REVIEW: Detroit gallery crawl

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I spent this past Saturday enjoying what I can only think of as one of my favorite Saturdays in a long while.  Through an event organized by the U of M’s Joe Levickas, a group of students were given a well-planned introduction to what Detroit’s art scene has to offer.  In the morning we boarded a bus to downtown Detroit, given a map and some details about the galleries in the area, and released to explore the city.  Here is a list of the galleries and their websites.

Signal Return
Red Bull House of Art
InnerState Gallery
Trinosophes
The Scarab Club
N’Namdi Center for Contemporary Art
Detroit Artists Market
MOCAD
Review Contemporary Gallery
Dell Pryor Gallery
Lester Monts Hall

Below I’ll go into a little more detail about my experience at the galleries.

Signal Return

The first stop the bus made was at Detroit’s Eastern Market district.  Crowded streets, covered produce markets, and busy local food joints were the first things I noticed.  The Signal Return space was less than a block from the covered markets.  Part printmaking studio, part store front, the space aims to preserve the craft of handset printmaking by offering instructional classes to selling prints made by artists.  The space was really clean and the architecture of the space was as interesting as the art they were selling in the store.  It was built in a renovated egg crate manufacturing building and preserves a lot of the original brick of the building.  Large open windows line the store front making it more welcoming to passersby.  Being right off the Eastern Markets there were lots of Saturday market goers around.  The atmosphere reminded me of how much I love the community of a city.  The upstairs of the building was closed when we visited, but occasionally features printmaking shows.  The artistic director there mentioned that a lot of the type set and letter presses are taken up from local print making businesses that have closed down.  She also educated us in a bit of the historical influence of printmaking and letterpress expressions on today’s vocabulary, such as the terms ‘uppercase’ and ‘lowercase’ which came from printmakers storing the uppercase letters in the upper level case and the lower case ones in the lower.  Another

Afterwards, I treated myself to a scoop of chocolate and cherry amaretto ice cream from Mootown Ice Cream Shoppe, which I’d definitely recommend dropping by.


Trinosophes

I remember there was some jazz music playing in the background.  It is a large, bright space with cement floors that has a small grouping of shelves that sat at the back, which house a random collection of old paperbacks ranging from poetry to communist texts to classical fictions.  The entrance of Trinosophes is a cafe with just enough seats for patrons without overcrowding the space.   The chairs were noticeable because they ranged from vintage wooden kitchen chairs to bright orange 80s style cushioned seats.  Partitions divide the cafe off from the gallery space and served to blocked the view from one side to the other while still allowing sound to flow back and forth between the two areas.  The current show is a collection of various old posters, which contained images about nearly everything from war propaganda to equal rights for the sexes to petitions supporting the rights of immigrants.  I had only a few minutes in the space so I didn’t quite finish the reading the description for the opening, but from what I gathered the collection of posters had come from one man’s numerous political friends with packrat tendencies.  Given more time, I would have liked to sit awhile and I have some coffee.  Maybe next time.


Inner State Gallery

Two or three doors down from Trinosophes is Inner State Gallery.  A smaller space, the gallery is currently hosting a solo show by artist, Tyree Guyton.  Guyton, with his grandfather, began the Heidelberg Project. (A note on the Heidelberg Project:  For those who aren’t familiar, the project started in 1986 as an outdoor art environment.  Heidelberg street was transformed into a war torn neighborhood during the riots of the 60s.  To protest, Guyton and his grandfather began painting the houses bright colors and arranging salvaged items into sculptures, turning the neighborhood around and reclaiming it through art making and re-appropriating it as a public space.)  His show featured works on paper as well as old car hoods that had been scraped and burned by fire, and now hung up like canvases on the gallery wall.  The warped nature of the hoods add to the disfigurement of each featured portrait.  They were painted with bright colors and various shapes in place of facial features, and each portrait is of someone Guyton is acquainted with.  He also had an interesting installation art work: a taped off square filled with standing, non-functioning vacuum cleaners, each painted in a solid coat of paint of a different color.  It signifies a clear message about how the people assigned to clean up the city of Detroit are not performing their jobs.

Red Bull House of Art

The first floor of the Red Bull House of Art featured private studios for artists.  The stairs off to the right take you down to what appears to be a dark brick tunnel but actually opens up to a low-ceilinged brick lounge and bar area, before leading you down a ramp to a large bright gallery.  It is easy to feel like you’re trespassing on some abandoned basement before you realize that is a part of the charm of the space.  The large basement is currently holding a show of four artists, some of them young and most of them from around the area.  One of the artists featured futuristic mythological pieces painted in bright pinks and cyans.  The feeling of contrast between such modern images against the unfinished brick structure of the gallery created for an all the more interesting experience.

