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Artistry magazine 2
Issue 2 Summer 2018
the team president Eric Doroski
editor-in-chief Sophie Cannon head of design Danny Tran Cindy Zhao managing editor Gianna Barberia Art editor Asia London Palomba Music editor Olivia Oriaku Stage editor Isabelle Hahn Photo editor Nadia Naeem
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letter from the editor At a research university, there are many opportunities to do things as students that many others, adults even, don’t get to experience. We have state of the art facilities, professors, and labs. Just looking out of a dorm window, the skyline is interrupted by the Death Star of a building, ISEC, stocked with technology and innovation. However, regardless of major or concentration, many students have a creative itch. To scratch that, at least for me, I found the arts and culture magazine on campus, and it has made my time here all the more meaningful. At the end of this semester, I will have been the editor-in-chief of Artistry Magazine for a full year, and a staff member for almost my entire college career. Starting out, I’ll admit that I was in it to get material for my journalism resume, motivated by future co-ops. Now, as I get ready to leave for another adventure, I am realizing just how important it is to have an art and culture magazine, open to any and all, to explore the less academic and the more creative parts of life. When joining an arts publication, I came across a conversation that would repeat itself many times, and one that I have had with myself as well. When I tell people that not only am I pursuing journalism, but with an entertainment and culture focus, people have posed that it isn’t as important as hard news. Artistry doesn’t report on the latest campus news, nor do we comment on politics or current events. I want to pursue a career in the media and entertainment industry because I am still, without a doubt, making a difference, and I don’t want to leave Artistry thinking I have not. While we are not exposing scandal or crime, we do expose the human side to a story that otherwise seems unapproachable. Writing an informational piece on local artists in the Boston area enriches the community around us. Putting together an article of the best art galleries makes a huge data dump of information understandable. And writing music reviews and concert coverage, my personal favorite thing to do, provides context and hopefully inspires new listeners for well-deserving musicians. I love fashion, music, theater, and art, and those are the things that bring communities together. So, Artistry 2018 and beyond. Whether you are a STEM major with an interest in fashion, or a journalism major like me who wants to write about what they love, I truly hope you take pride in the arts and continue to advocate for it on campus. This magazine has not only given me an outlet for my creative, non-academic writing, but a community of people who want to get more out of their time in college and embrace the artistic, musical, fashionable, and entertaining city of Boston that made me apply to Northeastern in the first place. Here’s to 2019! Sophie Cannon, Editor-in-Chief
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Issue 2 Summer 2018
Photos by Sophie Cannon
designer: catherine titcomb
Live in the moment with
portugal. the man
Photos by Sophie Cannon Design by Fiona Gridley
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Cayley Ross The phrase, “actions speak louder than words” holds a new meaning for attendees of Portugal. The Man’s Blue Hills Bank Pavilion show on Sept. 23. The band prefaces every show with a written caveat projected on a large backdrop screen that they are “never very good at stage banter,” they “thank you for understanding,” but many fans feel that the band more than makes up for this lack of dialogue in show quality. Before beginning their last show of the tour, PTM’s bass player, Zach Carothers, introduced Cedric Cromwell of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe. Carothers explained that being from Alaska, they care deeply about local tribes and “[respect] that this land is theirs [the native tribes’],” and they have been asking local tribes to speak at the beginning of each show on the tour. Cromwell, chairman of the Cape Cod tribe, led a chant of “Hoka Hey” as members of the tribe performed a traditional dance and song. Before leaving the stage, Cromwell urged the audience to call a congressman to support congressional bill H.R.5244 and the reaffirmation of Mashpee reservation lands. Portugal. The Man’s performance began with their take on Beavis and Butthead. On screen, the infamous cartoon idiots poke fun at the band’s music video for “Feel It Still” saying, “look at his mustache,” teasing lead singer and rhythm guitarist John Baldwin Gourley. After more banter regarding his “complicated facial hair” they came to the realization that “he’s not misunderstood. It is us who have misunderstood,” finally concluding that “this is the greatest band that has ever walked the earth.” With that, the group took the stage and the show finally began. The band opened with an instrumental cover of Metallica’s “For Whom the Bell Tolls,” followed by Pink Floyd’s “Another Brick in the Wall, Pt. 2,” leading into PTM’s own “Purple Yellow Red and Blue.” They continued with songs from their most recent album, “Wood-
stock,” such as “Number One,” “Live in the Moment,” “So Young,” and “Noise Pollution.” They also sprinkled in songs from older albums including “Modern Jesus,” “Creep in a T-Shirt,” “Hip Hop Kids,” and “Sea of Air.” Occasional quips flickered across the screen throughout the show. During “Atomic Man,” the screen read, “We’re Portugal. The Man! Just making sure you’re at the right concert. Don’t worry, we are playing that song right after this.” The band’s hit single, “Feel It Still,” was, of course, next on the setlist — “Your mom loves this song,” the screen read. Eventually, they transitioned back into an instrumental period with the screen reading, “Real bands don’t need singers.” After an impressively long onstage jam session, they performed a few more songs to end the show, before briefly returning to the stage for an encore of “Sleep Forever,” “Smile,” and The Beatles’ “Hey Jude.” Never seeming to take a break (the stage was silent maybe once in the whole show) and with a constant stream of colorful patterns and images on the screen in the background, PTM achieved a 60s/70s rock vibe with a modern twist that can only be described as psychedelic — appropriate, considering the title of the latest album. With similar tones of oldies music out of the 70s, opening act Lucius performed a mournful, yet calming mix of strong harmonies and folksy guitar. Lead singers Holly Laessig and Jess Wolfe, who have been singing together for 13 years, reminisced, “We started singing right here in Boston… this is where it all began for us.” Everything matched, from the singers’ black and gold capes, to their Blondie-esque, platinum blunt bob haircuts, to their perfectly in-sync rhythm and harmonies. With funky costumes and Cirque du Soleil-style backup dancers, they played up the colorful and unconventional aspect of the evening that would continue through both their set and the headlining act.
