vle – Page 6 – arts, ink.

What You Can Do to Help

March 20, 2020March 20, 2020 vle Leave a comment

I wanted to take a break from my normal artist musings and offer some resources you can contribute to or use yourself. I acknowledge in this state of chaos and uncertainty, life can be quite confusing and hectic. But now more than ever is the time to help each other and act with compassion.

Here’s what you can do (many of these opportunities are located in Washtenaw county but there are other ways to help!):

The Ginsberg Center’s Connect 2 Community – Find local service and remote volunteering opportunities

Donate Blood through the Red Cross – Donors are urgently needed at the moment

Support Food Gatherers – Through financial or volunteer assistance

Maize and Blue Cupboard – Volunteer for an hour or two to help this on-campus resource, or use it for your grocery needs

Add to Mutual Aid Efforts – request help or contribute resources such as housing, food, etc. if you are in Huron Valley

Join the Washtenaw County Mutual Aid Facebook Group

Donate to Frontline Nonprofits – Avalon Housing, Delonis Center, Alpha House, SOS Community Services, Ozone House, Mercy House, Ann Arbor Housing Commission, Community Action Network, Meals on Wheels Ann Arbor, and Peace Neighborhood Center to name a few

United Way of Southeast Michigan – Find volunteer opportunities

United Way of Washtenaw County – Donate to or volunteer with United Way in their COVID-19 community efforts

Washtenaw County Public Health – sign up to be an emergency volunteer

Support Service Industry Workers – USBG National Charity Foundation, One Fair Wage Emergency Fund, and the Restaurant Workers Community Foundation are accepting donations

WHO COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund – donate to send essential supplies, support workers, and help stop the spread of COVID-19

Support Your Local Businesses! – This can be online, through pickup, or financial donation. Also, be sure to tip if you can!

Remember to socially isolate and practice social distancing when with others. Also, be sure to reach out to your loved ones and make sure they are ok! This includes taking care of yourself and practicing self empathy. This is an extremely strange and difficult time, but we’re all in it together. Hopefully we come out more resilient, passionate, loving, and courageous!

The Beginning of the End or a New Beginning?

March 13, 2020March 13, 2020 vle Leave a comment

After the cancellation of university classes, events, and resources in the midst of a global pandemic, it’s okay to feel defeated–devastated, even. For freshmen, it can feel like the total uprooting of their education during the first year of college. For seniors, it can be a heartbreaking way to end your undergraduate career–realizing that you just had your last lecture or club meeting without knowing it at the time.

Across the country, services have been paralyzed–schools, libraries, sports, grocery stores. These things are ingrained in our way of life, which has totally shifted in the past 48 hours. Abroad, some students are being forced to return home or remain stuck despite their programs being cancelled. Officials recommend isolation and staying away from crowds of people. Citizens worry about infecting the immunocompromised or elderly populations, and there aren’t enough COVID tests to go around. From an overhead point of view, it’s quite terrifying.

Yet, is there a way we could look at this situation in a positive light? Yes, everything has changed, and not in the best way. But times like this provide the opportunity for a completely different perspective. It’s a time where people are reminded to care for one another, to reach out to friends and family and even strangers. For stressed out college students, remote classes and cancelled events provide a much-needed break from the heyday of university life.

It’s unfortunate that many people cannot afford to take time off, because they need to work to make ends meet. Not everyone can afford childcare, or has their own laptop to attend work or school from home. Not everyone can return home. It’s a reflection of our broken economy and the disparate wealth inequality present in the United States and around the world. Now is the time to volunteer, if you are fortunate enough, your home, your meals, or just your company.

The most important thing during this time is to not panic, but to still take precautions. Follow expert advice such as washing your hands, working remotely, and quarantining if necessary, for example. It’s important to stop the spread of COVID-19 as much as we can. At the same time, remember that we are all facing this together. Everything will be okay. As presidential candidate Bernie Sanders stated yesterday, “Now is the time to come together with love and compassion for all.”

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If you’re in Huron Valley and want to request or provide aid, fill out this form.

The Irony of Parasite’s Success at the Academy Awards

March 6, 2020August 11, 2020 vle Leave a comment

Parasite, directed by Bong Joon Ho, is a masterful South Korean black comedy film that has taken the media world by storm. After sweeping the 2020 Academy Awards in four categories, people are still talking about Parasite since its premiere in May 2019. at the Cannes Film Festival. It has achieved the monumental milestone of being the first South Korean film to win any award at the Oscars, ever. I have watched the movie twice and consider myself a big fan. Yet, I am not the only person to believe that Parasite’s success at the Academy Awards serves as an ironic reminder of the film’s true message.

Social and class equality form the basis of Parasite’s plot. A poorer family, the Kims, work their way into each being employed by the wealthy Parks, and the two families start to become interdependent before the tragic ending. The Kims depend on the Parks for their money, and the Parks depend on the Kims for their labor. Bong Joon Ho’s brilliant storyline highlights the disparity between destitute and extraneously rich families, ultimately satirizing the traditional rags to riches dream heard in developed nations.

