This week in NYTimes Arts, 12/12-12/14
Well it’s here… [tearing up] …the last time this semester that I’ll be requiring you to tell us what interested you in the NYTimes Arts section! Remember to save your comments on your own computer, in case of any future crash.
PS It looks like the bugs with video uploading are being worked out as I type so check back for an update on how to do that.
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We’ll miss these times Zoe=(
To Zoe: Surrealism
That was a very long scroll down to get here.
joe and corey. I will miss your never ending disagreements.
this weekend, I found the article “The Belching Ogre at the Broadway teather Has A Song in His Heart.” I thought to myself, “belching ogre” sounds familiar. But never would I have guessed that Shrek was now on Broadway. Opened last week on Sunday night, Shrek, once a fun-filled movie hit the stages and became a musical. I was pretty upset when shows such as Rent and Les Misérables had ended. But when new shows such as Shrek come out, I’m quite excited. I’m looking forward to watching a song and dance filled Shrek. The only part of the movie that there was song and dance was at the end of the movie. But Shrek: The Musical is going to be non-stop singing and dancing. How exciting! But then again, it’s disappointing how even broadway is turning movies into broadway such as how Hollywood is turning comics into movies. I just hope that when I get the chance to watch Shrek the Musical, it won’t leave me disappointed.
I used to take the ferry everyday during my high school days. When I saw this article, “Making Artistic Connections at a Subway Station” I was interested. In January 2009, brothers Mike and Doug Starn will reveal their $530 million installation at the South Ferry Subway Station. This installation is the first public artwork by the brothers. Consisted of trees and leaves the installations illuminate the station, or so they say. I’m considering taking the ferry in year 2009 to see the new addition. The title artwork from before are all boring and dull after seeing them for 4 years. Those work were probably there for much longer. It’s like taking a breath of fresh air. New and refreshing. This new set up will make it a lot more interesting the trips from Manhattan to Staten Island. Not to mention that it will most likely bring more tourists to that area, thus making my travel home more difficult.
Wow, last post already…
Like a few others did, I also read “Making Artistic Connections at a Subway Station”… I’ve never really had to take the ferry much before (considering I’ve never really had a reason to go to Staten Island) it is a bit difficult to understand the attraction… Although I agree that it IS decorative and very pleasing to look at (artwork and a nice design in general can do wonders to liven up anything dreary-looking; some subway stops do look pretty dumpy…), I’m not sure if that kind of thing is really worth $530 million… I think there are some more useful ways to spend that kind of money, personally. But maybe that’s just me… ^^;
I also read “The Films Are For Him. Got That?” just because I’ve been wondering exactly why Clint Eastwood has decided to do yet another movie. Don’t get me wrong, he’s legendary and all, and I certainly don’t have a problem with him directing if he wants to. But… “Gran Torino”? It seems like such a throwback to the genre of his earlier films. I hope it doesn’t come out lame like “Rambo 4”– not that I’m equating Clint Eastwood with “Rambo 4” (ugh), but you get the idea I hope. You can’t help but feel a little less excited at the idea of seeing an old dude fight crime… But apparently it is amazingly well done! (I’m hoping that he is not garnering Oscar attention just because he is old, legendary, and DOES deserve an award– even if it’s not for this movie.) I suppose I’ll just have to see for myself some time.
wow, I can’t believe the semester passed by so fast.
I’ve found that people seem to have a knack for leaning towards very dooms-day-esque movies such as “War of the Worlds” or most recently, “The Day the Earth Stood Still”. Although I haven’t seen the film myself yet, the review in Friday’s Times kind of ruined the hype for me ( BUT I’m still going to watch it :D). The story here is almost similar to many of the other aliens invading earth movies we’ve seen; here, Keanu Reeves plays the lead as the alien Klaatu, who’s come to earth with an agenda to help facilitate, as calmly and smoothly as possible, the annihilation of the human race. This remake of the 1951 version should be “better” in terms of its special effects, special technology and all. Actually, my friend watched it opening night and the only thing that stuck in his mind was Keanu Reeves’ character because it reminded him so much of Neo(Matrix). I’ve heard quite a few people comment on the “deadpan basso and permanently perplexed features” Reeves is best at and the similarities between “The Matrix” trilogy and “The Day the Earth Stood Still”. I’m predicting, though, someone will manage to get Reeve’s alien to sympathize and give the humans another chance because even though most of these films strike fear in the hearts of many of an impending doom, it always ends with a comforting victory for the human race.
