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The Arts in New York City
Baruch College Fall 2011, Section NWH
Film: At the Venice Film Festival – blahblahblah, director made a film “offering a new take on the story that will stand or fall on its own merits.” Isn’t it what everybody does? (Yeah, sometimes movies made directly on the contents of a book, but overall-)
In the article “Outdone by Reality” by MICHIKO KAKUTANI, the writer explains how 9/11 did not have any “seismic impact” on the art world. In English class, I read an article by Frank Rich which was very similar. Both articles explain how because of 9/11, propaganda and artistic media has been able to somewhat take advantage of the situation. It was very interesting how when brought to one’s attention, is unfortunately very true.
^ i forgot to log in to post that.
I was reading the article about the new interest in Chinese artwork/paintings.
It stated that many successful Chinese Business men are spending millions of dollars on both Chinese and European paintings. I thought that this was very interesting because with the economic crisis, I did not expect that people are spending large sums of money on art. Some of the artwork on sale are by very famous artists like Monet.
In the article “Day of Pain, Through TV’s Prism”, the writer talks about all the documentaries and specials that television networks are airing in lieu of the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. He points out that although many of these programs mean well, they are in a sense almost exploiting the attacks and that many do not want to relive or be reminded of that horrible day. However, I disagree and think that by airing these documentaries, many of which depict survivors telling their courageous and heroic stories, the networks are able to remind people of how strong this nation really is and that although terrible and tragic, the attacks brought the country closer together. I think coming together to pay tribute to those who lost their lives will only remind the people how strong we really are.
There is an interesting character that is detailed for us in the movie review of Contagion. Alan Krumwiede, who is portrayed by Jude Law, is a blogger from San Francisco that uses the internet to exploit people and spread panic. Krumwiede, who is a central villain in the movie, is an excellent example of how one can change the course of of an event transpiring anywhere in the world, from the comfort of their bedroom. We, as bloggers and frequent internet users, often fail to realize that anything we type or post can have major consequence beyond that of which we intend. There is an old phrase that says the pen is mightier than the sword, but in our present time, the keyboard is undoubtedly the most powerful.
I was really happy to read about the showing of West Side Story accompanied by a live orchestra. It’s always been one of my favorite musicals and I never got around to seeing it on Broadway. Unfortunately, the Times came out with the article a little too late after the fact and I wasn’t able to attend, which is just really disappointing because the moment I read the article I thought about how this was something I would totally be interested in.
I found it interesting that the writer of the article “Day of Pain, Through TV’s Prism” made it clear that the movies that are made on the topic of September 11 are not really helping the people watching them because no one really wants to relive that day. Personally, I think that these movies are act as good reminders of the disaster and how that one day changed everything for so many people. For example, I thought watching what George Bush experienced that day and how he felt as it all happened was interesting and helped people understand better the difficulties that others actually have to face.
One article I found interesting was that involving a museum in Florida and a painting they borrowed from Italy. They have been directed by officials that they should not give back the painting as it is currently unclear whom the painting belongs to. It is believed that the Nazis could have stolen it during WWII. It was interesting to read this article as it revealed how much history lies behind a painting. This painting was first painted in the 1530s and today, in 2011, we are discussing whom it belongs to. Although the exhibit is now over, the museum is being very accomodating by allowing the painting to remain on display until this dispute has been settled. This was very interesting to read as it made me realize how one seemingly innocent and beautiful item can cause great disputes.
The article “Magazine Covers About 9/11” from September 10 gave the reader a glimpse at the tragic event from both an artist’s and an editor’s perspective. I felt that all covers were appropriate and commemorative, but those of The New Yorker and Time especially stood out. They were aesthetically pleasing without being too edgy and inappropriate, and memorialized the subject without being too somber (in fact, the two covers conveyed very hopeful messages of resilience).
