Highbrow Magazine - artists https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/artists en The Art and the Artist: The Question of Morality in Media https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/24244-art-and-artist-question-morality-media <div class="field field-name-field-cat field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/media" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Media</a></div></div></div><span class="submitted-by">Submitted by tara on Thu, 12/14/2023 - 10:46</span><div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/1kanyewest_depositphotos.jpg?itok=oJ0xVnk9"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/1kanyewest_depositphotos.jpg?itok=oJ0xVnk9" width="480" height="320" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">In late 2022, <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1577190/" target="_blank">Ye</a>, formerly Kanye West, was under immense criticism for a <a href="https://www.adl.org/resources/blog/unpacking-kanye-wests-antisemitic-remarks" target="_blank">series of anti-Semitic comments</a> and actions, which resulted in a number of dire <a href="https://www.billboard.com/lists/kanye-west-hate-speech-consequences-timeline/" target="_blank">financial consequences for the artist</a>.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">Around the same time, a <a href="https://www.themarysue.com/but-he-made-graduation-meme-trends-as-ye-fans-realize-the-limits-of-separating-art-from-the-antisemitic-artist/" target="_blank">meme started circulating around the phrase “But he made Graduation,</a>” making jokes at the expense of Ye fans who were ignoring the artist's problematic statements. </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">Some arguments state that continuing to consume an artist’s work after the artist is exposed for problematic behavior is immoral in that it is complicit in and further enables the bad behavior. </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">Others argue that while these beliefs are problematic, it’s possible to “<a href="https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2023/3/7/separating-art-from-artist-rick-and-morty-thinkpiece/" target="_blank">separate the art and the artist</a>” and ethically consume the work, despite the artist’s problematic nature.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><img src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/1jkrowling_depositphotos.jpg" /></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">To argue that art is inseparable from its creator would make it impossible to consume art simply from the perspective that not all people are perfectly moral. However, the biggest misstep here is if one assumes that most art can be tied back to one person only.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">The creation of most art is not a solitary process. Many Ye songs <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_songs_recorded_by_Kanye_West" target="_blank">credit a number of writers</a>, not to mention recording engineers and others involved in the process.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">This becomes an issue in the sense that those who argue for the immorality of consuming art from <em>bad</em> people often cite the financial implications of doing so.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">It’s true that artists get royalties for their work, but many others are also getting a paycheck when making a film, for example. So if you were boycotting a film made by the likes of a <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005544/" target="_blank">Harvey Weinstein</a>, you are also punishing the film’s writers, directors, gaffers, cinematographers, actors, grips, and countless others.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><img src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/1harrypotter.jpg" /></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">Even with books, which we often think of as a more solitary process, there can be teams of writers, ghostwriters, and editors who alter content. While we like to create “heroes” in mainstream media, we are not consuming the thoughts and creativity of a single person.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">Were we to assume a piece of art primarily reflects the beliefs of one sole artist, the reasons for which people become upset with celebrities frequently have little to do with their actual work.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0746830/" target="_blank">J.K Rowling</a>, the author behind the <a href="https://www.wizardingworld.com/discover/books" target="_blank">Harry Potter</a> series has been criticized for her sentiments against trans people. However, the Harry Potter I remember as a child did not contain unhinged transphobic rants. </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">On the contrary, I recall Harry Potter’s inclusion of the concept of <a href="https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Pure-blood" target="_blank">Purebloods</a>, and <a href="https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Mudblood" target="_blank">Mudbloods</a> --  an allegory that serves as an interesting and empathetic way to bring up topics of racism and bigotry to young audiences.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><img src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/1melgibson_depositphotos.jpg" /></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">Does this excuse Rowling’s transphobia? Certainly not, but the point is this element of the actual content of the book preaches empathy and understanding of those different from you -- even if that may not be a value its author holds true.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">A more problematic element of the Harry Potter series would be the way in which some critics have asserted that the goblins of the franchise are <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/j-k-rowling-s-harry-potter-goblins-echo-jewish-caricatures-ncna1287043" target="_blank">reminiscent of Jewish stereotypes and caricatures</a>.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">Unlike Rowling’s cancellation for transphobia, this is a problematic element that directly informs the content of the work.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">This is not to say Rowling is anti-Semitic. In response to these criticisms, <a href="https://twitter.com/antisemitism/status/1478739540307230720" target="_blank">the Campaign Against Antisemitism made a statement on X</a>, formerly Twitter, essentially argued the portrayal of the stereotype was from a socially ingrained trope as opposed to direct intent.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><img src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/christfilm.jpg" /></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">This reinforces the social influence on art. Implicit biases and prejudices sneak into the way we see the world. Art reflects the time and the place, not just the individual</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">Something similar could be said of <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000095/" target="_blank">Woody Allen</a> who has made a number of award-winning films with sex as a core theme. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/article/woody-allen-timeline.html" target="_blank">Allen has had a questionable history in regards to sex</a>. Allen had an affair with – and married – his ex-girlfriend Mia Farrow’s daughter, and had to face alleged sexual abuse allegations from his own daughter. But Allen is no doubt a brilliant filmmaker, who has made Oscar-winning films that are considered classics, such as <em>Annie Hall</em> and <em>Hannah and Her Sisters. </em></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">An interesting gray area would be <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000154/" target="_blank">Mel Gibson</a>. The actor, director, and writer has been in trouble many times for <a href="https://variety.com/2020/film/news/mel-gibson-controversies-career-1234696080/" target="_blank">expressing racist, homophobic, and anti-Semitic ideas in his personal life</a>. There are those who have argued that his anti-Semitic beliefs may be reflected in Gibson’s “<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0335345/" target="_blank">The Passion of the Christ</a>,'' which has been criticized for an anti-Semitic portrayal of the death of Jesus Christ, and depicts Jews as responsible.</span></span><br />  </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">In a 2004 article prior to the film’s release, the <a href="https://www.adl.org/resources/news/passion-relies-theme-anti-semitism" target="_blank">Anti-Defamation League said, “If Mr. Gibson’s <em>Passion</em> reaches theaters as scheduled…in its present form… the ramifications of this film will reach far beyond Hollywood.”</a> </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><img src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/anniehall.jpg" /></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">A  number of Gibson’s films deal with patriotic and religious themes such as <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2119532/" target="_blank"><em>Hacksaw Ridge</em></a>, and <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0187393/" target="_blank"><em>The Patriot</em></a>. While these may reflect Gibson’s ideas tangential to anti-Semitism in the way they preach his Christian ideologies, ultimately the ideas are open to criticism in the work themselves. Viewers with context can further interrogate the film against Gibson’s own personal beliefs.