MICHIKO ITATANI ART EXHIBIT
Wrightwood
659 is pleased to announce Michiko itatani: Celestial Stage, an exhibition of more than 60 paintings and drawings that reveal the Chicago-based artist’s fascination with humankind’s efforts to comprehend the universe and the inspiring grandeur of the unknown.
Over the course of her 40-year career, Itatani (b. 1948, Osaka, Japan) has created a compelling body of work that is at once private in its inspirations, and outward facing in its engagement with the mysteries and science of the cosmos. Celestial Stage is on view through December 17, 2022. Itatani’s oversized paintings, often sevenby-eight feet or even larger, burst with an energy created by densely placed images, which serve as symbols of humanity’s eternal search for knowledge. Many of the paintings depict “stages” where science and culture come improbably together, linking baroque bookcases and rockets, grand pianos with Japanese tea rooms, and harps alongside helical staircases. The effect is of an artist’s joyous exuberance and her wonder and awe at the world and beyond.
Michiko Itatani: Celestial Stages is presented by Alphawood Exhibitions, and has been organized by Ashley Janke, Wrightwood 659 Assistant Curator. “The galleries at Wrightwood were designed to foster the kind of quiet contemplation that Michiko Itatani’s oeuvre inspires, even requires. We also consider it our mission to bring into public focus important art that otherwise might not be exhibited. This gathering of Michiko’s production over her lifetime marks just such an occasion,” says chirag G. Badlani, Executive Director of Alphawood Foundation Chicago, which is presenting Celestial Stage through Alphawood Exhibitions.
Itatani’s work is ever timely as a foreshadowing of our collective future. The artist says, “When I was young, I thought I would live forever. Now I think the human species occupies such a tiny little portion of cosmic time; yet, we might destroy ourselves. But I am pathetically optimistic. We have this very precious, wonderful occasion to enjoy real time. I am aware this painting I am doing is not going to last forever.”
Ashley Janke added, “One sees in Michiko’s work a thirst to understand human life in relation to the cosmos. In pursuing this vast, openended inquiry as a visual artist, she found ways to condense and express the human experience in coded terms and visual systems of her own devising.”
The Celestial Stage features approximately 60 paintings and drawings, nearly half of them vibrantly colored, densely layered narratively, and enormous in scale. They show the artist experimenting along dual tracks: using either a color-filled palette to imagine domestically scaled rooms filled with a jumble of scientific inventions under the dome of the cosmos, or gray abstractions pulsing with glowing orbs, spirals, and tumbling polyhedrons. Largescale canvases are installed alongside drawings the size of typing paper, rendered with a virtuosity befitting an artist whose early training included Japanese ink brush drawing. Twelve recent paintings are being exhibited for the first time.
The exhibition begins in Wrightwood’s entrance atrium with Still Life (2022) from the “Astroarchaelogist” series, a faux-naïve take on the genre of still-life. In the large, bright, and charmingly eccentric painting, the artist has jumbled such scientific devices as globes, a miniature James Webb telescope, a laptop computer, a rocket,
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and what looks like a space toy alien space craft, all in front of a traditional bookcase. Upstairs, the exhibition is divided into three thematic sections.
The first, installed in the Main Gallery of the third floor, highlights Itatani’s fascination with scientific and cultural artifacts in juxtapositions that create dream-like imagery. Among the works on view are Cosmic Wanderlust (2011) and Astroarchaeologist (2022). These are large, vividly hued paintings—very much alike in their palette of bold blue, gold, and orange and their depiction of architectural spaces containing a bevy of devices, glowing chandeliers, and tiny shiny orbital rings.
Another large-scale canvas, saturated with a fiery red, hangs nearby. Cosmic Returning (2021) portrays a Gilded Age-like interior dominated by a grand piano, another of Itatani’s favored motifs. The piano is framed under a stained-glass wall and flanked by a winding staircase and bookshelf. In the background are a door draped with red and green curtains and another crowned by Baroque, gilded tracery. The dense pictorial tableau layers visual forms, some of the artist’s own invention, like the mesh-like screens framing the interior space like stage curtains. Some objects are hi-tech, such as a blue-light-emitting computer console; others are outmoded, exemplified by a mechanical model of the solar system.
The exhibition’s second section, also on the third floor, brings together the macro and the micro, expansive images of the universe and of atoms in dreamlike settings that break down and distort the dimension of space. On view in the South Gallery or Gray Room are a group of gray monochrome paintings depicting celestial forms and stars in movement. Four works, including the seven by six-foot Three Body Problem (2021), represent the impossible: they are translations into two dimensions via oil on canvas of the geometric form of the tesseract, a four-dimensional analogue
of the cube. These dynamic explorations of the tesseract form are installed aside the nearby Codebreaker (2020), another exhibition highlight, wherein planets, rings, spheres, and glowing lights whip around as if in a frenetic ballet set amid an energy-filled solar expanse.