Another article I really liked was “Outdone by Reality”. It was a critical, but objective look at how our culture has shaped around the 9/11 attacks. The writer feels that our contemporary world is fueled by recycled plot lines, and that our media is sometimes using the terrorist attack as an additional “hook” to get the reader immersed in mindless action and short-term entertainment. Of course, some powerful art (and, needless to say, emotion) has come out of the event (“The Hurt Locker”, “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close” “The Looming Tower”, etc), but a lot of it seems to be merely a more intense reflection of the years prior to 9/11. Strangely, some of the movies that we tend to identify with counter-terrorism, such as “Die Hard” and “Air Force One” were produced before the attacks. Our present media is intent on grabbing the audience’s attention with simplified “good vs. evil” plot lines, and completely leaves out the sentiment. Perhaps our culture needs more time to get adjusted and perhaps create something beautiful out of a tragedy; trying to dumb ourselves down and refuse to remember is only a temporary remedy.
In the article “Three Ways to Look Back, None Easy,” the writer describes the memories that all of us have of that day. For example, she writes “The towers exploding against the crystalline blue sky, the white dust cascading, the panicked office workers.” She talks about how there are three exhibitions open to public in New York City to view different visuals of September 11. I think that these ideas are very good reminders for people to remember those who died that day.
As a fan of both the Beatles and ballet, I was thrilled to read about Paul McCartney’s ‘Ocean’s Kingdom”. The storyline and concept sound great, and I would love to catch a show when it’s finally complete and ready to be performed. It’s a love story involving an underwater princess, tattooed villains, and what seems to be an amazing score!
I also enjoyed the article about Leonard Retel Helmrich, who uses his camera in a way that truly engages his audience into his documentaries. It’s interesting to think that innovative and original camera shots can make us stop and think about how the video was actually filmed, something we’re implicitly not supposed to think about. This should be distracting, but in the case of the documentary, it somehow adds a little more because it gives the sense that this was a beautiful slice of life that we were lucky to see captured and will probably never have seen otherwise.
Earlier this week I read an article about the flourishing Chinese art markets, which goes along with the article I read today titled : “Auctions: Seesaw Bidding Early in the Season.” In London there was an art show that in comparison to the Asian art show was not as sucessful. There was a new trend among blue and white porcelain, which I thought was interesting because trends happen so fast that it becomes hard to tell what is popular and what is not. Our society dictates what is valuable,which is why it is ever changing because overtime the new generations discover new trends and do away with the old.
In the New York Times article, “Magazine Covers on a Topic Known All Too Well,” Jeremy W. Peters discusses the tenth anniversary of 9/11. Peters points out the grave responsibility of magazine editors for choosing what photographs to feature in their covers. Magazine editors are trying to feature covers that would enable New Yorkers to remember the 9/11 tragedy, but at the same time inject a certain level of optimism. I thought it was interesting that the pictures of the twin towers had become such an incredibly universal icon. One single picture of the twin towers can convey so much emotions (anger, grief, pain) in itself. Just looking at a photograph can bring back New Yorkers to that very tragic day. I believe that this is the power of art, the ability to transport people to another place where they can grieve, reflect, and become stronger people.
The article, “Juggling a Comedy Series About Juggling Life’s Tasks,” is about the new show coming to NBC this fall, “Up All Night,” which is on the topic of a woman who has to balance her job as a mother and her professional work. It is the story of a married couple and their adventures while raising a baby. I think that this is a good subject for a new series because since we are in an economic recession, many women are forced to work to help financially. For this reason, they have to take care of their children and go to work, which is why this show is a great comedic point of view of so many people these days.
In response to Jenny’s interest in ‘Ocean’s Kingdom’, I also can’t wait until the opening! I found out about this about a month ago while reading a magazine article, so it’s great that it’s getting the publicity it deserves. The costumes are designed by Stella McCartney, and I’m sure that they will look exquisite on the performers. It’s always exciting to see fantasy come to life on stage; sometimes it gets a bit tiresome watching the “classics”..it’s time for something new!
I came across the article “Outdone by Reality”, and found it very interesting that the writer brought up how although so many people said that 9/11 was going to change the way we “think and act day to day, week to week” and that it would “spell the end of the age of irony” but that did not turn out to be the case. He points out that violent movies continue to be the most rented and dark ironic humor of shows like Saturday Night Live and magazines like The Onion were just as, if not more, popular. I think this shows how hard it really is to change the way people are, even when they need changing. It’s sad that even a horrific event like this ultimately had little effect on what entertains people, myself included unfortunately.