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Issue 2 Summer 2018
Photos by Audrey Berlin Design by Danny Tran
Meet Northeastern singer-songwriter
Sydney Gish
Alexa Portigal
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nly 21 and already on the music industry’s radar, singer-songwriter and Northeastern fourth-year and music industry major Sidney Gish sat down with Artistry Magazine to discuss all things music and her experiences with other musicians on professional platforms. “When I was younger, I started playing on an electronic keyboard that I had at home,” Gish recalled, sitting on a bench in Krentzman Quad on a gloomy Thursday afternoon. Along with the electronic keyboard, where she experimented with various synth noises, Gish picked up the recorder and ukulele in the fourth grade, before becoming more serious about music and joining her high school’s choir in ninth grade. Gish expressed that up until this year, she never really thought about pursuing music on a professional level and becoming a solo artist, until she saw that her most recent album, “No Dogs Allowed,” garnered a lot of success on streaming platforms. Her goal is to continue releasing albums until she feels that her producing skills are at an advanced level, so each album she releases can be marketed on a more professional platform.
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Gish applied the production skills she acquired from creating her first album, “Ed Buys Houses,” to her second album, “No Dogs Allowed.” After mixing “Ed Buys Houses” on Garageband, Gish decided to upgrade to a music program called Logic with “No Dogs Allowed.” “With Garageband, I learned how to multitrack vocals and guitars just from fooling around in high school,” she said. “For ‘No Dogs Allowed,’ I took the sketches I created from the previous year and tried to make them into something bigger.” As for her very playful and personal song titles, Gish draws inspiration from everyday life events and uses her experiences as a basis for uniquely naming her tracks. For her song titled “!Ed Buys Houses!” Gish came across a sign while on a walk, collaged it, and decided, “this would be a cool album cover.” Another song title, “I’m Filled with Steak, and Cannot Dance,” on “No Dogs Allowed” was created when Gish attended a wedding. “‘I’m Filled with Steak, and Cannot Dance’ was a note that I wrote at a wedding when I was filled with steak and unable to dance.” Gish said that her note from that night became the name of the project file, and when it was time to rename it, she said
she decided that her original note was better than any other name she had tried to come up with. Working in a professional environment this past spring on a co-op in New York City at Island Records, a record label under Universal Music Group Inc., Gish was able to learn the ins and outs of the music industry, all while advancing her own music career. “It was a really educational to be working in the environment of a major label. It [also] coincided with the “No Dogs Allowed” release, and for the first time, I was getting emails from people in the industry,” she said. “Having the opportunity to work in the A&R department and to basically be an artist scout during the day and then to be scouted by other labels, was extremely meta,” Gish said. She had another professional glimpse into the music industry world, as she went on a cross-country DIY road trip this past summer, touring with other established indie bands. “I was riding in the same van as the band Petal, along with their tour manager,” Gish said. She did a bit of everything, from “playing the set, settling with the venues, selling merch,” and much more.
Gish’s summer road trip wasn’t her first experience on tour, as she opened for indie-rock artist Mitski for the first few days of her New England tour leg. Gish traveled by herself, meeting up with Mitski at the venue every night. Not only did she have a great time playing with Mitski, but she also had to handle a lot of the behind-the-scenes logistics. “It was helpful for me to plan out routes and what time to leave the city; to decide who I was crashing with, etc. It was basically me acting like a tour manager,” Gish said. “I had to learn how to juggle all of those different roles at once. It made me feel better about hiring someone in the future to be a tour manager, since now I know what I am hiring them to do.”
Gish describes being featured on Spotify’s New Music Friday playlist as an “anomaly of a situation, that [she’s] really glad happened.” With nearly 90,000 monthly Spotify listeners, Gish is very happy to have a larger platform on the well-known music streaming service. “Being an independent artist and having control of my platform on Spotify, I don’t even need to go through a label, I just go through a distributor and I can just do whatever I want with it.”
