precocious and lovely child actress. It all worked, totally worth the watch - just not my winner.
Asad - A boy from a poor Somali village must decide between piracy and life as a fisherman.
And...this must be the year of putting boys in ravaged landscapes and telling a story. The heart of this film is in the right place (almost all the actors are Samoli refugees or asylum seekers) and the story has it's moments. But the darkness and horror are neither fully explored nor completely redeemed. The ending / resolution seemed a little off - fantastic, impractical, unsatisfying. Tore at my heart strings, but something lacking in the storycraft here.
As with the Animated Shorts film, the between film patter was handled by last year's winner, Luke Methany. Not as effective - partly because there was just him, with no partner or foil to bounce memories off. And partly because, dark horse that God of Love was, he's not quite as seasoned as Mssrs. Joyce and Oldenburg - so a bit more of the "gee whiz, I won" and a bit less of the "we've been at this for 15 years, we've done a lot of grunt work, so keep hold of your dreams no matter what" that made the Animated segments work so well.
An unlimited season pass to Hartford Stage’s 2012/13 season. If you are
18–27
years old and love theatre, Stage Pass is definitely for you. Purchase a
Stage Pass for only $38 – yup, that’s it – and get into every Mainstage
production at Hartford Stage for the 2012/13 season. That’s basically
what you would spend going to the movies twice, and just think how
sophisticated you’ll sound when you tell your friends and family you are
“going to the theatre tonight.” Speaking of friends, want to bring a
friend when you use your Stage Pass? Go ahead and do it! Purchase up to 3
companion tickets for only $20 each.
I'd slap a big old Facebook "Like" on that if I were not, well, 51, and therefore ineligible. FWIW, I love the theater, and I'm not really able to afford Hartford Stage except on special occasion.
Apparently, offering a special to a particular age (and by default, not offering it to those outside of that age) is legal and socially acceptable (of course it is, look at all the senior discounts out there). But imagine if this special offer were limited to people of a certain race ("If you are white and like the theater....") or religion ("If you are non-christian, come on down...."
I get that they want to bring a younger crowd in the door, but jeez, there are ways to do that (how about targeting the offer via youth-heavy conduits such as QR Codes, twitter, handing out physical coupons at particular events) - instead of blatant age targeting (and flipping the coin over, de facto discrimination).
Instead, I'm vaguely resentful that Hartford Stage is not offering me this particular special.
A lazy Memorial Day weekend, without a lot on the agenda. So as a friend and I lamented our single (meaning, no families, no picnics) state on Facebook, we realized we could sneak in a visit downtown - and holiday tickets were 50% off! We were so there!
Forst off, I've already seen The Tempest at Hartford Stage - the last time they put it on, circa 1984/85 season. Yeah, I am that old. I must have been a way cooler 24 year old than I remembered - although a few years out of college (where I sucked up every Shakespeare course my engineering college offered), with a good (for the time) salary and a pile of credit, I was flush. Anyway, I am sure I loved that version (I made a point of seeing every Mark Lamos directed Shakespeare play that I could), but I think I loved this one more.
In no particular order, I loved:
Ariel played by Shirine Babb with a chorus, I loved the concept of Ariel being multiple sprites. It would have been pretty cool (conceptually) to have the three actors portraying Ariels movement chorus shared the speaking roles, although Shirine was outstanding throughout.
The stage floor and costumes, many of which were woven with the text of the play)
The wall of books, artfully designed to permit the Ariel chorus to climb and pose.
Caliban. Amazing performance by Ben Cole, and amazing choices in terms of how to play him by the director
The stage turntable, used sparingly but effectively, all night, but especially during...
The opening scene, where a woman on stage in a long-trained dress transformed into the Figurehead of the ship that is wrecked in a storm. I just fell in love from the start.
Not a huge fan of Prospero's revels (ballet and aerial dancing) in general but it was a beautiful interlude and I did love the rainbow arc.
The actors were great, the costuming was great - hard to trump the fantastical elements of the play but they supported it fully and never detracted. Even Trinculo and Stephano (Shakespeare's obligatory comic relief) were wonderful.
Live theater, I miss you. It was really not that pricey to see a play, there are bargains to be had, I need to cultivate a few theater going friends.
