Epoch Arts 1-1-2016 by Epoch Arts

COURTESY OF THE MUSEUM AT FIT

Denim as You Know It, and as You Don’t Woven into every pair of jeans is the idea of the individual, the unique, the adventurous urban hero. See C5

SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS

Western Grandeur Meets Eastern Elegance Georgi Boev on harmonizing the French horn with Chinese instrumentation. See C2

RODNEY SMITH

C1 January 1–7, 2016

Rodney Smith’s

Rodney Smith’s self-portrait in a photo held by his son.

Photography for Life’s Sake By Milene Fernandez | Epoch Times Staff

EW YORK—At a time when time seems to be moving faster than ever, when the world feels confusing, chaotic, when vulgarity is even celebrated, and so-called art can look no diﬀerent from curbside garbage, Rodney Smith continues to make, dare we say, beautiful pictures.

RODNEY SMITH

His photographs tease one to question, to wonder, to feel delight in a moment captured. Even when we are overloaded with images, his photographs are unforgettable. The beauty conveyed stems from a man who cares deeply about sharing his vision with optimism, despite all the harshness of the world. “I kind of represent a world that is possible if people act at their best. It’s a world that’s slightly beyond reach, beyond everyday experience, but it’s definitely not impossible,” he said reflecting on his work at his studio by his home in The Palisades. Smith laments what he called the unfortunate repercussions of modernism. “It has created a kind of vulgarity, a kind of anything you feel and think is just ‘spout it out.’ It can be in your face, there is no refinement at all. The

sense of decorum has left, and I think that’s a problem for the culture,” he said. “Why isn’t there a counterpoint to the world, why isn’t there something that is really beautiful, serene, and graceful to pull people out of that?” he asked. Similar to the eﬀect of a 1940s movie—showing idealized relationships between men and women, with a sense of civility and refinement—he wants his photographs to pull people out of ugliness. He feels it is his calling. It’s the central issue he’s been concerned about perhaps from the very beginning. It was also the same first topic he brought up when I interviewed him for a small photography magazine 20 years ago.

See Photography for Life on C6

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January 1–7, 2016 TheEpochTimes.com/EpochArts SAMIRA BOUAOU/EPOCH TIMES

Shen Yun Performing Arts

A French Horn Amid Chinese Instruments By Amelia Pang | Epoch Times Staﬀ

eorgi Boev, a French horn player, was used to being the loudest sound in the orchestra pit. That was, until he joined Shen Yun Symphony Orchestra and heard

the “suona.” The suona is a powerful woodwind instrument with a sound that’s akin to a cawing bird. It can imitate human speech, laughter, various animal noises, and is usually played to express a festive or comical moment. It is also very, very loud. “I just follow the suona. Can’t do anything about it,” Boev said genially. Since joining Shen Yun Orchestra in 2013, Boev has enjoyed new and innovative musical experiences—such as hearing the triumphant sound of the horn harmonize with elegant Chinese melodies. “There’s never a dull moment,” he said. The Shen Yun Orchestra is the live orchestra that accompanies Shen Yun Performing Arts, a New York-based classical Chinese dance company that performs at top venues such as the Kennedy Center in Washington and the London Coliseum. Its orchestra is unlike any other because it comprises both Eastern and Western instruments. When Western Grandeur Meets Eastern Elegance As Western instruments such as the timpani, trumpet, and violin provide the harmony and grandeur of a traditional symphonic orchestra, the Eastern instruments play exquisitely Chinese melodies. The “pipa,” a plucked instrument that is also known as the Chinese lute, is among the Chinese instruments that play melodic solos in Shen Yun Orchestra. According to traditional Chinese beliefs, the pipa’s dimensions are meant to reflect the structure of the universe. The instrument’s body—which is 3 feet and 5 inches—represents the triad of heaven, earth, and humans, and the five elements of metal, wood water, fire, and earth. Its four strings symbolize the seasons. When struck, the “qing” (also known as a chime bowl) creates a sacred ringing sound that reverberates throughout the theater. The “erhu,” sometimes called the Chinese violin, plays strikingly elegant melodies when it’s harmonized by an oboe. The combination of such Eastern and Western instruments creates a rare sound that is both regal and delicate at once.