Her attitude for putting music out into the world is very relaxed, and Gish doesn’t concern herself with “making it” in the music world, but rather with giving her listeners music they truly enjoy. When asked where she sees herself heading in the music industry, Gish responded “I don’t know really, I just want to make another album because I know that I can and I have enough ideas to.” She said her music, “might do well and it might not do well, maybe this year was just a year of random hype, but it’s been really fun, so I hope people continue to enjoy it even if it doesn’t get good press or a ton of listening streams. As long as people listen to it and enjoy it then that’s fine--even if the big conglomerate of indie press people don’t like it.”
With a growing platform, Gish wants to ensure that people are truly enjoying the songs she is putting out. Her creative jolts usually appear out of boredom, “I’m mainly just bored all the time and doing stuff on my Notes app or Logic.”
Gish is constantly working on new project files on her laptop, which are always filled with an extensive collection of ideas. She plans on making “another intentional release out of the fragmented ideas that [she] has.”
When asked about her current plan, Gish replied, “to keep doing exactly what I have been doing, but slightly more people are paying attention now. So I’m like ‘OK, I’m gonna act normal now.’ It’s definitely really exciting,” she said. Concerning balancing her school life with that of a burgeoning music career, “I guess we’ll find out,” she said with a laugh.
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Issue 2 Summer 2018
troye sivan
Photos by: Chelsea Ruscio
Photo courtesy of Capitol Music Group
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Design by Cindy Zhao
christian kwok
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onning pride flags and fluorescent makeup, concert-goers rumbled in anticipation for the three names boldly outlined in white on the shimmering Wang Theatre billboard, located in Boston’s lively theatre district on Oct. 12. The crowd’s enthusiasm was for openers Leland and Kim Petras and headliner Troye Sivan. All identify with the LGBTQ community and are touring together as part of The Bloom Tour. Dressed in a pale, dark red suit, headliner Troye Sivan swiftly ran out from behind the curtains to the beat of “Seventeen,” setting precedent for what would be a dazzling performance over the course of the night. To the crowd’s approval, Sivan began to sing a few bars of the song, only to awkwardly run behind the theatre’s velvet curtains. The lights dimmed for a second, but Sivan didn’t miss a beat. Amidst the confusion, the curtains dropped, exposing the entirety of the stage with Sivan and his live band. With even more excitement, both Sivan and everyone in the crowd sang to “Seventeen’s” reveling lyrics. Sivan’s blonde hair swayed just as enthusiastically as the crowd’s dancing; the upbeat vibe of “Bloom” and “Fools,” and his animated persona captivating fans. This same poise effortlessly dictated the attitude of both the stage and the audience; one of pure, raw fun. In a much needed break, Sivan switched up his set, moving away from his faster tempo songs and diving right into a more emotional track, as the opening lines of “Heaven” began to play. To his disbelief, the crowd responded by illuminating paper cut-outs with their phones, creating a sea of colorful flowers, swaying to the song’s slow tempo. The scene was moving for Sivan, as “Heaven” was about his coming-out experi-
ence. He invited the creators of the idea onstage, taking videos with them as the flowers continued to sway in the background. “Heaven” gave the audience a bit of a breather, but Sivan picked up right where he left off, mixing in bops such as “Swimming Pools,” “Bite,” and his newly released single with Charli XCX, “1999,” to the crowd’s approval. With Sivan disappearing once again behind the stage, the showstopper came when the curtains opened to reveal a living room setup. Several dim bedroom lamps and a coffee-colored couch slowly emerged from the stage floor, creating a setting that resonated deeply of home. The spotlight shined to reveal Sivan and a member of his band lying on the couch, as the chords to “Postcard” began to play. Both would trade off from verse to verse, imitating a conversation from Sivan’s personal life. The mood of the crowd again turned from the uptempo beats of “Dance to This,” to a melancholy tone. From the first note to the last, “Postcard” and “The Good Side” delivered a humbling, yet relatable heartbreak experience for all. With his vivacious attitude, however, Sivan wasn’t closing out on a sad note. Inviting the crowd to dance with him, he ended his set with four bona fide upbeat songs: “Dance to This,” “Animal,” “Youth,” and a club-rendition of his most popular single off of the Bloom album, “My! My! My!” He left the stage promising to come back to Boston soon, waved goodbye, and finally disappeared behind the curtains for the last time. Before Sivan’s performance, singer-songwriter Leland, noted for his involvement in writing
songs for pop stars such as Allie X, Selena Gomez, and Troye Sivan himself, warmed up the audience. He played some of his unreleased songs, including “Another Lover” and “Middle of a Heartbreak,” and ended his set with “Mattress,” the song that established his career as a solo artist. Kim Petras, known for undergoing a gender transition at a young age, also served as an opening act. The L.A. based pop star leaped on stage with her blonde hair styled in its signature side bun position; her unabashed pop sound pulsating around the theatre walls. Petras performed some of the singles that established her as Paper Magazine’s “Most Likely to Dominate the Pop Charts” including “I Don’t Want It at All,” “Heart to Break,” and “Hillside Boys.” In addition, she also performed songs from her Halloween themed mixtape, “TURN OFF THE LIGHT, VOL. 1.” Her set closed with a booming applause as she thanked the crowd in her stocky black boots.