On the fourth floor, the third section boasts some of Itatani’s more abstract work, including paintings featuring geometric forms of woven lines, polyhedrons, and rings of floating orbs. Here, another selection of grisaille abstract paintings surrounds the earliest work in the exhibition, a mute black box created in 1978 that stands, stele-like, in the middle of the gallery. Among the gray-scale paintings here is Personal Codes (2019), an enormous swath of near-blacks where a polyhedron seems to spring from a dark sphere etched in tiny delicate crosshatched lines. In the background, distant stars and planets the size of pinheads are rendered with surprising nuance and specificity.
Returning to the main gallery, the visitor’s eye is drawn to a large grisaille painting surrounded by white polyhedron forms dominating the far wall of the elevated North Gallery. Upon approach, the processional perspective of Cosmic Wanderlust (2012) draws the viewer into a scene of a corridor lined with colorful, misshapen globes and sinuously stylized trees. The only color amid the spectrum of grays is a brilliant crown of tiny golden orbs showering black and white dots down upon the picture plane.
Michiko Itatani: Celestial Stage is accompanied by an 80-page publication which highlights the poetic systems and devices in Itatani’s paintings and her fascination with humanity’s desire to grapple with the unknown universe. Documentation of the artworks and installation are included along with a fictional short story by Itatani published for the first time, along with essays by Assistant Curator Ashley Janke and theorist Simon O’Sullivan.
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MONTREAL "BLACK & BLUE BALL"
by Mike @ Night
First off, like any trip when flying local or abroad, make sure you either have the option of getting a pre-flight bording pass or get to the airport at least 1-1/2 to two hours before boarding, otherwise the airline can give away your seat without warning, and that’s not pleasant, especially if you get stuck in long security check lines.
Next, when traveling, it’s a good idea to have a plan for transportation arriving from the airport to your hotel, or to your lodging destination, otherwise, you may have to rely on possible unexpected taxi or high demand Uber type costs, or long waits for buses. Once I got to Montreal, I was faced with looking for a non-existent shuttle to the hotel, or figure out a rout to take a bus, train, Uber it or make a deal with a taxi driver, which I chose to do and was happy that I did because it was during rush hour. All inclusive it was $50 with fair and tip, however it would have been much more if I didn’t negotiate the price in advance with the taxi driver, due to traffic. To my luck, the taxi driver had a brand new Tesla, that drove itself. That in itself, and the fact that it was the fastest mode of transportation to the hotel after a long flight was well worth the cost and having the experience of the future of driverless cars, which will eventually put taxi and Uber drivers out of business, but for now, the future is at our doorstep.
My Tesla cab “driver” dropped me off at the welcoming Sheraton La Centre Montreal, one of the host hotels for the BBCM (Black & Blue Ball) Festival during Canada’s Thanksgiving weekend, usually the second week in October. The taxi driver had a great time chatting it up about our different cities while the car drove itself most of the time through traffic.
Once at the Sheraton, the check-in was right at street level in the classy hotel lobby. The staff already anticipated my arrival and I just had to hand them my ID, then they gave me a digital key to my room, which I upgraded to the club level, which includes access to the 37th floor club lounge, that serves continental breakfast starting at 7-10:30am on the weekends, which is a huge benefit, that includes simple food like eggs, sausage, bacon, bagel, toast, fruit, chips, nutrition bars, salads, pastries and non-alcoholic beverages, juices, Starbucks coffees & latte that are all free in their nice lounge type atmosphere, with glass windows overlooking the city. The cost and convenience of that upgrade is well worth the price versus restaurant or fast food. Continued >>
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Snacks and beverages are provided throughout the day, so I highly recommend the club-lounge upgrade, unless you like to explore, or experience and support local restaurants.
One note, your room key provides a touches key access to the 37th floor VIP lounge that only works if you hold the key in the elevator device panel while selecting your floor, otherwise the elevator won’t move and you might be standing in the elevator pushing the button that won’t work, which is a good added hotel security benefit.
On the 6th floor of the Sheraton is the very nice and convent amenity that all hotel gusts have the access to, the hotel’s luxurious heated pool, sauna, whirlpool and 24-hour workout and outdoor roof-top deck area. This in itself is well worth the choice of staying at the Sheraton. They can accommodate your every need.
They speak French in Montreal but that’s ok because most people also speak English.
