This is Called Grace (Film: The Soloist – Jamie Foxx, Robert Downey Jr., 2009)

Posted on December 16, 2012 by admin

One trick I truly dislike when a movie is promoted is when the label ‘inspired by a true story’ is placed into a too visible place, especially when it comes to true stories and to characters which I could in theory at least meet on the street (well, on some streets). I am confused by mix of documentary and drama that are not frankly labeled as such but prefer to disguise in fiction movies resorting the ‘inspired by …’ label only when in artistic or credibility trouble, and I do not buy easily the theories about life exceeding melodrama. After all what counts for me in a film is the artistic truth, and there is a credibility of emotions and situations that does not necessarily go at the same pace as plain reality. For plain reality I have the real life, and I have TV news, Internet and written press. I am looking for something else when I watch a fiction movie.

 

source http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0821642/

 

One of the problems with The Soloist is that while director Joe Wright uses all the tools of the great studios films, the story does not gather neither enough ‘meat’ not enough ‘steam’ to sustain the whole film. The story of the Julliard drop-out who becomes a homeless to be accidentally discovered 30 years later by a LA Times reporter can make for a good article in the LA Times, or even a good series of articles or a book, but not for a whole film. One of the reasons is that the script writer does not seem to have fully investigated the case, or maybe decided not to bring the whole material to screen. I confess that I did not understand the reasons of Minnesota-born cellist Nathaniel Ayers leaving school – we have flashbacks that bring indications about childhood problems, some words about a big-handed father (maybe child abuse?), other flashbacks hint to racial pressure at Julliard or just the pressure any young artist experiences in such a competitive environment, and other words speak about his need for RESPECT – so what is the conclusion? The director does not let us know, or I did not get it.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrrLJT4YS9I

(video source watchmoviepreviews)

 

There are many artistic qualities in this film. First the superb acting of the two lead actors – Jamie Foxx is troubled and vulnerable and the efforts to break the wall of non-communication he built around himself make it to the viewer. Robert Downey Jr. provides the interior strength and the humanity to make us love his hero, and believe strongly that there must be a place for investigative journalism and its true heroes in our future lives. What causes The Soloist not to be the good film it aimed to become is the lack of decision in choosing the right tone while throwing away the overweight of moralization. While saying emphatically that it is based on the realities of our days, the film dares not adopt the documentary techniques, but emulates them using the traditional tools of Hollywood. It is just that good acting and splendid music are not enough in this case.

 

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Olivia: Disobidience (A Film about Aristides de Sousa Mendes)

Posted on December 15, 2012 by admin

I met Olivia in a few Internet discussion lists where we were both subscribed. Olivia is a pen name, she introduces herself as a teacher in Connecticut, the state that was at the time of the posting in the news because on (another) tragedy that took place in a school from all places, a tragedy which human mind and soul (for those humans who have minds and souls) have a hard time to cope with. The subject of this posting is however different. Olivia has seen a film about Aristides de Sousa Mendes, a Righteous Among Nations, a man who dared to not obey in order to keep his faith and humanity in times of darkness. (she wrote In Romanian) about the Man and the film and she allowed me to share this with the readers of The Catcher in the Sand.

———–

Film artistic francez cu puternice tonuri documentare, despre ce a facut a facut Sousa Mendes, consulul general al Portugaliei in Frantza in timpul celui de-al doilea rzboi mondial.
Tata a 15 copii, 14 cu la sotia Angelina Mendes, Sousa Mendes s-a considerat catolic. El si-aformulat practicarea credintei in felul urmator
Am sa ma aliez mai curand cu Dumnezeu impotriva omului decat cu omul impotriva lui Dumnezeu.
Nu am inteles ce a vrut sa spuna decat  dupa ce s-a terminat filmul.

source http://www1.yadvashem.org.il/yv/en/righteous/stories/mendes.asp

 

Pus in fata unei situatii imposibile Mendes nu a ezitat sa-si urmeze credinta intr-un Dumnezeu care l-a invatat sa fie  uman si drept iar  omul la care se referea era presedintele Portugaliei Salazar.

