"PhotoDimensional", Columbia College Chicago's latest exhibition at their magnificent Museum of Contemporary Photography, offers the public a chance to observe art that investigates the relationship between sculpture and photography, between two and three dimensions, and explore the issues inherent to those relationships. The pieces in this exhibition challenge the notion that a two dimensional photograph cannot be examined in more than a two-dimensional light. The works in this exhibition, which are of mixed media, highlight and acknowledge the multiple layers within a two-dimensional landscape, often leaving the observer feeling a sense of chaos and intricacy, yet subtlety when looking at the "big picture".
One of the most widely discussed pieces, and one of my favorites in the collection, La Ronde by artist Bettina Hoffmann, is a three-piece video installation that uses a slowly panning video camera to present multiple points of view on subjects who are absolutely still, (think The Matrix when Trinity freezes in midair and the camera pans around her in midair.) It felt as if I was traveling through a two-dimensional photograph; therefore, the humans became sculptures to stare at, to examine, to judge. The installation felt extremely voyeuristic and, in some ways, made me feel uncomfortable to be examining these subjects so closely by every angle.
Out of the three sections in La Ronde, my favorite was a scene with two male human subjects, seemingly getting ready to confront a beautiful woman sitting down who is staring at some object in the distance. The camera panned around the three subjects as if we, the audience, were on a carousel, with deeply personal and haunting ambient, repetitive music effortlessly playing in the background and moving along with us. The section displayed the art of a moment, the dynamics of human interaction, and the open-endedness and ordinary setting of the scene made it even more personal and relateable.
In the three sections of La Ronde, the camera kept going around and around in one big circle as if we were in the world or in the bubble with these characters, yet each subject still seemed stuck in their own bubble, in their own world, deep within themselves. In another section, we are once again examining various subjects--this time, we are at the lunch table with a family. There is a sleeping child, the child's grandmother staring at a bowlful of berries, the child's grandfather asking his daughter a question, his son staring at his face, the son's sister not paying attention, her husband staring at the sleeping child. Alright, that was confusing, but so is La Ronde; we don't know for certain if these subjects have any relation, but we can't help but find the time to examine the dynamics of these characters and try to decipher the emotional details that run so prevalent within these three pieces.
Melinda McDaniel's "Seven Days" is a piece that contains many large photo prints. As shown in the artistic statement, McDaniel's placed strips of color photographic paper outside to achieve varying degrees of exposure and imprints of weather, revealing the subtle color gradients inherent in the paper's chemistry. Each strip was exposed from one to seven days and are shown chronologically left to right, with the the shortest exposured photograph on the left and the longest exposed on the right. Because the paper has not been processed, the "photographs" will continue to expose throughout the exhibition, negating the typical notion that a photograph is a still moment in time. McDaniel's photographs lead the audience to wonder if one would be able to analyze and interpret the language of the photographs, even though there was no subject or any sort of story that one would be able to work with.
Another one of my favorite pieces in the "PhotoDimensional" collection is a piece by Florian Slotawa from the series Hotelarbeiten. Sotawa took photographs of hotel furniture that he arranged into fortress-like sculptures in various European hotel rooms. The subject of hotels and the thousand of stories that must have occured in one hotel room always fascinates me, and Slotawa's photographs brought a sense of life, of playfulness and security, to these otherwise stale, impersonal spaces.
"PhotoDimensional" contains work by John Coplans, Katalin Deer, Leslie Hewitt, Bettina Hoffmann, Pello Irazu, David Ireland, Heather Mekkelson, Melinda McDaniel, Laurent Millet, Vik Muniz, Susana Reisman, Lorna Simpson, and Florian Slotawa.