If your feeling adventurous or wanna save money, you can use the Metro train and bus transit to and from your destinations. The trains are impressively fast, much like taking off on a Six Flags
roller coaster ride. Same with the Sheraton hotel elevators, they are super fast!
Miss Lady rain was the door host and greeter at all the Black and Blue events that my travel buddy Glow Joe and I attended. She couldn’t have been more welcoming and had the answer to all our questions, which was a nice touch.
Soirée Twinkle @ Le Normandi is in the Village and is a welcoming local bar / tavern, that is like Atmosphere here in Chicago. The night was all about Karaoke, so even if it’s not your thing, the locals will have you singing along. The staff was also very welcoming and attentive.
One of the dance parties was at Lion d’or, a cabaret and event space that was transformed into a club setting with the DJ on stage and dance floor. The theme of the night was leather, “The Leather Ball” and the leather guys were friendly and enjoying the local DJ’s Ashley Gauthier & chris Mortagua’s music, as we were too.
Gi Joe, one of Montreal’s 24 hour saunas in the gay village has an
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amazing staff. They make sure that sanitary is their priority and they work hard keeping the place clean, down to every detail, including an awesome music DJ playlist specially, selected by the general manager, according to my travel buddy. Unfortunately I needed to get back to the hotel for much needed rest for another fun day and night out.
The District Party @ club Soda was another Black & Blue event, with great sound, good lighting effects and music to match with a good choice of local Montreal DJs paskal Daze & DJ Aron.
The Black & Blue main event, this year for the first time, was at the La Tohu performance art center, a venue that accommodates large events and weekly performance art shows, similar to that of Cirque du Solet. The Tohu is located in the heart of the cité des arts du cirque, and it’s Montreal’s venue for dissemination, creation, experimentation and convergence between culture, environment and
community involvement, including being the host for the Black & Blue’s 360º main event. Needless to say, it was amazing. Especially since this year, the founders of the BBCM decided to feature their local DJs Alain Jackinsky, Alain vinet, ian Key, Lady Mccoy, Luke raymond, Maus, Stefane Lippe, Stephan Grondin, and Steve Aries. For who else, but Montreal DJs that could deliver the best music to the locals and at the same time represent Canada proudly by meeting the high expectations of visitors from other cities, like us from the US, and seasoned circuit party attendees from all around the world.
The Black & Blue Ball isn’t your typical mostly gay male circuit party event, it’s uniquely supported by the entire city of Montreal that has been bringing everyone together for an incredible large-scale dance party experience for over two decades. boiMAGazine has been a proud sponsor of BBCM since it’s Chicago launch during the Y2K event at the turn of the century, in year 2000 at the Congress Theater. The BBCM foundation was formed to raise funds for helping
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organizations that provide, on a daily basis financial, medical and social assistance to people living with HIV / AIDS since 1991, effecting all genders, including children.
One thing that impressed me the most when I attended my first BBCM event back in 2001, which was right after the World Trade center attack on the United States, the event coordinators held seminars at the host hotel surrounding the weekend events. One of the public conferences focused on a problematic community issue, which was the alarming rise and use of recreational drugs by party goers, that were suddenly sending more and more people to the emergency rooms.
A panel of experts at the seminar, included elected officials, medical doctors, remarkably even the police and first responders, who all spoke freely and took questions from the festival attendees on subjects like the party drug ecstasy (today's Molly, yesterday's MDMA derivative,) and other drugs like GHB, cocaine, pot (weed,) crystal meth, ketamine (special K,) also the effects from cheap unrefined alcohol that was in high use afflicting the dance club party culture, which no one in the United States was even talking about at the time.
Not only is the Black & Blue Ball a fun filled party weekend, but it’s also a community that brings people together, no matter race or sexual preference, which is still needed in the scene, maybe more now than ever.
Article Photos by Glow Joe & Mike Night boiMAG.com 21
BBCM'S Founder & President Robert with his husband Christian
Happiness, Make it Yours
by: Dr. Charla Waxman BS, MBA, EdD Director of Business Development Lake Behavioral Hospital
Happiness is something much sought after; no question about it. Looking for that fairy tale lurks just around the corner from our last disappointment. What makes happiness so elusive is that it is different for each of us and changes with each stage of our lives. The idea of happiness and our yearning to find its full meaning, has led to divorces, quitting our jobs, moving to new locations, and cosmetic surgeries.
Happiness is an unusual emotion. It often focused in the present and is all about our own self-satisfaction. No one else experiences happiness in the same way, so it is difficult to help someone understand just exactly what happiness looks like and feels like for us. It is very personal and very nebulous.
