Frank Holliday’s piece, “The Lingerie Family” intrigued me the most from the MoMA exhibition, Club 57. Holliday created a painting that displays multimedia with both acrylic paint and a video of an eye that was commissioned by a filmmaker, Eric Marciano. At a quick glance, I did not realize that the eye behind the middle person was real but simply thought it was an empty white space. However, as I approached the painting, I realized that the eye moved and blinked showing a real person’s eye. The painting included the eye movements of a live performer, which was Holliday’s eye. The painting also had very bright colors of the three people in the front which contrasted the dark background with different faces behind them. Two of the people within the painting seemed to be customers to the club and the woman to the side seemed to work there. The faces in the background also looked like they represented the audience at the club especially the ones that were near the woman. An interesting detail is the hand that seemed to be holding the turnstile of a wind-up toy which seems to be what the man in the middle represents. However, it can also symbolize Holliday’s opinion on Club 57 as the eye of the man is his eye and it continues to blink and watch the viewer. It was also interesting to see different mediums working together and how it portrayed the overall message of Club 57. The painting also evoked the environment of the club and showed how interactive it was. Holliday’s work also serves as experimenting with new modes of presenting paintings and film by combining the two together to show vibe of the nightclub.
Author Archives: Joyce
Posts by Joyce
An Eye Within Club 57
M. Butterfly Live
Despite having read the play before seeing the production, seeing the play live gave me a whole new perspective and experience of the message behind the play. The first thing that intrigued me were the set design boards and how they were made to simply either fold over or placed at an angle against each other to transition to another scene or location that Gallimard was at. They were also used to show the transition from the original Peking Chinese Opera that focused on love to the warlike images of communism that took over the opera to rally the Chinese together for the revolution. This transition showed me how easily influenced the public was by the government who simply took over the original aesthetic focus of singing and traditional costumes of the Peking Opera to a performance filled with war chants and outfits that carried weapons which ended pointing directly at Gallimard. Another aspect that intrigued me was the exceptional acting throughout the play, especially the scenes between Song and Gallimard and how Gallimard tried stopping the play towards the end refusing to move onto the court scene. I also found it interesting during the few times where the actors broke away from the scene and spoke asides such as the time when Song asked his comrade for a baby and Gallimard stood to the side making a remark of not wanting to show see the woman again. However, the most shocking scene was when Song stripped naked on stage to make it clear to Gallimard that he was a man and it is in this scene that we see how much Gallimard refused to believe that “his butterfly” was a man but it is clear that they did love one another. Overall, the play was well performed and gave another perspective to the play that was not present when only reading it.
Another Day, Another Atmosphere
Captured in the photo above is another famous landmark of the Coney Island boardwalk: Parachute Jump, also known as the “Eiffel Tower of Brooklyn” that has stopped running since 1968. Also shown in the photo are different people walking along the boardwalk on this sunny yet brisk autumn afternoon.
For our second visit to Coney Island, my group and I decided to meet on a Saturday afternoon where we had a feeling that there would be more people than the last time we went. To our expectations, despite the cold, there were more people around the streets, arcades, and boardwalk than our first visit on a Sunday morning. However, the atmosphere was still nothing like how it was in the summer. The shops along the alleyways opened up slowly one by one but the bumper cars and arcade games were running. While collecting footage for the project, the owner of the bumper car station invited us in to record rather than just standing outside and peering in through the gate. The music played loudly as a family drove around bumping into one another. We then decided to visit Nathan’s before reaching the boardwalk. The store was packed with people as they waited in lines to get the famous hot dogs and cheese fries. Music and laughter filled the air within the store. Afterwards, we walked along the alleyways that had various murals that showcased the main attractions of Coney Island. As we continued walking towards the boardwalk, we began seeing more parents with their kids running around and people walking around taking photos and recording videos. The sounds of children’s laughter and seagull’s screeches filled the air. It was yet another atmosphere to experience at a place that I thought I was all too familiar with until these past two site visits. With all the footage that we collected today, we will not only be focusing on the highlights of Coney Island such as the well-known landmarks and bright murals but also the calmer vibe that this place brings during the colder seasons.
An Early Morning in Coney Island
My photograph above captures the Wonder Wheel, a well-known attraction in Coney Island in another perspective, one that is empty and calm rather than filled with a long line of people waiting to get on the ride or waiting to play at the arcade stands on the sides.
