New York Times Arts Blog: Veterans and Arts

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What do men and women in the military have in common with artists?

The answer to this question is as stimulating as it is puzzling. So immersed are we in our daily lives that we rarely think back to our nation’s borders or the men and women protecting them. While we dread mundane tasks and search for new opportunities to better our careers, these men and women witness combat indefinitely during their military career. Given the terror, stress, and atrocity of wars, can we agree that men and women in service are entitled to the same, if not more, opportunities as the rest of us?

B.R. McDonald, former member of Army’s Joint Special Operations Command, agrees. Upon his return from service in 2009, McDonald struggled to find a job despite his training and credentials. As a result, he initiated the “Veteran Artist Program,” which helps veterans get involved in the entertainment industry through different media. The program also allows veterans to explore their entrepreneurial side by “pitching” start-up ideas for projects. The “Vets for Sets” program, for instance, allows veterans to engage in filmmaking and pitch possible ideas to producers, directors, and writers representing institutions like WNET and Independent Filmmaker Project.

Furthermore, the movement focuses on imparting veterans the skills they will need to succeed in their respective artistic pursuits. Universities like Columbia and Syracuse have undertaken the task of developing the writing skills of veterans. Similarly, the Writer’s Guild Foundation (a part of McDonald’s “Veteran Artist Program”) gives veterans professional mentors for guidance and support.

Such programs show a shifting public attitude towards war veterans. Just like the GI Bill after World War II, the “Veteran Artist Program” allows former men and women in military service to reconnect with society and develop their “civilian careers”. However, McDonald claims that this endeavor is not designed to deal with the post-traumatic stress associated with war. In fact, he believes that supposing veterans suffer from such stress deters potential employers. Thus, he specifies that his purpose is to help returning soldiers who aspired (or currently aspire) to enter the arts by utilizing society’s newfound compassion and “goodwill” for them.

McDonald’s venture has already seen some resounding success. Affiliation with NYU has helped Marines like Phil Klay collaborate with his colleagues to publish an anthology of war fiction. Further, the “Words of War” workshop has enabled numerous veterans to participate in discussion of popular war literature and evaluate each other’s writing skills. Mike Dowling, who fought the war in Iraq, started his own film organization, and is now an actor. Last week, in light of Veterans Day on November 11, the program even sponsored a social networking event called “Arts and Service Celebration”.

While there is evidence that veterans are benefiting from such programs, I think McDonald can work towards expanding the range and scope of his project. For instance, the “Words of War” workshop was held in a “cramped book-lined space in the Bushwick section of Brooklyn.” It is disheartening that such causes do not receive enough public attention and thus, they lacks funds to reserve a location that suits their purpose. I would want to see such workshops more frequently, not just in a “cramped” part of Brooklyn, but also around the country.

As far as the veterans and arts are concerned, I can now see and answer the question the article posed earlier. I can see why an army officer 12,000 feet above ground in Iraq would think back to his life as an opera singer. In this perspective, McDonald’s aim to fulfill some veterans’ aspirations to pursue arts has been successful. His program can be rightly called an entrepreneurial venture because he has created a new niche of career opportunity by focusing on veterans and combining aspects of two almost contrasting fields— war and the arts. Such initiatives should also be taken to get veterans involved in other realms like business, law, and politics. The best way to do that, as author Robin Pogrebin mentioned, is by “capitalizing” on the changed public outlook of army officers who have served in wars. If we increase interaction between the veterans and the general public, we can bring to light the sacrifices veterans have made to protect the public. McDonald’s “Telling Project,” where some veterans come on stage to share their stories and experiences, is one way of raising such awareness. The project has been active for five years in nine states.

In general, benefactors should be more supportive because ultimately, we are discussing the future of thousands of veterans. After witnessing action on the field for years, men and women are bound to feel disconnected with the society they lived in. To ease this transition and help them sustain themselves and their families, we can open doors of opportunities for them. By helping them find work, we not only relieve the burden on federal government and the tax paying public, but also help the men and women previously in service successfully fend for themselves. This strategy relates to the popular saying: “Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day; show him how to catch fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.” Rather than handing them out the money to sustain themselves, we can help them build their pride by allowing them to explore and pursue their passion.