Salazar a dat ordin tuturor consulilor Portugaliei in tarile europene afectate de razboi sa nu dea nici un fel de viza eventualilor refugiati temandu-se de un influx de imigranti in Portugalia care ar putea debalansa neutralitatea aproximativa a tarii. Mendez care a asistat la ororile cozilor de refugiati infricosati, infometati, obositi la ambasada lui a hotarat ca nu va asculta ordinul si a emis 30 de mii de vize celor care nu aveau incotro si trebuiau sa paraseasca tara. Alternativa lor ar fi fost moarte sigura. A facut asta cu sacrificii imense, pericol permanent si epuizare fizica. A fost ajutat in aceasta actiune de proportii doar de secretarul consulatului si fiul lui cel mare. Printre cei care au primit vize au fost cetateni rusi, polonezi, romani, francezi, belgieni, refugiati politici, indivizi alungati din tarile de origine care nu aveau unde sa se duca, evrei inainte de arestarea spre camerele de gazare, invalizi bolnavi, bogati, saraci. Ulterior istoricii au declarat aceata actiune a consului Mendes ca mai extinsa operatie de salvare de vieti omenesti indeplinita de un singur individ. Mendes a fost interpelat pana la urma de serviciul secret portughetz si i s-a interzis sa mai emita vize. Acest serviciu secret imi aminteste de securitatea romaneasca tot in mana unui dictator, si la fel de brutala. Fortat sa se intoarca in Portugalia natala, lui Mendes i s-au retras toate drepturile politice si sociale, nu mai avea voie sa munceasca, copiiilor lui li s-a interzice sa mearga la universitati sau sa lucreze, si deci Mendes si-a continuat restul vietii in saracie. A refuzat sa paraseasca Portugalia si sa primeasca ajutor de la cei pe care i-a salvat, printre care se afla si Rothschild cu familia lui, oameni extrem de generosi. Speranta lui Mendes a fost ca il va face pe Salazar, crestin practicant si el  sa inteleaga ca gestul de neasculare a ordinelor a fost dictat de constiinta si religia pe care o practicau amandoi. Salazar l-a umilit pentru tot restul vietii lui, neacordandu-i nici macar o audientza.

Am vazut filmul (Desobeir – O Consul de Bordeus) la invitia unor vecini portughezi, vizionare organizata de asociatia portugheza din oras. La vizionare a fost si nepotul lui Mendes, unul din multii desigur, locuieste actualmente in Montreal unde de fapt s-a si nascut. La inceputul filmului a spus cateva cuvinte de introducere, mai nimeni din sala nu auzise de Mendes. La sfarsit spectatorii au avut posibilitatea sa-i puna intrebari. Si au fost multe. Asa am aflat ca dupa moartea lui Mendes s-a inceput o munca intensa pentru reabilitarea lui. Guvernul Suares l-a reabilitat integral i-a recunoscut toate titlurile si drepturile si si-a cerut iertare din partea parlamentului portughez familiei care a suferit atat. Chipul lui Mendes astazi este pe timbre portugheze, numele lui este incrustat pe monumetul de la Yad Vashem din Israel, cu titlul de Drept intre Natiuni (Righteous Among The Nations). Filmul, jucat impecabil de actori francezi este prezentat in sali mici dar in toata america de nord unde au ajuns multi dintre supravietuitori care au primit viza semnata de el. De asemenea filmul este material didactic in Portugalia.Cineva din sala a intrebat de ce aceasta poveste nu e repovestita de un mare regizor si distribuita larg. Nepotul lui Mendes nu a stiut ce sa raspunda dar sunt sigura ca idea nu i-a fost straina. Dupa film s-a servit o gustare, mancaruri specific portugheze. In fundal cineva canta un Fado, noi spectatorii printre mese parca pluteam inaltati de acesta poveste, impartaseam impresii, si atunci in seara acea,m-am simtit portugheza si catolica dar in special mandra ca sunt parte din rasa umana. Asta a facut pentru mine Mendes in seara acea.
——–
Si un documentar despre Aristides de Sousa Mendes pe care l-am gasit pe Internet

