Explorations

Waking up Sunday morning a number of tasks were rushing around my head including; packing, blogging, getting breakfast(ohh the donuts), calling my Mom, writing the thank-you notes, and figuring out my Monday…as I bounded down the elevator I remembered one last one, read the New York Times.

So I found myself at breakfast, sans donuts and skimming over the paper.  Reflecting on the week’s interviews I found a certain poignancy to an article about a young artist. Loris Greaud, 29 will soon open ’Cellar Door’, an installation art project at the Palais de Tokyo in Paris. The kicker: he is the first artist to take all of the 40,000 square feet, at a cost roughly double to that of any other show the Palais has housed. Director Marc-Olivier Wahler remarked that it was large risk to allow such a young artist carte blanche, though the work has been an overwhelming success.

I couldn’t help think of my last interview with Catherine Porter, the developmental director of Dixon Place.  Dixon place began simply enough in a living room. Ellie Covan the founding director used the space(in her own apartment mind you) to showcase and promote new works and talents. As an interesting side-note Catherine explained that since producing plays in the living room of a NYC apartment violated a number of fire concerns(large amount of people in one spot) Ellie told everyone involved that if the fire or police showed up everyone was to start singing ’Happy Birthday’.  Twenty some years later Dixon Place has expanded(barely) while maintaining the ‘living room’ feel and holding steadfast to their mission.

The juxtaposition of seeing one artist with 40,000 square feet, and a whole venue with only 350 square feet was  really quite eye opening. Initially I though Greaud was very lucky to have an expanse of space and money to realize his artistic vision; yet later I realized how we all have that ability. I have that ability.  It’s shocking but I have the means to produce  my work. Of course my means are limited in terms of finance, time, space, and so on-but even if I have nothing but my living room, I can make it work. 

As Gregg had mentioned last week in class, the most important part of reading the newspaper is making valuable connections. Taking a story to personalize it, or show it’s relation to another story, or idea: the synthesis of the information is where the true value lies.

Reading the Times this week I found an individual who has done as such. Enter Milos Forman. Foreman is a Czech filmmaker who is screening his 1971 comedy Taking Off this Thursday at the MoMA, kicking off a two week retrospective of his work. At the end of the article Forman recounts the tale of a friend trying to discourage him from taking on One Flew Over the Cockoo’s Nest( he went on to win an Oscar for his direction in the work): “While I was reading ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,’ ” Mr. Forman recalled, “an American friend of mine said: ‘Don’t go near it. It’s such a piece of Americana that you will never be able to express the Americanism of the story.’ “I said: ‘What are you talking about? For you it’s a book, it’s fiction. But I lived that story. For me the Communist Party was Nurse Ratched. And everything that is described in the story of that book I lived. So to me it’s a Czech movie. It’s a documentary.”

There was never any doubt, though an unshakable believe that Forman held on to: This Story, is my Story. Forman personally connected to the work and refused to let go. While Gregg spoke more of making analytical connections, the personal connection is just as important. Forman saw himself and his story in every aspect of Cuckoo’s Nest; enough to say that is was a story he has lived.

Connecting. Attaching. Fusing. These are not simple things to do. Though remarkably important.

Rarely do I laugh out loud while reading.  But while scanning a large page of The New York Times  this past Monday night, I came across this statement from Jwl B., whose real name is Jewel Baynham:  ”I got stretch marks, and I’m fat, and I’m wildin”.

File that under “Things I never thought I’d find in the New York Times”

 After laughing out loud in the CAD Lab, I investigated.  Jwl B is half of a lesbian rap duo from Florida, titled ‘Yo Majesty’.  How rare in the world of mainstream hip-hop and rap is an all girl group? Essentially non existant since the heydays of Salt’n'Pepa(the good ol’ days). But that is the very goal of ‘Yo Majesty’, to become popular and tour outside of their already growing fanbase in both Tampa and NYC. I spent the next half hour listening to the their music, and maybe it’s just because I miss Salt’n'Pepa so much, but they’re pretty good. You should check out their music here: YoMajesty