The exhibition is running from February 13th - April 19th, 2009 at the Museum of Contemporary Photography at Columbia College Chicago, 600 S. Michigan Ave. The exhibition is free and open to the general public. Hours: Mon-Sat, 10am-5pm; Thursday, 10am-8pm; Sunday, 12pm-5pm.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Nikki Lee Critique
I never thought I could have so much to say about one collection of art -- in fact, usually when I visit galleries or observe a particular piece of art, I feel that people around me create interpretations just to create interpretations, as if they are analyzing with the intention of boggling their own minds out of boredom. I do feel that one can analyze any media if given time, as shown in my previous English classes, but this particular collection of Nikki Lee's seems relevant and crucial and worth a discussion.
These photographs, all taken with a disposable camera, show a woman in different social situations. The photographs are amateur and don't seem to display a particular sense of artistry. If this weren't an art collection, I would have gone through them very quickly without thought; however, knowing that there was something to be said about the collection, I grew to appreciate what Lee was getting at with these photographs -- that is, is life many phases put together? Is it possible to become part of a group/social setting in a few short weeks? Do we lose our individuality when we decide to partake in the lifestyle of a particular group? (Indeed, to answer the last question, Lee seemed almost unrecognizable in the snapshots, becoming just another punk skateboarder or urban Hispanic.)
The collection itself brought up many questions. Who were the photographers and should they receive credit for the project? Did the various social groups understand that Lee was creating an art project? Is there a significance to the dates printed on the snapshots (besides having scientific specificity)?
These photographs, all taken with a disposable camera, show a woman in different social situations. The photographs are amateur and don't seem to display a particular sense of artistry. If this weren't an art collection, I would have gone through them very quickly without thought; however, knowing that there was something to be said about the collection, I grew to appreciate what Lee was getting at with these photographs -- that is, is life many phases put together? Is it possible to become part of a group/social setting in a few short weeks? Do we lose our individuality when we decide to partake in the lifestyle of a particular group? (Indeed, to answer the last question, Lee seemed almost unrecognizable in the snapshots, becoming just another punk skateboarder or urban Hispanic.)
The collection itself brought up many questions. Who were the photographers and should they receive credit for the project? Did the various social groups understand that Lee was creating an art project? Is there a significance to the dates printed on the snapshots (besides having scientific specificity)?
Monday, February 23, 2009
Revisions in "Peaceful Warrior" Review
In my revision book review post, I did the following:
1. I took out many parentheses that contained my own side comments, (Carolyn, Jonathan, Aubree, and Robert all agreed that it distracted the them from the actual book review.)
2. I shortened the review by about 50 words, something that I felt necessary, like I was trimming the fat off of this big hunky steak.
3. I changed some of the wording and made a few corrections, (i.e. commas, spelling, etc.) Some of the words didn't quite work so great in the original review. For example, the old line: "Told with a great sense of awareness, Way of the Peaceful Warrior is a story not to be taken for granted." VS. the new line: "Told with a great sense of knowledge and awareness, Way of the Peaceful Warrior is a timeless story about one man's quest for happiness."
4. I completely deleted the second paragraph. It seemed long, whiny, and irrelevant. Robert commented that it was a bit like, "Yeah, so...?" And I agree. It was boring and contained a lot of words without, well, saying anything of value.
5. I put the original third paragraph into the last paragraph, as it read more like a closing argument or final thought than criticism in the middle of a review. It worked beautifully, combining these two, I mean.
6. I fixed up some tense problems, (i.e. I thought/You will like/The book isn't)
7. In the "new" second paragraph, I added more constructive criticism/objectivity, something that Carolyn and Robert both wanted me to do. Take for example, the last line: "The way that Millman was able to so eloquently phrase these "new-age" concepts is what separates itself from similar novels. Not only is Way of the Peaceful Warrior a remarkable and captivating story, it has proven itself as THE self-aware manifestation of what one person is capable of achieving in life, taking the subtitle "A Book That Changes Lives."
(In defense, this is a novel where, in my opinion, a subjective review would not seem that inappropriate, as it can be considered a "self-help" book by some.)
8. I gave more commentary on the book as a whole. Take, for example, the second to last paragraph: "Millman does this through storytelling without being moralistic or over-the-top and with little religious overtone, something that other similar "search-for-happiness" novels manifest. This is not a "how-to" book by any means, but the lessons taught and, particularly some passages, left me feeling a renewed sense of possibility and passion for life."