Through the principles of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance, French horn player Georgi Boev found new appreciation for music. “It’s never been done before, so the theater is always full,” Boev said.

Now that I’m not focused on competing, I can concentrate on the music. Georgi Boev, French horn player

Finding His Passion for Music and Life Boev said he never truly worked hard before coming to Shen Yun because he never had to. He had always been musically inclined. He received a full scholarship for his bachelor’s studies in solo performance at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, England, and additional scholarships for his master’s in orchestral performance at the same conservatory. Boev has performed with orchestras such as Northern Ballet in Leeds, the BBC Philharmonic, and the Hallé Orchestra in Manchester. He even co-founded Northern Brass, an award-winning brass quintet. But he wasn’t truly happy, nor did he love music. “Music was something that I was good at, and it paid the bills,” he said. It wasn’t until he became a Falun Gong practitioner that he found his passion for the horn, he said. Falun Gong is a spiritual meditation prac-

tice based on truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance. By applying those principles to his daily life, he has felt inspired to endure long hours of practice in order to reach his maximum musical potential. He also said Falun Gong has taught him to be less selfish, which in turn made him a better performer. “I used to be very proud of being the loudest, regardless if I played well or not. I enjoyed that power,” he said, adding that it was selfish and inconsiderate of the harmony of the orchestra or ensemble. Since he started applying truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance to his life, he has stopped competing with his colleagues. “Now that I’m not focused on competing, I can concentrate on the music … this has given me a new meaning to life. I feel happier.”

During the 2016 season, Shen Yun will make stops in over 100 cities worldwide. For more information about Shen Yun, visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org

Shen Yun Performing Arts

SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS

Lincoln Center David H. Koch Theater Tickets Online: ShenYun.com/NYC Hotline: 800-818-2393 Running Time 2 hours, 15 minutes (one intermission) Date & Time Jan. 14 & 15 at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 16 at 2:30 p.m. & 7:30 p.m. Jan. 17 at 1:30 p.m.

Shen Yun Symphony Orchestra seamlessly blends the sounds of East and West.

Book Review

‘Humans of New York: Stories’ ST. MARTIN’S PRESS

‘Humans of New York: Stories’ Author Brandon Stanton Publisher St. Martin's Press Pages 428 Price $29.99

By Chelsea Scarnegie On Sept. 11, 2001, the world felt an intense empathy for the city of New York as many cried out, "Today we are all New Yorkers." As the years went by, that powerful sentiment dwindled until we truly only feel like a New Yorker one day a year. But Brandon Stanton understands that being a New Yorker is more than a singular day of remembrance. For him, to be a New Yorker is to be a human. For the past five years, Stanton has scoured the streets, collecting stories from more than ten thousand individuals. They offer him their joyous musings, their darkest secrets, and their hard-learned pieces of advice. Most importantly, they offer him a simple truth: everyone has a story to tell. In "Humans of New York: Stories," Stanton pries open the typical stranger on the street and pulls out a tale of humanity. "Do you remember the time you felt proudest of your sister?" Stanton asks a pink-clad girl pushing a younger girl in a wheelchair. "When she tried to walk," the girl replies. Each interview is captured in what Stanton deems is the most poignant moment and an accompanying picture. The captions are as long or as short as it takes for each individual to tell his or her story. "Five years ago I got hit by a jeep on my bike. I woke up in the hospital with my face all messed

up. I was on lots of morphine, and my family had all gone home because they'd been told I wouldn't wake up that night. I was really scared. The next few weeks, while I was healing, I told myself that if I ever got better, I'd never live a mediocre life," says another willing participant in Stanton's experiment. In many cases, photograph and caption are complementary. One only makes sense when it is paired with the other. Sometimes, the most vul-

