REVIEW: 96th All Media Exhibition

JM Leave a comment

This week, I visited the 96th All-Media Exhibition at the Ann Arbor Art Center, which is located on East Liberty Street. The Exhibition is free and will continue through December 1, 2018. It showcases an intriguing mixture of art types, ranging from sculpture, to collage, to painting, photography, and mixed-media. The subjects of the pieces were also diverse, including works that challenged social norms and gender stereotypes. The narrative of the exhibition, created by juror Sarah Rose Sharp, is Personal Mythology: Everyday Altars. I thought that the exhibit in its entirety was interesting, especially since it included so many types of art, although I appreciated some pieces more than others. Below is a selection of some of my favorites:

 

Double Exposure by Erin Zerbe of Adrian, Michigan is a piece consisting of old Polaroid and Kodak cameras encrusted with pieces of what looked like glass and other materials, to appear as if crystals were growing over it. It is an interesting commentary on technology, and I spent several minutes looking at it and thinking about it. The artist’s choice to cover the cameras in crystals, which are beautiful and take time to form, is contrary to the familiar images of old, broken technology being forgotten and covered in layers of dust.

 

Meiosis (top) and Mitosis (b0tt0m) by Eana Agopian of Kalamazoo, Michigan are two separate mixed-media collages. Especially for those interested in biology and science, these pieces are fascinating because of their obvious inspiration from the cell reproduction processes of the same names. In the center of each are two women mirroring each other and enclosed in a circle, which, to me, seemed to clearly reference a cell’s nucleus as it splits. The surrounding elements, including pomegranates, leaves, geometric shapes, coins, and mushrooms, can be interpreted as the other organelles of the cell (an organelle is to a cell what organs are to the human body).

 

 

Scream (1996) by Rebecca Griffith of Villa Park, Illinois is a piece composed entirely of VHS magnetic tape and clear tape. It is hanging on the wall in the gallery in such a way that it looks similar to a tapestry, and I did not even realize what it was made of until I read the placard by it! I think that this was my favorite material used in any of the pieces in the Exhibition, because VHS tape and clear tape are so mundane on face-value, and yet the artist created a bold and challenging piece of art from them. The tape is arranged in rectangles of crisscross or stripe patterns and connected so they look like a partial quilt together. Against the backdrop of the white gallery wall with the lights on it, Scream (1996) is especially interesting to look at from different angles, because there is a geometric silhouette on the wall that shifts depending on the position of the viewer, and the dark color of the VHS tape is a stark contrast with the wall.

 

 

A Peaceful Coexistence Part 1 by Laurie Borggreve of Minneapolis, Minnesota was quite possibly my favorite piece of the entire Exhibition. Consisting of colorful glass elements pinned to a board, it reminded me of many different things all at once, including buttons, jellyfish seashells, insects, and sea glass. In addition to being beautiful to look at, A Peaceful Coexistence Part 1 is one of those works that I spent a long time looking at, and that I think could take on many different meanings to those who view it.

 

 

 

REVIEW: Yi-Chun Wu: East in Motion

JM 1 Comment

Currently hanging throughout the lobby and first floor corridor of the Michigan League for all to enjoy are works by dance photographer Yi-Chun Wu. This week, I had the privilege of seeing these photographs, which are collectively entitled East in Motion.

The photographs are of a wide range of dance groups and companies in action, and each is captioned with its title, the year, and the subject. To me, the artistry and skill, both of the dancers in the photograph and of the photographer behind the camera, was very evident. Some of the photographs are crystal clear, as if the precise instant in time was frozen, while others are blurred in a way that captures the dynamic of the dancers’ motion. Some are brightly and clearly lit, while others play with the shadows of the stage lighting.

The picture to right, which is one of my favorites from the exhibition, captured my attention because of the sheer fabric piece in the center of the image. Perfectly, Yi-Chun Wu managed to capture the way that the light dances on the its surface, and it leads the eye to the dancer in the lower right foreground. The grace of the dancer is also communicated, and those looking at the photograph can see the rippling movement of the material spanning the image, and sense the flow and beauty captured by the camera’s shutter.

