Art is Where You Find It

The nightmare of war haunts the soldiers: some are eternally plagued by the horrifying images and some just lose their memories as they struggle to return to their normal lives. Directed by Ari Folman, the animated documentary “Waltz with Bashir” is a story of a soldier who lost his wartime memories-memories of Mr. Folman himself. As Ari strive to regain his memory through the memories of other Israeli soldiers, the audience witnesses what actually happens during war: tanks smash houses and cars, towns are destroyed, and civilians are murdered. He also blames the followers of Bashir Gemayel, the Christian militia leader whose assassination resulted the massacre at Palestinian refugee camps. The highlight of this movie is a shocking ending that shows the actual wartime footage. The movie might be too depressing for the American society; however, the value of “Waltz with Bashir” cannot be underrated. This movie brings reality into our superficial Hollywood based entertainment-a wake up call to our ignorance to past and current tragedies.

At first, I had my doubts about these limited edition “urban designer toys” my friends collected. We’re talking about collectible vinyl figures whose value ranged from $7 up to $20,000 depending on the artist and limited quantity available worldwide. The new exhibit “Uninvited Guests” at myplasticheartnyc on the Lower East Side showcases works by well known toy artist, Kathie Olivas, from her new Scavengers series (aka Misery Children). The rather dreary name fits the line of toys perfectly because although they have a certain cute quality about them, they also have a tainted or corrupted appearance that gives off an air of rebellion and ambiguity. I almost felt drawn to these toys because not only do they bring back reminiscent memories of my own childhood they also possess a certain adult-ness about them: satirical, ominous and sometimes, disturbing. Most of the collection revolved around a cross between the constant of the series, children, and animals, or strange creatures. Although Kathie Olivas’ bring about a somewhat disturbing feeling, one eventually learns to appreciate the story, or theme the artist tries establishing through her custom toys and prints. The exhibit was definitely worth the visit and it has even drawn me into a world of urban pop art and even, believe it or not, “designer” toys.  While I hope nothing will ever possess me to splurge on a $10,000 toy, i’ll definitely be following with the new trends and series the artists come out with.

The talk with filmmaker David Holbrooke on October 7 at the Macaulay Honors Center was one of the most fascinating events I’ve attended. David Holbrooke is a one-of-a-kind filmmaker willing to listen to anybody as long as he or she has something interesting to say. I really appreciate his open-mindedness and all the documentaries he has made with this viewpoint. He directed the documentary “Hard as Nails”, which explores a very controversial Catholic young minister, Justin Fatica, a man very intense about his beliefs. Holbrooke admits that he did not agree with Fatica’s ideas at all, but was still willing to understand and help demonstrate his unique perspective to the public.
Holbrooke produced “Live from Shiva’s Dance Floor”, which features underground tour guide “Speed” Levitch on what to do with Ground Zero. He expresses how he was affected by the way Speed acts and views the world. It further supports the fact that he wants the world can listen and understand what these people are trying to convey through their unique way of expressing their feelings. I couldn’t help but feel the same way because although most of these people are conveyed as unsocial iconoclasts, I believe that the ways they think are very crucial in shaping our society. After all, everyone has his or her individual voice that should be allow to be heard in order to better society.

Thousands of brightly lit balloons filled the Brooklyn Bridge with hope and unity on October 16th. Now in its 10^th year, the annual Leukemia Light the Night walk continues to raise money for patients, survivors, and their supportive families. This year, I had the chance to join the community for the first time. Seeing all the people with one common goal was such a new and exciting experience. Right before the walk started, I roamed around Seaport and advanced to one of the upper floors overlooking the whole place. Seaport was more beautiful than it ever was. Three levels below, there were thousands of people in white t-shirts and red, white, or gold balloons that blinked repeatedly. Shows and speeches brought people together to share tears and experiences. Many were overjoyed to see the amount of donations go up and up—soon to be given to the some of the best researchers for cures. The walk across the Brooklyn Bridge was such a visible and symbolic way to attract attention to patients battling leukemia. Just seeing their appreciation makes me want to participate every year. 

Well we are back on line but unfortunately we lost all of the posts and comments since October 18. This feels like an eternity to me. So many pearls of wisdom, gone.

Once the melancholy passes we need to get back on line here. You need to post your blurbs, and your reviews if they went missing. I have saved copies of your comments on posts that I have made, and perhaps you have copies of others’ comments on your posts. So I think we can put back a lot of what disappeared. So, here’s what you need to do:

1. Make sure that your last review (review 2) is posted here, and if it isn’t post it again;
2. Post your latest blurb (don’t neglect to select the ‘Blurbs’ category when posting)
3. Leave your comments on the NYTimes Arts post
4. Leave your comments on the “The Way Things Go” post
5. If you have copies of others’ comments on your posts from anytime since October 18, please send them to me via email.
6. From now on, keep backup copies of your own comments and posts on your own computer, in the event that this mess happens again – no one has guaranteed that it won’t.