It was an early Sunday morning when my group and I visited Coney Island. Rather than being packed with families and friends on the beach, amusement park, and boardwalk, it was quiet and most of the stores were still closed. It was a stark contrast to the crowded beaches that I was used to seeing in the summer, when everyone was out from work and school. During the summer, the amusement park would be filled with kids running around with hot dogs and shish-kebobs, and the beaches would be filled with families and couples that covered every inch of the sand and laid scattered by the water. The atmosphere was loud and joyous, which would continue through the night, especially on days when fireworks appeared. However, on this day, the early morning carnival vibe was peaceful and slow-paced. Rather than seeing teenagers and families to my right and left, I saw elders, joggers on their morning run, and moms with strollers walking along the boardwalk as they chatted about the weather. Instead of the usual sea of people on the beach, the beach remained empty and quiet. Most of the stores were still closed except for Nathan’s, where we could smell hot dogs and cheese fries and hear some music as we walked by.
Digging Deeper in the Play and Production of Buried Child
The 1996 production of Buried Child successfully captures Sam Shepard’s nuances of the “buried child” and the disconnection within this broken family. The stage setup of the production matched Shepard’s description almost perfectly with the old furniture, tired and sick Dodge in his brown blanket, and the stairs where Hallie’s words echo down as she screams at Dodge. This very first character interaction already shows a disconnection that seems to be present both physically and mentally for all characters throughout the play. Hallie yells at Dodge from upstairs forcing him to yell back in order to communicate although he mainly ignored her and let Hallie ramble on. To drown her voice away, Dodge yells for Tilden, their oldest son who seems to need attention and care at all times because of something that happened in New Mexico. Tilden speaks quietly and monotonously with an expressionless face towards the ceiling or the audience, a disconnection with the rest of the characters, until he talks about the baby which is the only time when he raises his voice in the play. Vince and Shelly enters hoping to be welcomed by a warm family only to be disappointed and frustrated when the family doesn’t recognize Vince. Dodge throws a tantrum like a baby when Tilden “stole my[his] bottle” and disregards Vince until Vince agrees to buy a bottle of whiskey for him reinforcing the themes of disengagement and childlike behaviors. The scenes when Tilden asks to borrow Shelly’s coat which he cradles close to his chest like a baby and when Bradley enters to bully Tilden by shaking Dodge’s pills and whiny noises, Tilden cries to the similar sounds of a baby all alluding to the secret of the buried child. However, it is the very last scene when Hallie is yelling from upstairs about the vegetables in the backyard, Vince sitting on the couch unfazed, and Tilden entering with the corpse of the baby’s bones that reinforced the idea of this broken family where the characters disregards and ignores each other’s presence and speech.
Pina Bausch’s Cafe Muller and The Rite of Spring
Cafe Muller and The Rite of Spring were both spectacular performances choreographed by Pina Bausch. Cafe Muller had me at the edge of my seat from the start when Bausch herself entered the stage in the dark where the audience could only hear the sounds of her feet shuffling and chairs moving. As an audience member, this dance challenged me because of the random movements that became repetitive overtime like a routine. For example, when the man in the suit continuously came to “fix” the position that the two dancers were in because they would keep returning to the hugging pose. I also found it interesting how the dancers would just bump into the chairs without maneuvering around them, unless they were moved for them, and how they would rush toward the walls or glass doors without hesitating. However, as these dancers interact with each other, Bausch remained at the same little corner and only went into center stage three times when other dancers were at the sides. While Cafe Muller showed us many abstract interactions between the six dancers and the stage, The Rite of Spring focused on the unity of a large group of female and male dancers, whether they were separated or together. The dancers made use of the entire space that was filled with dirt and as the dance progressed, the music got louder and so did their breathing. Initially separated, the dancers slowly came together as each female dancer meets the center male dancer until one is chosen to change into a red dress. The symbolism of the red and exclusion challenged me as I watched the performance. While The Rite of Spring focused on the choreography, Cafe Muller focused on the sounds that the dancers made as they hit the chairs, walls, and floors.
Humans and Nature
While strolling through the High Line, I came across a sculpture called Rest In by Guan Xiao. The materials, the way it was stacked together, and how it was presented in descending height caught my attention. After reading the plaque, I found out that Xiao included structures that were made of wheel rims and brass, which are manmade items, as well as a vertebrate structure and cast footprint designs that represented life and nature. Her piece served as a futuristic approach at the inseparability between organic materials and manmade products, which perfectly described the way the High Line was built.