(video source Joao Sousa)
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Growth Pains (Film: Mission: Impossible – Gost Protocol – Tom Cruise, 2011)

Posted on December 14, 2012 by admin

The Mission Impossible the Bond series share growth pains. They are both making huge efforts to adapt and behave nicely in the new millennium.It’s not an easy task for series whose characters, rules and conventions have been written originally in novels of the 50s, or in TV series of the 70s. They both answer by building darker stories (in the mood of the pessimist start of the millennium), hiring new actors (with the exception of the eternal Tom Hanks of course), and new directors who put the emphasize on building flesh and blood characters, humans who can feel pain and sorrow.

 

source - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1229238/

 

Directing is trusted in Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol to Brad Bird whose all previous successes were with animated movies. I cannot say that this is felt at all, or at least I did not detect any flaws in the fluency of the story telling or the work of the actors which are as little cartoonish as a MI-series film can be. The story this time has the quality of being well written, keeps the number of characters almost to the minimum needed and thus is easy to watch. We are still jet-flown in a handful of different countries, impossible infiltrations and games of masks are still part of the action, messages self destroy and at least one symbolic building is badly damaged – but there is an overall effort to make the intrigue, the relations between characters and even the extreme situations more credible, and this effort is mostly successful.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0LQnQSrC-g

(video source VISO trailers)

 

Acting is exactly what is expected. The only regret is that Michael Nyquist has no real role and not enough screen time to demonstrate the huge talent we admired in the Scandinavian version of the Millennium trilogy. Tom Cruise who turned 50 this year is more and more involved in the MI series, he is here not only the lead actor but also the producer. One difference between the Bond and the MI series is that Ethan Hunt’s role was never undertaken by another actor but Cruise, while at least five actors featured in the 23 Bond films. Of course, Cruise is still in great form, but the problem will be on the table maybe two series and ten years from now and the question is whether the MI series will over-live Cruise’s aging. We shall live and we shall see.

 

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farewell to the good old fashioned journalism (Film: State of Play – Russell Crowe, 2009)

Posted on December 13, 2012 by admin

What a difference three years make when it comes to telling stories and newspapers and journalist. By the time it was made State of the Play took the plot of a BBC series and carried it over the Ocean melding the story of a newspaper team with big corporate and government conspiracy and congressional corruption, all in a well-paced thriller wrapping. Today it looks more like an elegy to the profession of investigative reporter, to the good old methods of traditional journalism. If the film was made today not only many of the technical details would have been different, but also the focus may not have been that much on the printed press. It may have been the journalist helping the blogger and not the other way. Almost as director Kevin Macdonald after having made a movie about The Last King of Scotland made afterwards a movie about the last great investigative journalist. State of Play is not a bad film, but it does not raise to hights either, and the good parts end by being not exactly the ones planned by the director and producers.

 

source http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0473705/

 

The story starts with a double murder and an apparent accident that seem unconnected excepting the fact that they are reported by the same newspaper (a reverence to and quotation of the Washington Post of the 70s, actually the Watergate hotel is one of the settings in the film), although we well know things will change soon. They do indeed, as the subway accident which leads to the death of a Congressman’s assistant and the street shooting that opens the film get together in an intrigue that seems to implicate the politician (Ben Affleck) who is investigating a big corporation involved in the private security services oversees while managing an affair with his assistant. While the corruption and sex scandal story develop the focus shifts to the investigation of the news team and especially to the people behind it.

 

(video source blacktreemedia)

 

The thriller part of the story is reasonably well written, but brings really nothing new. It is more the characters in the newspaper redaction that catch the attention, their methods, the way they balance the duty to expose the truth with their personal feelings, the attitude towards their profession. Russell Crowe is quite convincing as the investigative reporter whose actions walk on the thin line between professional duty and personal feelings like friendship and emotional involvement. He is also a low-tech guy, slightly out of touch not only with the technology but mostly with the morals of the day. Rachel McAdams supports well Crowe as the young blogger who grows with the case, while Helen Mirren as the Chief Editor is as royal as ever and made me regret that her role was not more consistent. I never was a fan of Ben Affleck‘s acting skills and I did not become one after seeing this film.

