Archive for November, 2007
The Agents had a constant presence. The seemed to be everywhere at once. They reminded us of an ambiguous “constant threat”, and spoke in urgent tones, always careful to be painfully polite, thanking us for our cooperation as they herded us from one space to the next. “Why do the questions never change? Why are you asking yourself the same questions? What is your purpose? Where do you want to end up? Why do you think you are different than them? Why is it always about you? “Am I different?” Two women and a man stand imposingly over another man, who is seated. The seated man holds his head in his hands and is having a monologue with himself, asking questions about himself, his purpose. The questions are influenced by the barking interrogation of the three standing above him, one holding a harsh light over him. The seated man is dressed as a young professional, while the three who relentlessly question him, interrupting each other, creating confusion, creating a heightened sense of anxiety in the man. The evening built up to this point quickly, as Agents dressed in black, wearing dark sunglasses and earbuds ominously in place walked hurriedly and confidently throughout the gallery space, snapping instructions at guests, informing us that we must “clear the area” and “move along” but without telling us why. And no one asked why. Some of us knew what was transpiring that night at the Missoula Art Museum, others did not, but the feeling of fear and intimidation was very real. The interrogation lasted only a few minutes before the crowd was dispersed and the Agents cleared the gallery space again. They reconvened in the lobby of the gallery. One began reciting the First Amendment very loudly, while others whistled Yankee Doodle Dandy over top of his commanding voice. It all felt very Brave New World or 1984. Immediately after all of the heaviness and orchestrated confusion, the sunglasses came off, the red clown noses appeared, and the gathered were invited into a performance of Peace, Joy and Celebration. A strip of cloth descended from the ceiling, and the crowd was invited to “grab on”, as we were led, by members of the OFA, into the performance space. The performance space was warm and welcoming, featuring a backdrop created by Jonathan Marquis and Adelaide Every, The Fabric of Our Lives, an abstract quilt of assembled fabric gathered from the Missoula community. Pennies on the Ground - song and improvised structure by Catlin Hill “no window open, no lamp lit, no light switch, no ladder up no rug down, no pans laughin, no kettles cryin, no pennies on the ground” Heidi Junkersfield opened the performance by teaching us how to sing these words together, binding us as an impromptu micro-community within the larger community of Missoula for the evening’s performance. We sang these lines together in almost a chant before Jill Beauchesne performed a poem accompanied by Hill on violin and Nathan Zavalney on guitar while Anya Cloud played off of Beauchense’ words in a beautiful interpretive dance. The piece, Red Hawk on the Power Line, used familiar geographic imagery from Missoula’s North Side neighborhood to convey a sense of place and loneliness in the individual mind. I think. Sometimes I don’t “get” poetry, but I like the feel of it anyway. Dakini Mind - conceived by Junkersfield and Penelope Baquero “You are not balanced enough!” One woman shouts at the other. They are two halves of the individual self, battling it out for us to see. One, recites a litany of intentions that hold no weight because they are not backed up with action. Intentions of change, of becoming a better person, of wanting to be good in the struggle of daily life. It’s a familiar internal struggle that many of us have, and can lead to depression or redemption. We are eternally at odds with ourselves, and the two women in the spotlight shine a harsh light on our internal struggles by acting it out for us. But there are glimpses of harmony within this dissonance, as they danced together, embracing each other tenderly, before violently pushing each other away. The piece was an “exploration of three feminine mystical beings — Kali, Pachamama and Dakini” that included enough humor to allow the viewer to acknowledge seeing himself within the piece and encourage him to keep up the fight, to not give up. Dakini Mind finishes with Junkersfield running in place, talking out loud, trying to convince herself that she has it together, that she is strong. And then Baquero delivers the punchline: “I’m strong and I’m not even running.”