Dressed in a pale, dark red suit, headliner Troye Sivan swiftly ran out from behind the curtains... setting precedent for what would be a dazzling performance.
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Issue 2 Summer 2018
Inside the ICA nadia naeem
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itting just across the harbor in East Boston is the Institute of Contemporary Art’s (ICA) newest attraction, The Watershed. A short ferry from ICA takes you to a unique gallery experience that gives you an appreciation for a lesser known part of Boston. By expanding the museum across the harbor, the ICA hopes to bring new visitors to East Boston and increase the accessibility of art to Bostonians and visitors alike.
plans to feature an artist every summer. For their first year, the gallery presents works from Diana Thater, an innovator in film and video art since the 1990s. Thater’s work focuses on the natural world and the threats it faces, using a unique blend of use of unusual camera angles, scale and colored lights to challenge the way that we typically view moving images. Her art interacts with the space in a novel way, transporting the viewer into a new world.
Built out of a formerly condemned copper pipe facility at the Boston Harbor Shipyard and Marina in East Boston, the award-winning firm Anmahian Winton Architects transformed the old facility into the contemporary art space it is today, while still maintaining the industrial feel of the building. The industrial surroundings from the building’s former life contrast with the digital contemporary art. A unique rainbow of lights hanging from the ceiling marks not only a distinction from the location but also from other galleries. On top of being a space for art, The Watershed is also a space for education. There is an area for children to read educational books and try their hand at brain puzzles, in the hopes that it will bring younger audiences into the art world. The gallery also features a number of photographs of East Boston shot by local teens as part of the ICA’s digital photography program.
Upon entering the space, you are greeted by the first of Thater’s pieces, “Untitled Videowall (Butterflies),” (2008). The piece highlights the increasingly detrimental effect that human activity has on the environment, in this case, on the Monarch butterfly. The piece references the tragedy that Thater witnessed as millions of Monarch butterflies died from frost in migration from Canada to Mexico.
The Watershed, which opened its doors on July 4,
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As you continue into the gallery, Thater’s “Delphine,” (1999) takes up an enormous presence in the space. Composed of four projectors and a stack of video monitors, the piece focuses on a pod of dolphins swimming in the Caribbean and interacting with the divers filming them. The projections spill across a corner of the space, off the walls, and onto the ceiling and the floor. The angles of the projections are uniquely distinct from similar forms of video art, as they disorient the viewer to make them feel as if they are swimming alongside the dolphins. The stack of video monitors depicts an image of the sun captured by a NASA telescope. “Underwater and outer space are two environments that human beings can enter, though ultimately not survive. In “Delphine,” there are three kinds of bodies in space: dolphins moving through volumetric space; the sun spinning
Watershed in a vacuum of black space; and the viewer moving through real space made volumetric by the artificial light filling the gallery and framing the projections,” explains the Watershed’s guide.
the angles of the projections are uniquely distinct from similar forms of video art, as they disorient the viewer to make them feel as if they are swimming alongside dolphins. A hallway contains the next pieces of Thater’s work, titled “As Radical as Reality,” (2017) and “A Runaway World,” (2017). The pieces are composed of a combination of screens and projectors. The subjects for “As Radical as Re-
ality” and “A Runaway World” are the Northern white rhinoceros and the bull elephant respectively. Both of these animals could potentially face extinction, and Thater hopes to highlight the dangers they face. To further shed light on their endangerment, the animals were filmed at sunset to remind us that the sun is literally setting on these animals. Through these artistic choices, Thater highlights the need for conservation so that we do not lose these incredible animals. The last of Thater’s pieces in the gallery are, “Day for Night One (Two and Four),” (2013). Utilizing in-camera double exposure, Thater depicts slightly moving images of flowers, a recurring element in her work, across three groups of screens. The multifaceted work references both classic cinema and experimental photography in its composure. Overall, the ICA Watershed offers a unique art experience, where you can not only learn more about art, but also have a conversation about nature and the city of Boston. The Watershed closed on Oct. 8 but will reopen with a different artist next summer.
