Category: Visual Arts

PREVIEW: Dopamine Dressing

Ella Larsen Leave a comment

What: an exhibition of YehRim Lee’s clay and metal sculptures inspired by the “dopamine dressing” fashion trend

When: December 17, 2022 – August 27, 2023

Where: UMMA, Irving Stenn, Jr. Family Gallery

Over the course of the last few weeks of fall semester, on my morning walks past the UMMA, when the lights inside the Irving Stenn, Jr. Family Gallery were on but it was still dark out, I had the opportunity to watch this exhibition being assembled as if in a stop-motion film. First the walls were painted pink (a shade which looks suspiciously like Baker Miller pink or Cool Down Pink, colors supposedly shown to reduce hostility and violent behavior). The title of the exhibition and a description were painted on the window facing Tisch hall. Geometric pedestals were constructed and then the sculptures themselves appeared, at first clustered together on folding tables. Admittedly, in those first days, my initial reaction to the art was negative. The sculptures made me a bit uncomfortable, with their bubbling textures and pastel colors smearing into one another. When I read the description on the gallery window and on UMMA’s website, I was surprised that YehRim Lee’s intent was to explore how colors and textures could spark joy in a viewer–and became interested in spending more time with her work to unpack my initial reactions. I look forward to visiting the exhibition this Saturday and sharing my musings with you!

REVIEW: Decision to Leave

copelano 3 Comments

 

Park Chan-wook’s latest project is a masterclass in Hitchcockian suspense, weaving strands of  psychological thriller and seductive romance into a fully realized cinematic experience.

Park Chan-wook’s newest theatrical release, Decision to Leave, marks the end of his six year directorial hiatus, following his critically acclaimed film, The Handmaiden, an examination of colonial trauma under the Japanese occupation of the Korean Peninsula. With this recent outing, Park Chan-wook trades in his narrative lens for a more contemporary study of immigration policies; particularly, in regard to 21st century illegal immigration to South Korea. This is exemplified by the female protagonist, Song Seo-rae (Tang Wei), an illegal Chinese immigrant who is suspected of murdering her husband in the opening half of the film. I found her character to be reminiscent of Kim Novak’s portrayal of Madeleine Elster and Judy Barton in Alfred Hitchcock’s thriller, Vertigo. Wei commands the screen, her emotions simmering behind her invasive eyes. 

However, we primarily follow the character of Det. Jang Hae-jun (Park Hae-il), who leads the main investigation into the murder of Song Seo-rae’s husband. Hae-il plays him with a conservative fortitude, which is made all the more apparent with the comedic relief of his police sidekicks Yeon-su (Kim Shin-Young) and Soo-wan (Go Kyung-pyo). I found Kyung-pyo, in particular, to be a screen stealer; his comedic timing was never a second off. I can’t say much beyond this point, but their relationship mutates and evolves in ways I found truly unexpected; as well as the chemistry between Wei and Hae-il.

Park Chan-wook’s cinematography is also a revelation, using rapid successions of shots to create feelings of suspense and uneasiness, which culminates in sweeping tracking shots of fight scenes within the streets and rooftops of Busan. Not to mention an extremely visceral action scene involving a chain mail glove, which I have just learned is utilized in real life by the South Korean police force; a consequence of the outlawing of firearms within the country. Regardless, if you’re a cinephile or an admirer of South Korean culture, Decision to Leave is worth all the critical acclaim that it has garnered this award season. 

Now playing at The State Theatre. 

 

 

REVIEW: Tiny Expo Indie Art & Craft Fair

bellaaa 3 Comments

The Ann Arbor District Library held its Tiny Expo Indie Art and Craft Fair this past Saturday, December 10th, and it was everything you would expect and more! Held in the lobby of the library’s downtown location, the art fair was packed with local artists with a variety of art mediums from fiber arts to woodworking. This event is typically held annually during December; however, this year’s fair was especially anticipated due to the 2021 expo being canceled. 

I was shocked at the amount of people I saw in that first floor lobby of the library. I enjoy my regular trips to the library for book browsing and studying, but have never in my life seen more people in a library than I did at the art fair. What a beautiful culmination of community! Everyone was engaged in conversation either with their friends, discussing how wonderful the art was and which they planned on taking home, or with vendors, asking about their creations and their journey as artists. I picked up almost every artist’s card and brought home a series of whimsical prints from Arsenal Handicraft LLC. You can see a list of vendors here, but some others that stuck out to me were Science Bee, who had jewelry made out of old medical slides, WoolyMammothDesign with their 3D fiber arts, and the adorable designs of White Bird Pins, an artist that I have had the pleasure of working with in the past during the What the F Art Fair that you can read more about on our blog here! Candance’s designs amaze me constantly.