Scarab Club

The Scarab Club is located in a building originally built in 1907.  Taking the stairs to the gallery space on the second floor, you see a large fire place, piano, and decor that makes the room feel like a classic house in 1920s film set.  The wooden beams on the ceiling of the house are engraved with the signatures of famous people like Diego Rivera, Marcel Duchamp, and Norman Rockwell.  Below can be heard the tunes of a blues band performing in the gallery space below.  Back upstairs, the current exhibition features a painter by the name of Sam Karres.  His paintings took a lot of marks from impressionists.  The history of the gallery space and thinking about all the people who had come through there made me want to sit awhile and just enjoy being there.
There were many galleries to see and not enough time.  I would definitely consider checking back in with some of these spaces in the future.  Certainly another weekend trip to Detroit is in order.

REVIEW: Pirandello’s Six Characters in Search of An Author

camsterdam
Image via mlive.com

What would you do if you were a director of a play and six unknown figures show up on your stage, claiming to have been abandoned by their author, and beg to be characters (not actors) in your play? If you are already confused, then you are reading it correctly. Italian playwright Luigi Pirandello has written a “staged inception” where reality and fiction are constantly in battle, and seem almost interchangeable at times. The French theatre company Theatre de la Ville has taken Pirandello’s literary genius and has brought it to life with a full throttle of energy. The choreography between scene changes was fluid, almost balletic. The characters (played by the French actors) were expressive and experienced. They knew how to use their whole voice and body in every motion, every projection. For me, it almost didn’t matter how ridiculous the play in front of me was becoming – I was entranced by the beauty of the French and the collective imagination.

Although the play itself is quite innovative, experimental and sometimes difficult to follow, that was quite expected from simply reading the playbill synopsis, which was written as if it was a script itself. It was like we, the audience, had become characters cast in Pirandello’s piece to play the role of “AUDIENCE.” Yes…whoa…my exact thinking.

The only problem was the logistics of the subtitles. Because the play was performed solely in French, English subtitles were very necessary to even attempt to understand what Pirandello was trying to get across. But, unlike a movie, where your eyes can flutter peripherally from scene to text, the electronic marquis was so far above the stage that you couldn’t focus on both stage and screen at the same time. I always felt like I was missing either one or the other, and therefore, could not appreciate fully the humor and wit of the dialogue, nor the theatrical skills of the actors. Because this specific play is both visually and linguistically dependent, it would be beneficial for UMS to consider alternate placements for the subtitles in order to achieve maximum audience enjoyment and understanding. And UMS should not let language barriers or a little bit of absurdist literary theory stop them from trying again, because pushing the boundaries of the arts is what UMS does best. Just not pushing them too far that we can’t see the subtitles!

 

PREVIEW: Rachana (presented by Michigan Sahana)

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Meaning “creation” in Hindi, Rachana, Michigan Sahana’s first performance of the year, will showcase Michigan students’ original choreography and skillful mastery of Indian instruments. The musical and dance sub-groups that collaboratively make up Sahana celebrate the traditional art forms of Classical India. Count the dancers’  graceful spins and wonder at their ability to avoid dizziness. Tap your toe to the percussive rhythms of the tabla, the Indian version of bongos (watch this amazing tabla video!)  Indulge in a dip into Indian cultural history and power up for the rest of your Halloween night with a little sitar melody.

What: Michigan Sahana presents “Rachana” – a night of Classical Indian Music and Dance

When: Friday, October 31st at 7:00 pm

Where: Stamps Auditorium on North Campus

How Much?: Free!

Find out more about Sahana at michigansahana.com.

REVIEW: UM’s Jazz Ensemble puts on a Big Swing Face

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University of Michigan’s SMTD Jazz Ensemble

Rackham Auditorium

October 23, 8:00 p.m.

On Thursday, UM’s Jazz Ensemble put on their ‘Big Swing Face’ and transformed the Rackham Auditorium into a nostalgic 1940’s concert hall. The concert showcased mostly contemporary pieces of up-and-coming big band composers, such as Christine Jensen and Alan Ferber, but paid homage to classic favorites like Duke Ellington and Leonard Bernstein.

I was disappointed that of the 22 musicians in the ensemble, zero of them were girls, especially considering that it is not an “all-boys only” group. Nevertheless, the musicians gave an outstanding performance. Each soloist perfectly intertwined their own creativity and soul with the common themes and emotions of each piece, and passed the improv torch between each other effortlessly. Even when there wasn’t a solo, the collective group played with a very colorful energy. The ensemble jumped right into the swing of things with Bill Potts’ “Big Swing Face,” a piece that showed off the ensemble’s brilliant talent from the first measure. Music Director Ellen Rowe had so much trust in her group that she stepped to the side and let the group take full command of the audience.