Happiness is linked to positive experiences in mood and life engagement. This includes our jobs, our relationships, our outlook on the future, and even things like hobbies and social play.
There are people who seem to be at ease with life and that can have a very strong parallel to happiness. Other traits for happiness can
include: being able to accept what comes, a willingness to share in the happiness of others, being grateful for the little things, having successes that are meaningful and memorable and being community connected and involved. Even in the worst of times, through faith or just a sense of overall positivity about life, happy people, to quote an old song, expect that the best is yet to come.
The good news is that you can create a happy demeanor and begin to really feel happy. Serving others is one way to make a difference and feel the appreciation of others. A positive sense of self derived from positive feedback is a step toward positive vibes that create a memory of what happy feels like. That memory is a foundation for happiness and you may find yourself seeking that feeling again.
Maya Angelou is credited with saying, “If the only prayer you say is “Thank you”, it will be enough.” Grateful people are, in general, happier people. Practice gratitude. Look for the best even when things don’t seem so great. Turn up the throttle on being and thinking in the positive and happy will follow. If you are used to expecting the worst, it will take some practice. A gratitude or happiness journal may help you create a habit of finding the best in the worst of times and in everyday things.
HEALTH
WELLNESS
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Happiness is important. It affects us in ways that go beyond the moment. Happy people look back on stages of their lives and feel more satisfied with job, relationships and family choices and outcomes. Because happier and people with more positive outlooks are easier to be around, they seem to have more resources and support. The attitudes of those we spend time with can bring our happiness levels up or down. Seek positive people. Shy away from naysayers. If you can’t because they are family, old friends, or coworkers that you must interact with, reframe their negative thinking out loud. Let them hear how you want to see the world. You may be able to teach them about how to wrap happiness around you in almost any situation.
While you are seeking good thoughts and finding happiness, you can add in healthful food choices and exercise. Both of these choices boost immunity, keep your body toned and moving, and, you guessed it, elevate your mood. Our physical health is impacted by happiness. Seek happiness to reduce the stresses that can cause those headaches, body aches and even heart disease and some cancers.
Here it comes! Volunteering and finding what matters to you can help you feel valued and satisfied. Look for your own goal development and expand on learning about what makes you feel a sense of purpose and belonging. As you learn and find hobbies and altruistic interests, you may also find that happiness develops over time and builds on itself.
Happiness is not static, it is a dynamic entity. It grows as you do. You can be happy, it can take some work, but it’s worth it.
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Should You Workout When You're Sick?
Working out while sick may not sound enjoyable, although a popular urban myth argues that a person can “sweat out” an illness through exercise. However, working out while sick may be helpful in some cases.
In general, a person with symptoms in their head and nose, such as those of a head cold, may benefit from working out.
A person with symptoms in their chest or stomach or someone with a fever should avoid exercising, however. If symptoms get worse or working out causes pain, people are best to avoid working out while sick.
SAfETy
Typically, it is okay to exercise with the typical symptoms of a head cold. These include symptoms such as:
• nasal congestion
• runny nose
• puffy or red eyes
• tension headache
In some cases, these symptoms may actually improve with exercise. Exercise increases the heart rate and stimulates circulation, which might help the body release fluids.
It is vital to stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water when working out, especially if a person is sick.
It is also necessary to consider that different exercises will cause different reactions in the body. In general, it is best to avoid extremely strenuous workouts while sick. Instead, an individual should focus on lighter,
movement based exercises that get the blood flowing without pushing the body too hard.
These activities might include:
• walking
• light jogging
• leisurely riding a bicycle
• swimming
• tai chi
• gentle yoga
cAN yOU "SWEAT OUT" iLLNESS?
The idea that a person can literally sweat out their illnesses through exercise is a myth. It may have stuck around for so long because regular exercise keeps the body healthy, and may boost the immune system.
However, as the authors of a 2018 study note, moderate exercise can reduce the risk of common respiratory illnesses, reduce their severity, and even shorten how long the person has symptoms.
These effects appear to have more to do with empowering the immune system to handle the illness better, and not how much people sweat out the illness while sick.
Mild exercise may also temporarily help with some symptoms, such as a runny nose or headache.
riSKS
It is essential to take certain precautions when it comes to working out while sick. For instance, a fever is a definite sign a person should not work out.
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fiTNESS
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As a clinical review in the journal Sports HealthTrusted Source notes, fever increases fluid loss in the body, decreases muscle strength, and makes a person feel more exhausted.
A fever also means the body is increasing its internal temperature to fight off an infection. Exercise raises body temperature, making a person feel even worse.
Symptoms in the ear are another factor to consider. These signs of illness may cause a person to feel dizzy or off balance, which could also pose risks if they are working out.