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Carte: Patrick Modiano – In cafeneaua tineretii pierdute

Posted on December 12, 2012 by admin

‘Cand iubesti intr-adevar pe cineva e musai sa-i accepti si partea de mister’ spune unul dintre personajele cartii lui Patrick Modiano, si chiar daca aceasta fraza se refera specific la eroina principala a cartii, tanara si misterioasa pariziana Louki (pe numele ei adevarat Jacqueline Delanc maritata Choureau), ea poate fi aplicata si intr-un context mai larg, cel al spatiului in care se petrece actiunea, Parisul cu cartierele, strazile, cafenelele sale care constituie un decor si un univers in sine, sau insasi unei epoci pierdute, cea a sperantelor spulberate mai intai de realitatile vietii cotidiene si acum in pericol de a fi definitiv spulberate de uitare. Cartea lui Patrick Modiano (prima pe care o citesc scrisa de acest autor) reprezinta o incercare de a reconstrui in cuvinte o lume care fara truda scriitorului s-ar pierde pentru totdeauna in ceata trecutului, o lume readusa pentru momentul unic al lecturii inapoi intru existenta, cu personajele sale, cu sperantele, iubirile si deziluziile lor.

 

sursa http://www.larousse.fr/encyclopedie/personnage/Modiano/133523

 

Traducerea (aparuta in editura ART, colectia ‘Desenul din covor’, 2012) ii apartine lui Constantin Abaluta si mi-a prilejuit unul dintre acele rare momente cand am simtit ca placerea lecturii in traducere este echivalenta cu cea a unei citiri in limba in care a fost scrisa cartea. Abaluta nu numai ca gaseste echivalente exacte si fluide ale textului francez dar si insufla acea atmosfera pariziana unica, descrisa cu ochii unor eroi care traiesc in oras si traiesc orasul. Roland, iubitul eroinei isi aminteste dupa ani despre o scriere a sa despre Paris:

‘Mi-am adus aminte de textul pe care ma straduiam sa-l scriu atunci cand am cunoscut-o pe Louki. Il intitulasem ‘Zonele neutre’. Existau la Paris zone intermediare, no man’s land-uri, unde te gaseai la granita cu toate locurile, in tranzit perpetuu sau choar suspendat in asteptare.’ (pag. 130)

 

sursa http://www.editura-art.ro/carte/in-cafeneaua-tineretii-pierdute

 

‘Zonele neutre’ impart Parisul anilor 60 in zone delimitate social si uman. Malul stang si malul drept, arondismentele mai instarite si cele mai sarace in care se naste si creste eroina fiica a unei mame profesand ceva neclar la Moulin Rouge, librariile (ah, fascinantele librarii pariziene!), cafenelele ca acel Cafe Odeon unde se aduna eroii cartii si strazile populate de oamenii ‘absenti’ – ‘Locuri de trecere in care nimeni nu era curios sa afle identitatea nimanui si unde puteai sa te ascunzi in liniste’ (pag. 132). Totul este descris cu o nostalgie discreta, cu o tandrete lipsita de sentimentalism. Cuvintele si paginile cartii sunt putine, efectul este complex si puternic – ca o schita trasata de un pictor de talent care in putine linii de creion reuseste sa fie la fel de expresiv si sa transmita la fel de multe ca o sofisticata pictura in ulei.

 

Paris, Place de l'Odeon - source http://www.travelfranceonline.com/Paris/Odeon_Theatre_Europe.html

 

Destinul eroinei este povestit de patru voci succesive, patru povestitori diferiti care relateaza la persoana intai evenimentele din perspectiva lor proprie – un licean atras de mirajul boemei, spectator si participant timid la primele intalniri si grupari ale personajelor, detectivul angajat de sotul mai in varsta al eroinei sa o gaseasca si sa o urmareasca in labirintul orasului, eroina insasi, si iubitul ei, a carui perspectiva peste ani se identifica vag cu cea a autorului. De la el vom afla si deznodamantul faptic, care fara a fi lipsit de interes nu este central in structura cartii – cea ce conteaza si ramane dupa lectura este atmosfera, nostalgia, sentimentul dulce-amar al pierderii ireparabile a sperantelor tineretii care ii insoteste pe cei vii si de care sunt crutati cei plecati.