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">Ultimately, the level at which an artist’s work is considered “corrupt” depends on our own tolerances and sense of morality. However, to discard the work of such artists carte-blanche might not be the best solution.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">The way to confront these issues is perhaps not to completely discard, ignore, and shame, but to truly <em>look</em> at the art and media we consume with a cautious and more critical eye. It’s important to examine and address the problems we find, even in the things we love.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><strong>Author Bio:</strong></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><strong><em>Garrett Hartman is a contributing writer at</em> Highbrow Magazine.</strong></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><strong>For Highbrow Magazine</strong></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><em><strong>Photo Credits: <a href="https://depositphotos.com/stock-photography.html">Depositphotos.com</a></strong></em></p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/kanye-west" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">kanye west</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/ye" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">ye</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/mel-gibson" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Mel Gibson</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/jk-rowling" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">JK Rowling</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/woody-allen" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Woody Allen</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/art-and-morality" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">art and morality</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/artists" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">artists</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/supporting-artists" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">supporting artists</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/boycotting-artists" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">boycotting artists</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/morality-media" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">morality in media</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Garrett Hartman</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-pop field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Popular:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">not popular</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-bot field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Bottom Slider:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">In Slider</div></div></div> Thu, 14 Dec 2023 15:46:21 +0000 tara 12859 at https://www.highbrowmagazine.com https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/24244-art-and-artist-question-morality-media#comments ‘Paint’ Crafts a Great Story of Love and Creativity https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/23527-paint-crafts-great-story-love-and-creativity <div class="field field-name-field-cat field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/film-tv" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Film &amp; TV</a></div></div></div><span class="submitted-by">Submitted by tara on Sun, 04/09/2023 - 13:04</span><div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/1paint.jpg?itok=Fli-nUtU"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/1paint.jpg?itok=Fli-nUtU" width="480" height="308" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">Owen Wilson’s portrayal of a Bob-Ross-like painter on public access TV in Burlington, Vermont, is both subtle and absurd, yet it makes for the core of a great comedy. “Paint” succeeds thanks to its performances and the confidence of its writer and director Brit McAdams.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">Carl Nargle is the host of a painting show simply titled “Paint” and for two decades, he’s been captivating the town of Burlington with his technique and calming narration as he turns canvas into well-made but extremely similar works. Owen Wilson does a great job of portraying a more eccentric take on what is clearly a Bob Ross proxy character. His subtle delivery and calm demeanor make him the clear highlight of the movie, but that’s not to say the rest of the cast doesn’t do a great job.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><img alt="" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/2paint.jpg" style="height:334px; width:652px" typeof="foaf:Image" /></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">The movie starts with a basic plot of Nargle’s position being jeopardized by a younger, more exciting artist named Ambrosia. From there, Nargle’s life goes downward as his popularity wanes; his coworkers no longer hang on his every word; and he realizes that he was never that good of an artist. It’s interesting to see a character that seems absurd on the surface grapple with realistic and relatable feelings. This comedy presents a story about creative and emotional stagnation, love and redemption, but that’s not to say the comedy isn’t a highlight.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">The comedic timing and subtle humor work really well in this film. Characters have great chemistry and don’t rely on over-the-top performances to get laughs, instead letting the script and their acting ability do the work. There’s a good amount of awkward humor and sight gags, and altogether, there are very few misses when it comes to jokes landing.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><img alt="" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/3paint.jpg" style="height:650px; width:439px" typeof="foaf:Image" /></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">Nargle’s fear of failure and creative complacency create a real set of issues for the character and it’s interesting to see Wilson’s character navigate the challenges. He spent 19 years trying to create the perfect painting of a local mountain to hopefully get into a museum, yet he never took the initiative to take one of the paintings there himself out of fear of being rejected. The idea of being content with being a big fish in a small pond at the cost of stagnation is relatable and the thing that gets Nargle out of it is being honest with himself. It’s a universal message that is delivered expertly and the resolution to the story is funny and doesn’t come short compared to the dramatic buildup.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">“Paint” has the makings of one of the best films of 2023 because even though the themes aren’t original, the entire film is executed extremely well. It’s not too heavy, preachy, or overly schmaltzy as it finds a good balance between comedy and a great story. </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><img alt="" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/4paint.jpg" style="height:366px; width:650px" typeof="foaf:Image" /></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><strong>Author Bio:</strong></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><strong><em>Ulises Duenas is a senior writer at</em> Highbrow Magazine.</strong></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><strong>For Highbrow Magazine</strong></span></span></p> <p> </p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/owen-wilson" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">owen wilson</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/paint" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Paint</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/bob-ross" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Bob Ross</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/painters" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">painters</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/new-comedies" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">new comedies</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/new-movies" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">new movies</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/artists" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">artists</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/public-tv" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">public tv</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Ulises Duenas</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-pop field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Popular:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">not popular</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-bot field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Bottom Slider:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">In Slider</div></div></div> Sun, 09 Apr 2023 17:04:00 +0000 tara 11795 at https://www.highbrowmagazine.com https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/23527-paint-crafts-great-story-love-and-creativity#comments Manou Marzban – An Artist for Our Times https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/21972-manou-marzban-artist-our-times <div class="field field-name-field-cat field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/photography-art" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Photography &amp; Art</a></div></div></div><span class="submitted-by">Submitted by tara on Sat, 11/19/2022 - 16:50</span><div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/1manou.jpg?itok=fC8Lz1zb"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/1manou.jpg?itok=fC8Lz1zb" width="480" height="278" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">Every once in a while, someone arrives on the scene whose art and message become even larger than the individual himself. The Swiss-born Iranian-American artist Manou Marzban is just such a man.  </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">Born in Switzerland in 1962 to a diplomat father, he was exposed at an early age to a diversity of people and cultures, giving him an invaluable global perspective. His expositions have drawn art enthusiasts in Berlin, Cannes, Nice, Paris, Monte Carlo, Baltimore, Geneva, Stockholm and London.  He has said he just wants to “entertain.”</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">But this lighthearted genius of pop culture wants to make people think as well. Every icon from our combined histories is fair game for deconstruction, from colorfully painted World War II Nazi helmets—“just a piece of  metal”—to cartoon renderings of historical figures from the Qajar dynasty. </span></span></p> <p><img alt="" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/2manou.jpg" style="height:320px; width:656px" typeof="foaf:Image" /></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">Marzban’s vivid imagination holds supreme sway over every endeavor. He has said that if he analyzes an undertaking, he would never finish it.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">Marzban believes that the ”nationalists” are a dying breed. In a hundred years, travel and communications worldwide will bring the human race closer together. The next generation will have far more understanding and compassion for one another. His mantra is “to live and let live, treat the world better, and challenge evil.”</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">With chaos, complexities, and challenges facing an uncertain world, Manou Marzban sounds like the King Arthur of our times.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">Below is an interview Marzban recently conducted with <em>Highbrow Magazine</em>, discussing his perspective as an artist and his inspirations and philosophies. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"> </span></span><img alt="" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/3manouart.jpg" style="height:339px; width:603px" typeof="foaf:Image" /></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"> </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><strong>Highbrow Magazine</strong>: You have said that in a hundred years, diversity is inevitable. Given the increasing rise of nationalism around the world, and growing racism, do you see political revolutions and upheavals more imminent in the future?</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"> <strong>Manou: </strong>Diversity is certainly inevitable. Why? One hundred years ago, very few people travelled, let alone got on an airplane. Today it is normal. In another hundred years, this exponential increase in travel, exposure, and communications will only grow, and slowly allow people to shed their xenophobic tendencies. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">When people get to mix and understand each other on a human level...they tend to stop agitations. What we see today are the last kicks of a dying breed. The “nationalist.” And this breed exists in every country, every continent. Trump, Brexit, Putin are all results of this symptom. So yes, there will be upheavals. My message is to keep repeating “never again.” Conflicts can quickly take global dimensions. We don’t want that. History can repeat itself.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"> Of course, the concept of diversity can polarize people, especially those who feel marginalized . The media has become an agitator, waving the flames of extreme thinking, both on the right and the left. We have Nazis walking around again on the right, openly, and “woke” thinking has now gone beyond rationality on the left. Ultimately, our hope is in the next generations, who will have grown up in a global and digital world -- and have far more understanding and compassion for one another than my generation did.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"> </span></span><img alt="" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/4manou.jpg" style="height:400px; width:601px" typeof="foaf:Image" /></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><strong>Highbrow Magazine</strong>: Your art provokes and delights. As an artist, do you think that deconstructing iconic objects, like the SS helmets in your 'Diversity Instead of Fascism' exhibition, can inspire your audience to take to the streets to make real change in their political climate? Can art do that?</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"> <strong>Manou: </strong>The first thing to do is to de-mask certain iconic objects, especially those that evoked fear, and see them for what they truly are. Once you understand that, it can help inspire new thinking. The German war helmets evoked such fear. Just the sight of them brought terror to millions. Now, that is insanely powerful symbolism. My thinking was simple: I will take this fearful symbol and cover it with messages that are in direct conflict to what it symbolizes. And that will dilute the message. What you are left with is just a helmet. Just a piece of metal. And perhaps that can inspire an audience to see the helmets of oppressive riot police and uniformed militias in the same light. Just a piece of metal. Nothing to fear.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"> </span></span><img alt="" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/5manou.jpg" style="height:602px; width:446px" typeof="foaf:Image" /></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><strong>Highbrow Magazine</strong>: Will the current political climate continue to be your primary focus, or do you see your art as more transformational, evolving and changing in tune with your own artistic ambitions?</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"> <strong>Manou: </strong>My art was never meant to be political. In fact, it’s been called “whimsical,” “fun,” but “thought-provoking.” I try to create a narrative in my pop art. I try to mix historical icons, political reflections, and popular culture all in one go. My desire is to entertain you. To make you think and ask questions. My Persian Qajar Streak series is playful. They are caricatures in bright colors, not the usual dour visions we see of classic Persian kings. My art features many mixtures of styles. Always transforming. From installations to videos. I will always try to evolve. As an artist, you can get recognition for just one particular form of creation...that boxes you in. But hey, we need to pay the bills too! So you do what you know sells. The key is to keep experimenting. Keep pushing your creative energy.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"> </span></span><img alt="" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/6manou.jpg" style="height:439px; width:600px" typeof="foaf:Image" /></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><strong>Highbrow Magazine</strong>: You are a Swiss-born, Iranian-American artist and the son of a diplomat. How has your international outlook shaped your art?</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"> <strong>Manou: </strong>My very diverse personal background laid the foundation for my art. As a child, in various destinations, I tuned into American Forces TV. That meant early exposure to classic films of the 40s, 50s, as well as TV shows and cartoons from the 60s and 70s. I grew up with comic books and graphic novels like <em>Tintin</em> and <em>Asterix</em>.  I attended a British boarding school in the 70s, where hours of boredom meant having to ignite an active imagination. All that travel and international exposure meant no real roots but an amazing [exposure] at an early age to diverse people and cultures. My art tries to touch on these childhood experiences via cultural and historical references. And I guess that gives my art an international appeal. I certainly felt that, having done expos in many capitals across Europe.</span></span></p> <p><img alt="" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/7manou.jpg" style="height:500px; width:470px" typeof="foaf:Image" /></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"> </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><strong>Highbrow Magazine</strong>: How did the Iranian revolution of 1979 shape your perspective as an artist?</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"> <strong>Manou</strong>: Prior to the revolution, I studied art like everyone else in school. I got my GSCEs and ‘A’ level art degrees earlier than most, and took my creativity for granted. Indeed, in boarding school, my doodles of teachers and students kept my classmates amused for hours. I had returned to Iran in 1977 – and loved it. But soon, the country was gripped in turmoil. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">When I was in Iran, an art teacher at the international school, Mr Minton, encouraged me to study art, because I was a “natural”: I could simply draw, like some can create music, effortlessly. I only fully realized that my creative talent is perhaps more than just making my friends giggle after I arrived in Washington DC in January 1979. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">In Washington, I declared to my father my intention to study art. That didn’t go down well. In fact, it didn’t go anywhere. Instead, I studied Communication and eventually, as the oldest son of a VIP father, I studied Business and entered the workforce....art was shelved. I believed that with the Iran-Iraq war, the desperate Persian diaspora trying to fit in anywhere they can outside of Iran, and the sheer uncertainty that naturally follows any revolution – how could I study art? I became a yuppie in the tech world. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">My father passed away in 2004. I started really exploring my creativity in 2009. By 2010, I had my first event, and by 2017, I had made an impact – especially with the Persian audience. My expos are usually entertaining events, not your classic art shows. I like to make people feel like they have attended a party. Maybe that’s a throwback to seeing my diplomat parents entertain almost nightly when I was a kid.</span></span></p> <p><img alt="" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/8manou.jpg" style="height:546px; width:435px" typeof="foaf:Image" /></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"> </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><strong>Highbrow Magazine</strong>: Who are some of your favorite artists?</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"> <strong>Manou:</strong> This is a question I am often asked in interviews, which always makes me smile because I have no profound or impressive answers. Like many, I like Dali, Picasso, Warhol, Miro...who doesn’t?</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">But then, I am inspired by Sergio Argones, a <em>MAD Magazine</em> cartoonist. I never studied art or art techniques; I am 100 percent self-taught. Trial and error. I like so many different kinds of art, that it is impossible for me to say what or who is my favorite. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">I am influenced by film, TV, actors....I also have a degree in Film History from American University in Washington DC. I think film has influenced me more than anything. But I don’t have a favorite film. Too many great ones. An image is an image, a film is many images. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">Having said all this, if there is one school of art I will subscribe to, it is the “enigmatism” approach. That is: plan nothing, let the creativity pour out, and discover the beauty of the unexpected. It’s all about storytelling, and emotional transfer. That, in essence, is the core of my art. My ‘Streaks’ series is exactly that. So, if there is one person I can tell you I find enthralling, it is the French artist Gérard Salomon.</span></span></p> <p><img alt="" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/9manou.jpg" style="height:601px; width:450px" typeof="foaf:Image" /><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"> </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><strong>Highbrow Magazine</strong>: You have been compared to Banksy. What are your thoughts on this comparison?</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"> <strong>Manou:</strong> That is stretching it! I must say I was a bit surprised when that happened. First, I don’t paint on walls; secondly, I am not shrouded in mystery. Google knows where I am. But nonetheless, I am of course honored. I guess the reason was more [because] of the messages we both try to convey -- that is, to live and let live, treat people equally, treat the world better, and always challenge evil. We are at a historical crossroads now: We can put our lot with the people on this planet who want to heal and mean well, or fall on the side of skullduggery. I have hope for sure -- hope in our children and their children.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><em><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><strong>For more information about the artist, visit: <a href="https://www.manouart.com/" style="color:blue; text-decoration:underline">Manou Art</a>.</strong></span></span></em></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><strong>Author Bio:</strong></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><strong><em>Sandra Bertrand is</em> Highbrow Magazine’s <em>chief art critic.</em></strong></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><strong>For Highbrow Magazine</strong></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><strong><em>--All images are courtesy of the artist</em>.</strong></span></span></p> <p> </p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/manou-marzban" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">manou marzban</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/manou-art" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">manou art</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/pop-culture" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">pop culture</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/paintings" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">paintings</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/contemporary-artists" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">contemporary artists</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/pop-art" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">pop art</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/contemporary-art" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Contemporary art</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/artists" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">artists</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/iranian-american-artists" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">iranian american artists</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Sandra Bertrand</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-pop field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Popular:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">not popular</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-photographer field-type-text field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Photographer:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">All images courtesy of Manou Marzban</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-bot field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Bottom Slider:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">In Slider</div></div></div> Sat, 19 Nov 2022 21:50:23 +0000 tara 11471 at https://www.highbrowmagazine.com https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/21972-manou-marzban-artist-our-times#comments Tabitha Soren Showcases Photography Series in Solo Exhibit https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/21656-tabitha-soren-showcases-photography-series-solo-exhibit <div class="field field-name-field-cat field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/photography-art" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Photography &amp; Art</a></div></div></div><span class="submitted-by">Submitted by tara on Wed, 09/21/2022 - 10:20</span><div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/1soren.jpg?itok=Z0Jmcftn"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/1soren.jpg?itok=Z0Jmcftn" width="480" height="320" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><strong>Jackson Fine Art</strong> is now featuring photographer <strong>Tabitha Soren</strong> with a solo exhibition of three of the artist’s most celebrated series — <strong><em>Running </em></strong>(2011 – 2014), <strong><em>Surface Tension</em></strong> (2013 – 2021), and <strong><em>Relief, </em></strong>an ongoing project that will be making its world premiere at the gallery. </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">A visual artist in different domains for over 25 years, Soren has long explored the intersection of psychology, culture, politics, and the body. </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">A former reporter for MTV News, ABC News, and NBC News, Soren begins each new series using the methodical investigative tools she used during her time in journalism. Books, research studies, and statistics lay a necessary analytical foundation for the visual ideas she communicates. These data points then merge with her experiences growing up in a military family, spending her youth moving around the world and adjusting to the cultural differences, social structures, and visual cues that came with each relocation.