NYTimes Arts rolls on! In your comments this week, draw connections between at least two different articles AND at least one event you’ve attended this semester. Provide your own original thinking, not merely a summary of an article.
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In “Medieval Foes With Whimsy” the journalist tells about the chess exhibition in the Met. He especially emphisises the sometimes whimsical expressions on the figires’ faces or their overall appearance. Why chess, the serious game, are supposed to be laughtable? Almost the same question was on my mind when I was watching “The Infernal Comedy” with John Malkovich the other day. How can one make the audience laugh while some woman’s singing about the tragedy? Is it wrong? However, that’s the great thing about the performance: the unity of the reverse. Comedy made out of drama. This makes me remember the other article, where David Roffe makes over the New York bus tour into a performance, “The City, Inside Yet Out”. Can a bus tour be considered a work of art? Does it make a diference if a guide is a performer of some kind or simply a guide? A guide is a performer anyway – it’s difficult to “speak” history not to get people bored by just talking facts. So, what Mr. Roffe showed us had already been there, we just hadn’t recognized it till he did.
Two of this weeks dance reviews, “Spitting Sad About the Bloody Uprisings in Iran” and “New York’s Leggy Darlings Save the Holiday” brought to light just how representative simple, word-less movement can really be. These two pieces of the same art form have virtually nothing in common. “Once Upon a Time Country” is a deep and moving piece about the Iran protests and struggles of 2009, which deals with heavy and disturbing subject matters while Radio City Music Hall’s famous “Christmas Spectacular” is an upbeat, uplifting staple that’s been getting audiences into the holiday spirit for years. The accompaniments of each work, to go along with their themes are also of course very different. From an opulent stage in the middle of New York filled with lights, technology and color, to a stripped down, small dark and eerie stage in a Church on St. Marks Street, these two shows could not be more juxtaposed. However, no matter how different, the two are essentially the same – art expressions with a purpose or a message, whether it be to bring awareness or to bring on holiday cheer. These two contrasting dance reviews reminded me of the dance performance “She Dreams in Code” the class went to see earlier in the year in that it was yet another example of a completely different spectrum of dance from the two mentioned in the articles. Almost a middle ground between the two, “She Dreams in Code” didn’t have a deep, heavy message or theme but it was definitely no Christmas Spectacular. I find it incredibly interesting how simply changing body movements and backing them up with different colors or sounds can produce such different effects and impressions on an audience and set such a wide array of tones and themes.
In the article, “Killer Charms: Grin, Shrug, and Strangle a Soprano or Two,” Jason Zinoman reviews the musical play: “The Infernal Comedy: Confessions of a Serial Killer.” He believes that John Malkovich did a good job portraying as the Austrian fellon named Jack Unterweger, however he thinks that the seriousness of the actual story was lost by his acting because it was so genteel. In the review, Zinoman discusses the appearance of the play, such as the apparel that Malkovich wears, as well as the plot of the play, which is the life of a serial killer through his eyes after he commits suicide. He appreciates that while many Broadway producers are cutting musicians, this show makes the bold move of placing more than 30 musicians onstage. In the article, “Drake Pushes Rap Toward the Gothic,” Jon Caramanica reviews the latest album of the hip-hop phenomenon Drake. He appreciates that he is taking such a big risk in this new album, “Take Care,” because of the unexpected choices and juxtapositions abound on this album. He compares Drake to other rappers such as Kanye West and Lil’ Wayne, who also tried unique twists in there albums but at much later stages in their careers than Drake has done now. Then, the writer analyzes the album more in depth by going into the types of songs, such as the emotional “Look What You’ve Done.” These articles relate to my recent visit to the Brooklyn Academy of Music to watch “The Infernal Comedy,” which was the play that was reviewed in the article. The day that I went to the play was the first day that I began listening to the new album that Drake released. The content of the songs of his album really differ from the witty remarks made in the play.
In article, “Advances in Medicine Lead Stars to Surgery,” James C. McKinley summarizes the physical difficulties that artists and singers have to overcome when performing. Many singers on tour have been forced to reschedule because of issues with their larynx. If not treated properly, it might result into fibrosis, scarring of the larynx, leaving permanent damage to the singer’s voice. Also, article “Mark Hall, ‘Danger Mouse’ Cartoonist, Dies at 75,” talks about the death of Mark Hall, the creator of the cartoon, “Danger Mouse.” These two articles both manage to remind viewers that artists are humans too and therefore also subjected to the same physical illnesses, cycles of life and death that normal people go through. The articles also reveal how much effort goes into each artistic performance, reminding me of the dance performance “She Dreams in Code.” During parts of the moment, the dancers were actively panting and huffing. At first, I thought it was staged to add another layer of mystery and drama into the performance. However, after awhile, I realized that the heavy breathing was the result of all the physical exertion. Overall, keeping in mind the artists and the effort they invested into each and every performance, despite of physical difficulties, makes the audience appreciate their work all the more.