 

 

Work Cited:

Pogrebin, Robin. “Veterans Pursue Careers in the Arts.” The New York Times. The New York Times Company, 10 Nov. 2013. Web. 11 Nov. 2013. <http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/11/arts/veterans-pursue-careers-in-the-arts.html?ref=arts>.

Creative Project #3

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Animation

Hello and welcome to my animation. It may not seem like a lot, or even that meaningful for that matter, but there are specific reasons behind why I chose to use these images. Flowers represent life to me. Regardless of whether your life is going through a rough patch, the flowers bloom annually. They can brighten your day, lift up your spirits and make you feel fuzzy all over by their intoxicating smells. Well, unless they’re orchids- then you shouldn’t be smelling them for too long because then they become the polar opposite of life: death. But anyway, smelling flowers generally puts people in a happy mood (unless you’re that old man from Up), simply because the blooming of flowers is a new life, a new opportunity, and a new page being turned.

As for the Leopard, I chose leopards because they absolutely fascinate me! And yes, I did take that picture. (Don’t worry there was a glass between me and the majestic creature). Why would that worry you? Because these magnificent creatures, while they are absolutely beautiful, can be incredibly lethal. Just look at those teeth- they kind of look like Dracula’s fangs (wink wink). Well you can’t really see his/ her teeth- they’re hidden much like Nosferatu’s personality was hidden. Hooray for metaphors.

Then there is the picture of the tower shrouded in darkness and fog. Highly representative of absolutely ALL horror movies out there. I mean, when else would that ferocious vampire/zombie/serial killer/ witch/any other “horrifying” creatures strike? Regardless, I thought it was a perfect representation of the idea that the story line is in conjunction with the horror genre, despite how un-horrifying the story is.

As for the background- that was sort of a mistake on my part. I didn’t mean to use it, as I didn’t feel as though it adds anything meaningful to the story that the picture is trying to represent, however once I looked at it, I found that it adds a deeper meaning- connecting the whole thing to everyday life. You can always be walking in the park around sunset. And who knows, maybe a vampire, or in this case a leopard, will jump out at you out of nowhere. Or not. Because this is reality. But really, you might have an epiphany and realize that in reality, the true monsters that you are afraid of lie buried deep within you. Yep, that was deep (Get it?).

project09

 

Gimp Collage

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file:///Users/Jessamyn/Desktop/animation.gif

——-website for collage

The process of building and eventually destroying a collage of three images is a process that truly delves deep into the process of subconscious creativity. I started out with an image of myself acting out the pain of being bitten by Count Orlock/Dracula. I found by deleting the background it gave the image a fuzzy yet scary resolution that I liked. The four different size olive oil bottles symbolizes the theme we spoke about of male dominance. The taller bottle is the male and the four smaller bottles represents females. The part of this animation where the female bottles disappear symbolizes how males (in olden times) can “dispose” of their wives, or just females in their lives, whenever they wish. The wine bottle represents the blood. The blood that is white and pure in someone’s body and when spilled by a vampiric bite turns red from sin. That is why there is a part in this animation that evolves from white colors to red.

animation

The usage of the program gimp and having to export even the slightest mistakes we made throughout this process taught me a lesson. It demonstrated that even the mistakes we make lead to a big picture that in the end will turn out okay and artsy, as long as we add some effects.

