Author: Benjamin Cohn

Gallery Reflection

December 15, 2014 / Benjamin Cohn / 0 Comments

I liked this painting because of its combination of natural and mythological imagery. The woman, presumably some kind of nymph goddess tends to her underwater flock. She nurtures and pollenates the many creatures with her far-reaching powers. The Phoenix she is able to summon surveys the outside world for her and acts as an intermediary between the two realms. She could also be protecting the bird from the sea creature that appears in the bottom right hand corner. It looks hungry. Tears of some sort descend from the ocean surface which all the creatures seemed fixed on. I like the association with ancient civilisations like Atlantis that figure prominently into this type of lore. The artist likes to combine two very different types mythological history. From my limited knowledge of Indian/Hindu legend there doesn’t appear to be much association with the maritime tradition. The obvious Hindu influence on the female figure makes her seem out of place but the background is adjusted to accommodate that. The colors or the woman and the bird are striking; they pop out like nothing else. Her arm becomes one with the bird as it searches for the surface. A potential metaphor for purity and salvation from the depths of the ocean. She appears to the origin for some of the oceans plants which flow from her dress. They all curl like her arm towards the surface searching for the light they need. She’ll have to return to the palace looming in the background. As the guardian of life in the ocean she has many responsibilities to the ecosystem. The piece is innovative because it combines two very different traditions. The product is both a intricate story and an aesthetic masterpiece.

Valley of Astonishment- Staging

December 15, 2014 / Benjamin Cohn / 0 Comments

There’s chairs and a table in the center .

Coat rack in the left-hand corner.

Piano and odd looking drum set in the right-hand.

Pants and a jacket on a chair.

Second chair in the back with a dustpan and broom.

Lamps with long exposed bulbs on either side of stage center.

The staging plays an important role in establishing the feeling in of the play. The lead is often isolated on the stage and the doctors are placed in a threatening position. The placement of the musicians is also interesting because they are present but not recognized by the players. Their music seems to be penetrating the scene more than if they had been placed in a bit or farther removed from the action.

Just Kids Reflection

December 15, 2014 / Benjamin Cohn / 0 Comments

“Blazing Saddles”- A. Van Jordan

This poem is a review given by Van Jordan of the central message of the Mel Brooks movie “Blazing Saddles”. The movie was made in the 1970’s and focuses on black Bart, the first black sheriff in the West. He is made sheriff so that a railroad company and corrupt governor can bulldoze the town he is sent to “protect.” Although the movie is a comedy its uncomfortable racial scenes are a statement on the race relations of the time.

Van Jordan himself is African-American so the irony inherent in Mel Brooks works carries even greater relevance. I choose the poem because of how much I loved the movie and the way that Van Jordan saw it was new to me. The poem speaks about different instances in which Bart makes fun of racism through the seemingly ridiculous idea of a black sheriff. Everyone in the movie calls him a nigger and is constantly belittling him but he ends up being their savoir.

I personally believe that there is a lot of truth in humor. At times it can seem silly but it has the ability to be profound. The utter absurdity described by Van Jordan in the movie makes the viewer think about how ridiculous the ignorance that existed and exists is. Sheriff Bart is a manifestation of racism in America. He defies what is expected of him and makes everyone seem very foolish along the way. Because what was slavery and racism if not the product of a sick and twisted culture alive for many centuries? Even today the killing and arrest of blacks is much higher that whites. Satire is very important because it’s the most detailed form of analysis. If Mel Brooks was still making movies I’m sure he would satirize the police killings of Martin, Brown and Garner.

Satire cuts through the fluff straight to the point and that scares some people. There are people out there who really hated “Blazing Saddles” when it first came out. Bart is to be seduced by a German temptress but he ends up grabbing her with his “endowments”. Van Jordan sees this as one of the movies funniest moments because it has the perfect degree of silliness and truth. Of course it is a stereotype that blacks are sexually gifted but his triumph over the temptress is one of a many in the movie. It is mainly Bart triumphing again and again over stereotypes and boundaries that are placed physically and psychologically in front of him.

Van Jordan loves “Blazing Saddles” because it makes fun of the right things. The Old West was a crazy time full of wild happenings. Why not throw in a Yiddish Indian and black sheriff? They both make fun of what is wrong with being racist. Van Jordan’s prose details Brooks using humor to show not only why ignorance is wrong but also what fools it can make of seemingly normal people. It is possible that Brooks did not intend to make the movie so deep. A lot of the gags are just funny because they are funny. But the instance Van Jordan mentions of the Count Basie Orchestra playing in the desert is too great to be just a gag. Van Jordan says that imagining the brass band playing is just as absurd as a world where minorities have no rights. Van Jordan loves that the minorities win in this movie. The forces of ignorance are either defeated or taught the true way of brotherhood. In the end Van Jordan is satisfied with a gut piercing laugh and a nice satire of ignorance.

Old School Jazz Refreshes Fall for Dance

October 21, 2014 / Benjamin Cohn / 0 Comments

The performance of Stairway to Paradise by Sara Mearns and company was simple and brilliant. 10 male dancers and one female dancer performed a traditional jazz era number. The female was lusted after and worshipped by her male counterparts. The whole dance focused on the men all grasping for a piece of the woman. The woman was meant to be the Paradise and the men all searched for it. She never really gave into one man; always tempting and flirting but never satisfying. The music was also simple, saxophone and piano accompanied by a female singer, perhaps to represent the voice of the female dancer. As the singer went through her vocal range the movements changed. The men got closer to the woman and many hands would appear on her with everyone vying for the best spot. They would all hoist her up like a god and parade her around the stage before the mating dance continued. I liked this piece the most out of the four because of its great music and simplicity. The jazz era was fabulous for dance and exploration of sexual themes which were heavily present throughout the dance.

September 13, 2014 / Benjamin Cohn / 0 Comments