9. Although I already said that I took out the original second paragraph, I must state that I made it a top priority to take out the following line: "...something that I have been working on tremendously in my own life." That seems much, much too subjective and personal, as Robert pointed out, especially if I am writing for a publication like Newsweek or Time. (Like, why does it matter if I am working on my own life?)
10. As Robert suggested, I took out the line: "However, I do still have some faith in humanity and I very much so believe in supernatural/other-worldly phenomena. My duty here isn't to doubt the possibility or authenticity of what Millman has written, but to examine the novel as a whole and comment and what works and what does not work." Again, too much irrelevant information, I just decided to "do it" instead of telling the audience what I was going to do.
There were other small changes that I made.
1. I took out many parentheses that contained my own side comments, (Carolyn, Jonathan, Aubree, and Robert all agreed that it distracted the them from the actual book review.)
2. I shortened the review by about 50 words, something that I felt necessary, like I was trimming the fat off of this big hunky steak.
3. I changed some of the wording and made a few corrections, (i.e. commas, spelling, etc.) Some of the words didn't quite work so great in the original review. For example, the old line: "Told with a great sense of awareness, Way of the Peaceful Warrior is a story not to be taken for granted." VS. the new line: "Told with a great sense of knowledge and awareness, Way of the Peaceful Warrior is a timeless story about one man's quest for happiness."
4. I completely deleted the second paragraph. It seemed long, whiny, and irrelevant. Robert commented that it was a bit like, "Yeah, so...?" And I agree. It was boring and contained a lot of words without, well, saying anything of value.
5. I put the original third paragraph into the last paragraph, as it read more like a closing argument or final thought than criticism in the middle of a review. It worked beautifully, combining these two, I mean.
6. I fixed up some tense problems, (i.e. I thought/You will like/The book isn't)
7. In the "new" second paragraph, I added more constructive criticism/objectivity, something that Carolyn and Robert both wanted me to do. Take for example, the last line: "The way that Millman was able to so eloquently phrase these "new-age" concepts is what separates itself from similar novels. Not only is Way of the Peaceful Warrior a remarkable and captivating story, it has proven itself as THE self-aware manifestation of what one person is capable of achieving in life, taking the subtitle "A Book That Changes Lives."
(In defense, this is a novel where, in my opinion, a subjective review would not seem that inappropriate, as it can be considered a "self-help" book by some.)
8. I gave more commentary on the book as a whole. Take, for example, the second to last paragraph: "Millman does this through storytelling without being moralistic or over-the-top and with little religious overtone, something that other similar "search-for-happiness" novels manifest. This is not a "how-to" book by any means, but the lessons taught and, particularly some passages, left me feeling a renewed sense of possibility and passion for life."
9. Although I already said that I took out the original second paragraph, I must state that I made it a top priority to take out the following line: "...something that I have been working on tremendously in my own life." That seems much, much too subjective and personal, as Robert pointed out, especially if I am writing for a publication like Newsweek or Time. (Like, why does it matter if I am working on my own life?)
10. As Robert suggested, I took out the line: "However, I do still have some faith in humanity and I very much so believe in supernatural/other-worldly phenomena. My duty here isn't to doubt the possibility or authenticity of what Millman has written, but to examine the novel as a whole and comment and what works and what does not work." Again, too much irrelevant information, I just decided to "do it" instead of telling the audience what I was going to do.
There were other small changes that I made.