Spoiling Television

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It was a while ago but I remember watching TV shows on an actual television as a kid. I would do my homework before 8 o’clock primetime, which was when I would plop down on my couch and flip through the channels. TV was my down-time as I would plan a TV schedule for every weekday. I would immerse myself in the winding plots of “Smallville”, “Supernatural”, “Chuck”, etc. Back then, watching television was simpler. I would spend an hour of my time on a show once a week and if I was lucky, there would be the occasional two-hour special. Sometimes, the season would go uninterrupted. Other times, it would be a few months of re-runs before a new episode was aired. I hated these brief periods of watching old episodes. However, they did give me a chance to speculate on what would happen next. Anticipation and excitement were part of the whole television experience. What will the protagonist end up doing? Will someone die? Who’s that mysterious dude in the background? Back then, TV was a weekly cycle of contemplation.

Nowadays, due to the immense popularity and prevalence of the internet, people wildly speculate about everything. Posts on Facebook and tweets on Twitter about the latest “Breaking Bad” or “Game of Thrones” propagate uncontrollably. The wide range of possibilities and theories that people come up with may be refreshing for those who want to engage in their television shows in a new way. But is it really satisfying? After all, the conversations take place almost everywhere so that it’s almost impossible to not see a television related post when digging through your Facebook newsfeed or Twitter feed. Is speculation the new spoiler?

In addition, with the emergence of Hulu, Netflix and other streaming services, more people binge-watch and get through seasons in a matter of days, not months or years in which television shows were originally prescribed. I think this spoils the general TV excitement that many people have experienced before the internet age. With television shows so accessible, people hardly sit back after an episode and think about what’s coming next.

With speculation frenzy and TV-binging, will we ever become truly satisfied from the TV shows we watch? Call me old-fashioned, but I like to watch my shows on the television and will only talk about my favorite TV moments in person.

 

Link to article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/10/magazine/speculation-is-the-new-spoiler.html?ref=television&_r=0

Attract with Art

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When you walk into a hotel, what catches your eye first? Is it the infrastructure? The personnel? Perhaps, the displays of art? Art is being connected to business once again; this time in the form of attracting guests to stay at hotels.  There has been a growing trend in the investing of art by hotels in order to distinguish them from the other competitors. Some choose to hire architects to help renovate their building while others purchase art for display.

In her article, A Place to Stay, Surrounded by Works of Art, Jane L. Levere highlights the various reasons of including art in hotels through several examples. The Savoy located in London is a large participant in using art to attract visitors. They have different artists who reside in the hotel like David Downes, who painted the Thames flotilla of 1,000 boats. It has also been renovated over the past few years with a budget of $356 million to help create a more art friendly space in hopes of reaching out to guests in terms of showing their style and personality.

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Inside the Langham

This has also been happening in Chicago where the art is indigenized to fit the local culture. In addition to its unusual architectural design, the Langham provides commissions to artists of numerous fields including contemporary painters Judy Ledgerwood and David Klamen, sculptor Virginio Ferrari and architectural photographer Bill Engdahl. They have also hired a former museum curator to help organize art exhibitions and events at their hotel. Similarly, Le Meridien pays artists to create works for the hotel and to design distinctive key cards as souvenirs for guests.

Though displaying art may not result in immediate higher profit, hotel management realizes that clean rooms and tasty restaurants are not as important as the whole visitor experience.  They often act as private investors, collaborating with artists to make good use of the space they have. Because the arts are a less popular field in the modern culture, it is great to see other fields incorporate art with what they do. Personally, I would be more interested in a hotel that features different art exhibits rather than one that simply looks pretty. There is more meaning behind a hotel knowing that they make an effort in including art, even if it’s for profit purposes.

Levere L. Jane. “A Place to Stay, Surrounded by Works of Art.” The New York Times. 25 Oct. 2013. Web. 08 Nov. 2013

Le Meridien

Le Meridien

NY Times Arts Blog: The Reliability of Reviews

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A movie review can be a great way to find out about a show beforehand and to anticipate the best movies coming out. Nowadays, with so many movies coming out at one time, it becomes difficult to make a choice. Movie reviews help the process by narrowing down the choices. But how reliable are reviews? The article I read was a review of Thor: The Dark World. The review panned the film, citing its “disorienting 3-D effects” and likening Thor to Popeye. Reviews in general seem to have a very strong grip on people’s movie preferences. I do not think they deserve the power and influence they command.