The Guinea Pigs (my folk rock band, I play bass and a little guitar) played a gig this weekend in Glastonbury, at the annual Audubon Society "Art for Nature's Sake" event. Last year, I took advantage of the event to purchase a piece of art (a painting of a downy woodpecker, which has become a little bit of a spirit guide to me). This year, I once again did a little "unreasonable" (in the sense that buying art is a little bit extravegent for me) and purchased another piece.
The artist, Lesley Braren of East Hampton, CT, has a very nice web presence. And I found my purchase online, entitled "Bird Cat" - a monotype of a red winged blackbird perched on some cat-tails, so you can see it as well!
Not sure why, but I really liked the impressionist feel of the monotype form as worked by Ms. Braren. I'm not an art scholar so never heard of this before, but Lesley describes it thus:
"Monotypes are oils that are painted on glass and then transferred to
paper. Sometimes it's only possible to make one print from the painting
and other times there is a second one that's called a "ghost". Rarely a
third one would be "ghost 11". Everyone is different."
It's funny, moving through the various artists tents and looking at the work. Several artists work impressed, some made me laugh or smile, and a couple I really liked. But like a suitor at a dance, there is usually one artist whose work speaks to me at that moment, an perhaps just one or two pieces that step to the fore. In this case, my continued delight and appreciation for birds, and the bright colors and textures of nature drew me in.
It's a lovely experience - finding something that speaks to the heart and spirit, and giving the artist some livelihood (in the form of money) in exchange for their vision and work. I'm a latecomer to the appreciation and collection of art, and I am sure I will never have the time, space or money to collect seriously, but it's nice to put a little bit of good karma into the art world.
I was about to write a cranky post about the new (to the area) RAW: Natural Born Artists website / movement. Specifically, we already have a RAW here in Hartford, shorthand for Real Art Ways. I imagined some local artists or promoters, bearing real or perceived slights by the folks at Real Art Ways, coming up with RAW: Natural Born Artists as a reaction or slap at the venerable local arts organization.
But digging into the RAW website, I see that it is a national movement that has been around three years but new to Hartford, and that any similarity, confusion, or conflation is most likely incidental.
Still unfortunate. Real Art Ways (truth in advertising, I'm a long time supporter / member) has spent a lot of time developing their brand, and the new RAW can only erode that branding, however slightly.
Ah well, more arts can not be a bad thing, can it?
Popped over to the Wadsworth Atheneum last night for the relaunch of the Matrix contemporary arts program. Full disclosure - the new Curator of Contemporary Art, Patricia Hickson, is an old friend (or rather, my sister's best bud in high school, she was a year behind me) and life has planted us both in Hartford. So I was there partly for the art, partly to support a friend, and partly to get out and about. The evening was a success on all counts!
Loved the installation. You can read a more refined synopsis of the artist's work here, although I'm trying to reflect my reaction without reading too much. I'll dig into others interpretations later....I was too busy schmoozing to catch the artist's talks, sadly.
My initial reaction was that Ms. Kraus is creating the same sorts of geometries and effects as Frank Lloyd Wright - except what he does with paint or metal, she is doing with light. I found myself stopping at each lightbox and noting how each cast a different pattern or effect on the space - and wondering if there were slots or cut-outs on the hidden face. I'm guessing not; that the differences were related to the orientation of the light brick; the distance from the walls, and perhaps subtle differences in the width of the exposed glass and the angled assembly of the individual panes of glass.
Eventually, I stopped at an individual brick and simply gazed into the light. Several of the figures created a 3D effect - as if I were gazing down the length of an unfinished room or hallway, looking at rafters or the supports of a suspended ceiling.
And finally, this morning, a more spiritual interpretation. Much like a quest for the divine - we are often blocked form gazing directly at the truth, but instead can only catch slivers of light, reflections, second and third hand evidence of the brilliant light that illuminates reality. This entire reality is the same sort of projection as Ms. Kraus's light installations - we can not see within the source of the light, but it leaks out of the cracks and the projections are both beautiful and draw us in to seek more.