Photos by Nadia Naeem Design by Catherine Titcomb
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Issue 2 Summer 2018
The Art of Influence: L Propaganda Postcards from the Era of World Wars
ASIA LONDON PALOMBA
ocated outside of the popular Winnie the Pooh exhibit and spread out over two galleries is the Museum of Fine Arts (MFA) new exhibit, “The Art of Influence: Propaganda Postcards from the Era of World Wars.” The historically and politically charged exhibit examines the way that artists have long transformed their political opinions into art, particularly during the two deadliest wars of the 20th century. Presenting approximately 150 propaganda postcards from World War I through the end of World War II, the exhibit serves as a guide to the number of propaganda techniques that emerged at a time of prolonged global conflict, highlighting the way they were shaped by the ascendancy of authoritarian figures to power . Propaganda underwent an evolution during World War I and the years leading up to World War II. Never before had there been such an intersection between politics and art. The emergence of modern marketing techniques and mass communication technologies not only allowed governments to use political art as a vehicle for their ideologies, but also permitted them to reach a larger audience. Propaganda postcards were popular during these decades as they were cheap to produce and purchase, and could be easily mailed and sold on the streets. Bold, striking colors, dynamic images, and succinct slogans can be found splashed across postcards from Fascist Italy, Spain, Nazi Germany, the Soviet Union, and Japan, all of which construct false narratives, emphasize togetherness, vilify political opposition, and paint leaders in a heroic light. Simple stories and themes were employed in these postcards: good vs bad, us vs them, forward vs backward. Artists broke down vocabulary and streamlined them to get these messages across easily to construct support for these governments’ ideologically inclined policies. Many of the postcards also draw from history, as leaders wanted to show that they were inheriting strength and greatness from the past. In one postcard, Adolf Hitler is pictured shaking hands with the great Otto von Bismarck, who united Germany in 1871, while King Frederick II watches. In another, Spanish dictator Francisco Franco
Photos by Asia London Palomba
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Design by Amanda Dupell
stands amongst flags of the Spanish monarchy, whose supremacy endured centuries. And in another, Joseph Stalin stands beside Vladimir Lenin, the engineer of the Bolshevik revolution. Many leaders deified themselves through these postcards, as they are pictured standing resolutely and staring bravely off into the distance. One postcard depicting Italian dictator Benito Mussolini as a captain at the helm of a ship sailing through a tempestuous ocean, paints him as the savior of Italy and the only person capable of guiding the country though tumultuous times with stoic calm and bravery. While many postcards chose to illuminate their country’s great history, others chose to dwell on certain events of the past and circulate fake news. After Germany and Austria’s defeat in World War I, which resulted in the Treaty of Versailles and cost Austria its empire and Germany its land, German conservatives began circulating a notion that Germany had not lost the war and was instead a victim of a harsh treaty. This idea was quickly seized upon by the Nazi party, who used postcards to encourage the country to break free of the “chains” of the Versailles Treaty, leading some to actually believe that Germany had in fact not lost the Great War. In addition to the many postcards, the exhibit also features a number of posters and film clips, which further illustrate propaganda’s multifacetedness in this era. While postcards were certainly the most widely adopted vehicle of propaganda, governments also employed other multimedia techniques to manipulate their audiences. “The Art of Influence: Propaganda Postcards from the Era of World Wars” exhibit is a glimpse into how propaganda shaped the direction of World War I and World War II, inviting us to consider how the propaganda that we see around us today is a byproduct of that era. Although simple in form, these propaganda postcards were compelling and did affect some of the narratives circulating during those decades. This look into the past questions whether we today would be able to resist the art of persuasion. The exhibit is on view at the MFA until Jan. 21, 2019.
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Issue 2 Summer 2018
ICA ICA Collection: E nt a ng l ed in the E ver y da y Drefnie Limprevil
T
he “ICA Collection: Entangled in the Everyday” exhibition, held at the Institute of Contemporary Art, examines society’s interactions with everyday objects. While some artists featured in the exhibit left the objects and images unfettered, others crafted objects into more obscure pieces with representative meanings.
colored collage. These frames make up Ellen Gallagher’s “DeLuxe” (2004-05), a set of images that feature vintage magazine advertisements showing the problematic nature of products aimed at black consumers. The latter is Arturo Herrera’s, “Hasen” (2011), whose bright and bold paint strokes captivate and force the viewer to find definition amidst the chaos.
The common theme running through the exhibit is an elicitation of fascination and deep meaning of the mundane. The exhibit is organized in a maze-like fashion, allowing the viewer to wander through and look at diverse works of art. To the right of the entrance to the exhibit is a framed set of images and a dense and vividly
Further into the exhibit is Tara Donovan’s “Nebulous” (2008), a large, snow-like sculpture that lies on the floor. Donovan, known for her sculptures containing everyday objects including straws, straight pins, and buttons, created this piece using only tape. Further on are paintings, photographs, and digital media. One photo-
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graph, Anthony Hernandez’s piece, “Discarded #5, Near Brawley, California” (2012-15), features a man amidst his belongings on a bus, staring at the camera. The title of the image haunts the viewer as they make eye contact with the person that society has ignored and symbolically discarded. In Robert Pruitt’s painting, “Woman with X-Patterned Dress (After Bill Traylor)” (2007), you look at the portrait of a woman who doesn’t acknowledge there is an audience. These two pieces bring about a nice balance of how we view everyday objects; we often ignore or don’t mind them, even as we stare them in the face.