This image to the left, on the other hand, contrasts the one above in many ways. The light is brighter, and there is a clear sense of action. It is fascinating to see the dancer who is the subject of the image frozen in midair. This is an example of photography capturing something that can’t be experienced with the human eye – while it is possible to see the dancer’s jump, the moment captured in Yi-Chun Wu’s photograph would go by too quickly to be noticed by an observer. The minute details, such as the shadows on the floor, or exact location and position of the dancer’s feet, the orientation of his wrists, or the turn of his head would be lost to the onward march of time, but Yi-Chun Wu selected the moment to preserve in her art.

The exhibition East in Motion will be in the League through November 30, 2018, and I strongly recommend stopping in to see Yi-Chun Wu’s art for yourself! The photographs above are only a small sample of those on display, and each one will challenge you and bring you into the moment that it was captured.

REVIEW: Wildlife

Sophia McPherson Leave a comment

From my initial viewing of the Wildlife trailer, I knew there were some major pieces being left out. I felt deprived of having any real sense of what the movie would entail, let alone carry an impression of what to expect. The trailer was rather reserved and too undeserving of what I knew this movie was capable of. I decided to see this film to test my intuition. To my surprise, this film was what I would call “messy.” Messy as in, countless rounds of drama and unexpected events. This film undoubtedly had a punch to it, something that you wouldn’t necessarily expect.

 

Wildlife is adapted from a novel by Richard Ford and takes place in 1960 in a small, lonely town in Montana. From the beginning, we’re made to believe that they are living in a typical, happy life that is contained within a small town. It seems to be a cheesy story revolving a father who is a pro golfer, a submissive housewife, and a young teenage boy who appears to be naive to family happiness. Though, it did not take Dano (Director) long to submerge this fake sense of family solidarity. Jerry (Jake Gyllenhaal) loses his job, from what he believes is due to him being “too well-liked” and “too personable”. This immediately gives an insight of Jeanette (Carey Mulligan) and Joe’s (Ed Oxenbould) passive reservations toward their father’s job insecurity leading to multiple reallocations. To make matters worse, Jerry is offered his job back, but he declines, for he “will not work for people like that.” To step up, Jeanette suggests that she go back to work to support the family, but without throwing it in Jerry’s face in such a way that would threaten his manhood. Even little Joe chimed in to suggest picking up a part-time job after school. Despite Jerry’s negativity toward receiving extra help, he decides to take a job for $1.00/hour fighting forest fires up north. Not only is this life-threatening and under-compensating for such, but he would be leaving Jeanette and Joe to fend for themselves back at home.

 

This news was the snapping point of Jeanette. Throughout her anger and frustration, it seemed like she was being portrayed as an unstable woman unsure of her wants. To emphasize this perspective, the film is actually told by Joe’s point-of-view. This leads to even more confusion of feelings that are expressed by the adults in question. Jeanette puts Joe in countless uncomfortable situations. He’s immediately told that his father must be cheating on his mother. Jeanette’s explanation to Joe is: “Why do you think men do things? They’re either crazy or it’s a woman. Or both.” From Joe’s point-of-view, the audience is indulged into this divided realm between the parents, and where that leaves Joe to figure things out on his own. Out of spite (and for financial security), Jeanette turns to one of her swimming students, Warren Miller, for more reasons that she is able to articulate. To make everything even more complex and uneasy for Joe, Jeanette becomes nothing more than a drunk, submissive woman during dinner at Mr. Miller’s house. All of which was witnessed by Joe, followed by another sensual evening spent in their own home.

 

For this story to have taken place in 1960, it’s extremely important to note the film’s stance on feminism and coming-of-age. The underlying of this film is simply put: a damaged family falling victim to the failures of the provider, a young teen who is forced to step up and see the undesirable truth, and an (arguably) uncertain woman who doesn’t need a man to complete her. Interestingly enough, in 1963, The Feminine Mystique was published by Betty Friedan. This book is highly credited for its contributions to sparking the second wave of feminism in the United States. Friedan focuses on explaining the way women behave in the US society. She argued that the preconceptions of domestic womanhood consequently led to identity crises for American women, much of what was seen from Jeanette in Wildlife.