 

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talent wasted on an awful story (Film: Chloe – Atom Egoyan, 2009)

Posted on December 11, 2012 by admin

I am sometimes wondering about the bad choices made by one director or the other, or by one actor or another. When such a gathering of talents like Atom Egoyan – director of  Ararat, Liam Neeson – star of Schindler’s List or Julianne Moore – four time nominated for an Oscar, share the same bad choice I am simply stunned. None of them is visibly on the decreasing slope of their respective careers, none was known to have huge debts to be obliged to accept any role, so why picking a film based on such a stupid and incredible story, with a bad taste that comes close to soft porn – and this is not because of the quantity of skin shown on screen but because the way the story is being told.

 

source www.imdb.com/title/tt1352824/

 

Actually the story of Chloe is so stupid it is worth being told in a few sentences. Suppose you are a successful gynecologist and you suspect that your husband of at least 20 years cheats on you. What is more natural than hiring a hooker to check on his behavior and tell you in details how she makes ‘progress’ in the relation with the husbie? When you are told that the inevitable happened you start being attracted by the hooker, or maybe it’s just revenge, or curiosity, but soon you will end by you cheating on your husband with her. And this is not all but I will spare the rest.  Chloe not being the only strange relationship film coming from Northern border, the only question it arises to me is are really these Canadian such disturbed personalities, when it comes to intimate and family relations? If yes, I must have met the wrong and not-interesting Canadians during all my life.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWLEz-1VzSk

(video source VISO trailers)

 

The lead actors do their best but they seem all a little bit uncomfortable with the story and their roles. Julian Moore of all has the most difficult task, as she needs to give some credibility to the most unbelievable relationship story – she is brave and succeeds up to the point of making sense of her relationship with Chloe (Amanda Seyfried) whose motivations we never find out excepting the basic fact that she is really a Bad Girl. Egoyan makes at some point a directorial mistake which taking into account his talent I cannot believe to be unintentional, filming imagined scenes as a real ones – I call this cheating on audiences and I did not like it. There is a final twist that is supposed to create a persistent feeling of uneasiness in the audiences, but this feeling actually starts much earlier and for the wrong reasons.

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Alban Berg’s ‘Wozzeck’ at the New Israeli Opera

Posted on December 10, 2012 by admin

The new season at the Israeli opera started with tremors before the first aria was sung. Financial pressures led to last minute changes in the program of the season, including the cancelling of the traditional end-of-season grand finale at Masada, and the postponing of another more expensive (and interesting) staging with a more conventional choice. Yet, the program has still some highlights that make me curious and the first choice – Alban Berg’s Wozzeck – was already out of the beaten path. Opening the season with a 20th century work, based on a social and political drama involves risks. Already put on stage in 2005, this new version is directed by Manfred Beilharz, a well-known opera director with many well received operas put on German and European stages.

 

source http://www.israel-opera.co.il/Eng/?CategoryID=502&ArticleID=1544

 

The performance enhances the belief that some of the more interesting theater in the last few years in Israel can be found on the stage of the New Israel Opera. Beilharz’s Wozzeck is a modern staging directed with cinematographic pace in very efficient sets that separate segments of the space visible to the audience in well positioned visual effects. His directing focuses mostly on the psychology of the characters and the relations between them, and less on the social or political comment which was perobably the more important aspect in versions starting with the premiere which took place in the effervescent Germany of 1925.

 

(video source http://www.israel-opera.co.il/Eng/?CategoryID=502&ArticleID=1544)

 

From a musical point of view there are no dramatic changes from the previous seasons. The distribution pattern of young Israeli sopranos and imported tenors is being preserved also in this version of ‘Wozzeck’. English tenor Julian Tovey was a solid but not brilliant Woyzzeck, while Israeli soprano Merav Barnea proved both vocal and dramatic skills giving to her Maria not only quality of voice but also sensuality and fragility. Daniel Cohen conducted this last performance of this opera on Friday afternoon, but all the other performances were conducted by David Stern. The opera house was only half full, and this is a pity in my opinion, because this non-conventional opening of season would have deserved more audience. Those who stayed home were the losers.