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">A through-line connects the three bodies of work in Jackson Fine Art’s show, evoking the universal paranoia and contemplation of our historical moment. In <strong><em>Running</em></strong>, the earliest of the exhibited series, Soren photographs archetypal figures ambiguously captured in the act of arrival or flight, often in desolate urban landscapes. Though the series ended in 2014, their isolation recalls the quiet dread of the early days of the pandemic and presages an uncertain future. </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><img alt="" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/2soren.jpg" style="height:467px; width:651px" typeof="foaf:Image" /></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">For <strong><em>Surface Tension</em></strong><em>, </em>which she began in 2014, Soren shines light on a dirty iPad screen, capturing and reimagining the found images underneath with her 8x10 film camera. The resulting body of work, titled with source file names and URLs investigates modern technological mediation, the collision of our human bodies with what Jia Tolentino calls in <em>The New Yorker</em> the “cold and infinite knowledge of the world.” In addition to the exhibition at Jackson Fine Art, <em>Surface Tension</em> has received widespread attention in the press and by museums and is currently on view in four museum exhibitions internationally. A monograph (<em>Surface Tension</em>) was published by RVB Books in September of 2021. </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">Finally, <strong><em>Relief</em> </strong>— on view exclusively for the first time — returns to an interest in the overtly tactile, a reaction to the all-encompassing submersion into the digital that <em>Surface Tension</em> required of the artist (and viewer). Soren manipulates beautiful landscapes and formal portraits by cutting, bending, burning, blasting, or shooting the paper they are printed on, removing the screen as interlocutor between hand and image and closing the circle that began with <em>Running </em>by similarly suggesting a future that might closely resemble the past.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><img alt="" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/3soren.jpg" style="height:489px; width:652px" typeof="foaf:Image" /></p> <p><img alt="" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/4soren.jpg" style="height:662px; width:497px" typeof="foaf:Image" /></p> <p><img alt="" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/5soren.jpg" style="height:654px; width:492px" typeof="foaf:Image" /></p> <p><img alt="" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/6soren.jpg" style="height:490px; width:652px" typeof="foaf:Image" /></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><strong>Highbrow Magazine       </strong></span></span></p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tabitha-soren" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">tabitha soren</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/jackson-fine-art" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">jackson fine art</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/photography" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">photography</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/photos" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">photos</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/artists" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">artists</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/photography-exhibits" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">photography exhibits</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">The Editors</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-pop field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Popular:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">not popular</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-photographer field-type-text field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Photographer:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">All images courtesy of Jackson Fine Art</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-bot field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Bottom Slider:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">In Slider</div></div></div> Wed, 21 Sep 2022 14:20:08 +0000 tara 11341 at https://www.highbrowmagazine.com https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/21656-tabitha-soren-showcases-photography-series-solo-exhibit#comments New Exhibit Features Deborah Dancy’s Artworks in Various Mediums https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/19903-new-exhibit-features-deborah-dancy-s-artworks-various-mediums <div class="field field-name-field-cat field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/photography-art" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Photography &amp; Art</a></div></div></div><span class="submitted-by">Submitted by tara on Fri, 04/29/2022 - 18:02</span><div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/1dancy.jpg?itok=f5TUvB0F"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/1dancy.jpg?itok=f5TUvB0F" width="369" height="480" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><a href="https://www.marciawoodgallery.com/artists/32-deborah-dancy/" style="color:#0563c1; text-decoration:underline">Marcia Wood Gallery</a> will present <em>Body of Evidence</em>, the second solo exhibition at the gallery by artist Deborah Dancy. The exhibition opens on April 30, 2022.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">Bringing together multiple recently created bodies of work, <em>Body of Evidence</em> provides a comprehensive survey of Dancy’s explorations in various mediums including painting, sculpture, and photography, which she unites to pursue a trenchant investigation of abstraction, narrative, and the pernicious undercurrents of American history. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">Alternately lyrical and subversive, Dancy’s works often operate on multiple levels at once, drawing in the viewer with their aesthetic appeal before revealing unexpectedly sharp barbs of critique and confrontation layered underneath.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">Dancy has received numerous honors and awards, including: a John Simon Guggenheim Foundation Fellowship, New England Foundation for the Arts/NEA Individual Artist Grant, Nexus Press Artist Book Project Award, Visual Studies Artist Book Project Residency Grant, The American Antiquarian Society’s William Randolph Hearst Fellowship, a YADDO Fellow, Women’s Studio Workshop Residency Grant, Connecticut Commission of the Arts Artist Grant, as well as a Connecticut Book Award Illustration Nominee. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">Her work is included in the collections of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art; 21C Museum; the Birmingham Museum of Art; and the Baltimore Museum of Art, among others.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><strong><em>For more information about the exhibit, visit the <a href="https://www.marciawoodgallery.com/artists/32-deborah-dancy/" style="color:#0563c1; text-decoration:underline">Marcia Wood Gallery</a>. </em></strong></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><img alt="" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/2dancy.jpg" style="height:600px; width:490px" typeof="foaf:Image" /></p> <p><img alt="" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/3dancy.jpg" style="height:600px; width:503px" typeof="foaf:Image" /></p> <p><img alt="" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/4dancy.jpg" style="height:385px; width:613px" typeof="foaf:Image" /></p> <p> </p> <p><img alt="" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/5dancy_0.jpg" style="height:594px; width:465px" typeof="foaf:Image" /></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><strong>For Highbrow Magazine</strong></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/deborah-dancy" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">deborah dancy</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/marcia-wood-gallery" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">marcia wood gallery</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/contemporary-art" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Contemporary art</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/artists" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">artists</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/art-exhibits" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">art exhibits</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">The Editors</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-pop field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Popular:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">not popular</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-photographer field-type-text field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Photographer:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">All photos courtesy of the Marcia Wood Gallery</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-bot field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Bottom Slider:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">In Slider</div></div></div> Fri, 29 Apr 2022 22:02:20 +0000 tara 11072 at https://www.highbrowmagazine.com https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/19903-new-exhibit-features-deborah-dancy-s-artworks-various-mediums#comments L.A. Artist Castro Frank Presents New ‘Ethereal’ Photographs https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/12092-la-artist-castro-frank-presents-new-ethereal-photographs <div class="field field-name-field-cat field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/photography-art" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Photography &amp; Art</a></div></div></div><span class="submitted-by">Submitted by tara on Fri, 06/04/2021 - 09:35</span><div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/1cfrank.jpg?itok=m7qt9Uzn"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/1cfrank.jpg?itok=m7qt9Uzn" width="400" height="480" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p> </p> <p>Los Angeles-based artist Castro Frank presents his first collection of abstract photography titled “Ethereal.”