While the first floor lobby was buzzing with excitement, the basement was also a world of fun. Craft tables were full of attendees as well as free, on-site, screen printed tote bags! As someone who is studying the environment, I was so happy to see the screen printing station — a sustainable alternative to regular printing and way more fun if you ask me! 

Art from Black Artist Showcase by Cheyenne Fletcher

This event was such a beautiful and important showcase for local artists and I was touched by the turnout. I found myself staying long after the group I came in with had left to look at the Black Artist Showcase that was up in the library as well — a beautifully curated exhibit in the midst of the expo. The space was set up perfectly for the flow and exchange of people, conversations, and excitement. I could not imagine a more intentionally and beautifully designed event! I absolutely cannot wait for next year’s Tiny Expo, or any other library events for that matter.

REVIEW: Women, Queer, & BIPOC Art Fair

Ella Larsen Leave a comment

11:30am • Saturday, December 3, 2022 • Michigan Union, Pendleton Room

This weekend’s Women, Queer, & BIPOC Art Fair, hosted by What the F, was a fun and rewarding experience for all involved. What the F is a student organization centered around art and intersectional feminism which produces a magazine each semester, as well as a podcast, blog, and arts events like this one. The event took place in the lovely Pendleton Room on the second floor of the Union, where artists set up shop at small white-linened tables distributed market-style across the room. The space was a big step up from last year’s fair, which if I remember correctly was held in the Anderson room on the first floor. The Pendleton Room was grander and more immediately visible to guests, which lent the fair a more official and celebratory atmosphere.

As a vendor, I was present from the beginning to the end of the event, and I loved seeing how the fair served as a social, community-building space. Even with exams looming ahead, it was heartening to see how so many students gathered to celebrate one another’s art and connect with one another. From about 12pm onward, the fair was full of guests meeting up with friends, interacting with the artists, and exploring the room. As the event began to wrap up, What the F had to make an announcement to the still-very-full room that the fair was closing, and guests were still approaching artists as they packed up their work to make last-minute purchases.

A few of my favorite shops from the event included Michelle Knapp‘s table including work from her Etsy shop, MousemadeCo, and Sivan Ellman‘s table where she was selling some of her very cool collage prints. I also loved the adorable printed totes Maya Moufawad was selling at her table. One of the unique aspects of What the F’s fair is that the organization does not charge artists to participate, which creates a uniquely accessible opportunity for student artists to put their names out, when other fairs might charge upwards of $80 dollars to table. Because of this, artists are not pressured to sell work, but can use the art fair as an opportunity to exhibit the pieces they are most proud of without incurring extra costs.

I look forward to the return of the What the F Women, Queer, & BIPOC Art Fair next semester, an event which, with luck, will be longer with perhaps even more artists present.

PREVIEW: This Land – pastel paintings

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Connie Cronenwett’s collection of pastel paintings, This Land, will be available to view at the WSG Gallery on 111 East Ann Street until Saturday, November 26!

The title “This Land” makes me think of the song This Land is Your Land, and of motifs like the American Dream, belonging, assimilation, discrimination, etc. I have no idea if that is what the paintings are about or meant to represent, but I think it will be cool to compare my expectations to the actual exhibit. I also can’t tell if the paintings are pastel hued / paletted which is why they’re referred to as pastel paintings, or if the medium is all pastel chalk. From the one image on the website preview, it seems like the latter, which is why it’s intriguing to me, that they’re still referred to as paintings. Either way, I’m expecting serene, muted landscapes that will hopefully give me some peace at the end of a long week!

Read more on the WSG gallery, the exhibit, and Cronenwett’s paintings here!

PREVIEW: La Pelea/The Fight

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“La Pelea/The Fight is a 46-foot panoramic oil-on-canvas. At the center of the “picture” and surrounded by a jeering crowd, the viewer becomes literally and conceptually involved as the one who is about to fight and defend themself.” I kinda wanna see what this would do to my psyche. I find the idea incredibly creative, as I’ve never seen a painting in the form of a loop instead of flat canvas. There have been paintings just as long, like that of Michelangelo’s, but never a canvas that bends… it makes me wonder how it was painted — flat and then folded? Or was Salvador Diaz in the middle of the circle the whole time? As he painted the antagonizers before his eyes, and spent all that time in that panorama, was the painting process agonizing? Or did it not affect him at all? I’m excited to explore a piece of art that engages the viewer so interactively.

The painting will be available to visit in the Institute for the Humanities Gallery on 202 S. Thayer until Friday December 9th! The gallery is open on weekdays from 9am – 5pm.

Learn more here: https://lsa.umich.edu/humanities/news-events/all-events.detail.html/97756-21795058.html