THE ARTS IN NEW YORK CITY

Okay, well first I will talk about my reactions to each event and then I’ll answer the questions regarding the events…. So go ahead and click that button (I know you see it, don’t ignore it, you know you want to click it. Come on, just click it), READ MORE!

So, I’m a huge fan of Mozart. I love Mozart. And by default, it would make sense that I love his work, and that is precisely true for Magic Flute. When I heard that we were going to see a version of Mozart’s famous Magic Flute, I was beyond excited. Wouldn’t it be cool to see a Cambodian dance to Mozart’s music. That would be a very interesting production, that’s for sure.

So with that idea in my head about the Pamina Devi show, you can imagine that I was a bit disappointed with what we got. In truth, I didn’t love the show. I thought that it was exceedingly pretty, everything from the costumes to the simplicity of the lighting (with different variations of color that made it look like sunrise and sunset and moonlight- I thought that was very clever), but the show just didn’t grab me. It was such a departure from what I am used to that it just didn’t make much sense to me. I think that if the narration and dialogue of the show were not displayed above the stage, I probably not have been able to make much sense of the show. I would have just gotten lost in the colors and beauty of it all, and the story would just disappear. Thank goodness that text was there!

In truth, I thought that the skill displayed by the dancers was quite impressive (I definitely can’t hold those positions like that!), and that it was an interesting way of seeing Mozart’s Magic Flute, but other than that, it just did not hit a note with me. I’m so used to seeing such deep connections between people on stage (whether it is touching or kissing, or just words), that the conservative way that each character moved with each other just made me feel like the whole thing was disconnected. Obviously, I understand that the dance is part of a culture and is based on a traditional way of moving, but it just isn’t customary to me anymore. It’s odd. I can recognize the beauty and the skill in the production, I just could not see any emotion, and that, above all, is what I look for most in art.

Now, as for the Met, I loved it. I thought that those prints were absolutely awesome. Just talking about them now, I feel like this overly excited little girl, hopping around a room; that’s how cool it was! I just had the utmost respect for the amount of skill and artistry that is necessary to create such images (with wood and copper no less!). Of all the images, the print that I found most interesting was the first graphic one, with the horse and the skull-head man sitting on it. It was definitely an interesting thing to see.

On top of that, how cool was it that we all got to go to a back room to look at those prints? We were like VIP guests, meeting the curator and everything. I learned a lot about artwork from that session, and much more about exactly what kind of work goes into creating an exhibit. I am really thankful that we got to experience that, so thank you Professor Orenstein for getting us so close to the people who know art best, and thank you to Nadine Orenstein for telling us so much about art and what she does! That experience was really priceless.

Oh, and I shouldn’t forget the Rembrandt paintings. I’m very selective with my artwork, with pieces that I see, so it’s very difficult for me to fall in love with any piece of art. Thus, don’t be surprised that I didn’t find my ultimate favorite painting in that collection, but I did find some interesting pieces. I liked seeing some of Johannes Vermeer’s works (the artist who is famous for “The Girl with the Pearl Earring”) and I thought that many of Rembrandt’s painting had some interesting characteristics (particularly the look in his subject’s eyes), but, unfortunately, no favorite yet. Someday…

Now, as for the questions, here goes:

In truth, I think that there was much more traditional aspects in the Pamina Devi production than modern aspects. In comparison to Zhand Huan, Sophiline Shapiro seemed to have played it by the book. There were some instances where I thought that the amount the characters touched may be questionable to those who grew up in that culture (particularly in the scenes where the mother was showing her daughter how to stab and kill, or when Pamina was kidnapped). Otherwise, I honestly don’t know. In any case, that physical contact made me think twice, as it seemed almost wrong, in comparison to how little they touched otherwise. Also, the scenes of violence seemed out of place, as the dance seemed so peaceful and controlled, while the fighting, as mild as it was, felt like it didn’t belong. Cambodian dance makes me think of such a soft and light movement, that violence just didn’t fit, with its grotesqueness.

Zhang Huan, however, has no problem with the violence and the touching. He is the extreme of Cambodian dance. Yet, I think that the fact that Sophiline Shapiro did put in some forms of new artistic models, i.e. the violence and the touching, is a step in the right direction. It was not something expected, and in that way she and Zhang Huan are similar.

In all other aspects, like materials used and such, I think the idea behind the two’s clothing and set design is ultimately the same. Zhang Huan uses nudity and simplicity of surroundings to emphasize the original way things are supposed to be, the “traditional” way of living, so to speak. Technically, Sophiline Shapiro and Zhang Huan had that same idea, as Sophiline Shapiro kept tradition with the costume and kept simplicity with the stage design. On the other hand, it could be looked at as one person going on one extreme of nudity in a simple life, and another person going for the other extreme of covering everything up in a simple surrounding. The main connection I see in that is the simplicity, so that may be an ongoing idea in art nowadays.

Finally, on the topic of Buddhism and Buddhist art tradition, I think that it was more apparent in Zhang Huan’s work. Be it the materials he used for the artword or the actual artword (sculpture of incense ash of Buddha’s head), Zhang Huan did take Buddhism into his art. Yet, in Sophiline Shapiro’s choreography, the only time I really could see it clearly was during the initiation ceremony. It just seemed like such a religious events, like group prayer, that I thought that it could be an aspect of Buddhism. Otherwise, I have no idea.

Now, on the topic of the Met:

I think that the preservation of art and art forms really has to do with history. How can anyone know of a certain art’s importance if there is no history behind it? The artwork is diminished by a lack of significance, and thus preservation is important, as is making art available to be used as entertainment. Art, at its core is entertainment, and as such, must be displayed. But people wouldn’t understand it if it didn’t have a background.

I think that the way art is experienced nowadays is with a sense of respect towards the artist, as well as the thought that inspired the artwork. Thus, if the history behind a piece of art (or a dance) is tragic or happy, it changes the way the artwork is viewed. In my case, knowing some history of Cambodia and its dancing, I had a greater respect for the dancers and the choreographer, as the fact that they were bringing their tradition back to life was an indication of great perseverance and dedication. Similarly, regarding the prints, I was in awe of the craftsmanship behind the prints, as it was hard for me to believe that such beautiful art on wood or copper plates without the help of modern technology. Thus, without the preservation of these little details, the quirks of art, art becomes less valuable and less interesting. Everyone always wants to grasp an artistic concept, and knowing a bit about the artwork always helps. Preservation, be it of history or of the methods used to create art, really makes art more fascinating.

So, I hope it was worth it clicking the button. Won’t you read more some other time?

This entry was posted on Sunday, October 14th, 2007 at 1:53 am and is filed under