</p> <p> </p> <p>Frank’s approach to street photography delves deep into exploring psychological and emotional states of mind. Through his inaugural set of works on analog 35mm film, his textured abstract photographs immerse the viewer into rich colors induced by light exposures.</p> <p> </p> <p>​Each individual image has a distinct association, a thought, an emotion.</p> <p> </p> <p>"2020 was a tough year for us all, and I am grateful that amid the midst of chaos and uncertainty, I was able to create a new body of work that is a reflection of myself and the emotions I lived through," says Castro,</p> <p> </p> <p>Frank’s art has been exhibited in numerous solo and group exhibitions across California, including South Grand, Rvcc Gallery, Communion Gallery, and Embed Gallery. The popularity of his work led to commissions from musicians as well as television networks utilizing his work in their stage design. His work has also been featured in large public installations and charity campaigns with nonprofit organizations, such as INCLUSIVACTION, to benefit the Los Angeles community.</p> <p> </p> <p><strong><em>For more information, visit </em></strong><a href="https://www.castrofrank.com/" style="color:#0563c1; text-decoration:underline"><strong><em>CastroFrank.com</em></strong></a><strong><em>.</em></strong></p> <p> </p> <p><img alt="" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/2cfrank.jpg" style="height:600px; width:450px" /></p> <p> </p> <p><img alt="" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/3cfrank.jpg" style="height:600px; width:450px" /></p> <p> </p> <p><img alt="" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/4cfrank.jpg" style="height:600px; width:450px" /></p> <p> </p> <p><img alt="" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/5cfrank.jpg" style="height:600px; width:450px" /></p> <p> </p> <p><img alt="" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/6cfrank.jpg" style="height:600px; width:450px" /></p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Highbrow Magazine</strong></p> <p> </p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/castro-frank" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">castro frank</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/contemporary-art" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Contemporary art</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/artists" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">artists</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/los-angeles-artists" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">los angeles artists</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/art-galleries" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">art galleries</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/photography" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">photography</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/photographs" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">photographs</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">The Editors</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-pop field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Popular:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">not popular</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-bot field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Bottom Slider:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Out Slider</div></div></div> Fri, 04 Jun 2021 13:35:56 +0000 tara 10395 at https://www.highbrowmagazine.com https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/12092-la-artist-castro-frank-presents-new-ethereal-photographs#comments Afrofuturist Painter Angelbert Metoyer Introduces New Exhibit ‘Magnificent Change’ https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/12077-afrofuturist-painter-angelbert-metoyer-introduces-new-exhibit-magnificent-change <div class="field field-name-field-cat field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/photography-art" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Photography &amp; Art</a></div></div></div><span class="submitted-by">Submitted by tara on Fri, 04/23/2021 - 11:16</span><div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/1metoyer.jpg?itok=1MNdXf9B"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/1metoyer.jpg?itok=1MNdXf9B" width="480" height="320" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p> </p> <p>Tripoli Gallery (Wainscott, New York) is currently presenting this year’s artist-in-resident, Angelbert Metoyer<strong>,</strong> and his solo exhibition, <em>Magnificent Change</em>. The performance of <em>Magnificent Chang</em>e will be a living symbolic garden and installation from April 3rd to May 24<sup>th</sup>. The completed exhibition will remain on view until May 3rd, 2021. The residency and exhibition will lead up to the release of two new works for a contemporary auction in June at Sotheby’s.<br />  <br /> With his main studio based in Houston, the American painter and <em>Afrofuturist</em> draws on recent sojourns in light in his new body of work. Using past works in his process, Metoyer constructs in concert with the elements to create artworks that exhibit life force and vitality, permeated texturally with historical references and thematic layers.</p> <p> </p> <p>Metoyer explores memory, mythology, and metamorphosis through the channels of history, philosophy, and theology. These various media combining conventional artistic mediums with nontraditional materials such as coal, oil, tar and gold dust (“excrements of industry” as he calls them) exhibit an otherworldly quality.</p> <p> </p> <p>Metoyer’s paintings and drawings evoke a conceptual duality, straddling a line between literal representation of lived experiences and abstract expressions of memories and dreams. In breaking down and reconstructing new narratives, Metoyer explores the lifespan of chronicles that live within his work.<br />  <br /> Metoyer studied drawing and painting at the Atlanta College of Art. His work can be found in the permanent collections of the U.S. Department of State, Houston Museum of Fine Art, The Charles, H. Wright Museum, African American Museum of Contemporary Art, the ACE Collection, and the Museum of Fine Arts in Leipzig, Germany. He has shown at the Venice Biennale, Art Basel Miami, and Art Basel Switzerland. His work has been featured on many album and book covers, including Mike Ladd’s <em>Negrophilia</em>, Saul Williams’s <em>Niggy Tardust</em>, Bilal’s <em>In Another Life</em> (2015) and <em>VOYAGE-19</em> (2020), and Marcus Guillery’s <em>Red Now and Laters</em> (2014). Angelbert Metoyer has exhibited with Tripoli Patterson since 2005; <em>1<sup>st</sup> Annual Thanksgiving Collective</em>, 2005; <em>Butter Lane Barn Show</em>, 2006; and in group shows at Tripoli Gallery since the year of its inception; <em>Before We Let </em>Go, 2009; <em>Modern </em>Salon, 2012; <em>What Have We Done?,</em> 2019; and <em>Are We There Yet?</em>, 2021. <em>Magnificent Change </em>marks his second solo show at Tripoli Gallery following <em>After Life </em>in 2017.</p> <p> </p> <p><strong><em>For more information, visit </em></strong><a href="https://tripoligallery.com/" style="color:#0563c1; text-decoration:underline"><strong><em>Tripoli Gallery</em></strong></a><strong><em>. </em></strong></p> <p> </p> <p><img alt="" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/2metoyer.jpg" style="height:400px; width:600px" /></p> <p> </p> <p><img alt="" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/3metoyer.jpg" style="height:400px; width:600px" /></p> <p> </p> <p><img alt="" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/4metoyer.jpg" style="height:600px; width:404px" /></p> <p> </p> <p><img alt="" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/5metoyer.jpg" style="height:600px; width:539px" /></p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Highbrow Magazine</strong></p> <p> </p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/angelbert-metoyer" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">angelbert metoyer</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/artists" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">artists</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tripoli-gallery" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">tripoli gallery</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/contemporary-art" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Contemporary art</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/afrofuturist" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">afrofuturist</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/new-york-galleries" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">new york galleries</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">The Editors</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-pop field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Popular:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">not popular</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-photographer field-type-text field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Photographer:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Images courtesy of Tripoli Gallery</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-bot field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Bottom Slider:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Out Slider</div></div></div> Fri, 23 Apr 2021 15:16:17 +0000 tara 10309 at https://www.highbrowmagazine.com https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/12077-afrofuturist-painter-angelbert-metoyer-introduces-new-exhibit-magnificent-change#comments New Film ‘PAINT’ Depicts the Underside of Creating Art https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/11150-new-film-paint-depicts-underside-creating-art <div class="field field-name-field-cat field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/film-tv" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Film &amp; TV</a></div></div></div><span class="submitted-by">Submitted by tara on Thu, 12/31/2020 - 14:07</span><div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/1paintfilm.jpg?itok=UlWNV3KR"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/1paintfilm.jpg?itok=UlWNV3KR" width="480" height="270" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p> </p> <p>To be or not to be—an artist.  