Reviews are written by “experts” who have a lot of experience in reviewing movies. That sounds like it should be fair, but it is not. Reviewers are very elitist and point out some of the smallest things. An expert should know better than a casual moviegoer but the problem is that there is no right or wrong when it comes to opinion. A reviewer’s opinion is not any better than another person’s opinion. His or her expertise also puts him or her out of place with the common people. This means that the reviewer no longer keeps the best interest of common people in mind. A reviewer also notices different things because he searches for different things. For example, the reviewer points to a minor issue with Chris Hemsworth’s voice as something to ridicule. He makes fun of the pitch of Mr. Hemsworth’s voice, as if it really has any impact on the movie.

Another issue I have with reviews is their inherent bias. When you a group opinion, the biases tend to balance out more but when you take the opinion of only one person, there nothing checking his or her bias. This reviewer makes a lot of slanderous comments in his review when they are not necessary. After reading the review, the general feeling I got was that he was dead set on panning the movie. I understand pointing what is wrong with the plot, the acting, or character design but outright ridiculing minor problems and blowing them out of proportion shows a very clear bias against the film. His diction throughout attempts to put a negative spin on everything. When he was talking about the director Alan Tailor, he described his approach as “[flitting] awkwardly between a dank, depopulated London and the organ-pipe architecture of Asgard.” He could have just said that he did not ground the movie that well in the setting, but instead the reviewer had to calling a professional director awkward, as if he were some unpopular teenage boy. Another notable example goes back to Thor’s voice. Instead of saying that Thor’s voice was excessively low pitched he decided to say that his voice was so low, only worms can hear him. I am not sure if the wording was intentional, but he seems to imply that if you could hear him speak, you are a worm. That is exactly the kind of message I seem to get from this reviews and reviews in general. If a review pans a movie and you like it, you are a lower being.

There is also a large discrepancy in what the reviewers and what moviegoers say. One example is We’re the Millers. If you look at metacritic, the critics gave it a metascore of 44. But if you look at user reviews, the majority of them gave the film a much more favorable review. I saw the movie myself and I liked it, it was hilarious and kept me engaged to the end. I think it goes back to critics pointing out some of the minutest details and taking off points for that.

Overall this review should not be taken seriously but will inevitably deter people from a potentially great movie. American culture seems to praise and follow the words of the popular people and society loves to get behind one person. From the various movie and music award shows, to these highly charged reviews, people do not think for themselves and simply go with the popular opinion.

Link to Article

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/08/movies/thor-the-dark-world-brings-back-marvels-alien-superhero.html?ref=arts&_r=0

We’re the Millers  Metacritic review

http://www.metacritic.com/movie/were-the-millers

 

Haters gonna hate…?

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Hayao Miyazaki’s animated films have always struck a bitter-sweet, nostalgic chord in many a childish heart. He’s caused a stir several times before with talks of retirement, but at 72 and with failing eyesight, he’s finally hung his hat.

But not before he goes out with a subtle yet resounding bang.

 

The Wind Rises (Kaze Taichinu) is currently a box-office smash in Japan with ticket sales of $120 million. It will play in New York and Los Angeles starting today for one week – the minimum release time making it eligible for the Academy Awards. The fact that this film is entering the Oscar race shouldn’t surprise anyone, as Spirited Away (2002) had won a statuette for best animated film.

What differentiates this art film from Howl’s Moving Castle, My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki’s Delivery Service, etc., is its nuance and more mature content. It’s not the first time Studio Ghibli has undertaken grim projects — Grave of the Fireflies was a tragic story about the struggle of two Japanese post-war orphans; Princess Mononoke also had numerous decapitating scenes. It is a fictional biopic of Jiro Horikoshi, the aeronautical engineer who designed the Mitsubishi A6M Zero fighter, a devastating killing machine in WWII.

