New version of mechanical devices surrounding us

A review of “The Persistence of Invention” exhibition

Ellen’s works in exhibition, from left to right: Dragons and Dominos, 1999 – 2007; Parrot Poyet, 1998; Arabian Nights, 1999

Mechanical devices are cold and far too artificial to many people, or extremely, described as the opposite of the nature. While in Ellen Lanyon’s paints, those heartless tools also have variable faces, just like the living things.

Ellen Lanyon’s exhibition, “The persistence of Invention” is displayed in DePaul Art Museum. The little exhibition hall is small but comfortable, where people can feel free to enjoy her works. The white walls emphasis how colorful the paints are. According to her profile in the exhibition, by the mid-1960s she had developed a sensitivity to the solvents in oil paint and turned to acrylics, most of the paints in exhibition are colorful acrylic on canvas.

Ellen’s paints have strongly personal style and like books, audiences should try to read them, not just look at them. Her paint filled with lots of elements including living things, scenery and the main characters – mechanical device.

Every painting of Ellen’s has a central of tools or some supplies. Like dominos in “Dragon and Dominos”, soapbox in “Eucalol”, some of those supplies are tools in her workshop, Ellen had experience worked in the drafting department of a foundry during the World War 2, some models are the little goods she found in flea market.

Thanks to the experience working with mechanical devices, Ellen is familiar with those tools and has different angle to find the beauty behind the cold artificial things. In “Hollman – Mount Joy”, Ellen overlapped the image of some fishing-scroll-like-device and a shadow of a huddle up crocodile, the shape of two images are almost accordance. Ellen did a lot of try in this overlap concept in her works, including cricket and some devices, nautilus and some drawing tools. Those paints give audiences a new vision of coincides between human-made stuffs and the original shape in nature.

Hollman – Mount Joy, 2008
Acrylic on canvas

Ellen’s paints are the “portraits” of mechanical devices, the paintings are center with these artificial things and she keep the balance between the human-made stuffs and natural things, combined all the elements into a harmony. And the visual harmony shows not only the aesthetic part of the devices also the cruel meaning of tension relationship between nature and culture.

Trophy, 2006
Lithograph with graphite

In “Trophie”, one of her graphite paints, Ellen put crocodile and crocodile purse on the top of some measuring device, and the shape of the combination just looks like a trophy. She also draw a high-heels and crocodile bags in shallower graphite lines behind the trophy, all the crocodile-made goods have clear crocodile face on them, the meaning of trophy is ironic and cruel.

There’re some features in the exhibition, Ellen’s clip is one of them. In the side room of the exhibition, there has a LED television’s play Ellen’s works’ video and her narration in a continue loop. People can hear her voice since they come into the main exhibition hall. She’s talking about her thought and what mechanical means to her, and this is kind of helpful for those trying to comprehend the meaning behind Ellen’s inspiration.

Ellen’s collections, those are the sitter in her painting

And close to the television is a display case, inside are Ellen’s collections, from crocodile purse to camera, the prototypes in the real life. Every model is delicate and has their aesthetic feeling, and easy for audiences understand Ellen’s works and her concept, further.

Ellen Lanyon’s exhibition “The Persistence of invention” is displayed in DePaul Art Museum, 935 w Fullerton Ave, Chicago, during September 14to November 18, the admission is free.

For the further information of the exhibition, go to depaul.edu/museum or call 773.325.7506.

Who would be the next lucky band

A small underground band from nowhere may grown up toward a hot new band, thanks to the Internet, legend could happen everyday and everywhere. “The great thing about the Internet is it exposes art to countries and cultures all over the world,” said Jaime Black, experienced music podcaster in Chicago.

There is a post-rock band in Beijing, China, founded in 2011’s summer, may be the next candidate of hot bands in the future. “Lotusu”, means a view of lot of lotus leaf in Chinese, is made of four young people, is one of the few post-rock bands in Beijing. “Post-rock is still the minority in China right now, but I believe it would be the trend in China,” said Baosheng Ren, 23, guitarist in the Lotusu, “some of the Chinese just get bored listening to normal rock and they’re hoping to find another form of rock music, just like post-rock, there’s no lyrics and like an opposite of rock music.”