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Joel Frahm (again) in Tel Aviv

Posted on December 9, 2012 by admin

The first evening in the Hot Jazz series at the Tel Aviv Museum of Art this year that I am attending (it was actually the second one, but I missed the first because of my professional trip in November) provided a revelation in meeting one of the best saxophonists today – Joel Frahm. This is not his first visit to Israel, he seems to have been here a few times, and enjoy it. And yes – I and the audiences here enjoy listening to him and to his music.

 

source http://www.nepr.net/blog/joel-frahm-storytelling-tenor

 

A classmate of Bred Mehldau at at Hall High School Wisconsin-born Frahm is a powerful gifted blower, who turns his capacity into the talent of creating a sound which is strong in volume, velvety in texture and complex in structure. He can take themes from standards and combine them into a story that becomes his owns and he drives the musicians playing with him, encourages them, appreciates them. He seems to feel equally at ease in swing and in blues. Watching him play is an experience not only because of his sound but also because of his attitude which one feels is full of respect and empathy for the musicians he is playing with and especially with his audiences.

 

(video source CultureBuzzIsrael)

 

Here is an interview he gave in Israel last week at the occasion of the visit. He speaks not only about the tour but also about the other Israeli music he met and worked with.

 

(video source dlhau)

 

Above is an excerpt of his music, but not from the last Friday concert. The show in Tel Aviv appropriately started with a tribute and dedication to Dave Bruebeck and continued with a lot of the music composed and inspired by Sonny Rollins.  The partner to Frahm for the tour was Israeli saxophonist Amit Friedman, a personality of his own about whom I plan to research, listen and maybe write more in the future. I have already noticed and mentioned bass player Gilad Abro and he did not disappointed me. I was not enthusiastic about pianist Hod Moshonov, neither did Shay Zelman break his routine.

Joel Frahm’s Web site is available here.

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The Maccabbees in Art

Posted on December 8, 2012 by admin

As we are lighting the first candle of Hanukkah tonight, as the tradition of The Catcher in the Sand requires on any Jewish holiday, let us have a slightly different perspective on the holiday. As the holiday is besides candles and sufganiot (doughnuts) also about the Maccabees here are a few reflections of the holiday in art, music … and laughs.

 

source http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:24v_Leiden_I_Maccabees.jpg

 

Appreciation for Jewish military skills is not something as new as I thought. Medieval manuscripts already included scenes from the battles of the Maccabees. Here is a Leiden illuminated manuscript, 1 Maccabees and Flavius Vegetius Renatus – ‘Epitoma rei militaris’ (Book IV) painted at the end of the 12th century. This was actually a Latin treaty of military art which took the deeds of the Maccabees as one of the examples .

 

source http://www.feelbyte.com/Jean-Fouquet/Battle-between-the-Maccabees-and-the-Bacchides-162108.html

 

Here is the 15th century representation of the Battle between the Maccabees and the Bacchides as painted by Jean Fouquet.

 

source http://art-unwashed.blogspot.co.il/2011/11/restitution-follies-217-years-later.html

 

Rubens’ The Triumph of Judah Maccabee is one of the most famous pieces of Renaissance art dedicated the story of the Maccabees. Interestingly enough the painting which can be found today in the Museum of Fine Arts in Nantes is the object of a dispute nowadays between France and Belgium, which claims its return more than 200 after it was part of the trophies Napoleon brought to France during the Napoleonic wars.

 

source http://www.wikipaintings.org/en/giovanni-domenico-tiepolo/the-seven-maccabee-brothers-are-condemned-to-death-by-antiochus-iv

 

An 18th century painting by Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo represents the scene where The seven Maccabee brothers are condemned to death by Antiochus IV.


(video source Zadlem)

 

Out of the musical creations Haendel’s Judas Maccabeus Oratorio is one of the most famous – here is the overture.