For anyone who’s ever pursued painting as a career—house painters excluded—you might want to think again.  There are enough cliches about the profession to fill MoMA’s walls: “You have to live miserably to be an artist.”  “We can’t edit our psyches.”  “I’m not a decent human being, I’m an artist.” “We show up late.” </p> <p>There’s more you’ve probably come to easily recognize, but the ones I’ve quoted are all in Michael Walker’s film, <em>PAINT</em>.  It’s a darkly comic treatise on a universe of scam, copulation, money, schmooze and more copulation.  How talent manages to squeeze between the cracks to reach success—which means, in commercial parlance, all paintings sold—stretches even the most gullible of minds.</p> <p>That said, the callousness and charm of Walker’s young hopefuls might just revive hope in the most cynical among us.  It’s an engaging if misguided trio, with Dan (Joshua Caras) as the Westchester upstart who manages to capture our attention with his doleful eyes and outsized ambition.  Kelsey (Olivia Luccardi) from Bushwick, Queens, is about as unpolished and self-deprecating as they come.  Unfortunately, she never learned what a misogynistic world she was taking on.  When she does land an agent, his best advice is to hang around the artworld superstar Julian Schnabel.  He will make her “a better person” plus he “wears a bathrobe to dinner.” Luccardi is all spunk and sincerity, turning in a performance worth our attention. Then there’s Quinn (Paul Cooper), a lanky sidekick to Dan who seems to survive by doing nothing besides being in the right place at the right time until he’s not.</p> <p> </p> <p><img alt="" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/2paintfilm.jpg" style="height:600px; width:406px" /></p> <p> </p> <p>There is a thin thread that weaves through Walker’s script: an age-old mother-and-son twist with a hint of betrayal that begs to become a tale in full cloth. Dan’s mother as played by Amy Hargreaves does her sincere best to elicit our compassion, but the art world our director’s script delivers keeps blurring the bigger story underneath.</p> <p>An unexpected perk is the rarely seen Austin Pendleton as an aging art instructor.  He leaves little doubt that his shocks of white hair are the result of too many ignored warnings to his fledgling classes.  In characteristic desperation, he challenges his charges as to why they pursue a dead-end path in an indifferent world. Sadly, his part is over before the film has barely begun.</p> <p><em>PAINT</em> is finally another depiction of a world of gritty artifice, with so many potholes in the path, one can only wonder why anyone would make the journey in the first place.  There is a deeper story to be told—one of struggle and the moral strength to believe in oneself, in order to produce something of true worth.  </p> <p>Arguably, many would say you have to play the game, that it’s that simple.  If Walker ever chooses to write another version, he has assembled the players to do so.</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Author Bio:</strong></p> <p><strong><em>Sandra Bertrand is</em></strong><strong> Highbrow Magazine’s <em>chief art critic.</em></strong></p> <p> </p> <p><strong>For Highbrow Magazine</strong></p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/paint" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Paint</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/paint-film" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Paint film</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/michael-walker" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">michael walker</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/joshua-caras" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Joshua Caras</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/olivia-luccardi" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Olivia Luccardi</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/paul-cooper" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Paul Cooper</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/new-york-art-world" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">new york art world</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/artists" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">artists</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Sandra Bertrand</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-pop field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Popular:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">not popular</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-photographer field-type-text field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Photographer:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Photos from On Demand</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-bot field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Bottom Slider:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Out Slider</div></div></div> Thu, 31 Dec 2020 19:07:09 +0000 tara 10084 at https://www.highbrowmagazine.com https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/11150-new-film-paint-depicts-underside-creating-art#comments How One Grieving Artist Turned Tragedy Into Art https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/10979-how-one-grieving-artist-turned-tragedy-art <div class="field field-name-field-cat field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/photography-art" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Photography &amp; Art</a></div></div></div><span class="submitted-by">Submitted by tara on Fri, 10/23/2020 - 10:03</span><div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/1seat20film.jpg?itok=XyZdt-wu"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/1seat20film.jpg?itok=XyZdt-wu" width="480" height="270" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p> </p> <p>Before the September 11, 2001, attacks, before the current pandemic, grief of such cataclysmic proportions seemed unimaginable for many.  But when sculptor Suse Lowenstein’s son Alex, along with his schoolmates, was lost in the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, on December 21, 1988, unimaginable grief became a tragic reality for her.  The question was, how to survive it?</p> <p>This mother turned to her art, sculpting herself naked, frozen into the position she fell upon hearing the news of her son’s death.  Soon after posting in the Pan Am Victims’ family newsletter about her project, 75 women responded, and the result, “Dark Elegy” has become a monumental sculpture, now residing on Suse’s East Hampton property.  Director Jill Campbell’s documentary <a href="https://www.seat20d.com/"><strong><em>Seat 20D </em>(First Run Features)</strong>, </a>provides an eloquent and stirring depiction not only of the work and its creator, but a landscape of those whose lives have been effected by the art.</p> <p> </p> <p><img alt="" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/2seat20film.jpg" style="height:338px; width:600px" /></p> <p> </p> <p>Campbell’s camera lingers in closeup on the shapes of the sculptures clustered about Suse’s lawn.  Arms are raised, heads and hands are clasped, bodies twisted and prone in the agony of grief.  The sculptor walks among them, randomly touching an arm here, a leg there.  In its totality, it can be painful to contemplate, yet cathartic.</p> <p>“Americans are not quite ready to accept nudity,” the German-born artist reflects.  She is irked that such reactions get in the way of the work. Its power is unmistakable. I couldn’t help when watching recalling Rodin’s figures from the “Gates of Hell.”  She explains the steel armature of the forms, wrapped in chicken wire, injected with foam and synthetic stone, then covered in a fiberglass mesh that gives the forms a bandaged look.  Other works on her property are finished in bronze, but such efforts seem futile to her without a permanent home for the monument.  What will become of it is anyone’s guess and a concern for her younger son.  Attempts were made to persuade Syracuse University where Alex attended to accept “Elegy” but so far it is too “large” for them.</p> <p>Particularly touching are glimpses of Remembrance Week, held annually at the university with 35 scholarship students participating (the number of student victims on the flight).  A chorus of voices ring out with a rendition of “I’ll be Seeing You.”  At another moment, Suse and visitors to the monument listen to a musical recital on the anniversary of September 11.