In the article “The Perfect Stocking Stuffer: A Chocolate Lady Gaga Shoe,” the famous department store Barney’s unleashed a new Lady Gaga inspired collection, which brings designer goods for the affluent. However, this is not the first time Barneys has reveled a eccentric collection; in 1996 it showcased the renowned psychologist, Sigmund Freud in its window gallery. Barneys is selling a Lady Gaga inspired chocolate shoe for $95, yes $95. Although it is less expensive than her more well known outfits i.e. the infamous meat dress, which was said to cost $10,000, it is still expensive for the average consumer. I compared this to the article “An Enclave of Artists, Reluctant to Leave,” which is about federally subsidized housing apartments for artists during the 1970’s. Westbeth, in the Village was a crime ridden neighborhood that transformed over the decades into a neighborhood of affluence. Originally it was only suppose to be an “incubator” for young artists who needed a cheap living space; however, these artists have grown old, now in their 70’s and 80’s, and are refusing to leave, often leaving the apartments to their children or grandchildren. Similarly, it can be argued that Lady Gaga will try to perpetuate her eccentric and unique styles. As artists, it is difficult to change their way of life because they express their identity through their art. Although I do not think that the Westbeth artists will be leaving anytime soon, I think that the Lady Gaga fad will come to an end in the near future then again we just might have strawberry hats to complement those chocolate shoes. These articles relate to the Meet The Artist event with Alicia Hall Moran. Moran is also a musical artist who consistently refers to the idea that she is an artist because she says that art is the only way she can make a lasting mark in society. Art is immortal, it lives on from generation to generation and is often alluded to in contemporary art. For the residents of Westbeth, part of the reason they do not want to leave these apartments is because it fosters creativity, it encourages artists to be artists even though the financial rewards may not be great. Moreover, with Lady Gaga, her fashions have definitely made a mark in contemporary society and may even come back in future generations.
I find that the best fiction is the kind we can identify with, and the best kind of non-fiction is the type that feels almost surreal. This semester, we went to see John Malkovich in BAM’s “Infernal Comedy”, which is a take on a gruesome, disturbing, but nonetheless true story. When I got home, I read up on the play, and more specifically, Malkovich’s performance, and was intrigued and somewhat reassured to find that the purpose of the play was not to humanize a serial killer, but to prove that underneath a monster is a human, and underneath the human is a monster.
This week I read two articles that discussed upcoming biopics that are meant to bring life and depth to the deceased. Although Marilyn Monroe, Laurence Olivier, Sigmund Freud, and Carl Jung are obviously not serial killers, there is a similarity to “The Infernal Comedy”. The actors portraying these icons and historical figures all had to tap into their inner Marilyns and Freuds, and layer their (usually) detached perceptions of the characters with engaging acting. “A Week With Marilyn”, as discussed in Manhola Dargis’s “Glamorous Sex Goddess, Longing to Be Human”, is an upcoming film that attempts to humanize the tragic actress, who continually fought for recognition and struggled with her public persona. “A Dangerous Method”, which is NYT’s Critic’s Pick, is another movie reviving significant personas of the twentieth century. It also attempts to humanize them. Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung, Otto Gross, and Sabina Spielrein, are reinterpreted in a film that borders on the thrilling and dramatic. Like BAM’s production, these films appear to make the past more ambiguous and interesting, although every approach proves to be unique.
After reading this week’s New York Times Art Section, I drew a connection between an art event I attended in Grand Central Station. A young man was sitting in a not so populated area of Grand Central playing the Harp. At first, I could faintly make out the sound of Colplay songs echoing throughout the station, but was unable to locate where the sound was coming from. Upon locating Erik Heger and his harp, I began wondering why he chose this spot in particular, rather than one where far more people were likely to pass by. I then realized that those that enjoyed what they heard could very well make the effort to follow the sound to where Heger was sitting. This is similar to the article titled “How to Become a Big Fish in an Indie-Rock Aquarium” as Jeffrey Lewis, both an illustrator and a musician, discusses his journey to where he is today. He “might not be in magazines as a heartthrob face,” he sings in that song, “but in a few devoted hearts [he has] found a strong fan base.” Similarly to Heger, who might not be exposed to a large amount of people each day, seems to be satisfied with those that do make the decision to find him and enjoy his music. Lewis also discusses that you “didn’t really need anything but a tape recorder to make an album”, which I assume is a similar attitude to that of Heger, who is able to produce wonderful music using only a public location and his harp to entertain people, without always having a proper venue, etc. Another article, titled “A Symphony of Floorboards, Pipes and Stairs”, discusses a run down cottage that has been turned into “the music box”, which is now home to various instruments used to produce concerts. The constructors of this musical structure, have, similarly to Heger and Lewis, made use of what they have to produce a wonderful piece of entertainment for those that are genuinely interested.