Revised Book Review: Way of the Peaceful Warrior
Dan Millman's imaginative novel Way of the Peaceful Warrior, first published in 1980, tells the story of a talented college-level gymnast, Dan, who stumbles upon a 96-year-old man working in an all-night gas station. The old man has appeared in Dan's dreams for weeks prior to this occurence. After confronting this old man, Dan decides to call him Socrates--(no, not that Socrates, but a man just as philosophical.) This was Dan's destiny, as Socrates becomes Dan's mentor in every aspect of his life, especially spiritually, pushing him to extremes with the intention of Dan ultimately reaching a state of eternal happiness and love, just as Socrates has done for himself. Through important teachings, ("there are no ordinary moments!") and criticisms, ("Dan, you are suffering...gymnastics is a temporary way to distract you from your underlying sense of fear",) Socrates is the all-knowing force that consumes every minute of Dan's waking--and sleeping--life. Told with a great sense of knowledge and awareness, Way of the Peaceful Warrior is a timeless story about one man's quest for happiness.
I found myself reading many passages twice or more in Way of the Peaceful Warrior. One quote, spoken from Socrates to Dan, strikes me as particularly relevant to this day: "Life is not suffering; it's just that you will suffer it, rather than enjoy it, until you let go of your mind's attachments and just go for the ride freely, no matter what happens." Indeed, Millman (or Socrates,) believes in ridding one's self of personal cravings which will, in turn, bring you one step closer to achieving an eternal state of bliss. The way that Millman was able to so eloquently phrase these "new-age" concepts is what separates itself from similar novels. Not only is Way of the Peaceful Warrior a remarkable and captivating story, it has proven itself as THE self-aware manifestation of what one person is capable of achieving in life, taking the subtitle "A Book That Changes Lives."
Like all media out there, Peaceful Warrior won't be for everyone. Some people will find it preachy while some will have trouble getting through the first twenty pages, accusing Millman of being on a cocktail of drugs at the time of writing. There are many parts of the book that come off as trite--for instance, Socrates has a habit of always responding to Dan's questions or thoughts with a long-winded, life-changing, groundbreaking quote. But what I find most appealing about Way of the Peaceful Warrior is how it encourages the reader to analyze herself and understand the urgency of, well, understanding one's self. Millman does this through storytelling without being moralistic or over-the-top and with little religious overtone, something that other similar "search-for-happiness" novels manifest. This is not a "how-to" book by any means, but the lessons taught and, particularly some passages, left me feeling a renewed sense of possibility and passion for life.
I strongly recommend this novel to anyone searching for meaning or balance in their lives; Way of the Peaceful Warrior is the perfect companion to lead the way for a person looking to self-explore, become much more self-reliant, and reach a higher level of awareness.
I found myself reading many passages twice or more in Way of the Peaceful Warrior. One quote, spoken from Socrates to Dan, strikes me as particularly relevant to this day: "Life is not suffering; it's just that you will suffer it, rather than enjoy it, until you let go of your mind's attachments and just go for the ride freely, no matter what happens." Indeed, Millman (or Socrates,) believes in ridding one's self of personal cravings which will, in turn, bring you one step closer to achieving an eternal state of bliss. The way that Millman was able to so eloquently phrase these "new-age" concepts is what separates itself from similar novels. Not only is Way of the Peaceful Warrior a remarkable and captivating story, it has proven itself as THE self-aware manifestation of what one person is capable of achieving in life, taking the subtitle "A Book That Changes Lives."
Like all media out there, Peaceful Warrior won't be for everyone. Some people will find it preachy while some will have trouble getting through the first twenty pages, accusing Millman of being on a cocktail of drugs at the time of writing. There are many parts of the book that come off as trite--for instance, Socrates has a habit of always responding to Dan's questions or thoughts with a long-winded, life-changing, groundbreaking quote. But what I find most appealing about Way of the Peaceful Warrior is how it encourages the reader to analyze herself and understand the urgency of, well, understanding one's self. Millman does this through storytelling without being moralistic or over-the-top and with little religious overtone, something that other similar "search-for-happiness" novels manifest. This is not a "how-to" book by any means, but the lessons taught and, particularly some passages, left me feeling a renewed sense of possibility and passion for life.