The Matrix gallery space is an interesting space - long and tunnel-like with one entrance closed. In some ways it evokes other tunnel-like spaces filled with light (dare I mention the O'Hare International tunnel between terminals B and C?). My experience of the art was only slightly marred by a somewhat gruff Atheneum guard whose admonishments to "stick to the center of the room, do not touch anything, including the bench" felt a little stern and boomy in the space which otherwise might have conjured a cathedral-like silence. Perhaps a visit on another day, without the bustle of an opening and a First Thursday event is in order.
I'm a newcomer to the Atheneum's social circle - but it's feeling more comfortable, and I'm overdue for an afternoon of more leisurely browsing and exploration.
I went to the taping of Where We Live last evening at Real Art Ways. The theme of the show was Locating Creativity in the city of Hartford - official guests were an official from the city of Providence (Water Fire....ooooo!) as well as the COO from the city of Hartford. Several local bloggers were in attendance (waves!) as well as a cross-section of the local arts community.
Meta Commentary: Just love watching radio happen. John Dankowsky is quite entertaining as he does his opening bit (using his hands and body to drive his voice) although he settled down for the interview itself. Nice to see the faces (oh so young!) behind the WNPR shows I listen to daily: Catie Talarski, Libby Conn, Patrick Skahill, Chion Wolf. Not *quite* as interesting (from a performance standpoint) as the Thsi American Life simulcast (for example) but good nonetheless.
I was not so thrilled with the guests (civil servants) - Providence seems to have hit the creativity jackpot with Waterfire but it was not so clear if this was the city putting together a framework that the ground level folks built upon, or if this was a vision of one person / group that the city reluctantly embraced once it became a success. Regardless, it capitalizes on a city that has embraced it's waterways rather than turned its back on them.
Asked for ideas to engage Hartford, one of the audience members (forget who) quipped "Daylight the Park River" - and yeah, I get that. Ever since I learned of the history (wherein Trinity College was relocated and the Park River buried to make room for Bushnell Park and the State Capitol), that seems like the fatal move that sealed Hartford's future.
An Artspace resident spoke highly of that facility; although I suspect there is a waiting list. Local artist Anne Cubberly countered with concerns about the cost of studio / workshop space. Janice LaMotta from Billings Forge spoke, as did a number of artists, U-Conn students, and other local arts / culture insiders.
There was some discussion of the iQuilt initiative to knit local arts and cultural destinations and make the city more walkable. Mention was made of Theaterwork's recent "City Arts on Pearl" project as well as the Bushnell working to connect the Capitol / Bushnell Park are to Main Street.
Discussion, but not a lot of solutions nor a lot of consensus. Most I spoke to afterwards felt that the focus on a governmental solution was not optimal. Many spoke of "silos" - individuals or organizations that are taking on their own corner of the world but not a lot of synergy or formal collaboration. So we have Real Art Ways, Billings Forge, Artspace, Theaterworks, Hartford Stage, Bushnell, the Wadsworth Atheneum (not represented....), and dozens of other organizations, each chipping away at their geographic and cultural plot of land. But not really working within an overall framework.
I'll add a concept in here are well - Interest Silos. Have been part of a few different communities, I see small groups of interest. The film clique - moving from Real Art Ways to Cinestudio to Cinema City to the Atheneum. The theatre group - from the larger equity theaters to the smaller community spaces. There are, I am sure, small communities formed around jazz. Around folk / acoustic music. Around indie / rock music. Around dance. Around visual arts. Around spoken word. Around sports (cricket? historic baseball? disc golf?). I am sure there are others.
I see the key to developing a vibrant local culture to expand the iQuilt concept past the geographic (still important) and figure out the connectors - individuals and organizations that, either by design or by accident, bridge these interest silos. Real Art Ways is one such entity, with connections to film, to music, to visual arts, to spoken word / performance, and to the corporate world (via the popular Creative Cocktail Hour which takes all these entities and stirs them together). Billings Forge seems to be there as well, mixing locavores, arts, music, with a healthy dollop of community activism.
An interesting evening; I look forward to listening to the show, to see how the show was mixed down and cleaned up.
On a personal note, sitting here in my new digs within the city limits of New Britain, I am torn between my relationship to Hartford, and a desire to look towards my new city - which has a number of burgeoning arts spaces itself. And I'm excited to be emerging from a few months of focusing on my personal saga (buying a condo, and moving) and looking once more outward, on the blog and in the rest of my life.