Photos by Drefnie Limprevil Design by Danny Tran
Continuing through the exhibit, there is a series of photos of artist Rineke Dijkstra’s subject, Almerisa, who fled to the Netherlands from the former Yugoslavia. The photos capture her transitions from childhood to motherhood. All the photos in the “Almerisa” series (1994-2008) have a simple set up of a wooden chair and a basic background, meant to focus solely on her transition into adulthood. Across from this piece is a bright green screen that flows from the ceiling to the floor. Liz Deschenes’ fascination with the power of color translates to her print, “Green Screen #4”(2001-16), where she allows color to take
over as the subject, while addressing the representation that green screens hold in media and society. Adjacent to this piece is a sculpture of a blown up 35mm film camera. In Damian Ortega’s, “Olympus” (2009), each part of the camera is placed on a series of plastic screens, giving two-dimensionality to a three-dimensional object. The second leg of the exhibit featured multiple sculptures containing ordinary objects and materials, transformed and manipulated in various ways. The main draw of focus was Nari Ward’s sculpture “Savior” (1996). This sculpture features a towering amount of items
bound to a shopping cart by a string of garbage bags. Behind the sculpture is a video of the artist pushing around the sculpture through the streets of New York City. The piece makes visible the invisibility of the homeless population, who use the shopping cart to carry their belongings. Though the exhibit deals with commonplace objects and sights, the artists utilize them as a tool to force the viewer to regard them in a new light. The exhibit features a diverse set of mediums and styles which leave viewers with a new perspective on art. The exhibit is open at the ICA until April 9, 2019.
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Issue 2 Summer 2018
K R O Y "DEADLY CLASS" W E N
COMIC CON
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Photo by Nadia Naeem Design by Cindy Zhao
nadia naeem
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undreds of fans poured into the Hammerstein Ballroom on Saturday Oct. 6. The third day of New York City Comic Con brought tons of exciting announcements, exclusives, and guests, but what was most exciting to see was the world premiere of one of the most anticipated shows of next year, “Deadly Class.” “Deadly Class” was created by Rick Remender and artist Wes Craig. The series was published under Image Comics, a popular indie house responsible for hits such as “Saga,” “The Walking Dead,” “Spawn,” and “Chew.” “Since Deadly Class Volume 1: Reagan Youth” was released in 2014, the series has been a staple for countless comic fans. The story takes place in 1980s San Francisco, and centers around Marcus Lopez (Benjamin Wadsworth), an orphan who is recruited into King’s Dominion Atelier of the Deadly Arts. King’s Dominion, run by Master Lin (Benedict Wong), is a secret high school that grooms the next generation of assassins. At this school, it is necessary to be in a group, for friendship, but more importantly, protection. Saya (Lana Condor), is the badass leader of the Japanese Kuroki Syndicate. Willie (Luke Tennie), is the son of an LA gangster, and is the leader of his own gang at the school. Maria (María Gabriela de Faría), is a member of the Mexican organized crime family, El Alma del Diablo, and she is dating the leader’s son, Chico (Michel Duval). Billy (Liam James) is an outcast just like Marcus, and quickly connects with him. Marcus goes through all the trials and tribulations of any high schooler, but at this school, one wrong step could actually get you stabbed in the back. The Syfy channel picked up the show in mid-2018, and the story has been shepherded faithfully from page to screen by the guiding hands of creators Remender and Craig. One of the major contributions Remender made during the creation of the series was with music. While writing the comic, he had a very clear idea of what kind of music would fit into the Deadly Class world. Sisters of Mercy, The Cure, and The Smiths among others give Deadly Class a undeniably punk rock 80s vibe. The cast even praises Remender for giving them each playlists custom made for their characters. Additionally, the show generated a lot of buzz when it was announced that acclaimed directing duo, Joe and Anthony Russo would executive produce the project. The Russo brothers are known for their incredible work in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, directing “Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” “Captain America: Civil War,” “Avengers: Infinity War,” and the upcoming untitled Avengers 4 film. With the Russo brothers’ great success with Marvel, fans of the Deadly Class comic have total faith in these two to bring their beloved comic to the small screen. The show has also received praise for its cast, and having watched the pilot episode, I can confirm that each actor fully embodies their character. New kids on the block Luke Tennie, María Gabriela de
Faría, Liam James, and Benjamin Wadsworth are joined by two actors you probably already know and love. Lana Condor who plays Saya, has recently skyrocketed into fame with the wild success of her Netflix film “To all the Boys I’ve Loved Before.” Benedict Wong who plays Master Lin, is known for his role as Wong in “Doctor Strange” and “Avengers: Infinity War.” The cast may as well have been ripped straight from the pages of the comic; they truly bring their characters to life, and then some. Fans were at the edge of their seats as Remender came out to introduce the pilot. The episode began by showing Marcus’s life before King’s Dominion. Orphaned and living on the street, Marcus scrounges for food, cigarettes, drugs, and anything that helps him escape from reality. Saya brings Marcus to King’s Dominion one night, where he is offered admission into the school by Master Lin. Assuming that the whole thing is a joke, he blows it all off. Inevitably Marcus is driven to rock bottom, and he attempts to kill himself, only to be interrupted by Saya who convinces him to join the school, since he has nothing to lose. The rest of the episode documents Marcus’s first few deadly days at King’s Dominion. Marcus attends classes such as, “Dismemberment: 101,” gets involved with some girls, and bullies, and begins to make friends, finally having some purpose to his life. “Deadly Class” is a truly unique story about misfits and outcasts. Remender and the Russos promise to give viewers a nonstop crazy ride. The show is set to premiere on Syfy on Jan.16 at 10 p.m.