The Manual - collaborative piece created by the male members of OFA The Magician is introduced to us, and is a cocky, confident young man. He is shown, by our colorful host, Mark Morante, the true path to manhood is Rock and Roll, and is deluded by the images projected onto the screen that this is his True Destiny. As the lights come up, and the images fade, he discovers a guitar in his hands. He begins to play it, writes a quick song, and the loud music kicks in. He Rawks Out. He keeps Rawking Out, until he is revealed to be a sham by a playful clown who shows him that the microphone into which he is “singing” is unplugged. The Lover, then, is brainwashed into believing that in order to be a Man he must regal the women with his tenderness, virility and charm. He chooses a woman at random from the crowd and begins to dance with her to Prince’s “Purple Rain”, but is ultimately distracted by the appearance of a mirror, which he takes, dropping the woman, dancing with his own reflection. The Warrior then comes to the stage and watches propaganda on the screen which convinces him that to be a Real Man, he must Make The Ultimate Sacrifice and become a Soldier. The clowns return, this time somberly, carrying his dead body from the stage. Finally, The Politician arrives, eager, hopeful and self-assured. After he is shown images on the screen of “great leaders”, he stands up and begins schmoozing and pumping the hands of his devoted, but, then, sadly, begins accepting graft from the Clown Lobbyists and he too is led from the stage. So what is the answer? How can one be a True Man? Peace. The screen flickers images of peaceful protests, anti-war messages as a beautiful cover of John Lennon’s Imagine plays. (Anyone who was there know who sang this?) All of the OFA are now on the stage dancing together, with recognizable elements from Tai Chi and yoga infused into the dance. The OpenField Artists is an Interdisciplinary art collective which uses dance, theater, spoken word, music, video and visual art to explore themes such as Myth, Cultural Identity, and Consumption. Through experimentation, improvisation and the presentation of original works, they create experiences that involve the public in a variety of ways. OFA:
Day of the Dead found a home in Missoula back in 1993, when one of my favorite Missoula artists, Mike deMeng returned to Missoula from a trip to Oaxaca, Mexico, a community, which, like Missoula, is rife with artists and an appreciation for the arts. The idea that death is a new beginning resonated with deMeng. The idea that death can be cause for celebration in addition to grieving is not new. The brash funeral parades of New Orleans are an American example of this phenomenon. DeMang was determined to infuse Missoula with this tradition. He returned to Missoula and recruited fellow university of Montana teacher and artist, Bev Glueckhert to help him, and the tradition has continued to this day. Day of the Dead in Missoula is even mentioned in the Wikipedia article about Day of the Dead. (Interestingly, Day of the Dead almost didn’t happen this year in Missoula.) Because Missoula’s incarnation of Day of the Dead was founded by a couple of artists, it’s no surprise that the arts hold an important part of the celebration of Day of the Dead in Missoula. What I’ve always enjoyed about the Day of the Dead celebration in Missoula is the steamroller prints. This year was the first year that I’ve been able to go and watch the prints being made, and it was quite impressive. University of Montana printmaking professors Jim Bailey and Elizabeth Dove’s printmaking students spend about a month carving the print plates.
The steamroller prints have been such a popular part of the parade every year that the process of printing them has been expanded. While those who were included in the creation and printing of the steamroller prints used to be mainly the printmaking students at the university, the program has been extended to students at some of the local high schools. Students work in teams of up to five. It’s easy to tell the difference between the high school kids’ prints and the university students’ prints, not by the quality of the carving, but by the size. The high schoolers’ prints are only about 4′x4′ while the university students’ prints run about 4′x8′. Each student makes a print for himself, so that everyone who contributed to the project has one. The prints are traditionally displayed in downtown Missoula for about a month before their respective owners take them home and display them in their houses. The plates? Well, I was saddened to hear that the plates are destroyed. Part of the reason for this is that they are so huge — where could they be stored? But destroying the plates also adds a special quality to the prints that do get made, and that is part of why they are so popular. What may be the highlight of Day of the Dead for many Missoulians is the parade, which occurs on November 2nd around dusk. But the parade isn’t the only celebration in Missoula for Day of the Dead. It has evolved into a time for people to express themselves not only publicly, but also to reflect privately about loved ones who have gone before them. The Missoula International School is at the forefront of Day of the Dead activities, and invites families to come and learn about the rich history of Day of the Dead, through traditional Day of the Dead arts and crafts, storytelling and other activities. Also at The International School, people who have recently lost a loved one can come to express themselves through creative movement and interactive dance that, organizers hope, will ultimately help to celebrate death while grieving it through the celebration of life and the promise of continued emotional and spiritual bonds with the deceased. The workshop features live percussion. Finally, The International School invites everyone to join together to build a community shrine comprised of photos, candles and other mementos honoring those who have died. The shrine project includes dramatic performances and music by the Sentinel High School jazz band. University of Montana drama students create a portable backdrop for the shrine, which often finds its way into the parade later. Day of the Dead celebrations culminate with the parade and the resulting performances at Caras Park.
Click the image below to view all of the steamroller print photos from this year.