The article, “Lynn Shelton Discusses ‘Your Sister’s Sister’” by Mekado Murphy, discusses the new film made by Lynn Shelton. In the interview, Shelton talks about how she likes making absurd situations seem real so that viewers can relate to the movie. This made me start thinking about the issue of something being “relatable.” I wonder whether viewers would prefer to read something that they can relate to or would they prefer to read something that is completely abnormal and “out of the box”, so to speak.
Yana’s response about dark entertainment made me wonder why people enjoy watching such violent and tragic movies. I personally don’t see the appeal of watching people get injured or blown up. Is it the excitement or is the misfortune of others really that entertaining? Maybe what a society entertains itself with can be telling of what sort of values the society has itself.
In the article, “Underground Musicians Lose a Haven,” the writer writes about the last concert held at Monster Island and how much people are going to miss going to Monster Island for such events. This is because Monster Island is being shutdown by the landlord in order for him to redevelop the property and has not renewed the lease. I think that this is shocking and terrible for people because such a place is important for many people and by not being able to go there any more, those people will be severely disheartened. This is when I think that the landlord should think in the benefit of the general public.
[WORDPRESS HASHCASH] The poster sent us ‘219914796 which is not a hashcash value.
Dwight Garner paints such a fair picture of Michael Moore and his new book in “A Contrarian Since Childhood” it almost makes me upset that he’s not taking a stand. It seems like all criticism of Michael Moore is extreme. He is either the truth bearing culture hero or he is slowly destroying the foundation and pride of the country. Admittedly, it’s not easy to be balanced when discussing Moore, he isn’t a very balanced guy. I still don’t know if I want to read his book. Maybe that was Garner’s point.
I was rather surprised when I read the article ‘E.U Extends Royalty Protection’ to learn that artists and recording labels only receive money from their work for seventy years after publication. Even though this is twenty years longer than then before, one wonders where the money will go after the seventy years have expired. Elvis Presley recorded his first songs around sixty years ago, meaning his record label and presumably his family will only continue to receive money for a decade. With this in mind, who will have the rights to his work when the next ten years have passed?
I’ve always felt an affinity for the Irish culture, so naturally, the article on modern Irish dance piqued my interest. I found the article to be unnecessarily scathing. I feel like the author went into the performance thinking he was going to hate what he saw and that adversely affected what he experienced and ultimately incorporated in his article.
I, on the other hand, think it sounds like a really cool idea. I’m a huge fan of traditional Irish dance, and I’d definitely be interested in checking it out.
I found the article on the the new CW television series “H8R” to be interesting. The premise of the show is that famous stars are paired up with their “haters” and they are left to settle their differences. The show can get very heated at times, but it is interesting to see how a person’s’ perspective changes when they take the other person’s side into account. The show recently premiered and has only aired one episode so far. I think this is a show worth checking out.
I found the article about J.K. Rowling’s boots quite interesting. Apparently, she wore the boots while she wrote the first Harry Potter book. Now, I can see why someone would want to buy maybe her pen, or original manuscript, but what on earth is someone going to do with a pair of her boots? However, its going to a good cause. Blue Earth Benefit Auctions are selling the shoes and donating 10% of the proceeds to The Cure and Omaha Schools Foundation in Omaha, Nebraska. I really only found this interesting because I’m sort of a Harry Potter nerd (don’t judge me)..
I found the article “The Name Might Escape, Not the Work” to be a much needed praise of character actors, ones who may not be as famous as the movie stars who headline movies, but ones who’s characters make the movies what they are as a whole. It’s refreshing that for once, an article is recognizing the supporting actors and giving them the credit they deserve. One quote from the article stood out to me in particular: “A star imports outsized individuality into every role, playing variations on a person we believe we know. A character actor, by contrast, transforms a well-known type into an individual.” I think this statement really shows how important the character actors are to a movie, they are what make the movie hit home and resonate – something very important to the movie’s success. Unfortunately, the huge shadow the Hollywood stars cast on the films they star in often hides these incredibly talented actors’ potentials.
I agree with Minal the fact that in China people are spending so much money on art work is crazy. It shows the amount of influence the western world has on the eastern world because it is consumerism that is changing the principles in the east. It also shows a great story about the haves and the have nots and how the moral compass changes with money.