</p> <p> </p> <p><img alt="" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/3seat20film.jpg" style="height:313px; width:600px" /></p> <p> </p> <p>The film is laced with personal accounts of mothers who suffered a similar tragedy.  One woman’s daughter, a fledgling photographer, printed a photograph of herself as a gift to her mother shortly before the flight.  Suse’s own physical pangs of loss are echoed by another mother who compared the moments when she heard about the crash to her original birthing pains.</p> <p>Several years in the making, “Dark Elegy” is undoubtedly a moving and profound work of art.  But perhaps its larger significance is in the solace it has provided for the grief-stricken women it represents.</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Author Bio:</strong></p> <p><strong><em>Sandra Bertrand is</em></strong><strong> Highbrow Magazine’s <em>chief art critic.</em></strong></p> <p> </p> <p><strong>For Highbrow Magazine</strong></p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/jill-cambell" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Jill Cambell</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/seat-20d" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Seat 20d</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/artists" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">artists</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/lockerbie-scotland" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">lockerbie scotland</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/lockerbie-plane-crash" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">lockerbie plane crash</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/suse-lowenstein" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">suse lowenstein</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/new-documentaries" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">new documentaries</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/first-run-features" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">first run features</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Sandra Bertrand</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-pop field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Popular:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">not popular</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-photographer field-type-text field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Photographer:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">All images courtesy of First Run Features</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-bot field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Bottom Slider:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Out Slider</div></div></div> Fri, 23 Oct 2020 14:03:04 +0000 tara 9926 at https://www.highbrowmagazine.com https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/10979-how-one-grieving-artist-turned-tragedy-art#comments ‘AI Weiwei: Yours Truly’ - Paying Respect to the Man, Artist, and Legend https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/10763-ai-weiwei-yours-truly-paying-respect-man-artist-and-legend <div class="field field-name-field-cat field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/photography-art" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Photography &amp; Art</a></div></div></div><span class="submitted-by">Submitted by tara on Sun, 07/26/2020 - 22:03</span><div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/1aiweiweifilm.jpg?itok=2f2Uc_KX"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/1aiweiweifilm.jpg?itok=2f2Uc_KX" width="480" height="210" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p> </p> <p> </p> <p>If you are looking for the definitive portrait of one of the world’s most famous conceptual artists, you will not find it in director Cheryl Haines’s <em>Ai Weiwei: Yours Truly</em> documentary.</p> <p> </p> <p>In all fairness, to do justice to Ai's prolific output of protest art alone would be like trying to shoot the moon and all the stars as well in one volley. That Haines succeeded in the realizing of this one project is worthy of four stars at least.</p> <p> </p> <p>In 2013, Ai was incarcerated for 81 days as a Chinese dissident. Three months after his release, hopeful curator Haines traveled to Beijing to visit the artist in his studio, where he was under house arrest.  Her goal was to persuade him to create a work on freedom and human rights abuses.  Her venue of choice?  Alcatraz.  (As a former top security prison in the San Francisco Bay, it was shut down in 1963.)   </p> <p> </p> <p><img alt="" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/2aiweiweifilm.jpg" style="height:600px; width:315px" /></p> <p> </p> <p>Ambitious?  Yes.  But chasing an artist known for many installations such as <em>Seeds,</em> where 100 million sunflower seeds were laid out to symbolize the brute conformity of his heritage or <em>Straight,</em> with collapsed steel rods signifying a Sichuan earthquake that left thousands of children dead because of the poor construction of their schoolhouses—he could prove to be the right subject for her.    </p> <p> </p> <p>For Ai, he was obviously tired of “making installations I can’t attend.” Through virtual walkthroughs and a reverential persistence on Haines’s part, a plan was put into action.   The exhibition would be in two parts: The first, <em>Trace</em>, would involve a series of pixilated portraits done with Legos to be laid out across the vast floor space of Alcatraz.  Such a project involved months of searching the internet to identify imprisoned subjects worldwide.  In Ai's words, “Many people are in prison because they want to change society.”  And people are still “disappearing.”</p> <p> </p> <p>The second part, <em>Yours Truly,</em> takes up a large portion of the film’s finale, with adult visitors and children alike writing postcards to a prisoner of choice.  Binders with bios are available to the viewers.  A touching explanation is given of his father’s imprisonment when Ai was just an infant. The artist remembers the power that one postcard had on his father during that harrowing time.</p> <p> </p> <p>Elusive as the butterflies and dragons in his creations or the cats that hover around his studio, Ai is above all, a humanitarian.  And however jarring the journey as Haines and her subject zigzag back and forth in the telling, she picked the right man for <em>this</em> moment.</p> <p> </p> <p><img alt="" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/3aiweiweifilm.jpg" style="height:338px; width:600px" /></p> <p> </p> <p>The film was released on July 8, 2020 in Virtual Cinemas. Ai was under house arrest in Beijing at the time.</p> <p> </p> <p><img alt="" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/4aiweiweifilm.jpg" style="height:267px; width:512px" /></p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Author Bio:</strong></p> <p><strong><em>Sandra Bertrand is</em></strong><strong> Highbrow Magazine’s <em>chief art critic.</em></strong></p> <p> </p> <p><strong>For Highbrow Magazine</strong></p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/ai-weiwei" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Ai Weiwei</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/chinese-artists" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">chinese artists</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/alcatraz" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">alcatraz</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/cheryl-haines" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">cheryl haines</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/ai-weiwei-film" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">ai weiwei film</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/yours-truly-film" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">yours truly film</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/artists" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">artists</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/dissidents" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">dissidents</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/famous-artists" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">famous artists</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/china" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">China</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/san-francisco" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">San Francisco</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/beijing" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Beijing</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Sandra Bertrand</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-pop field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Popular:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">not popular</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-photographer field-type-text field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Photographer:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Images courtesy of First Run Features</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-bot field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Bottom Slider:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Out Slider</div></div></div> Mon, 27 Jul 2020 02:03:13 +0000 tara 9717 at https://www.highbrowmagazine.com https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/10763-ai-weiwei-yours-truly-paying-respect-man-artist-and-legend#comments