Alice Tuan is the new Head of Writing for Performance at CalArts, and an occasional blogger for 24700. On Feb. 11, she will be formally welcomed by the Office of the Provost in a truly CalArtian way: a reception and reading of her play, Hit (an excerpt is posted above).
Directed by Robert Cucuzza (Theater MFA candidate) and produced by Ashley S. Walden (Theater MFA candidate), the staged reading begins at 5 pm at the Coffeehouse Theater on the CalArts campus. The play, notes Tuan, is a “severely contemporary play about Los Angeles.” It focuses on Mank, an out-of-towner, who hits Korean adoptee Kim in a car accident and “gets pulled into her perverse world.”
The cast is composed of CalArts actors: Theater MFA students Jenny Greer, Matt Valladares and Gabriela Trigo-McIntyre, and BFA actors Evan Hyde and Tatiana Williams.
The CalArts community and the public are welcome to attend the reading and reception that will follow, but with a small caveat: We’ve been told this play is not for squeamish.
Reception and reading of Hit by Alice Tuan
Thursday, Feb. 11
Coffeehouse Theater at CalArts
5-8 pm
This weekend, the Fallen Fruit art collective opens two ambitious fruit tree projects in Los Angeles and Tijuana, Mexico, simultaneously.
Founded in 2004 as collaboration between artists David Burns (Art BFA 93), CalArts Critical Studies faculty Matias Viegener and Austin Young, Fallen Fruit investigates issues of urban space, neighborhood and public vs. private property—through the role that fruit plays in different cultures and societies.
EATLACMA is a project that begins this weekend with fruit tree adoptions at the LACMA campus on Sunday. Fallen Fruit members will hand out 150 (mostly tangerine) trees with planting instructions. The collective’s only request is that these trees be planted in public space or on the perimeter of private property.
The tree adoptions play on the theme of beginning a seasonal growth cycle. Fallen Fruit and LACMA will curate nearly a year of programming within the museum’s permanent collection and in its gardens. The exhibit Fallen Fruit Presents The Fruit of LACMA opens on June 27, and ends on Nov. 7, 2010, with a day-long event of more than 50 participating artists and collectives to “activate, intervene, and re-imagine the museum’s campus and galleries.”
Acción Fruta Urbana | Fallen Fruit
Also this weekend, Fallen Fruit is coordinating an “urban action”–Acción Fruta Urbana–in Tijuana. Beginning on Feb. 6, and for six week after, 21 trees in barrels will be lined against the Mexican side of the border in the Colonia Federal neighborhood. The barrels will be painted in collaboration with Peruvian artist Giacomo Castagnola,who now calls Tijuana home. After the six weeks, each tree will be adopted by a neighborhood resident, who will determine its final placement.
Acción Fruta Urbana is part of the Performing Public Space exhibition, curated by Owen Driggs, at the Casa del Tunel art space in Tijuana. The show “evokes bodily actions and artworks that interrupt the conventional structuring of public space.”
Part of Fallen Fruit’s intention for the Tijuana project is to call attention to the neglect of urban neighborhoods on the border and around the world. And with both tree adoptions, the collective hopes to provide people with the tools to change the character of their own cities and lives.
The group show Stillness: Motion opens Friday night (Feb. 5) in LA with a special CalArts connection.
The three artists in the show–all CalArts alumni–Ayuna Collins (Dance BFA 03), Jon Gomez (Film/Video BFA 07 and CalArts faculty member) and Chris Wilson (Film/Video BFA 09) are exhibiting work that both commemorates and demonstrates the influence of their former CalArts animation instructor, E. Michael Mitchell (1920-2009).
Mitchell passed away last September, and many remember him as a mentor who left a profound and lasting impact on students, faculty, staff and the greater animation community. “Mike was a huge influence on my work,” says Wilson. “He really helped so many people.”