The cast may as well have been ripped straight from the pages of the comic; they truly bring their characters to life, and then some.
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Issue 2 Summer 2018
Genius At Play Review CATHERINE TITCOMB
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ach new generation of art challenges the conventions of the former, though ballet remains an artform rooted in tradition. “The Nutcracker” hails from the 1800’s, but still remains one of the most well-known ballets. Much like a play, “Swan Lake,” “La Bayadere,” and other long-standing popular ballets depend on plot, costume, stage decoration, and character development. However, Jerome Robbins, the Tony Award-winning choreographer behind Broadway hits such as “West Side Story” and “Fiddler on the Roof,” proved through his original ballets that dance does not need plot and can be just as innovative, light-hearted, and fun as modern dance and hip-hop. For his centennial celebration, the Boston Ballet Company paid homage to his countless contributions to dance, film, and Broadway by performing three of his compositions to the tunes of his lifelong collaborator, Leonard Bernstein, in the production “Genius at Play.” The show began with one of Bernstein’s overtures, then shifted into the first dance of three, “Interplay,” which challenged the audience’s preconceptions of ballet immediately. The only set piece was a simple blue backdrop, and the only costuming was solid colored tee shirts and dresses. Even for one familiar with Robbins’ works and ideas, the lack of elements many deem traditional or even essential to ballet is jarring, especially within the opulent Boston Opera House. Trying to figure out meaning or storyline to the dance was futile; the leapfrogging dancers eliciting laughter from the audience were simply just dancers dancing. One of Robbins’ earlier works, “Interplay” seems to explore how far he could remove plot from ballet and focus on the act of dancing itself. At certain times, mini storylines emerge, but no overarching theme or plot can be discerned.
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After “Interplay,” “Fancy Free” stood in contrast. Robbins’ first composition, and the inspiration for the Broadway show “On the Town,” followed a plot complete with costumes and a set, but still remains far removed from traditional ballets. The story of three sailors looking for a drink and women is a purely American theme. The cartoonish movements and orchestral sound effects contrast the regality and emotion of other ballets. Robbins seemed to have two motives in presenting this dance: to show others that good ballet can arise out of the United States, and to appeal to an American audience more than other ballets. “Fancy Free” acted as a reprieve between “Interplay” and “Glass Pieces,” which are clearly linked. The plot-based, humorous dance allowed the audience to see the similarities between the pieces
Robbins seemed to have two motives in presenting this dance: to show others that good ballet can arise out of the United States, and to appeal to an American audience more than other ballets.
paint on canvas effect that was a treat to the eye. Many dancers walked across the stage like pedestrians on a busy street and seamlessly transitioned to a few pairs of dancers in matching colors, each involved in their own duet. The cycle between crowded stage and duets continued. The dance was a clear return to Robbins’ idea of dancers dancing with no storyline. The next part of the dance opened with a dark blue background and dancers in the shadows, creating a paranormal-like environment. A classical duet in the light brought to mind a futuristic “Swan Lake.” The dance truly was about enjoying the human body and what it can do, “the magic of movement,” in Robbins’ words. This makes the lithe principal dancer perfect for the dance, as watching the uniqueness of her body and its movements was breathtaking and encapsulated by an audience member’s exclamation, “That was incredible!” as the dance came to a close. The final scene of “Glass Pieces” re-explored the dance-off and other interactions between dancers from “Interplay.” The piece represented the accomplishment of the idea Robbins first explored in “Interplay.” Rather than seeming juvenile and funny, it was a beautiful yet lighthearted exploration of the idea.
surrounding it, but also have them remain distinct.
“Glass Pieces” was composed towards the end of Robbins’ career and shows how much he developed. “Interplay” explores a vital idea: what are the parameters within which ballet can exist? “Glass Pieces” is the masterful realization of this question, so much so that it can be seen as the dancers of “Interplay” all grown up.
The third and final dance, “Glass Pieces,” featured dancers in solid colors set against an off-white grid background and, similar to “Interplay,” it created a
Overall, “Genius at Play” presented an expanded definition of ballet and was simply an aesthetic treat, making it an overall captivating performance.