 

(video source The Maccabees)

 

Nowadays the name The Maccabees belongs to an English indie rock band. How did they pick it? Well, they just flipped the Bible and picked a name, and the rest was (kind of) history. Here is a song called Ayla taken from Given To The Wild, an album released this summer.

 

(video source Uri Westrich)

 

They are of course not to be confused with The Maccabeats the a capella group originally formed in 2007 as the NYC Yeshiva University’s student vocal group and – yes! – this is a Hanukkah song.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZQ8tV-euGU

(video source The Jimmy Kimmel Live Channel)

 

Even our friend (well ..) Mel Gibson became involved with a project of a film about Judah Maccabee. It looks like the project is on hold by now, but Jimmy Kimmel succeeded to obtain the trailer 🙂

 

Hag Hanukkah Sameah! A Happy Hanukkah!

 

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Erica Hoffer – La New York, pe poteci mai putin batute

Posted on December 6, 2012 by admin

Erica Hoffer mi-a permis preluarea pe blog a notelor ei de calatorie din vizita facuta recent la New York. De aceasta data va fi vorba despre cateva expozitii si muzee mai mici, din acelea pe care placerea de a le descoperi si vizita ti-o poti permite numai dupa ce ai epuizat obiectivele ‘importante’.

——————————————

Am descoperit ca americanii au maestria de a face din orice subiect o expozitie cel putin, daca nu un muzeu.  Ma gandesc de unde vine aptitudinea asta pe care nu am vazut-o si in alte aspecte ale vietii americane. Poate  din necesitatea de a explica oamenilor cu capacitati reduse sau cu un attention span limitat anumite fapte. Este aptitudinea de a face orice explicatie pe intelesul tuturor, de a inventa metode audio vizuale inedited.

Pe scurt, in vizita  din saptamana trecuta m-am ferit de muzeele mari cu sali infinite cu sute de picturi atarnate. Pentru a ilustra compunerea de jos am pus fotografii care ilustreaza expozitiile respective.

1. In Lower East Side “The Tenement Museum” care poveste (printre altele, nu numai) etosul emigrarii evreilor din Europa de est de la inceputul secolului trecut. Muzeul se afla intr-o casa in care stateau un numar de familii in conditii teribile de inghesuiala si saracie. Spre deosebire de muzeele clasice in care se viziteaza camera cu mobilele si ustensilele din acea perioada, in acest muzeu s-au ales un numar de subiecte si fiecare este prezentat de o ghida. Eu am ales subiectul castigarii existentei (in idish parnuse). Expozitia se numeste Sweatshop Workers. Cu ajutorul ghidei am urmarit viata a doua familii, una, familia Levine,  care avea o manufactura chiar in incinta locuintei, cu muncitori angajati care lucrau in living room si bucatarie. Am cunoscut aceasta familie din momentul in care ajunge la NY,  am urmarit educatia copiilor si am luat parte la succesul commercial al parintilor care dupa multi ani in care atelierul se afla in apartamentul lor , reusesc sa se elibereze finalmente de aceasta viata incomoda si ajung sa mute atelierul in alt loc inafara casei.  O alta familie mai instarita, familia  Rogarshevsky, reprezentata prin masa ei festiva de Vineri seara, reuseste de la inceput sa se puna pe picioare fara sa aibe atelier in casa. Copiii lor sunt trimisi la scoli mai bune iar stranepoatele in rochii elegante dupa gustul American sunt fotografiate la nunta in familie. Fotografia reda toata satisfactia acestei familii care a reusit sa “ajunga”. Nu numai emigratia evreilor din Europa de Est este reprezentata la acest muzeu. Si emigratia irlandeza, la fel de saraca, a fost povestita intr-o alta vizita ghidata in aceasta cladire.