Stillness: Motion will feature two series of works from each artist. The first series were created while the trio were Mitchell’s students, and the second series features more recent works. Mitchell’s work will also be exhibited, including lost work from issues 13, 21 and 34 of the now-defunct Lithopinion(the graphic arts and public affairs journal of Local One, Amalgamated Lithographers of America).
Notes the Tempo Royale gallery: “The curation explores intergenerational conversation, specifically making connections between his work, evidenced in Lithopinion, and his pedagogy, evidenced in the work of these three former students.”
Tempo Royale @ Wilshire Royale 2619 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles Opening reception: Friday, Feb. 5 at 7 pm
Closing reception:Friday, March 12, at 7 pm
Gallery is open by appointment only.
It’s a busy month for LA-based artist and CalArts alumna Soo Kim (Critical Studies MFA 95) with three art shows running concurrently on two coasts. Kim’s solo exhibit–The Corners of the Sea–opened at the Julie Saul Gallery in NYC last month and runs through Feb. 27.
From the Julie Saul Gallery:
Her current body of work, The Corners of the Sea, combines portraits and landscapes to consider different degrees of stillness and action that can occupy an image, and the ways those variances may be inscribed within different genres. In the images, quiet and noise fill the space simultaneously; a contemplative portrait of a man overlaid with a tumultuous image of an explosion cut out of the photograph (The Corners of the Sea), or a cityscape of an ancient city cut out to create an image of the city that is more active and disorienting (Falling Suddenly to her Knees).
Yesterday (Feb. 2), the group show Urban Panoramas: Opie, Liao, Kim opened at the Getty Center in LA. Three photographers, Catherine Opie (Art MFA 88), Jeff Chien-Hsing Liao and Kim exhibit work that implements a panoramic viewpoint in order to examine a specific urban environment. Notes the Getty: “By layering hand-cut chromogenic prints made in Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland, during the summer solstice, Soo Kim (American, born South Korea, 1969) achieved the three-dimensional effect of a semitransparent city.”
On Saturday (Feb. 6), Kim’s work will be included in State of Mind: A California Invitational at the Museum of Photographic Arts in San Diego. The exhibit, which runs through June 6, is a celebration of California photography in the 21st century.
The photographers in State of Mind were nominated by 40 photography professionals–select curators, writers, gallery owners, publishers and academics–each of whom was asked to nominate up to four California photographers who were producing innovative work. Of the 98 names that were submitted, 21 were selected for the exhibit by MoPA’s Executive Director Deborah Klochko and Curator of Photography Carol McCusker. Other artists with works on display include: Mona Kuhn, Todd Hido, Michael Light, Susan Rankaitis, Ken Gonzales-Day and Uta Barth.
The photos in the gallery above are from Soo Kim’s solo exhibit The Corners of the Sea.
Ed. note: February is Black History Month, and we’ve asked a few members of the CalArts community to reflect on what it means to them. Our first guest columnist is Matthew Shenoda, a poet, teacher and CalArts’ first Assistant Provost for Equity and Diversity. He writes:
In honor of Black History Month there is a poem that has inspired me both as a writer and as a person who struggles for human rights. In “jasper texas 1998,” Lucille Clifton–the most recent recipient of the Frost Medal by the Poetry Society of America–has taken the most inhumane of actions (the brutal decapitation of a man due to his race), and through the technique of persona she has given this terrible moment in American history a most human breath, restoring dignity to the life and memory of James Byrd.
jasper texas 1998
for j. byrd
i am a man’s head hunched in the road.
i was chosen to speak by the members
of my body. the arm as it pulled away
pointed toward me, the hand opened once
and was gone.
why and why and why
should i call a white man brother?
who is the human in this place,
the thing that is dragged or the dragger?
what does my daughter say?
the sun is a blister overhead.
if i were alive i could not bear it.
the townsfolk sing we shall overcome
while hope bleeds slowly from my mouth
into the dirt that covers us all.
i am done with this dust. i am done.