I strongly recommend this novel to anyone searching for meaning or balance in their lives; Way of the Peaceful Warrior is the perfect companion to lead the way for a person looking to self-explore, become much more self-reliant, and reach a higher level of awareness.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Book Review: "Way of the Peaceful Warrior"
Dan Millman's imaginative novel Way of the Peaceful Warrior tells the story of a talented college-level gymnast, Dan Millman, (coincidence? I think not,) who stumbles upon a 96-year-old man working in an all-night gas station. This man has appeared in Dan's dreams, (coincidence? I think not,) and Dan decides to call him Socrates, (no, not that Socrates, but a man just as philosophical.) Socrates becomes Dan's mentor in every aspect of his life, especially spiritually, pushing him to extremes with the intention of Dan ultimately reaching a state of eternal happiness and love, just as Socrates has done for himself. Through important teachings ("there are no ordinary moments!") and criticisms ("Dan, you are suffering...gymnastics is a temporary way to distract you from your underlying sense of fear",) Socrates is the all-knowing force that consumes every minute of Dan's waking--and sleeping--life. Told with a great sense of awareness, Way of the Peaceful Warrior is a story not to be taken for granted.
Is Millman's story hard to believe? Sure, a bit. Does it seem strange that the main character, Dan Millman, also happens to be the name of the author, yet the book can be found in the 'Fiction' section at your local bookstore? Of course, (but that does take Peaceful Warrior off the list of books suffering from the 'James Frey syndrome'.) However, I do still have some faith in humanity and I very much so believe in supernatural/other-worldly phenomena. My duty here isn't to doubt the possibility or authenticity of what Millman has written, but to examine the novel as a whole and comment and what works and what does not work.
What I find most appealing about Way of the Peaceful Warrior is how it encourages the reader to analyze his or her own self and understand the urgency of, well, understanding one's self. Millman does this through storytelling without being preachy or over-the-top and with little religious undertone; this is not a "how-to" book by any means, but the lessons taught and, particularly some passages, leave the reader feeling a renewed sense of possibility and passion for life. (My only question--where can I find my own Socrates?)
Many passages in Way of the Peaceful Warrior need to be read numerous times to understand the urgency and importance of the information that Socrates shares with Dan. One quote, spoken from Socrates to Dan, strikes me as particularly relevant to this day (even though Peaceful Warrior was published in 1980), and it is something that I have been working on tremendously in my own life: "Life is not suffering; it's just that you will suffer it, rather than enjoy it, until you let go of your mind's attachments and just go for the ride freely, no matter what happens." Indeed, this book (or Socrates) believes in ridding one's self of personal cravings which will, in turn, bring you one step closer to achieving an eternal state of bliss.
Needless to say, Peaceful Warrior won't be for everyone. Some people will find it preachy while some won't even get past the first twenty pages, accusing Millman of lunacy and/or mental illness. There are many parts of the book that I rolled my eyes at, (for instance Socrates' habit of always responding to Dan's questions or thoughts with a long-winded, life-changing, groundbreaking quote,) but if you look past the reality factor and if you understand the fragility of life and the monumental possibilities that it offers, Way of the Peaceful Warrior is the perfect companion to lead the way for a person who is looking to self-explore and reach a higher level of awareness.
Is Millman's story hard to believe? Sure, a bit. Does it seem strange that the main character, Dan Millman, also happens to be the name of the author, yet the book can be found in the 'Fiction' section at your local bookstore? Of course, (but that does take Peaceful Warrior off the list of books suffering from the 'James Frey syndrome'.) However, I do still have some faith in humanity and I very much so believe in supernatural/other-worldly phenomena. My duty here isn't to doubt the possibility or authenticity of what Millman has written, but to examine the novel as a whole and comment and what works and what does not work.
What I find most appealing about Way of the Peaceful Warrior is how it encourages the reader to analyze his or her own self and understand the urgency of, well, understanding one's self. Millman does this through storytelling without being preachy or over-the-top and with little religious undertone; this is not a "how-to" book by any means, but the lessons taught and, particularly some passages, leave the reader feeling a renewed sense of possibility and passion for life. (My only question--where can I find my own Socrates?)