Lotusu, a Chinese post-rock band in Beijing, pursuing their music passionate within the all kind of opportunities nowadays

Baosheng first know post-rock is in 2009, he described the first image of post-rock “can touch the very depth of your feeling”. “It’s like a landscape,” said Baosheng. “People can arouse different feelings and memories based on their different experiences, post-rock more like to create an scene, and you can decide what’s you want to see in this landscape.”

As Baosheng, Fei Chen, 24, also the guitarist in Lotusu, said he is pretty satisfied the collaboration of the Lotusu and have confident about their own band. “I believe we are going be a great band after polishing it, our initial intention is our passion about post-rock, and the interaction of sharing music the greatest fun,” he said.

Most of the underground post-rock band’s members are multiple-identities, Baosheng is working in a chemistry company as his full-time job and Fei is an designer. “After the exhausted day’s work, playing music just like recharging myself,” said Baosheng, “I’d like to devoted myself in the night, during the rehearsal.”

The Lotusu’s rehearsals and sound recording are paid by the band itself, and the revenue of their live shows can only balance the cost of renting the location. Even though, they are still continuing pursue their dream of music. “It’s entirely admirable,” said Jaime, “Anyone who devotes themselves so entirely to their art is definitely to be admired.”

In the depression situation of music industry in the China, Lotusu use social media as their primary promotion tool. “Social media is one of the premier tools for artists to promote and distribute their music,” said Jaime. They are using a platform of sharing and interacting called “Douban” in China and preparing to sign in the Soundcloud and Bandcamp for their new works. “I think it’s great to share our music with international music lovers,” said Fei.

They’re also considering use Youtube for their works in the future, “The great thing about the Internet is it exposes art to countries and cultures all over the world,” said Jaime, “And when the artist’s music doesn’t utilize lyrics, that can make it even more cross-appeal. ”

The unpredictable success of “Gangnam Style” is another good example, through the Youtube, Americans are crazy about this Asian pop music. And this also encouraged more Asian artists’ attempt and ambitious.

“I think we got the potential of promoting Chinese music,” said Fei, “I’ve seen many Americans who live in China just love singing our pop music in every words!”

The Chinese character “Liansu” is Lotusu’s Chinese name, represent the picture of lotus leaves

Argo: a cheerful pill from history, 1970s

“Argo” Movie Review, Ben Affleck’s work of 2012

Under pressures of daily life and anxious of all kinds of unstable, nothing can be more cheerful to every American than a successful rescue story movie based on their history, arousing their patriotic sentiments and courage.

“Argo” successfully plays the role like that. It directed by Ben Affleck and casting himself and Bryan Cranston and John Goodman. In this part true part fictional movie, Americans back to their unforgettable 1979, in which they face a suddenly hostage crisis of U.S. embassy in Iran for 444 days.  And the story focuses on the rescue action of six American, who escaped to Canada embassy during Iranian’s hostage.

There are many scenes in “Argo” based on the real historical photos and video clips, the same angle and same layout of the scene. And the movie really feels like the 1970s, it’s more graininess in the graphic. In one word, Ben Affleck really did his homework studied everything he can control and did his best restore the historical depictions.

“Argo” is breath taking. The tension heightened by the mixture of different scenes happening in the same time: the fake movie shooting rescue team “Argo Crew” made up by the six stuck American and their rescuer Tony Mendez (Ben Affleck), the Argo crew in L.A. United States, The CIA, the Iran local armed force. In the several most breath taking scenes, the cuts between those scenes and the lower angle shooting from the crowds and among peoples really let audiences feel they are be with the characters in this thriller.

In “Argo”, there’s no monsters, no directive murders, but it’s more nervous than watching those kind of thriller. The way it stirring audiences nerves based on it arouse audiences the same anticipation and hope as what the characters feeling. In the scene of they drive a van through protesting parade, the nervous feeling in the van accompanying the pound and beat and strike of the crowds outside the van, forming the sharping contrast divided by the little van.

My favorite scene is the climax of the movie. They six Americans leaded by Tony passed identity check in the airport, they are heading to the airplane. At the same time their identity crashed to pieces been restored by the rebels in the U.S. embassy, the rebels run after them, the taking off plane and chasing armed trucks, and then the airplane take off and towards to the freedom sky, no one can help themselves give them the big applause. But the suspense is not over, the phone’s ringing, when the stewardess announced the destination is America, they are really going home, the heartstring can finally get rested.