 

REVIEW: U-M Chamber Jazz Recital

Emma Pinchak Leave a comment

Never before had I considered the mandolin or banjo to have a place in the jazz world. And I certainly did not expect to experience a solo of either of these instruments in any context outside of a renaissance festival or a square dance competition, respectively.

Boy, was I wrong.

The performance was split into three sets, each a different student group exploring a wildly different facet of the music genre.

The first erred on the side of folk, incorporating a sound more twangy than I’d have expected from jazz musicians. But the smoothness of the violin’s bow sliding across the strings and the low voice of the cello lurking under the melody rounded out the tunes they played, making the sound much more complex and multi-dimensional. And, I must stress, Noah Fishman on mandolin and Matt Davis on banjo went hard.

The next group played in the classic big-band style of jazz, bursting into the music the second they began with grand flourishes of slurred crescendos and bright moments of staccatoed frenzy. It was hard seeing the relatedness of the first and second groups, even though they were a part of the same genre, and shared a few of the same instruments. But rather than this near-dichotomy being a distraction, it worked as a testament to jazz’s dynamicity. It was disappointing to me, as a piano player, that the pianist Kaysen Chown was barely audible amidst the brash bass tones, as the higher pitch and lightness of the instrument would have complimented the music greatly.

The last group to play featured a jazz of the sultry kind; the high call of the saxophones (Peter Goggin on alto and William Wood on tenor) was almost erotic. The songs were rambling and suave, able to warm the mind and body simultaneously. I could find myself in some underground jazz club, surrounded by the coolest cats around, dressed in all black, perhaps sporting a beret.

When I walked out of the auditorium, I still felt warm, even despite the biting wind of the mid-November night. Maybe it was the well-heated building, but more likely it was an effect of the music. I strode back to my dorm with a strange new confidence derived from the sheer sophistication of the evening. This lasted nearly the whole walk home, ending abruptly as I tripped on a crack in the sidewalk (a testament to the exclusiveness of the genre, maybe; one can fall out of its favor with a single uncool move).

All in all, a good night, thanks to this group of talented SMTD students!

PREVIEW: Ralph Breaks the Internet

Minna W Leave a comment

 

Six years after Wreck It Ralph, the sequel is finally out now. For those intellectuals out there, the movie grapples with themes like sibling-hood, family, nurturance, loyalty, and gender norms. Vanellope and Ralph meet Shank (voiced and based off of Gal Gadot, the actress who played the most recent version of Wonder Woman), who becomes an older sister figure for Vanellope. Ralph becomes jealous because he can’t always look out for Vanellope or give her needed advice as a clumsy older brother.

But don’t worry, that’s not the main plot. This is: “The Sugar Rush arcade cabinet has broken, forcing Ralph and Vanellope to travel to the Internet via the newly-installed Wi-Fi router in Litwak’s Arcade to retrieve the piece capable of saving the game.”

Sounds like a sequel I want to see. Also, all the Disney princesses are in it (!?)

 

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T73h5bmD8Dc

 

PREVIEW: The Grinch

Minna W 2 Comments

Ready or not, the 2018 adaptation of How the Grinch Stole Christmas is out now. The original storybook was published by Dr. Seuss in 1957. The book has since been adapted into various forms including theater and film. The first animated version came out in 1966, a musical version was produced in 1998, then in 2000, it was made into a live action film starring Jim Carrey. Now, the film company, Illumination, has made their own animated version called The Grinch.

From the trailer, the animation looks great. I like the cute, friendly depiction of Whoville. The music is composed by Danny Elfman, featuring Pentatonix, Run-DMC, Nat King Cole, Jackie Wilson, the Supremes, and Tyler, The Creator. I look forward to analyzing the differences between the new version with the old versions.

     

 

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bf6D-i8YpHg   

Soundtrack: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-eRRTqnj4A