This is a shining example of the efficacy of language, the power of humanity in the face of inhumanity, and the resilient cogency of history and memory. This is the essence of Black history!
The Institute is once again well-represented at the International Film Festival Rotterdam, one of the most adventurous, experimentally inclined stops on the world festival circuit. The 39th annual edition of the Rotterdam showcase includes films by current MFA student Gregory Rentis, alumna Laida Lertxundi, Akosua Adoma Owusu and Deborah Stratman, and faculty James Benning, Janie Geiser and Lewis Klahr.
The festival opened on Jan. 27 and runs through Sunday, Feb. 7.
James Benning’sRuhr (Germany, 2009, 121 min.), the School of Film/Video faculty member’s first-ever HD feature, returns to the continent following its U.S. premiere at REDCAT earlier this month. Shot in seven masterfully composed takes, the film is Benning’s rapt meditation on the urban and industrial landscapes of Germany’s Ruhr Valley, the cradle of heavy industry in that country and the birthplace of his parents.
Rotterdam veteran Deborah Stratman (Film/Video MFA 95), an artist and filmmaker with a special interest in sound and radio, is debuting Walking Is Dancing(USA/Malawi, 2010, 25 min.), a compact, exploratory observation of contemporary life in the country of Malawi in southeast Africa. Stratman’s piece is one of a series of films in the festival this year that contemplate, in a variety of ways, conceptions of Africa in today’s world.
Also considering contemporary Africa is Akosua Adoma Owusu (Art–Film/Video MFA 08), who is screening My White Baby (USA/Ghana, 2008, 22 min.), a lyrical documentary look at the hair salons in Kumasi, Ghana, where the legacy of European colonialism is evoked in scenes of women who practice braiding on dolls of Caucasian girls.
CalArts student Gregory Rentis, an MFA candidate in the Film Directing Program, is showing his thesis film Sundown (Greece/USA, 2010, 15 min.). This work enacts the moving rite of passage of a 13-year-old boy living with his grandparents on the Greek island of Rhodes. The boy, who finds it difficult to accept that his grandfather is dying of Alzheimer’s, only understands the gravity of the situation when an experiment with a stray cat goes awry….(Watch the trailer posted above.)
Laida Lertxundi’s My Tears Are Dry (Spain/USA, 2009 4 min.) is “a 16mm document of plenitude, in all of its complex simplicity.” Inspired by Bruce Baillie’s 1966 film (All My Life), My Tears Are Dry features the deep soul of singer Hoagy Lands and captures a languid moment in the eternal Californian sun.
Finally, two animated shorts by faculty round out the contribution of the CalArts contingent. Janie Geiser, of the School of Theater’s Cotsen Center for Puppetry and Arts, is presenting Ghost Algebra (USA, 2010, 8 min.), a remarkable animation that depicts a woman threading her way through unreal landscapes—and searching for the original meaning of the word “algebra.” Lewis Klahr, of the Schools of Film/Video and Theater, is launching a new series of short animated films with Wednesday Morning Two A.M. (USA, 2009, 7 min.). Set to music by The Shangri-Las, this work offers striking animation in the typical Klahr style, which this time derives its power from the art of omission.
The video (above) features soloist Vinny Golia on a composition by Steve Horowitz.
Composer Steve Horowitz (Music BFA 89) brings a multi-sensory production of music, film and live theater to REDCAT this Friday and Saturday evening (Jan. 29-30), accompanied by members of his Code Ensemble, special guests and numerous CalArts actors and musicians.
The focal point of the program is Horowitz’s updated version of the David Shire classic crime-jazz score for the 1974 NYC subway caper The Taking of Pelham One Two Three. (Tony Scott remade the film last year with Denzel Washington and John Travolta.)