Many passages in Way of the Peaceful Warrior need to be read numerous times to understand the urgency and importance of the information that Socrates shares with Dan. One quote, spoken from Socrates to Dan, strikes me as particularly relevant to this day (even though Peaceful Warrior was published in 1980), and it is something that I have been working on tremendously in my own life: "Life is not suffering; it's just that you will suffer it, rather than enjoy it, until you let go of your mind's attachments and just go for the ride freely, no matter what happens." Indeed, this book (or Socrates) believes in ridding one's self of personal cravings which will, in turn, bring you one step closer to achieving an eternal state of bliss.
Needless to say, Peaceful Warrior won't be for everyone. Some people will find it preachy while some won't even get past the first twenty pages, accusing Millman of lunacy and/or mental illness. There are many parts of the book that I rolled my eyes at, (for instance Socrates' habit of always responding to Dan's questions or thoughts with a long-winded, life-changing, groundbreaking quote,) but if you look past the reality factor and if you understand the fragility of life and the monumental possibilities that it offers, Way of the Peaceful Warrior is the perfect companion to lead the way for a person who is looking to self-explore and reach a higher level of awareness.
Monday, February 9, 2009
South Loop Review
(First and foremost, I must say that I am reviewing the online version of the South Loop Review as I was no longer on campus when this assignment was given. Therefore, I am not able to comment on the physical appearance/construction of the zine.)
The South Loop Review, an annual publication of the English Department at Columbia College Chicago, is a literary journal containing some of the best and most diverse creative nonfiction and photography in the Chicagoland area. (Although starting out as student-generated work from courses such as Composition, Creative Nonfiction, Literature and Professional Writing, the South Loop Review now exclusively prints Creative Nonfiction work and is not only open to submissions by students at Columbia College Chicago, but also by any student or neighbor in Chicago.) The official website calls for "experimental forms of creative nonfiction such as segmented essays, montaged memoir, illustrated or graphic memoir, and short-form creative nonfiction--pieces that tell a story either through image or image and word." I am reviewing the online version of the South Loop Review, Volume 10.
Volume 10 of the South Loop Review online displays a very cool, large photograph of a close-up of an elephant's eye. Relevant? Not to any of the few selections that I read, but still a nice physical appearance in a swarm of black and white daily newspapers and flyers/brochures.
I read a few submissions in this edition: "Shaving My Mother's Head" by Andrea Combo, an observant five-part essay/prose about Combo's life with her mother going through cancer, "Mother, Broken" by Tom Whalen, a disorderly poetic piece, and "Neighbors" by Richard Terrill, a piece waaaaay too long for the attention spans of college students.
I particularly enjoyed the flawed but hilarious piece "Riverview" by John Crone. Crone writes about his time spent in a mental instituion, Riverview, where he has a roommate who has sexual intercourse with his mattress and where nicotine cravings are all too familiar. We don't find out why Crone is in this institution, but it's apparent that he is, by far, the most "normal" patient. "Riverview" is a short but humorous look at life in a psychiatric hospital from the eyes of a man who doesn't belong.
What I loved about the South Loop Review is that all of these contributors were so personal, so open, so honest. The artists shared a part of their private lives that most of us aren't able to discover when we're consumed with our daily routines. I am unfamiliar with the South Loop Review as a whole (this is the first volume I have picked up,) but there didn't seem to be any cohesion with these various pieces. I actually really liked that. It was a compilation of everyday people sharing their stories and their creativity with the residents of Chicago.
This volume would be a great read for a long train or airplane ride. The publication isn't exactly my cup of tea, (I only read trashy stuff like the Red Eye on the train,) but I can wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone who is interested in nonfiction/fiction writing and poetry.
On a side note: the title of this publication throws me off. It sounds like an all-encompassing guide to the South Loop when it's really an artistic publication. Strange. I would change the name to something like "Good Toilet Reading for Artistic People". Don't you think it would gain popularity?