 


2. Expozitia Beatrix Potter, la biblioteca Morgan. B. Potter, autoare a unor carti de copii deosebit de reusite care il au ca protagonist pe iepurasul Peter Rabbit. Aceste carti s-au nascut din scrisorile illustrate ale autoarei catre copiii prietenilor ei. Este vorba de scrisorile adresate lui Noel Moore, un copil des bolnav, fiul guvernantei lui Beatrix Potter. Autoarea isi ilustreaza scrisorile cu mici desene in creion. Cu timpul, aceste scrisori au devenit povestiri, publicate pentru prima data in 1983, iar eroul, Peter Rabbit, iepurasul imbracat in hainita albastra a devenit iubitul copiilor din toata lumea.  Expozitia e la biblioteca bogatasului Pierpoint Morgan. o cladire superba, largita in 2006 de arhitectul Renzo Piano pentru care a primit premiul Pritzker si renovata in 1910 de firma McKim, Mead & White.

 

 

Beatrix Potter - letter to Noel Moore

 

3. Expozitia “Eruv” la Yeshiva University, 15 W 16th Str. Pentru cine nu stie, si nici eu nu am stiut asta mult timp, eruv este fizic o sfoara sau sarma intinsa intre stalpi de telefon sau iluminatia orasului. Conceptual eruvul are o mare importanta in viata evreilor religiosi. In lipsa acestui fir care delimiteaza spatiul in jurul casei sau al asezarii, evreii religiosi nu au voie sa care lucruri, sa impinga carucioare in timpul Shabatului.  Existenta acestui fir subtire le mareste spatiul in jurul casei incat in chii lor, ceea ce fac in spatiul delimitat de eruv e ca si ar face in interiorul casei. In Statele Unite, eruvul este pe de o parte o delimitare a spatiului in care stau destui evrei , dar si o integrare in viata urbana americana.

 

 

4. “Parfumuri (Scents)” la Museum of Arts and Design la Columbus Circle. Aceasta este prima expozitie a unui muzeu in care crearea unui parfum este considerat un act de creatie artistica. Expozitia se concentreaza asupra a 12 parfumuri create intre 1889 si 2012 care reprezinta metode sau curente diferite in aceasta arta, de exemplu  Chanel 5 creat in 1921.

 

 

Cel mai neobisnuit aspect al acestei expozitii este aspectul spatiului ei: o incapere minimalista toata in alb pe al carei pereti sunt montate urne care emit valuri ale parfumului respectiv. Textul alaturat fiecarei urne descrie creatorii, anul creatiei si genul de parfum (modern, abstract sau brutalist).  O incapere alaturata permite vizitatorilor o noua examinare a acestor parfumuri, interactiva de data asta,  vizitatorii avand posibilitatea de a caracteriza parfumuri alese.

5. Imbracamintea studentilor de la Ivy League in decursul anilor (la Fashion Institute) 7th Av cu 27th str.

Expozitia se numeste Ivy Style, adica stilul vestimentar care caracterizeaza studentii de la universitatile renumite in care deobicei studentii nu numai ei mai brilianti dar a caror parinti aveau posibilitatile materiale de a trimite copii la aceste institutii prestigioase. Stilul Ivy league origineaza de la inceputul anilor 1900, in ultimul secol s-a raspandit mult inafara de universitatile de elita. Expozitia este aranjata in mod tematic si nu chronologic, in sectii care acopera difersele activitati studentesti, clase, camine studentesti, sporturi, evenimente festive.

 

Expozitia este interesanta fiindca e evident ca look-ul Ivy care a dat dovada de capacitatea de a supravietui  testul timpului este de fapt look-ul pur american.

 

 

6. Garage sale al artistei Martha Rossler la MOMA. Cati dintre noi nu avem pasiunea sa cotrobaim prin bibelouri, bijuterii, vase de servit si alte obiecte care se aduna prin case. Artista Martha Rossler  a umplut un spatiu enorm la muzeul de arta moderna MOMA cu obiecte de zi de zi din casa ei, din casele salariatilor MOMA si donate de public. Artista, prezenta in tot timpul expozitiei si luand parte activ la targuitul in sine,  examineaza de fapt reactia publicului la acest happening popular si arata fotografii si filme video facute in timpul expozitiei.  Prin aceasta expozitie, muzeul isi demonstreaza apropierea de strada, de viata de toate zilele, de posesiunile care ne inconjoara si ne caracterizeaza.

 


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