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B section
wednesday, february ,
Wildlife
Steven Kwan Arts Editor 520•621•3106 arts@wildcat.arizona.edu
Ingredients for a fortunate life
BEFORE YOU GRADUATE
Bored? Look no further. Moments of boredom shall now be few and far between — that is, if you take advantage of these events and places. I bet you did not realize how large Tucson really is until now — how about a little bit of poetry, some crowded street vendors and a couple of biomes to get started?
Particularly poetic experiences
The UA Poetry Center is nationally recognized and sitting in your own backyard. You know what that means — take advantage of this honking piece of history and its first-rate resource while you still can! Famous poets from around the world participate in readings throughout the semester. The Poetry Center has invited Liza Porter, the 2009 Mary Ann Campau Fellow, to read on March 25 at 8 p.m. For more information on events and poetry competitions, visit poetrycenter.arizona.edu.
More than flimsy tents and boiled hot dogs Tim Glass/Arizona Daily Wildcat
Above: Harold Jones, the UA Center for Creative Photography’s first director, at his Tucson home on Feb. 10. The photograph on the wall is of his wife, Francis. Left: Harold Jones and his wife Francis at their home.
First UA photography director muses on life’s work By Emily Bowen Arizona Daily Wildcat Harold H. Jones was born in Morristown, N.J. He worked his way through high school at the local A&P, stocking the candy aisle. When it came time to pursue a higher education, Jones opted for the Newark School of Fine and Industrial Art; a school that offered certificates rather than degrees. He was a painter, so, naturally, he studied painting. His parents didn’t think art school was a good idea, but he went anyway. “I had a teacher. I took photography as an elective as a lot of people do. I was a painter, I had studied painting and so it was that same semester it was taught by professionals from New York City. He was teaching this class I was in, and I made some pictures and did the work. He told me I had sense for it,” Jones said. Forty-four years later, his photographs, photo drawings and paintings have been exhibited in hundreds of galleries, and he is credited with being a founder of the LIGHT Gallery in New York and the founding director of the Center For Creative Photography, among other accomplishments. Maybe art school wasn’t such a bad idea after all.
I met Jones on Feb. 10, right before it started raining. I had been riding my bicycle in circles for 15 minutes before I finally decided to call him and admit I could not find his house. After he pointed me in the right direction, he asked that I please call him Harold. I don’t remember if I ever did. It’s hard to call someone anything when they have certain accomplished calmness about them as he does. So when I arrived, I locked my bike to the wrought iron fence and walked up the concrete steps that led to his front door. I thanked him for welcoming Arizona Daily Wildcat photographer Tim Glass and me to his home and called him neither Harold nor Mr. Jones. Willow, his small dog, barked for the first 20 minutes we toured the house, but it hardly distracted from the pictures that hung from almost every wall within the house. The complete basement beneath the house held his entire collection, a dark room and a laundry room. Up the stairs that were too high and narrow to be built in a modern home, were his paintings and a small wall dedicated to work of family and friends. JONES, page B8
Chris Brown’s penance still unpaid
INSIDE
Chris Brown will be coming to Tucson on Sunday to headline 98.3 FM’s Sunday Nite Slow Jams Live. This marks Brown’s first concert in Tucson since he was let go as the headline for last year’s Associated Students of the University of Arizona Last Smash Platinum Bash. The reason for his dismissal: assaulting pop star, Rihanna. Damn good reason. Whether celebrities ask for it or not, they are role models for children and teenagers. It’s inescapable. Children see celebrities as an ideal whose life epitomizes the American Dream. Celebrities have money, fame, power and influence. They have the freedom to do whatever they want — for better or worse. Whether Chris Brown wanted to be or not, he was a role model. Specifically, he stood to be similar to Michael Jackson — the next success story for an entire generation of black youth. To many, Brown was an escape from the cold reality of economic disenfranchisement. Last month, the Department of Labor released earnings-related statistics. Caucasian men have an unemployment rate of 9.1; black men, 17.6. Caucasian men make an average of $12,168 more per year than black men. Chris Brown was a millionaire with job stability by his 16th birthday.