“Argo” is a good work. A cheerful piece of history is needed nowadays, for all means it worth to watch in the theatre.

Get any information and trailer of “Argo” from IMDb, click here.

The podcaster and leader of covering Chicago music

Interview with Jaime black, music podcaster in Chicago

Jaime Black, during podcasting with DePaul graduate student

As the first music podcaster in Chicago, Jaime Black treats his work like a full-time producer and journalist. “I’m just radio producer, and I’m always journalist,” he said.

Jaime Black has been doing radio for more than 10 years, and he’s just about to turn his 30s. He started podcasting since 2005, by then there’s no one doing music podcast in Chicago range. And in 2009, he launched his website, dynasty podcast, the Chicago-base original music and nightlife podcast network.

“I’ve always been really passion about Chicago, about music, about Chicago music, about culture and what’s new. I’m trying to be part of that, trying to cover the story,” He says. “I love doing journalism, I love doing media in digital, but I’m looking for new ways to try doing things. ”

Asked how to describe him, Jaime says: “I create digital content, and sometime I do consulting, and promoting, I’m always looking to do things in different way. It’s hard to put a safe easy label on me.”

Half body crosses into music industry, Jaime has both innovative views and experiences covering music, also his comprehension of contemporary music. “I’m 30 years old, most of people I know who are my age, who I went to high school with, they didn’t listen to music like 8 years, the last new record they listen to was like, to me is so long ago, like stuff when Clinton president almost,” he says.

“I always like the stuffs like smashing pumpkins, all rock stuff, I so love those artists but the same time, I don’t only listen to the artist in grad school, in high school, but that would be so boring. There’re so much artists I love right now, like Chicago artist, and I always discuss stuff Chicago rocky fresh. I’ve never stopped finding new music, not only because what I do, but also because I’m really passion about that.”

“I may not interview the artist I absolutely hate, there’re so much music I like, there’re lot of Chicago artists I listen to the records and say, Okay, this may not maybe this isn’t my style of music, but I can recognize there’re lot of talents, lots of hard work, these guys are doing big things, people really love them, I’d be happy talk to them, I have a good relationship with them.”

From star to gigolo, the stuggle of youth

Princess Kosmonopolis (Diane Lane) and Chance Wayne (Finn Wittrock) in Tennessee Williams’ Sweet Bird of Youth

A guy who wants to use a famous woman to get fame and break into a movie, this image looks like a typical gigolo to me. While it’s a little different in the “Sweet Bird of Youth”, in which story Chance Wayne happened to be a faded movie star, and he “have to” use this way to find back what he used to have: his old girlfriend, primarily.

The “Sweet Bird of Youth” has over 50 years history, it was written by Tennessee Williams and first played in the late 1950s. The 2012’s version, which directed by David Cromer, who has been recognized as one of Chicago’s most gifted directors, gains lots of anticipations. My first image of this play is its audiences, before the opening, they are keep talking about the show, excitedly.

With big curiosity, the show starts with the interaction between Chance Wayne (starring Finn Wittrock) and The Princess Kosmonopolis (starring Diane Lane), the main character of the show – the gigolo and the famous woman. In the hotel scene, there has passion and the truth, the scheme and the compromise. Chance blackmailed Princess to help him back to the glory age but failed. To me, the following scene that two desperate person, not only Chance, talking about their story, their struggle and helpless, is good to show their deep desires and their characters in the show. The princess sighs for her fading youth and beauty, she asks Chance how did people pay for him for his life story and Chance says: “I give them more than I took.” I like this line.

I think the technology helps the show convey the complicate relationship and conflict between characters. And I like its perform way. In the third scene, the show uses spin stage separate different areas and the angle of audience’s focus, create several layers that help tell the story.

In this scene, Chance knows his old girlfriend got illness and there’s not chance they can get back together, and princess beg him to not leave her. After he coldly refuses her, he backs to the bar painfully. While in the same time boss Finley (starring John Judd) is in his campaign outside the bar. The bustle outside and the dark lonely image of Chance inside, the opposite atmospheres were shown to audiences by the spinning of the stage, clearly and form a sharp contrast.

Also the way they depict the scene of boss Finley’s publicity and declaration, the live shooting by the 1950s’ video camera and the big projection picture on backdrop, it’s real and it’s a great experience to see this performance.

