Category: Lifting Voices

REVIEW: Hometown Hero (Chink): An American Interior

Shannon Z Leave a comment

As I stepped with socked feet onto the fabric-covered flooring of installation piece Hometown Hero (Chink), I was struck with an eerie and unshakable sense of familiarity. No, not from the hand-upholstered, Confederate flag recliner, or the country karaoke sounding from the plush TV – save for the artist’s face in the video recording, the 3-part installation itself was essentially free of any immediately recognizable, East-Asian motifs. So why did my experience feel closer to a revisit rather than a shocking introduction? I told myself that it must have been the culturally ingrained, practiced motion of taking one’s shoes off before entering a living space, or maybe the intimately homey experience of padding around a carpeted floor with the TV streaming white noise.  

The fact that the entire space is hand-sewn jumps out at me; under artist Valery Jung Estabrook’s skillful hands, everyday “soft” objects turn steely, while “hard” objects are revealed to have soft and sagging underbellies. The “lazy boy” recliner decorated with the image of a Confederate flag displays these juxtapositions most prominently; though the surface is composed of velvety chenille, soft-to-touch and associated with comfort, the repellent flag imagery strongly dissuades the viewer from touching the furniture.

Even so, the recliner dominates the space, sending chilly tones throughout the warmly lit interior. Other striking plush components include the ‘pillow guns’, a set of three flaccid rifles mounted to the wall, and the ‘Born & Bred Beer’ beer cans casually littered on the recliner’s side-table. Chenille fabric, what the majority of the installation consists of, is immediately distinguishable through its tufted, caterpillar-like texture and iridescent appearance. These characteristics make the textile a popular choice for sofas, baby blankets, and other items that make direct contact with the skin. Needless to say, I was fascinated with the artist’s approach to materiality and her manipulation of sensory elements with chenille that served to contradict and even amplify the viewer’s psychological responses to derogatory imagery.

In a reflection about the title, Hometown Hero (Chink), Estabrook refers to the painful addition of the racial slur as a necessary component “… in order to have an honest discussion about the America that I know.” Her statement propelled me towards a question that I, and likely many others, have faced constantly while navigating ‘the Asian-American experience’: why the America that we know appears so dependent on the home that we say we know. I do not share Estabrook’s experience growing up in rural southwestern Virginia; what I do share are similar feelings of alienation upon being subjected to the white gaze – even at home, we are foreign spectacles singing along to the jaunty tunes of assimilation, while America reclines in a chenille chair, crushing ‘Born & Bred Beer’ beer cans in silent assent.

 

 

REVIEW: Hometown Hero

Sabrina Nash 1 Comment

If you took a moment to step out of the abrasive Michigan cold and into 202 South Thayer, you might also get the feeling you were stepping into the living room of any family in America. This is the first impression that the Institute for the Humanities’ latest exhibit provides. The space of the interior is small, homey, and inviting: a worn armchair slumps before a flickering TV, nestled atop a plush rug. The area is peaceful and dim, inviting you to sit down, take a load off, relax. However, just one more look may put you on edge; something sinister swirls around the sleepy scene, something not quite right. In an instant it hits, the glaringly obvious: the well worn chair is not upholstered with plaid, or gingham, or any fabric you’d expect, but instead, horrifyingly, with a Confederate Flag.

As I came to this realization, a strange feeling settled into my stomach. The space is a portrait of middle class America gone eerily wrong, while remaining hauntingly familiar. I believe this difficult truth is exactly what artist Valery Jung Estabrook aims to capture in her installation, titled “Hometown Hero (Chink): An American Interior.” Growing up an Asian American in Virginia, Estabrook’s work seems to reflect her desire to maintain a Southern identity while acknowledging that her home state is not a universally accepting place.

Upon closer inspection, the room only becomes more unsettling. It is beautifully crafted, hand sewn by Estabrook in chenille. Everything is plush, down to the crumpled beer cans, and the rifles limply mounted to the wall. This choice in medium suggests the space as something tied down, as if the room had grown roots. Its refusal to budge seems to reflect the nature of the traditional, antiquated Old South that Estabrook hoped to portray. Sewn portraits of Confederate soldiers dot the walls, only strengthening this message. Like everything else in the room, they are slightly fantastical: General Jackson’s head floats inches above his shoulders, and Lee is adorned with a faint halo. A southern cityscape hangs as well, its innocuous presence contrasting with the eerie romanticization of the Confederacy.