I’ll admit, I’m a movie fanatic! I already have a list of movies that I want to watch before the end of this year and even more for next year’s releases. I don’t have just one particular favorite genre because I get interested in the most random genres over time. MOVING ON! In yesterday’s times, there was an article on Tom Cruise’s new film “Valkyrie” which i remember reading about online a few months back. I’m not really a big fan of Cruise because he seems to have the same expression in every film and throughout the film such as with the countless Mission Impossible movies. While Cruise was filming this movie in Germany, there was some problems with the locals who were displeased with his religion of choice, Scientology which caused some dissent or something of the sort. Anyway, after reading about film and the historical backdrop behind it, I really wanted to watch it, for some reason. (I remember seeing it in the previews when I went to the movies a few months ago and deciding I wouldn’t watch it. Silly me!) The film follows Col. Claus von Stauffenberg, a leader of a failed attempt to assassinate Hitler in ’44. Typically, with these historical films, the end is no surprise since we know Hitler wasn’t killed one of his own men at all. Despite the predictable end and Tom Cruise’s questionable acting, the film’s trailer seemed to be pretty fast-paced and suspenseful to keep audiences at the edge of their seats throughout the movie. :]
Just like Katherine, I read “Making Artistic Connections at a Subway Station.” When I think of a subway station, I am stuck with an ugly image of 7 train station, which I really detest. The South Ferry subway station, however, changed my views on what a subway station can be (Excluding the Grand Central). The $530 million installation by Starn brothers sounded amazing: curved floor-to-ceiling glass walls laced with silhouettes of trees, a marble mosaic of a vintage topographic map of Manhattan, and other imagery drawn from nearby Battery Park. Wouldn’t it be nice if my subway station had such elements! A trip from Staten Island to Manhattan will be pleasant, but what about from Queens to Manhattan?! I mean I am excited to hear about the new station and want to go visit, but why would MTA spend so much money when it already needs money and is thinking of raising the price for each fare? Maybe there was something more to it than my questions. Well, I cannot wait till January 2009, a time when I will get to see the station with my very own eyes.
hahaha Joe and Corey obviously this became a part-time chatting room for you guys
Just to clarify regarding the subway station design article, the total price tag for the station was $530 million; the cost of the art component was $1 million (or, .02% of the total project cost). The art did NOT cost $530 million.
In NYC and other places, there is a ‘Percent for Art’ program that mandates that all new publicly-funded construction must set aside 1% of the project budget to be spent on public art. [FYI, this is one reason why there is art in Baruch’s Vertical Campus.] Subway construction is financed with your tax dollars, so they must follow the Percent for Art mandate, which is why there is art in a lot of subway stations. But again, the Starn brothers’ design cost .02% of the total project budget, so in theory you might expect that you could get 50 such installations at that single site. (Will you get 50? I doubt it.)
So my question is, do you think that spending 1% (or .02%) of the project budget on art is a poor use of funds?
Although it is only 1 % and 1 million, and as much as we all love to see art in our travels, I think it is a poor use of funds. We are in a recession. Though the money can help provide jobs for many, I feel that there could be better uses for the money.
Even though it’s mandated, I agree with Joe that it can be seen as a poor use of funds. Especially with our economy, I think we could have cut back on some of that money. And thanks for pointing out that $530 million was for the whole station not the art piece.
“Dance audiences, I believe, have now got used to taped music, and you can get used to it, the same way you can learn to eat Spam instead of ham, or breathe smog instead of air. Your life is just diminished, and you don’t realize it until you see concerts such as we saw last month.” This is a memorable sentence from the article, “Consequences of Going to the Tape.” I cannot believe that our society is moving toward degrading performance arts. The main reason why I adore the Broadway shows are because they offer a series of live music that I cannot hear anywhere else. Although taped music with our current technology can offer multitude layers of sounds, it cannot emulate the liveliness and the intensity of live music. My excitement elevates whenever I feel the chemistry between the conductor and the performers and just like how the article said, recorded music cannot offer such spark. As for making a mistake, unlike Hea Jung, I feel that either way (whether they use taped music or live music) a performer or musicians are bound to make mistake at least once in their career life. They can learn from those mistakes. I rather see someone making a mistake with live music, as I recall a cute boy from Vienna choir who kept hiccuping during the performance. I could tell how nervous he was from his face expressions when he couldn’t stop hiccuping. I wish, with all my heart, that live music will live on.
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