I’ve written about The Open Field Artists before. You’ll have another opportunity to see them this week at Artini, at the Missoula Art Musuem starting at 5.30PM. From their email invite: “There will be 13 of us presenting at Artini this coming Thursday the 15th. We have been preparing for this since summer. There will be improv throughout the space as well as set pieces up in the Native American Art Gallery. Adelade and Jonathan have created hanging structures which will also be in the space. Our first show is from 5:30-7pm. Then a talk from the visiting artist until 7:30. Then again we have another show from 7:30-8:30. We will have a brief talk-balk opportunity from 8:30-8:50. Peace…and always…Muchas Gracias Words Used for the Creation of Works for MAM’s November Artini: revolution. community. oppression. freedom. revolution. Secret Agents will watching the space, the people. The public should be prepared for questioning. Revolutionary clowns appear with a Technicolor Dragon which will lead humanity toward a further acceptance of self inside-of-other! Perhaps we are connected (Earth). Perhaps we should being doing more. Perhaps…Listening, Questioning, Celebrating. The OpenField Artists is an Interdisciplinary art collective which uses dance, theatre, spoken word, music, video and visual art to explore themes such as Myth, Cultural Identity, and Consumption. Through experimentation, improvisation and the presentation of original works, they create experiences that involve the public in a variety of ways. OFA:
Photo by Max W on FlickrÂ1. Tr(n)igger - Saul Williams
Please contact your City Council representative by November 13 and make your opinion heard School students of all ages, primarily those in the Missoula schools, will be the largest users of the center. However, the facility will present a broad variety of entertainment, with the intent to have something that will appeal to everyone. The Missoula County Commissioners have indicated their willingness to support the project with $20 million in bond financing. There is great potential for substantial economic impact of the facility on downtown, the city, and the surrounding area. For a full report on the economic impact of nonprofit arts organizations in Missoula visit The Arts Mean Business at www.missoulacultural.org The full council is scheduled to vote on this issue at the November 19 meeting. In order for a community arts center to be truly a community project, citizens need to contact their city council representatives to ask questions, give opinions and arrive at a conclusion about such a venture. City Council takes very seriously the opinions of its constituents. Therefore the Missoula Cultural Council urges citizens to contact City Council representatives to discuss these issues. Each council member may be contacted at this link: http://www.ci.missoula.mt.us/citycouncil/contact_us.htm
Sunday, I wrote about an interesting email I received asking me to be a part of a book project. As I expected, spam. To be included in the book, there is of course a fee. If I had heard of the book, or if I had solicited them, sure, I might consider it. Thanks, but no thanks, guys. Like Dad always said, “Nothing’s free”. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is. If you’re interested in reading the terms, you can check out the application form here [link].
We Are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful what we pretend to be. “You were Superman last time,” my cousin said to me as the sunlight streamed through the open screen window, letting in the summer warmth. “But I don’t WANT to be Batman this time,” I said, knowing that choosing the right character was half the fun. Who wanted to be a guy who ran most places and had to drive in a car to get anywhere? I wanted to fly. And so it went, when we were kids, pretending. We always chose carefully and pretended with everything we had. That’s one of the ways I came to be an artist. I pretended I was one. I never had any training. I’ve always wanted to be an artist, since I was a kid. I tried to pursue it in college, but for one reason or another, it didn’t work out. Then, one day, I decided, Hell yes, I’m an artist. And one thing that artists do, besides make art, is have shows. So I started having shows. The first year I showed was back in Ohio, and I showed only once, at a local coffee shop. From there, after arriving in Missoula, I showed only once the first year I was here, and I wasn’t even present for the opening — I was on the road. Upon my return, I showed officially only once that year. Then, I had access to framing tools and a place to frame, a studio of my own, and I went crazy. I had four shows in 2006, with different original work for each show. I sold enough work last year to pay my rent four months in a row, which was good because my dayjob couldn’t figure out a way to make payroll in a timely fashion, but that’s another story best told over beers. For a while, now, I’ve had dayjobs that either are unfulfilling, or pay little. The one I currently have is so mentally draining and morale is so low among the troops as to be unhealthy. Something’s got to give. Someday everything will be beautiful, nothing will hurt. Not sure how to make that happen yet, but am starting to think of myself as a Professional Artist. I guess I have been thinking of myself that way for a while. Does that mean that the art that I make pays the bills? No. And for now, that’s OK. I’d like to build towards that. In the meantime, the dayjob, at least the one I have now, is a means to an end. I’ll continue to pretend I am a professional artist, sans the training, sans the consistant paycheck, and I will become him. So it goes. What do you pretend to be? What do you want to pretend to be? At first I thought it was spam, but upon further investigation, it looks legit. I’ll keep you posted as to what transpires with this. ————-
Dear Visual Artist Marc Moss
Found out its work quality, we considered your incorporation in the book “AESTHETICS AND CONTEMPORARY ART” produced by ATcultura.
Biographies and images of artists ; commentaries by prominents reviewers, messages and essays of Contemporary Art, will be present in this highquality book, big format, it will be distribuited on first universities and museums of the world.
Book will be edited in illustration paper, with photocrom illustrations and in a fancy box, covered by a luxe cloth binding, bilingual ( Spanish and English).
Artists invited to take part of edition, will invite by a selection criteria of quality.
Atcultura is sponsored only formally by the Government and enterprises but solicit not subsidies from they, wherefore ATcultura prefer avoid any possible conditionament, this colaborative project solicit to artists one minimum monetary contribution.
Previous books of ATcultura include artists like Caio Fonseca, Natasha de Wet, Perez Celis, Carole Feuerman, Regina José Galindo, etc. You can see in www.atculturalibro.blogspot.com or in our webpage www.atcultura.com
If would be interesting participation in this book for you, we require you as soon possible reply to: atcultura@argentina.com with a brief biography for be larged to future, adress and phone number, to be considered one of selectioned artist for receive own proposal.
You can see first confirmated artists of the book “AESTHETICS AND CONTEMPORARY ART” in www.atculturalibro2.blogspot
Best regards.
Lic. MarÃa Miriam FarÃas Iriarte Vicedirectora Atcultura |