While the entire room suggests nostalgia for antebellum America, scenes on the television reflect how this longing for the past affects Estabrook. Clips on the TV depict the difficult relationship Estabrook has with her race and her Southern identity; one such video is a Twinkie commercial, “Twinkie” being a derogatory nickname for Asian Americans. Perhaps the video that captures Estabrook’s question of identity best is one of the artist herself lip syncing Tammy Wynette’s famous southern ballad, “Stand by Your Man.” In a blond wig with dark roots, singing an iconic country song, Estabrook embodies the struggle of balancing her Southern identity with her Asian heritage. Haunting and hypnotizing, this performance tied together the message of the entire installation.

Even after two viewings, I don’t feel I’ve picked up on every meaningful detail that the installation includes. Although the effect of the chenille coating the room is interesting in itself, the piece only becomes more moving with Estabrook’s history and story. I highly recommend viewing this homage to an America that we wish to forget, but one that is still instrumental to our history. “Hometown Hero (Chink): An American Interior” will be on display through March 12th. A visit can save you from the chill outside while still sending a chill down your spine.

REVIEW: Portrait of a Lady on Fire

Angela Gosselin Leave a comment

Portrait of a Lady on Fire was a great film. I think more than anything I enjoyed it because it felt so different. Yes, French painting and romance and a dramatic craggy coast suggest a formula, but the reality is that these elements served a higher purpose than simply a love story: they worked in tandem with a great script and thoughtful camera work to produce a surprisingly humorous and touching story not only of romance, but of women and (even as the word feels cliché) sisterhood.

 

Disclaimer: Though this is an LGBTQ+ story, I recognize that it still speaks to a specific privilege both socioeconomic and racial. There are blind spots in this story, as the understanding of the oppression of one group does not erase the class struggles and other racial inequities present. I still think that this film is worth enjoying, though, because it still speaks broadly to oppression/repression and historic positioning of non-heteronormative sexuality is important.

 

What most threw me off seeing this film (in a good way!) was the distinct voice of the director and the writing. This film did take itself seriously but at times allowed for some really refreshing comedic moments. These ranged from quippy dialogue to visually clever shots, always keeping me engaged and quite honestly adding a level of unpredictability to the tone. Entering a scene, you never really knew what its purpose was, which was really intriguing in what previously appeared to me to be a straightforward romance.

 

What was most touching about Portrait of a Lady on Fire is how, for a fair portion of the movie, the main characters are allowed to simply be happy. The audience watches as the two central figures are left to their own devices with the young maid of the house. What results is a really sweet portrait of feminine domesticity–not in terms of a gender role, but rather as a group of women living coexisting in a beautiful way. Of course, there are problems and arguments that arise, but really the three women function as a symbiotic family. Scenes of everyday life are permitted to breathe, taking their sweet time and creating in the viewer this unique feminine vision of harmony, wholly undramatic and wholly human.

 

I say feminine because the reality is that there are hardly any men acting in this film. It seems as though all the problems in the film, both societal and personal, stem from some unnamed man off screen. And I’m alright with that. I think it is a really interesting way, ultimately, to make a story about women and their real issues without having to explicitly involve the oppressors.

 

This film speaks to intense internal struggles while also highlighting the beauty and joy that can exist simultaneously with said struggles. I highly recommend it, especially if you’re an artist (those painting shots were gave me such vicarious joy as a painter without access to a studio). If anything, the film is worth it for a beautiful closing long take, one that will long remain in my mind.

REVIEW: Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán

JM Leave a comment

Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán’s Friday evening performance at Hill Auditorium was a lively and colorful show full of life.

It was obvious that it was going to be a great performance right from the opener, which featured Mariachi Nuevo Santander (2019 National Mariachi Group Competition High School Division winner) and Ballet Folklórico de Detroit. The set included the two groups working together, with Mariachi Nuevo Santander providing the music and Ballet Folklórico de Detroit performing Mexican folkloric dance. The result was a visually and aurally stunning treat for the audience. As soon as each song finished and another was beginning, a new small group of dancers took the stage, resulting in seamless transitions and no break in the performance’s energy. Although it was the opening set for the evening’s performance and I knew that more music was to come, I found myself almost disappointed when Mariachi Nuevo Santander and Ballet Folklórico de Detroit’s performance time was up!