Design by Amanda Dupell Photo courtesy of Rosalie O’Connor
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Issue 2 Summer 2018
the bl ack clown
Photo courtesy of Maggie Hill Design by Cindy Zhao
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Gillian brown
“
Y
ou laugh / Because I’m poor and black and funny…” speaks a lone man into a standing microphone, lit by a single spotlight, center stage. “The Black Clown.” He begins again, singing the lines of Langston Hughes’ poem of the same name. And thus, a truly unique and emotional theatrical experience begins. “The Black Clown” never feels like a traditional musical. It’s an artistic retelling of a collective narrative set to music. The world premiere musical is an adaptation of Hughes’s 1931 poem and was shown at the American Repertory Theatre from Aug. 31 to Sept. 23. Described as a “dramatic monologue” by Hughes, the poem reads 17 stanzas, with accompanying stage and musical directions entitled “The Mood.” The 70-minute musical features 15 songs written by Michael Schachter and encompasses a wide range of genres from vaudeville to jazz to spirituals. Davóne Tines plays the titular character and pours his heart and soul into the show. Tines has a low, powerful voice that perfectly conveys the emotional depth of the piece. He’s accompanied by an all-black ensemble of 12, each of whom are dynamic, expressive, and equally talented. Together, they journey through songs of joy, sorrow, rage, and hope. Director Zack Winokur’s staging is simply incredible, and is enhanced by Chanel DaSilva’s sensational choreography, which is as varied in style as Schachter’s music. Scenic and costume designer Carlos Soto utilizes a minimalist set, which creates remarkable versatility. Soto also employs monochrome costumes. As the show progresses, color is added and by the end, the eveningwear is replaced with modern day attire. John Torres’s dazzling lighting design features dramatic shadows and spotlights that intensifies Soto’s scenic design. One of the most mesmerizing scenes came during the song “Three Hundred Years,” where the history of slavery in America is depicted. A white sheet stretches across the stage and shadows transform the set, taking audiences back in time. The power struggle is shown as silhouettes grow into towering figures, disappearing and reappearing in seconds. Families grasp hands as they’re ripped apart and beaten, slaves work in the fields, and fugitives
run for their lives. It’s sharply evocative and unforgettably breathtaking. This innovative shadowplay is a recurring feature of the show. A few times the silhouettes break through the fabric and become a three dimensional human again, bringing the story back to the present. This is one of Soto and Torres’s greatest feats in the show. An unsettling cheerfulness ensues during “Freedom!”. The Emancipation Proclamation is presented. President Lincoln is a towering figure on stilts; a circus spectacle surrounded by copies of the Proclamation floating in the air like confetti. Dancers twirl with chains in their hands and nooses on their necks, smiling as if they only wield decorative scarves. This joy is short lived, for they soon realize that they’re a “Black Man in a White World,” and that freedom does not necessarily mean free.
Every note sung, every move made, every word spoken is thoroughly felt. The show is living, breathing poetry. “Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child” was another standout number. The lyrics are sung over and over and over, each ensemble member taking on a different melody, a new cadence. First one by one, then all at once, overlapping into a chaotic choir of voices singing, “sometimes I feel like a motherless child,” walking in a solemn parade through the audience. The repetition is mournfully captivating, drawing people into their harrowing reality. The procession is hopelessly stuck in the same
refrain, the generations of African Americans stuck in a shackle of oppression. When it comes to powerful imagery, “The Black Clown” doesn’t fall short. At one point, the Clown climbs a luminescent ladder that lowers with every step, illustrating being “forever pushed down,” as Hughes writes. In another scene, Tines stands center stage, his hands creating shadows on the white screens behind him. His hands morph into dozens of hands. It becomes a shared story, a shared experience spanning generations. One of the last songs, “Say to All Foemen,” feels like a breath of fresh air. It’s a deeply uplifting piece. The cast changes into brightly colored modern wear and soulfully sings, “You can’t keep me down!” The one thing that can never be taken away is spirit and hope and strength, which are the threads that unite generations. “The Black Clown” is a visually striking production that tells the story of an ongoing battle, spotlighting the divide within the supposed United States. The show features stellar performances by every single cast member, each of whom get their own moment to shine throughout the piece. Every note sung, every move made, every word spoken, is thoroughly felt. The show is living, breathing poetry on stage. This adaptation doesn’t just honor Hughes’ poem, but instead brings it to life as a new, insightful lifeform of its own. It brilliantly portrays the complexity of racism and our country’s tendency to dehumanize and marginalize minority groups. Changing minds, countering ignorance, and conquering prejudices doesn’t all happen within a day. “The Black Clown” is a sharply relevant work of art that holds a mirror up to an ugly past that bears a disturbing resemblance to our present. Like the poem, the show concludes with the ultimate act of rebellion. It isn’t until the very end that the Black Clown “tears off the garments \ That make [him] a clown.” In the most empowering moment of the show, he sheds the societal constraints put upon him, he renounces the degrading roles tasked to him. He will no longer be a black clown. In a final moment of defiance, he confidently declares, “I’m a man!”
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Issue 2 Summer 2018
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