Everyone has a story to tell. gar responses come from the sweetest of faces. Other times, the man with the unkempt beard and shabby clothes says something so thoughtful and profound that you begin to see the true philosopher underneath the gruff exterior. "What's your greatest fear?" Stanton asks to a young boy wearing a tie-dye shirt, jean shorts, and tennis shoes with an open book on his lap. "Getting a lobotomy," is his reply. One of the more remarkable things about "Humans of New York: Stories" is how unremark-

able Barack Obama is portrayed. Yes, the President of the United States makes an appearance, somewhere in the middle of the book, on a page just like all the others. There is no pomp or fanfare about it—just a simple picture and a simple question and a response from a man just as complex as the others. Because in Stanton's New York, everyone is human. There has been a lot of hype surrounding "Humans of New York: Stories." After all, it stemmed from a very successful blog of the same name, gathering 15 million followers. But when you read the book, try to keep thoughts of "phenomenon" out of your mind. Concentrate on the people in front of you. Study the face of the elderly woman with the geometrical sunglasses. Trace your finger around the hand of the individual showing off his or her therapist's rug on a smartphone. Take your time to linger on each person's story if you can. Brandon Stanton provided his audience with a rare opportunity to peek into the life of the stranger sitting beside you on the bus. Take advantage of this gift. I dare you to put it down. Chelsea Scarnegie lives and writes in the Chicago area.

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January 1–7, 2016 TheEpochTimes.com/EpochArts KRISTIAN SCHULLER/METROPOLITAN OPERA

EXPERT ADVICE

Les Pêcheurs de Perles

On Color Combinations Of Mats And Framing Styles

Through Feb. 4 Metropolitan Opera 30 Lincoln Center Plaza Georges Bizet’s gorgeous opera of lust and longing set in the Far East returns to the Met stage for the first time in 100 years. Soprano Diana Damrau stars as Leila, the beautiful Hindu priestess pursued by rival pearl divers competing for her hand. From $27. MetOpera.org The Roman Pantheon 19th Century engraving by Domenico Amici

Diana Damrau as Leila in a new production of Bizet's "Les Pêcheurs de Perles."

THINGS TO DO COMMUNITY EVENTS ONGOING IN MANHATTAN The 2015 Origami Holiday Tree: Mighty to Microscopic Life Through Jan. 10 American Museum of Natural History Central Park West at 79th Street One of New York's most beloved displays, the Museum's Origami Holiday Tree is bedecked each year with intricate origami models inspired by items in the permanent halls, Museum collections, and current exhibitions. The theme of this year’s 13-foot tree is Mighty to Microscopic Life, with models inspired by the upcoming exhibition The Titanosaur, and the new exhibition The Secret World Inside You. Museum admission: $22 adults, $12.50 children, $17 seniors and students. AMNH.org New York & The Nation Ongoing The Robert H. and Clarice Smith New York Gallery of American History, 170 Central Park West Explore the story of New York and America in the Robert H. and Clarice Smith New York Gallery of American History. $20 adults, $12 students, $15 seniors. NYHistory.org Family Sundays at Rubin Museum Ongoing 150 W. 17th St. Bring your family to the Museum for a Sunday afternoon full of familyfriendly activities. Drop into the Education Center for some art-making, enjoy our 2 p.m. family exhibition tour, or go on your own thematic gallery search. Free. RubinMuseum.org Film Society of Lincoln Center Ongoing Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center, 144 W. 65th St.; & Walter Reade Theater, 165 W. 65th St. Year-round programming that includes premieres of new films from an international roster of established and emerging directors. $14. FilmLinc.com

NEW ELSEWHERE Music Makers: A Youth Concert Jan. 6 at 6 p.m. DeWitt Clinton High School 100 W Mosholu Pkwy S., Bronx New York City students from DeWitt Clinton High

School collaborate with Chris Washburne and his innovative Latin jazz group the SYOTOS Band, plus MC Intikana for a performance of original songs they wrote that were inspired by the themes of the landmark American musical West Side Story. Free. CarnegieHall.org Neighborhood Concert: Young People's Chorus of New York City Jan. 10 at 2 p.m. New York Hall of Science 47-01 111th St., Queens The Young People's Chorus of New York City is a groundbreaking ensemble that is internationally renowned for its virtuosity and showmanship and has established the youth chorus as an instrument of excellent music making. Free. NYSci.org