The South Loop Review, an annual publication of the English Department at Columbia College Chicago, is a literary journal containing some of the best and most diverse creative nonfiction and photography in the Chicagoland area. (Although starting out as student-generated work from courses such as Composition, Creative Nonfiction, Literature and Professional Writing, the South Loop Review now exclusively prints Creative Nonfiction work and is not only open to submissions by students at Columbia College Chicago, but also by any student or neighbor in Chicago.) The official website calls for "experimental forms of creative nonfiction such as segmented essays, montaged memoir, illustrated or graphic memoir, and short-form creative nonfiction--pieces that tell a story either through image or image and word." I am reviewing the online version of the South Loop Review, Volume 10.
Volume 10 of the South Loop Review online displays a very cool, large photograph of a close-up of an elephant's eye. Relevant? Not to any of the few selections that I read, but still a nice physical appearance in a swarm of black and white daily newspapers and flyers/brochures.
I read a few submissions in this edition: "Shaving My Mother's Head" by Andrea Combo, an observant five-part essay/prose about Combo's life with her mother going through cancer, "Mother, Broken" by Tom Whalen, a disorderly poetic piece, and "Neighbors" by Richard Terrill, a piece waaaaay too long for the attention spans of college students.
I particularly enjoyed the flawed but hilarious piece "Riverview" by John Crone. Crone writes about his time spent in a mental instituion, Riverview, where he has a roommate who has sexual intercourse with his mattress and where nicotine cravings are all too familiar. We don't find out why Crone is in this institution, but it's apparent that he is, by far, the most "normal" patient. "Riverview" is a short but humorous look at life in a psychiatric hospital from the eyes of a man who doesn't belong.
What I loved about the South Loop Review is that all of these contributors were so personal, so open, so honest. The artists shared a part of their private lives that most of us aren't able to discover when we're consumed with our daily routines. I am unfamiliar with the South Loop Review as a whole (this is the first volume I have picked up,) but there didn't seem to be any cohesion with these various pieces. I actually really liked that. It was a compilation of everyday people sharing their stories and their creativity with the residents of Chicago.
This volume would be a great read for a long train or airplane ride. The publication isn't exactly my cup of tea, (I only read trashy stuff like the Red Eye on the train,) but I can wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone who is interested in nonfiction/fiction writing and poetry.
On a side note: the title of this publication throws me off. It sounds like an all-encompassing guide to the South Loop when it's really an artistic publication. Strange. I would change the name to something like "Good Toilet Reading for Artistic People". Don't you think it would gain popularity?
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Anna Deavere Smith Lecture
I had no idea who Anna Deavere Smith was when I went into her lecture on Tuesday, January 27, 2009.
Smith, a MacArthur Fellowship recipient, playwright (Twilight: Los Angeles 1992), actress (Rent, The West Wing) and teacher, took the stage after an informative introduction by Mark Kelly, CCC's Vice President of Student Affairs. My first thought when Smith took the stage? Holy shit, this woman is loud. Really loud. I soon realized she was acting, (a Louis "Studs" Terkel dialogue, playing various characters and seemingly talking to herself throughout this performance--probably a way of drawing us into this lecture and also a requiem for the late Terkel.) I had no expectations going into this lecture and hadn't the slightest idea what Smith was trying to accomplish during this opening routine, but found myself laughing along at the situation, I think.
The presentation seemed sporadic and disorderly, undeniably confusing in what Smith was trying to tell us. There was talk of diversity, education, arts, the future, etc. It seemed that Smith's ultimate question was some form of the following: How will the election of Barack Obama affect diversity in the arts institution? After rambling a bit about God-knows-what in the arts sector, Smith opened the floor up to comments and questions about this unique moment of transformation from the Bush presidency to the Obama presidency and what it will entail for the arts. A few audience members who knew what the hell was going on supplied Smith with various facts and opinion and once these contributors would finish speaking, Smith would make them dig deeper, continually asking them for examples, and eventually playing devil's advocate.