Similarly, Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán’s set (which was performed without intermission) did not disappoint. In addition to engaging the audience with their music and with invitations to clap and sing along, they are virtuosos in their craft. Perhaps most impressive is the fact that Mariachi Vargas has no performers that just sing – instead, the vocals for all their songs are performed by band members who trade out from the instruments that they are otherwise playing, proving their musical talent in multiple areas. Mid-song, one small group of performers would trade their violins or guitars for microphones, while the vocalists up to that point would return to their instruments. I also enjoyed the energy of the audience (which seemed to be nearly full). For me, it is as much the experience of witnessing a performance with hundreds or thousands of other people as it is hearing live music that makes concerts, rather than YouTube or recordings, meaningful and worthwhile.

The only issue that I had with the performance was that Hill Auditorium is not exactly suited for the acoustic environment created by microphones and large speakers. Though its magnificent acoustics make it easy to hear every instrument at an orchestra concert, Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán and other ensembles that utilize similar equipment present different auditory demands.  There was a large black curtain hanging behind the performers, which presumably helped to deaden the noise some, but unfortunately, the sound still seemed to be muddied and too loud at times (though this could have been a product of where I was sitting and may not have been a problem in other parts of the hall). That said, however, I still greatly enjoyed the performance.

The encore was, in my opinion, the best moment of the entire night, as it featured Mariachi Nuevo Santander singing alongside the musicians of Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán. It was a fitting close to a night of great music.

REVIEW: Oscar Nominated Shorts – Live Action

Angela Gosselin Leave a comment

I’ll be going through and leaving my thoughts on each of these, though I’d like to say that it is really a shame that “The Neighbors’ Window” won. It was truly the least important and most cliché short of all five. That said, seeing these shorts in a theater setting was really unique and enjoyable and way more immersive than I think possible at home when you’re dealing with short film.

 

“The Neighbors’ Window”
Marshall Curry

As previously stated, this short was definitely the weakest of the bunch. It had this whiny quality throughout, that specific privileged metropolitan 40-year-old why-did-I-have-kids whining that I am sick of trying to identify with. Of course, the point at the end is for these whiny people to realize how lucky they really are but overall I just felt like the point is no one can be happy. The whole cancer element as a way of introducing hardship into the 20-something couple’s life made me roll my eyes. The visuals of shaving one’s head and getting a hospice bed are just so on the nose I had to wonder if this was a satire.

 

“Nefta Football Club”
Yves Piat, Damien Megherbi
This is the short that I assumed would win. It was clever, well-paced, and actually made my theater laugh out loud. In contrast to the heavier themes in this category, this short felt like a lighter way to go about serious issues. I highly recommend seeing this one, as it is thoroughly enjoyable both on its surface and in terms of technical cinematography and performance.

“Saria”

Bryan Buckley, Matt Lefebvre
This short was definitely hard to watch. I appreciated this story being told, and the way the camera travels throughout the story was impressive at times. I do feel like there was something missing from this, though. Maybe it was because the setting was something I’ve never seen before or because the ending felt like such a binary evil (though it was, but it verged on cartoonish I might say?), but I felt myself hoping for more contextualization I suppose. It is an important piece of film to see though, especially for US audiences.

“Brotherhood”

Meryam Joobeur, Maria Gracia Turgeon
This short was the most intriguing to me of all of them. Centering on a family whose oldest son is returning from joining ISIS, this short was gritty and touching and made me feel like I was offered a window into a world far away from my own. I highly recommend it.

“A Sister”

Delphine Girard
Finally, this piece was a really strong contender for me as well. It was a study of suspense and solidarity, and was probably the most engrossing of all the shorts. The lighting choices and dialogue specifically made this short a memorable and altogether artistic experience. As a woman works with a emergency line operator, one feels both impending doom and an unrelenting hope at the same time, which makes for a stressful but thought-provoking experience.

PREVIEW: Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán

JM Leave a comment

On Friday, February 14 at 8 pm, Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán will perform at Hill Auditorium, with an opening act featuring Ballet Folklórico de Detroit and Mariachi Nuevo Santander from Roma, TX.

Founded in a small city near Jalisco by Don Gaspar Vargas in the 1890s, Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán “basically invented the modern mariachi,” and they are known today for blending both new and old styles. I’m excited to hear this world-class ensemble live.

Tickets are available at the Michigan League Ticket Office or on the University Musical Society website. As always, students tickets are $12 or $20 with ID.