The show ended in the hotel, like the beginning. And after Chance’s determination of staying in this heartbreaking town, in his pain, it ended. The heavy applause from audience is not just for polite, it’s really a good show.

The Sweet Bird of Youth is open through September 14 to October 28, in Goodman Theatre.

Now the memory editing is on stage

How dreadful would a person feel, holding the bad memory of being a victim or struggling in the war? How do people who are suffering PTSD urgent to “do” something deal with their memory? While in the new play, Freshly Fallen Snow, which is going to open in Chicago Dramatists The Playwrights’ Theatre from September 28th, using drug therapy to do the memory editing is a solution for these PTSD patients. And according to Chris Jones’ theatre criticism, this is one of “some new works worth a risk” this fall.

“I think we made this play really interesting as the takes sort of new view on memory,” said Brain Loevner, managing director of the play, “the mix of history and the Iraq war being more current, and the use of projections and original music and exciting ort of technology, it’s going to be exciting to see, it’s going to be a fun experience and a very strong sensory experience.”

According to the playwright of the play, M. E. H. Lewis, the reason to start creating the show based on real science, after she read the article of scientist Todd Sacktor about a way to “edit” or “delete” memories. She has done a big of conglomeration of all of the medical research that’s going on out there right now to make the play seems more reasonable and realistic.

No doubt the climax of the plot, according to Meghan Beals McCarthy, the director of the play, would be in the scene that character embrace the full memory and allow themselves to share with others, not just the safe parts, but ugly part as well.

About the ideal reaction among the audience after the play, “I want audiences to argue with me, argue with the play”, “I believe everyone should have the freedom to limited the memory if they want to”, “The play reaches ‘a’ resolution, but not ‘the’ resolution”, “I want them to be sympathetic to what they’ve seen, but I want them to argue”, said McCarthy.

“I do think it worth the risk, absolutely I agree with. It could be the memory editing, and how is that ethical or unethical, it could be the cast, could be the playwright. I definitely think it’s worth the risk of coming down and checking out a brand new play. I think we’ve really done some exciting things theatrically and I think the performance is terrific and very strong.”

The play would open from September 28 to October 28, in Chicago Dramatists The Playwrights’ Theatre. Want to see how would the play show memory flash on stage? Go and check on it.

A mirror for us offered by Mindy Project

How many are we still hold the fantasy that meeting a perfect guy, having a romantic date as what movies always teach us. Well, The Mindy Project did introduce us a candidate – Mindy Lahiri, a skilled OB/GYN, whose life is full of romantic imaginations come from comedies and the fact is, the major part of her life are mess. Imaging that how often could a woman would make a fool of herself on her ex’s wedding day, or arrested for making public disorder? These did happen to her.

It started with Mindy’s confession to a police, she tried to explain why she was almost drowned in a stranger’s swimming pool. In her long story, she was feed up with all kind of love stories, while in real life her boy friend dumped her for his dentist patient. Unacceptable harsh story makes she gave a nonsense toast on his wedding day and run away. Well actually she rushed into a stranger’s pool, where she got hallucinated that getting laughed at by a dumped Barbie in the bottom of the pool for no boyfriend.

Mindy’s life is always “threatened” by her colleague, Danny Castellano’s habit of stealing her patients and Jeremy Reed’s irresistible hot. A sexy guy who always seduce her by emails and allure her in person, also be invited to her apartment by the end of the episode. The romantic between Reed and Mindy no doubt would have more sparks rather than just “sharing a bed”. Mindy also show us her way to deal with a date and how to fantasy it before the date, wishing the man “wealthy as Mayor Bloomberg, the personality as John Stewart, face (or mankind) like Michael Fassbender”. Those wishes also appeared in our dream, while Mindy use a more straightforward way shout it out.

This biting new single-camera comedy from Mindy Kaling, Emmy Award nominated writer/producer and New York Times best-selling author, she played herself. The whole story is casual and naturally reflecting our life, in a more tangled way. While the lines and some scenes are some how familiar to us, though our life isn’t change much, like her life pattern, our life maybe less drama. Well, this show may become another mirror to help us review our life, not much innovation but still a good choice for entertainment. The future of the show? Maybe depends on how many people it can arouse with the same desperation in their life.

The Mindy project is regular on Tuesday, 9:30-10:00 PM ET/PT on Fox. We’re waiting for its good news.