Smith did tell an interesting story of how at the close of the Obama inauguration in January, the grounds were completely trashed. During Barack Obama's speech, each attendee was smiling, quiet, and respectful when he spoke about responsibility and coming together as one people, so then why was there trash everywhere? In essence, Ms. Smith was saying that if we as a people can't even pick up our own trash, how are we going to move forward? It does make you think. (Is all this even worth it, this "moving forward" march? Is it too late?)
Smith undoubtedly has a lot to say and boy, does she say it. Many of her theories and approaches to life are interesting, including her desire for each person to step out of their (self-described) "safe house of identity." She asked one question that hit us all quite hard: "To what extent are you willing to shake things up?" It's a great question, especially in the often tough and corrupt times that we're living in. She also had some words of wisdom for the collegiate crowd: "Take yourself seriously as a leader--value your classmates and professors."
However, as I have implied earlier, there was no overall cohesion in Smith's performance. Sure, she attempted to challenge us and make us think (very, very little), but a few days later, I still haven't the slightest clue what her message was. And coming out of this assembly, neither did many of my classmates. After the speech, my friend Chelsea turned to me and said, "Holy shit, I feel stupid." I wholeheartedly agreed with her. Either we're both extremely stupid and lack listening/comprehension skills, or we just totally missed the point. Or maybe a little bit of both.
Smith, a MacArthur Fellowship recipient, playwright (Twilight: Los Angeles 1992), actress (Rent, The West Wing) and teacher, took the stage after an informative introduction by Mark Kelly, CCC's Vice President of Student Affairs. My first thought when Smith took the stage? Holy shit, this woman is loud. Really loud. I soon realized she was acting, (a Louis "Studs" Terkel dialogue, playing various characters and seemingly talking to herself throughout this performance--probably a way of drawing us into this lecture and also a requiem for the late Terkel.) I had no expectations going into this lecture and hadn't the slightest idea what Smith was trying to accomplish during this opening routine, but found myself laughing along at the situation, I think.
The presentation seemed sporadic and disorderly, undeniably confusing in what Smith was trying to tell us. There was talk of diversity, education, arts, the future, etc. It seemed that Smith's ultimate question was some form of the following: How will the election of Barack Obama affect diversity in the arts institution? After rambling a bit about God-knows-what in the arts sector, Smith opened the floor up to comments and questions about this unique moment of transformation from the Bush presidency to the Obama presidency and what it will entail for the arts. A few audience members who knew what the hell was going on supplied Smith with various facts and opinion and once these contributors would finish speaking, Smith would make them dig deeper, continually asking them for examples, and eventually playing devil's advocate.
Smith did tell an interesting story of how at the close of the Obama inauguration in January, the grounds were completely trashed. During Barack Obama's speech, each attendee was smiling, quiet, and respectful when he spoke about responsibility and coming together as one people, so then why was there trash everywhere? In essence, Ms. Smith was saying that if we as a people can't even pick up our own trash, how are we going to move forward? It does make you think. (Is all this even worth it, this "moving forward" march? Is it too late?)
Smith undoubtedly has a lot to say and boy, does she say it. Many of her theories and approaches to life are interesting, including her desire for each person to step out of their (self-described) "safe house of identity." She asked one question that hit us all quite hard: "To what extent are you willing to shake things up?" It's a great question, especially in the often tough and corrupt times that we're living in. She also had some words of wisdom for the collegiate crowd: "Take yourself seriously as a leader--value your classmates and professors."
However, as I have implied earlier, there was no overall cohesion in Smith's performance. Sure, she attempted to challenge us and make us think (very, very little), but a few days later, I still haven't the slightest clue what her message was. And coming out of this assembly, neither did many of my classmates. After the speech, my friend Chelsea turned to me and said, "Holy shit, I feel stupid." I wholeheartedly agreed with her. Either we're both extremely stupid and lack listening/comprehension skills, or we just totally missed the point. Or maybe a little bit of both.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