 This brings us to the “controversy” the film faces as Disney (Studio Ghibli’s American distributor of 16 years) inches it into the Oscar race. Despite its strong antimilitary message, already people are using it to aid their agendas. According to Geoffrey Wexler, Studio Ghibli’s international chief, the film has been “denounced in South Korea as a celebration of Japan’s wartime aggression,” and it has been “criticized as unpatriotic by some conservatives in Japan, where prime minister, wary of China’s rise, has pushed for a constitutional revision that would allow for a more muscular military.” It seems we still live in a time where almost every significant work of art is politicized and deconstructed beyond recognition.

There are also complaints about the historically accurate image of the characters smoking cigarettes. Even though the film is aimed at adults, it’s understandable that people’s feathers would be ruffled because of its potential impression on young viewers.

I’m not sure what we should really worry about. As far any moviegoer is concerned, the film shouldn’t be judged before it’s viewed, if only to honor Miyazaki’s ambitious last work. As for the Academy Awards – whose voters, according to Los Angeles Times, are predominantly white and male (the median age of which is 62) – the chances are shaky. Don Levy, a former awards strategist (not surprised we have those) for Sony Pictures and a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences thinks that “to a certain extent, controversy sparks interest and curiosity.” He also states that he trusts voters, who can “love or hate or have feelings toward a subject and still evaluate its artistic merit.”

The film is at its core a sad love story, and after watching it, people should see it as such. Personally, I wouldn’t miss it for the world. (Not watching it with dubs though, never.)

Sources:

Barnes, Brookes. “Swan Song Too Hawkish for Some.” The New York Times. The New York times Company, 5 Nov. 2013. Web. 8 Nov. 2013.

Horn, John. “Oscar Voters Overwhelmingly White, Male.” Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times, 19 Feb. 2012. Web. 08 Nov. 2013.

Link to article:

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/06/movies/hayao-miyazakis-film-the-wind-rises-gets-complaints.html?_r=0

 

New York Times Arts Blog: Promoting Social Justice through Art

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Art can be a very powerful tool when used to convey a message to viewers. For centuries, artists have used their works to expose ugly truths, to emphasize major issues in society, and to call people to immediate action. For this reason, Madonna has recently partnered with Vice, an interactive media company, to organize a project called “Art for Freedom,” that seeks to raise public awareness of social justice through art. The famous pop singer established this project following Vice’s initial viewing of a film titled “Secretprojectrevolution” that depicts violence, prejudice, and indifference throughout various nations.

Art for Freedom is not only a campaign exploring the meaning of freedom and revolution to individuals across the world, but is also an online competition inciting artists to create videos, photos, visual arts pieces, and poems that highlight the subject. One winner will be chosen each month for a year. This week, Madonna revealed the first winner of the contest, Lesmack Meza Parente. Parente, a native of Mexico, submitted a video compilation entitled “El Gran Dictador” that included clips from Charlie Chaplin’s “The Great Dictator,” released in 1940, and modern illustrations focusing on the civil aspect of the movie. He will be given the opportunity to select a nonprofit organization to which Madonna will donate $10,000.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsQKWLtQZx0

I think the use of art to call attention to significant issues is particularly effective because art appeals to the senses. It is also a form of self-expression and a means of communication. Parente’s video, for example, emotionally entrances its audience while illuminating suppression in society. I believe that the Art for Freedom project supports a great cause and that artists should continue attempting to disclose important societal problems through their work. Madonna hopes that this initiative will encourage free speech and challenge existing global oppression. On her website, she comments, “I want to help give a creative voice to those who have been silenced and denied their human rights … I am inviting all people to express their thoughts on the subject of freedom whether it’s describing specific persecution they have experienced, sharing how their rights have been violated and / or sharing their ideas creatively regarding fighting injustice.”