Under the direction of fellow CalArtian Devin Maxwell (Music MFA 02), Horowitz’s music brings together everything from strings and horns to laptop sampler for a high-energy melange of classical, jazz, funk and rock that evoke a wild train ride (just watch the above video if you don’t believe us.) The entire ensemble will perform alongside a 30-minute abstract film by Jane Brill (Film/Video BFA 88) that is a meditation on the underground reverberations of 9/11.
Also on the bill is Invasion from the Chicken Planet, a theatrical presentation with live scene readings directed by and starring Alyson Schacherer and CalArts acting students, and projected video and graphics by Zig Gron (Film/Video MFA 89). Rounding out the evening are additional works by Horowitz’s 2nd String Quartet and a set of works by the late Randy Hostetler (Music MFA 89).
We asked Horowitz what Academy and Grammy-award winning composer Shire had to say about his “Re-Taking” score. “I wrote him a fanboy e-mail because I loved the soundtrack,” he says. Horowitz says that he had the music even before he saw the film. “He responded with a call and has been very supportive. He’s even coming for a pre-concert talk on Saturday.”
In addition to Shire, Horowitz, Brill and Gron will also be interviewed by KPFK’s John Schneider for what should be an energetic discussion before an even livelier evening of music and multimedia pieces.
Steve Horowitz and the Code Ensemble
at REDCAT
Friday and Saturday (Jan. 29-30)
8:30 pm
Tickets: $20, $16 students, $10 for CalArts students, faculty and staff
After an almost two-decade hiatus, actor-comedian Paul Reubens (BFA Theater 73) has brought the iconic character of Pee-wee back—this time from the little screen to the stage at Club Nokia @ L.A. LIVE for a limited 4-week engagement, through Feb. 7. Nostalgic audiences–and critics–have welcomed their Saturday morning hero with open arms.
Today’s secret word is … delight — especially for fans of Paul Reubens’ iconic man-child, Pee-wee Herman, who has reemerged in an adaptation of the stage show that started it all almost 30 years ago. It’s a trip down memory lane for many and an introduction for a new generation to the multilevel style of humor the ersatz kiddie show provided in the CBS series that sprang from the original production of “The Pee-wee Herman Show” at the Groundlings Theater in 1981.
The audience for Wednesday’s official opening night reacted to every bit of nostalgia on display, cheering wildly as the curtain opened on the familiar playhouse that is home to Pee-wee’s collection of puppet friends, faithfully re-created by the design team. When Reubens strides onto the stage in his Pee-wee guise, it seems as if no time has passed at all since the character’s retreat from the limelight.
The basic story is the same: Pee-wee wishes he could fly like his friend Pterri the pterodactyl. When given the opportunity for his wish to be granted, though, he decides to use it for his friend, Miss Yvonne (original cast member Lynne Marie Stewart), instead. Along the way, the audience is treated to classic Pee-wee lines such as “I know you are, but what am I?” and “If you love it so much, why don’t you marry it?” and double-entendre humor.
The cast includes Lynne Marie Stewart as Miss Yvonne, Phil LaMarr as Cowboy Curtis, Jesse Garcia as Sergio, a new character, Josh Meyers as Firefighter, John Moody as Mailman Mike, John Paragon as Jambi, Drew Powell as Bear, Lance Roberts as King of Cartoons, and Lori Alan and Maceo Oliver as voices. The talking chair Chairry, Pterri the pterodactyl, Conky the robot, Magic Screen, and Randy, will also be on stage at Club Nokia.
Pee-wee’s taken over the LA airwaves lately to promote the live show, but one of the funniest bits we’ve seen is his explanation of the Conan O’Brien/NBC rift on one of the host’s last nights with The Tonight Show. We’ve posted the video above (after the intro commercial).
A group of Los Angeles musicians and writers, including CalArts School of Critical Studies faculty Tisa Bryant, Jen Hofer, Douglas Kearney and Maggie Nelson, are organizing a benefit this Saturday (Jan. 30) to support the relief efforts carried out by Partners in Health, an organization that has been providing health care and education services in Haiti for more than 20 years.