A highlight of the performance was the Duke Ellington piece, “Day Dream,” which truly painted a picture of love-filled haze in my mind. The ensemble accompanied U of M student Lauren Scales, whose vocal range and singing talents are off the charts! I could close my eyes and pretend that I was in a smoky bar with Ella and Billie serenading me until dusk.

Overall, the concert was fantastic, but that should be expected from the top Jazz Ensemble on campus! Mostly, the audience was made up of parents and other relatives of the musicians. The pep and nostalgic atmosphere is a must for students who have ever suffered from “Midnight in Paris” syndrome and wish that they could time-travel to an earlier decade, and perfect for a free escape from the campus world.  I definitely recommend staying up to date on when their next concert is! You’ll be jumpin’ and jivin’ all night.

Review: Elektra at Michigan Opera Theater

Alexandria Strother

Strauss’ Elektra is a monster of a piece. An hour and 45 minutes long with no intermission this opera is demanding, expecting larger than life performances from it’s singers and pit allowing them no rest until the curtain falls. The Michigan Opera Theater production was well up to the challenge and presented a phenomenal production, continuing a successful run following opening night on Saturday.

Strauss began composing Elektra after seeing Hofmannstahl’s play of the same name and seeking permission from the playwright to turn the play into an opera. This began a long and prolific partnership between Strauss and Hofmannstahl which resulted in 6 operas over 24 years.

The curtain rises as five servants attempt to wash the blood of the human sacrifices from the palace wall. Elektra’s mother, Klytaemnestra, has been performing these sacrifices to appease the gods whom she angered by murdering her husband with Aegisth. Though small roles, the five servants set the tone for evening. By beginning the show with strong vocals loud enough to be heard over the thick orchestration which Strauss provides, the expectation for vocal prowess was set at an extremely high level.

Christine Goerke was a force of nature in the title role of Elektra. A massive voice, Goerke filled the house with a powerful sound. Her portrayal of Elektra both musically and theatrically encompassed the fierceness, determination and crazed nature of the character. This massive role took it’s toll on Goerke and in the final third of the opera some of her high notes lost the warmth which they began the show with, however, she finished the show with an impressively solid performance of this tremendously difficult role.

Jennifer Check in the role of Chrysothemis provided a much needed relief from the intensity of the opera and a stark contrast to the crazed portrayal of Elektra. Dressed in all white, Check provided a wholesome and simplistic interpretation of the character quickly becoming my favorite of the night. Superb lighting assisted in her portrayal of the character as she was consistent lit with bright warm light while Goerke was often dimly lit, hidden in shadow.

Overall, this production is a tremendous triumph for Michigan Opera Theater. Directed by Nicholas Muni and conducted by Steven Mercurio, every aspect of the performance came together seamlessly to create the overall effect.

REVIEW: Flying Lotus

Gabriella
Flying Lotus incorporates stunning visuals in his shows.

After a winded day at Royal Oak the night before, I was ready to get back to the music theatre for round 2 by seeing Flying Lotus with opener Thundercat. I was tired heading into the concert venue but still ready to open my musical horizons and see what the show had to offer. Once again, I was in for a visual and musical treat.

Thundercat honored his name well by dressing up in a cat costume before proceeding to jam out with the piano guy. As a band who made all of their sounds live, I was very impressed with his ability to play in such a limiting suit while still maintaining a high level of performance. The music was feel good and positive, and I was able to notice the reverb he use with his electric guitar as well as the popular wah wah effect to get a wailing sound. While I was not familiar with the group’s music beforehand, I think they did a fairly good job of introducing people to what they were all about. They didn’t try to be too over the top, and instead, successfully hyped up the audience for the headliner act.

While struggling to stay awake for Flying Lotus, I was quickly recharged with energy when he came out in a suit and light glasses that stood out behind his large white screen. Standing behind this screen added to the mystery that is Flying Lotus, as he conducts his live performing behind a screen that projects his visuals. The visuals were like something I had never seen before–very trippy and very mesmerizing. They would go from feeling like you were traveling in space to protruding out different shapes and colors for a 3-D effect. All the while, you were able to take in the atmosphere of people happily dancing around you and connecting to the music in ways they never could listening to it on their own at home.

Even when the music was something I didn’t like, I tried to understand the reasons for his putting that section into part of the show. Artists make very calculated decisions, especially when it come to electronic music where music order is super important as it aligns to the visual production side of things in this case. Flying Lotus live was absolutely worth the money to attend on a Thursday night in the middle of a busy week. I was impressed with the enthusiasm generated by him and his visual team to create an unparalleled concert experience. Even though I left early because of feeling way too tired, for the time I was there I had a great time.