But the Academy Awards themselves stand in direct contradiction to the film’s themes: the Oscars is traditionally a night of famous actors and actresses, big shot film producers and directors, and glitzy dresses and tuxedoes. The gift bags given to nominees this year, created by Distinctive Assets, had a total value of around $225,000 each, its 80 items including a gold vape pen, a 12-day yacht cruise, and $20,000 in matchmaking services. According to company founder Lash Fary, they only deliver the bags to “about 25 people”, meaning that they have to freedom to gift “the most insanely priced things.” It seems that the Academy Awards and the high cost of production and attending further illustrate the frustrating path of wealth within a capitalist society that preaches the merits of the American Dream that at the same time neglects the lower class.

Parasite seeks to illuminate the divide between extreme wealth and the stories of society’s downcast, impoverished, and displaced. Even the film is not free of complicated relationships–it was produced by CJ ENM, one of South Korea’s family-run large businesses. Director Bong Joon Ho suggests that within Parasite “no one is guilty–or perhaps, all are guilty.” Examined on a broader level, everyone in greater society is guilty in a way–we are all guilty of ignoring those who are different than us while simultaneously engaging in the exploitation of their stories. While capitalism, class, and society are intertwined in complex ways, Parasite’s positive reception indicates that at least we are somewhat self aware.

Stephanie Shih: Ceramics, Sriracha, and Nostalgia

February 28, 2020August 11, 2020 vle Leave a comment

The other day, my friend pointed me towards the work of ceramic artist Stephanie H. Shih. I was immediately enamored by her handiwork, ceramic sculptures of popular foods found in Asian grocery stores such as sriracha, lao gan ma, and large bags of rice. If you’re a fan of Lucy Sparrow’s felt pieces, you will surely enjoy feasting your eyes upon Stephanie Shih’s colorful handmade ceramics.

As an Asian American artist myself, I had also explored familiar ideas in my work–how everyday items can connect a diaspora of first generation Americans. The foods that Shih highlights serve as a cultural connection between Asian Americans and their immigrant parents.

Shih describes her own work as “a pantry from the ‘80s——filled with with fingerprinted surfaces and shakily painted labels——that looks at once familiar and hazy, like an old memory.” For me, running my eyes over the bumpy textures and vibrant labels of Shih’s sculptures brings a wave of nostalgia, taking me back to running through aisles of my hometown grocery store, feet stepping on dark concrete, smells of fresh fish and fried pork and candy wafting through the building. Perhaps I’ll be fortunate enough to have one of her works perched on a shelf in my living room someday.

Postcards Inspired by Wes Anderson Movies

February 21, 2020February 21, 2020 vle 1 Comment

I’m a huge fan of Wes Anderson movies. The humorous dialogue, quirky characters, gorgeous cinematography all combine to make a memorable, unique film experience. There is an abundance of Wes Anderson inspired fan art and posters, but I wanted to add my own spin on Wes Anderson. Last semester, I utilized my illustration skills and love for Wes Anderson movies to create a set of three postcards featuring settings from The Life Aquatic, Moonrise Kingdom, and The Grand Budapest Hotel. I’ve even sent a couple to friends! Hope you enjoy.

The Legacy of Massimo and Lella Vignelli

February 14, 2020February 13, 2020 vle Leave a comment

The Vignellis are perhaps the most famous couple in design. The late Massimo and Lella Vignelli worked for several decades on numerous projects ranging from architectural feats to dinnerware sets, and most notably, the New York subway system wayfinding signage. Their Italian heritage and culture informs their passionate and lighthearted approach to life.

I recently watched Design is One, a documentary on the Vignelli’s work. It was full of insight and humor, an intriguing look into the life of two prolific, innovative designers.

Upon viewing Kathy Brew and Roberto Guerra’s documentary on the late Vignellis, I was delighted to see the work of Lella and Massimo Vignelli documented and explained so eloquently–a metaphor for their design work which is simultaneously simple and gorgeous. The 2012 film highlights a few key works of art made by the dynamic duo over the past 50-plus years in a way that is powerful yet humorous at times. What really struck me was the intimate humanity prevalent in the film–the interviews with Lella and Massimo themselves and testimonials by well-known architects, designers, and friends (Glaser, Bierut, Meier to name a few) highlighted their beautiful partnership, full of play, honesty, and of course, bickering.

With decades of marriage and work shared between them, the film emphasized Lella’s important and equal role in their collaboration. Despite Massimo usually holding most of the spotlight, I enjoyed the credit attributed to Lella in their creative process. Massimo is described as “the dreamer” and Lella “the reality.” To even stay together for that long is a feat in and of itself, but to curate a professional relationship in addition to marriage is truly admirable.

What I enjoyed most about the film is the overall theme of design as an inherently utilitarian tool. Through objects such as the Heller plastic dinnerware set or the redesign of the New York City subway system, the Vignellis demonstrate their dedication for design as a way to improve people’s everyday lives. With countless projects and collaborations under their wings, Lella and Massimo have definitely achieved their dream of being immortal.