Listen! Dance! Stand with Haiti! A Night of Readings, Music and Dance in Solidarity with the Haitian People also features other poets and novelists (Will Alexander, Gloria Alvarez, Percival Everett, Sesshu Foster, Veronica Gonzales, Chris Kraus, Abel Salas), and live music from Ceci Bastida and Domingo Siete, and DJ sets from Glenn Red, Concise and Gomez comes alive.
We sent Jen Hofer an e-mail to find out how she got involved in the event, and what we can expect to see from the participants on Saturday night. She replied:
I became involved with this event when my friend and fellow L.A.-based writer Ben Ehrenreich contacted me to ask if I had ideas of where we might hold a benefit, and if I knew other local writers who might want to participate. I jumped at the chance to direct my heartache [about Haiti] toward a positive, forward-looking–and to some extent celebratory–endeavor to benefit Haiti. It’s all too easy to feel powerless in the face of this kind of tragedy and the impossible pain and loss it causes–and more so if we consider the ways that powerful nations like the U.S. have consistently created policies that contribute to infrastructural and political challenges in Haiti and elsewhere that make a natural disaster unnaturally more disastrous than it otherwise would be.
In terms of what people who come to the benefit can expect: mercifully brief readings (there are, after all, a dozen readers!!) from some of Los Angeles’ most inventive, talented and fiercely compassionate writers, and music that’ll knock your socks off and get your feet (and the rest of you) moving. It seems especially important to me to experience joy in a physical, visceral way at a time like this–to remember what is most basic about being human, and what connects us to others. Hence, our desire to include some dynamite music that’ll get everyone dancing at the benefit. And of course, it’s also important to remember to give to those in need, which we hope folks will do generously in this instance. It sounds cliché, but it’s really true: even a small donation counts.
To learn more about Haitian relief efforts or make a donation online, please visit Partners in Health, which will receive all proceeds from this benefit.
Spread the word!
Listen! Dance! Stand with Haiti!
Saturday, Jan. 30, 8 p.m.
Trópico de Nopal Gallery
1665 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles $10 (or more if you can!) at the door
The KarmetiK Machine Orchestra, under the direction of music faculty Ajay Kapur, brings together custom-built robotic musical instruments and human performers with modified instruments for a true 21st century concert at REDCAT Wednesday (Jan. 27) during the SCREAM (Southern California Resource for Electro-Acoustic Music) Festival.
The evening blends elements of music, technology and theater and includes guest artists Curtis Bahn, vocal synthesizer Perry Cook, CalArts faculty members Ustad Aashish Khan, a North Indian sarodist, and I Nyoman Wenten, a Balinese gamelan master, as well as innovators from the CalArts Music Technology Program.
And we can’t forget about the machines–robots, really–that will also take center stage. The concert has already created a buzz within the tech community.
Electronic music is computer-based by its very definition. The audience can’t see the instruments used to create the original sound. What’s so cool about The Machine Orchestra is that it allows for the creation of electronic music using actual instruments controlled via Macs, all in front of a live audience.
On the robot front you’ve got three stars: GanaPatiBot – a drum robot with multiple solenoid systems for striking. The back of GanaPatiBot is a “propeller Leslie system”, where two speakers are placed at either side of a spinning bar, which plays sounds and drones from an iPod Mini. MahaDeviBot is another drum robot with the ability to strike 12 different percussion instruments gathered from around India, including frame drums, bells, finger cymbals, wood blocks, and gongs. MahaDeviBot even has bouncing head which can portray tempo to the human. Last but not least is (the simply-named) Tammy. Standing at six feet tall, Tammy plays instruments including the hand-crafted marimba, drone string, and bells.
Kapur explains more about the Machine Orchestra in the video posted above.
SCREAM Festival
at REDCAT
Wednesday, Jan. 27 at 8:30 pm
Tickets: $20, $16 for students and $10 for CalArts students, faculty and staff