People experiencing dizziness may want to avoid working out until they are better.
Also, anyone with symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea should avoid working out.
Exercise can cause the body to lose water through sweat. Since someone with diarrhea or vomiting is losing a lot of water already, working out may put them at risk for dehydration.
Chest symptoms are another sign that it is best to avoid working out. These symptoms may include:
• tightness in the chest
• difficulty breathing
• coughing
Finally, even if a person only has mild symptoms, such as nasal congestion and sneezing, but they feel weak or unable to work out, it is important to rest.
WOrKOUTS TO AvOiD
Some activities may not be right for the body while a person is sick. The body is trying to recover, and pushing it too hard may make symptoms worse or the recovery time longer.
Workouts to avoid while sick include:
• sprinting
• heavy weigh strength training
• running for long periods
• hot yoga
• spin classes
• Pilates
• team sports, which can increase the risk of others getting sick
TipS fOr WOrKiNG OUT WHiLE SicK
Anyone who chooses to work out while sick can keep the following tips in mind:
STAy HyDrATED
Hydration is always important but is vital while the body recovers from sickness. The body is likely already using extra fluid to move toxins. It may also be losing fluid from extra sweating and a runny nose.
FITNESS CONTINUED
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Staying hydrated while working out and throughout the course of the sickness may help avoid the effects of dehydration.
BALANcE ELEc TrOLyTES
Along with hydration, it is essential to find ways to replenish electrolyte salts while exercising.
Even a simple runny nose can use up electrolytes. Adding a sweaty workout to the mix means the person should take extra precautions.
Drinking liquids, such as coconut water, broth, miso soup, or sports drinks, may help restore these electrolytes and keep the body working as it should.
EAT A BALANcED DiET
Along with regular exercise, eating a healthful diet that includes a variety of fruits and vegetables is one of the best waysTrusted Source to boost the immune system and prevent infection.
The body also needs these healthful nutrients while it is recovering from an infection
AvOiD OvErEXErTiON
When someone is sick, their body is trying to fight off and recover from an illness. As such, it is crucial to keep exercise light. It may not be the best idea to push the body to its limits, such as doing sprints or heavy weight lifting.
A brisk walk or bike ride may be enough to get the blood flowing without pushing the body too hard.
AvOiD THE GyM
As a consideration to other people, it may be a good idea to avoid exercising in an enclosed space with shared equipment, such as the gym.
Some gyms even have rules that prohibit people from exercising while sick. Instead, they can choose to exercise at home or outdoors
LiSTEN TO yOUr BODy
Most importantly, listen to the body. If a person feels exhausted just a few minutes into working out, it is probably time to stop.
It may be inconvenient, but it is much better to give the body a chance to recover and then go back to the usual exercise routine.
Choosing to work out while sick or not is an individual matter in most cases.
Light to moderate exercise may help boost the immune system to avoid sickness, and when someone is already sick, it may also help increase circulation to reduce some symptoms of a head cold.
It is important to avoid heavy or very strenuous exercise. People with more severe symptoms, such as those with a fever or a heavy cough, should also avoid exercise.
Overall, it is important to listen to the body and to stop working out if a person feels exhausted or too ill.
Lastly, 1000mg of Vitamin C twice a day will help give your immunity system what it needs to kick it out faster.
MORE FITNESS continued
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by Jack Santo
Here's some tech-advancements to look out for in this new era of technology that will effect our lives in the not so distant future and the questions that they raise.
Security cross- cutting issues
The growth of large data repositories and emergence of data analytics have combined with intrusions by bad actors, governments, and corporations to open a Pandora’s box of issues. How can we balance security and privacy in this environment?
Device and Nanotechnology
It is clear that MEMS devices, nanoparticles, and their use in applications are here to stay. Nanotechnology has already been useful in manufacturing sunscreen, tires, and medical devices that can be swallowed.
Massively Online Open courses
The Open intellectual property Movement
From open source software and standards to open-access publishing, the open IP movement is upon us. What are the implications?
Sustainability
Can electronic cars, LED lighting, new types of batteries and chips, and increasing use of renewables combat rising energy use and an explosion in the uptake of computing?
MOOCs have the potential to transform the higher-education landscape, siphoning students from traditional universities and altering faculty and student roles. How significant will their impact be?
Quantum computing
Constrained only by the laws of physics, quantum computing will potential extend Moore’s Law into the next decade. As commercial quantum computing comes within reach, new breakthroughs are occurring at an accelerating pace.
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by: Dr. Charla Waxman BS, MBA, EdD Director of Business Development Lake Behavioral Hospital
by Todd Evans