You can’t tell me Brown wasn’t idolized that his first YouTube apology after the immediately. He was a fairy tale. Born incident was“heavily coached.” in the small town of Tappahannock,Va., The same Chris Brown who, accordBrown taught himself to sing and dance ing to the affidavit released by the Los and was discovered Angeles Police Department, by a local production punched Rihanna numerteam at his father’s gas ous times, put her in a head station. He was a multilock, restricted her breathing platinum recording and caused her to start to artist with aspirations lose consciousness. He also of an acting career and COMMENTARY BY threatened to beat and kill was dating Rihanna, her, and he bit her ear and Zachary Smith one of the most attracher fingers. Arts writer tive and talented pop The same Chris Brown stars in recent years. He was only 19. who, nine days after beating Was. Now, I don’t know what he is. I Rihanna, sent her an apology — via can only tell you what he isn’t. text message. He isn’t the celebrated artist who can The same Chris Brown who appeared push 3 million units worldwide like he did on“Larry King Live,”flanked by his for each of his first two albums. Billboard mother and an attorney. reports that Brown’s Graffiti sold a paltry The same Chris Brown who doesn’t 258,184 copies as of Feb. 1. He isn’t dating have a single sponsor anymore and, given Rihanna anymore, as there is a five-year the facts, seems unmarketable. restraining order of 100 yards separating Despite these damning details, tickthe two. His episode of“Sesame Street” ets for Brown’s concert have been sellwill never be aired again. He is only 20. ing for as much as $290 and have sold Yet, in Brown’s own words on a out all except the front three sections, Sept. 2, 2009, interview with Larry in which the cheapest seats cost $175. King: “I don’t think, at the end of the It seems Tucsonans want to see Chris day, my career is over.” Brown perform. They, like Brown, don’t This is the same Chris Brown who want his career to be over. And I don’t admitted to ABC News’ Robin Roberts understand that one bit.
I’m all about second chances. I think everyone deserves a second chance. But people have to earn them. Second chances aren’t unconditional. Michael Vick had to serve 21 months in jail to earn his. Robert Downey, Jr. spent four months in jail and more than a year in a substance rehab facility to earn his. What has Chris Brown done to deserve a second chance? He took a plea deal that gave him 180 days of community labor and five years of probation. He issued an apology, but since when is an apology the same as a reset button? Brown beat a woman savagely. He should have to atone. Or is the going rate for domestic violence forgiveness these days 180 days of community labor? The infamous TMZ.com picture of Rihanna shows two large contusions, five distinct bruises and one bite mark. For argument’s sake, let’s say there are 10 distinct wounds left on Rihanna by Chris Brown. That’s 18 days of community labor per bruise. Ladies, it seems a black eye from your boyfriend will cost him 18 days working at the local library or cleaning the highway. What will that same black eye cost you? SMITH, page B8
B6 POP! & rock fun
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New Tucson production group inspired by Warhol
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Fourth Avenue bulges at the seams: Hundreds upon hundreds of vendors selling trinkets, rugs, paintings, vases, pizza, hot dogs, etc. squeeze into the street, line the sidewalks and hold up traffic. Music vibrates off buildings, competing with the thousands of conversations and innumerable footsteps. Every Tucsonan may or may not be there. The Fourth Avenue Spring Street Fair takes place March 19 to March 21 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. You will need to set aside at least three hours if you want the whole experience. For more information visit fourthavenue.org/ fairs/general-information.
A global trip in miniature
It is a bit of a drive, but worth every mile. Biosphere 2 may be one of the few places where you can stroll through mangrove wetlands, a fog desert, savannah grasslands and a rainforest in a little more than an hour’s time. Follow stairs deeper into the biosphere and you can even observe an ocean complete with a coral reef. Between 1991 and 1994, two groups of researchers were sealed in Biosphere 2 for months on end. Trapped under globes made of glass, the biomes are still being used for researching the relationships between human life and earth, studying space science and nurturing endangered plants back into the environment. Pathways have been constructed through trees and bushes from around the world, allowing tour groups easy access between the environments. There are even lungs — not human lungs, but two massive, sealed off structures designed back in the day to keep Biosphere 2 from imploding or exploding due to changes in oxygen levels. Its echo ability is astounding: Youtube “Biosphere 2 lung chant” to hear the blessing monks bestowed on the lungs before it opened. Located at 32540 S. Biosphere Rd., Biosphere 2 is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. every day except Thanksgiving and Christmas. Student tickets are discounted at half price ($10). For more information visit www.b2science.org. — Kim Kotel
Is there something you think we should do before graduating? Send your suggestions to arts@wildcat.arizona.edu. Please include your name, major and year.