Initially an abandoned train rail structure, the High Line was built to safely transport simple everyday commodities within New York. However, after being abandoned with overgrown weeds and wild flowers, the High Line was reconstructed and relaunched as an open space public park for visitors to appreciate the arts and nature within the area. Although the High Line was physically built by humans, many parts of it also encompass nature such as the plants that grew on the tracks over time. Xiao’s work stands tall along the route, within wild flowers and grasses, where visitors can stop by to admire the way it was constructed. The cast footprint that serves as a pedestal illustrates an image of an island and the indents collected the rain water from the day before. Her incorporation of the vertebrate acting as the supporting structure shows how nature becomes the backbone of the High Line despite it being built with metal parts. Just as her work portrays the relationship between humans and nature, the High Line serves as the perfect place for people to walk along not only to see Xiao’s work, but also many other sculptures, or “mutations,” and scenery that is around it.
Comments by Joyce
"I liked your optimistic perspective on this supposed dark piece. It was interesting to see your analysis of the contrasting light versus dark and muted colors in the piece. When I first saw the piece, I thought the person was struggling in the dark and the orb was the source of help for the individual to escape this darkness. However, your idea about the orb representing the weight of the disease is interesting and creates hope for individuals who are suffering AIDS making this painting even more influential."--( posted on Dec 5, 2017, commenting on the post Maybe it’s a Leap for Joy! )
"I agree with what you said about how the play was able to easily change the set design to transition quickly between different scenes. The way the panels were set up in a certain way made the best use out of the small space that the stage had. There were also times where the actors or actresses would freeze midway for Gallimard to explain his input and it was impressive the way that they were able to stay so still. I also liked their humor and breaking down of the fourth wall that most of the actors had throughout the play, especially the interactions that Gallimard had with the audience."
--( posted on Nov 20, 2017, commenting on the post M. Butterfly Response )
"I really like your video idea and am excited for this nostalgic vibe that is brought out from a girl who has flashbacks of her past train rides. It is an interesting take on bringing out the different aspects of the subway and I look forward to the way you and your group will be putting this together with the flashbacks and eerie videos. I also never looked to see the view along the Q line and I definitely want to see these things captured in your video."
--( posted on Nov 7, 2017, commenting on the post Visit #2 )
"I really liked how you distinguished between the modes of transportation on the train underground versus the tram in the sky. As someone who has been on the tram a few times, I completely agree with your narration of being on the tram and how the ride is a whole new experience that gives another perspective of the city. It is certainly another look at Manhattan from above and the view across the bridge and water is breathtaking. I highly recommend visiting Roosevelt Island during the spring when its cherry blossoms are in bloom and all you see is a row of pink along the side by the river."
--( posted on Oct 23, 2017, commenting on the post From Land To Sky )
"I like your analysis and agree with how the production effectively portrayed each of the characters from the play. The way the characters spoke and moved on stage added to the overall dark and disconnected mood that Shepard created in his play. Hallie is constantly rambling on without a need for someone to be listening and emphasizing how she is always right. Tilden “seeks out attention and love from others because he lost what he loved” which refers directly to the buried child. Dodge who throws tantrums as a coping method to deny his murder shows how the supposed head of the house acts like a child. All these characteristics are well portrayed in the production."
--( posted on Oct 10, 2017, commenting on the post Buried Child Character Representation )
"I definitely saw the “power roles and interpersonal dependence of relationships” that the dancers had especially in The Rite of Spring where the female dancers danced in a group isolated from the male dancers. I agree with what you said about how Cafe Muller lacked unity whereas The Rite of Spring focused on that unity throughout the dance. I like how you pointed out the difference in the choreography and compared it to conventional ballet because of the nudity present in both dances. I think the decision to use soil in The Rite of Spring was to emphasize the idea of spring however I also questioned the symbolism behind the passionate red colored dress at the end of the dance."
--( posted on Sep 25, 2017, commenting on the post Pina Bausch’s Cafe Muller and The Rite of Spring )
"This is a great analysis of the High Line! I also noticed the advertisement that was playing within the building during the walk and it truly shows how influenced we are by the capitalistic values that society holds. I like how you used colors to juxtapose the lighter colors within nature with the bright red that the advertisement used which was probably why it caught my eye through the glass screen. I also agree with the idea that we are in a world where nature is blended in with “human influence” which is exactly what the High Line consists of."
--( posted on Sep 12, 2017, commenting on the post There is Nothing Untouched by Materialism Even Here )