Link to Article:

http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/11/03/first-winner-named-in-madonnas-art-for-freedom-project/?ref=design&_r=0

Sources:

Kozinn, Allan. “First Winner Named in Madonna’s ‘Art for Freedom’ Project.” The New York Times – Arts Beat. The New York Times Company, 03 Nov. 2013. Web. 07 Nov. 2013. <http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/11/03/first-winner-named-in-madonnas-art-for-freedom-project/?ref=design>.

“Join #ArtForFreedom.” Art For Freedom. Vice, n.d. Web. 07 Nov. 2013. <http://artforfreedom.com/>.

“Madonna Announces Art For Freedom Grants Program.” Madonna. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Nov. 2013. <http://www.madonna.com/news/title/madonna-announces-art-for-freedom-grants-program>.

NY Times Article: In a Rediscovered Trove of Art, a Triumph Over the Nazis’ Will

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Decades after World War II, a large number of paintings confiscated and hidden by Nazi’s have resurfaced. Michael Kimmelman’s article, In a Rediscovered Trove of Art, a Triumph Over the Nazis’ Will, talks about the discovery of over 1,500 pieces of artwork which were ransacked from German museums and personal collections. Artists of these paintings include Matisse and Courbet, Franz Marc and Max Liebermann, Marc Chagall, Max Beckmann and Ernst Ludwig Kirchner. Finding these paintings is an amazing occurrence to the art field. Not only do we get to see the works of many famous European artist, many other artists such as Dix (who Hitler hated) can now share their pieces of art with the world.

These paintings were discovered in a Munich home. The fact that so many valuable pieces of art (worth millions of dollars) were hidden in a single house is mind boggling to me. It makes me wonder why it took so long for these stolen paintings to rediscovered. I also question the authenticity of all these paintings. Although I am sure some, maybe even most of the 1,500 paintings are real; there are bound to be fakes in the mixture. How will people be able to differentiate the real paintings from the fake ones?

The fact that the Nazi’s stole and confiscated these paintings makes me wonder what will happen to the families of the people who originally owned the paintings. Will they be recompensated or given the painting back? I highly doubt the families will be recompensated, but I feel like they have been cheated. For instance a Matisse colored painting of a woman wearing pearls was identified by the Rosenberg family. They used to own that painting and have a smaller version in black and white.

Ultimately, this discovery is a happy event. I am thrilled that many new pieces of art have been discovered and I hope that the German authorities will publish a list of the paintings found. I am also curious to how the families, Jewish people and the museums where the paintings were stolen from will react.

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Magic

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Magic is an interesting art form, as well as one of the most entertaining. It makes one question his or her preconceptions of reality. Card tricks are often some of the simplest and most common types of magic tricks with all of the versatility and simplicity that they offer. This article stresses how impressive the card tricks that Mr. DelGaudio and Mr. Guimarães executed were. It is often refreshing to realize how sometimes simplicity can be so enjoyable.

It is interesting how even though one may have preconceived notions that magic is the utilization of illusions and slight of hand by a magician, a good magician can circumvent this obstacle and still amaze his audience with his performance. This makes one wonder why people are so susceptible to the surreal. Do humans have a desire for what is not real? Why do they covet what they cannot have? What is it about the unknown that is so intriguing?

A realization that one might have from this article is the power of the human imagination. The human imagination can be manipulated and utilized to create and be subjected to mystery. Every successful magic trick has to be carefully designed, orchestrated and executed. Unless one is a practitioner of magic tricks, watching magic tricks that one has seen before continues to yield a sense of mystery and entertainment. It is also interesting how magicians are able to adapt to changing times. This also furthers the concept of how humans are able to adapt so well to their changing surroundings.

Magic tricks have always been something that has intrigued me but they have often been too difficult for me to execute with respect to the precision and attention to detail that is required to execute them. However it is always interesting to read about and attempt magic tricks, but this always takes away from the mystery associated with them. Is ignorance actually bliss?

Article link: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/07/theater/reviews/nothing-to-hide-magic-at-pershing-square-center.html?ref=arts