VISUAL ARTS ONGOING IN MANHATTAN Wordplay: Matthias Buchinger's Drawings From the Collection of Ricky Jay Jan. 8–April 11 Metropolitan Museum of Art This installation of drawings, prints, and related ephemera by the German artist and performer Matthias Buchinger (1674– 1739) explores for the first time the oeuvre of the so-called "Little Man of Nuremberg." $12–$25 suggested. METMuseum.org Ancient Egypt Transformed the Middle Kingdom Through Jan. 24 Metropolitan Museum of Art The reunification of ancient Egypt achieved by Nebhepetre Mentuhotep II—the first pharaoh of the Middle Kingdom—was followed by a great cultural flowering that lasted nearly four hundred years. $12–$25 suggested. METMuseum.org Jacqueline de Ribes: The Art of Style Through Feb. 21 Metropolitan Museum of Art This Costume Institute exhibition will focus on the internationally renowned style icon Countess Jacqueline de Ribes, whose originality and elegance established her as one of the most celebrated fashion personas of the twentieth century. $12–$25 suggested. METMuseum.org

ONGOING ELSEWHERE Greater New York Through March 7

MoMA PS1, 22-25 Jackson Ave., Long Island City, Queens MoMA PS1 presents the fourth iteration of its landmark exhibition series, begun as a collaboration with The Museum of Modern Art in 2000. Recurring every five years, the exhibition has traditionally showcased the work of emerging artists living and working in the New York metropolitan area. Suggested $10. MoMAPS1.org

ENDING IN MANHATTAN Andrea del Sarto’s Borgherini Holy Family Through Jan. 10 Metropolitan Museum of Art Andrea del Sarto (1486– 1530) was one of the most influential artists active in Florence in the first decades of the sixteenth century. The exhibition will complement Andrea del Sarto: The Renaissance Workshop in Action, a more extensive survey of the artist’s work that will be on view at The Frick Collection at the same time. $12–$25 suggested. METMuseum.org Andrea del Sarto: The Renaissance Workshop in Action Through Jan. 10, 2016 The Frick Collection, 1 E. 70th St. This selection of nearly fifty drawings—red and black chalk figures, expressive heads, and compositional studies—and three related paintings will explore the important role of drawing in Andrea del Sarto’s paintings and offer an unprecedented display of the two media in concert. Frick.org Fashion and Virtue: Textile Patterns and the Print Revolution, 1520–1620 Through Jan. 10 Metropolitan Museum of Art Printed sources related to the design of textile patterns first appeared during the Renaissance. Six intricate interlaced designs, attributed to Leonardo da Vinci and later copied by Albrecht Dürer, stood at the beginning of a fruitful international exchange of pattern designs through print. $12–$25 suggested. METMuseum.org

PERFORMING ARTS ENDING IN MANHATTAN The Barber of Seville Through Jan. 2 Metropolitan Opera

High spirits return for the holidays in the Met’s familyfriendly, English-language, two-hour adaptation of one of opera’s most winning comedies. From $25. MetOpera.org Die Fledermaus Through Jan. 7, 2016 Metropolitan Opera James Levine brings his incomparable musicianship to Johann Strauss, Jr.’s beloved operetta for the first time in his 45-year Met career. From $25. MetOpera.org Anna Bolena Through Jan. 9 Metropolitan Opera Soprano Sondra Radvanovsky embarks on her quest to vocally conquer all three of Donizetti’s historic Tudor queen operas in the same season, here as a young royal grasping at power and paying a terrible price. From $27. MetOpera.org

Custom

& Archival Framing Modern & Contemporary Prints, Paintings & Photographs

Antique,

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Director: Michael Lucas Mon–Fri: 10am–5pm, Sat: 2–5pm

For our online art exhibitions search for Phyllis Lucas Gallery at: onekingslane.com % 1stdibs.com

NEW PAGODA S P E C I A LT Y I N C .

MUSIC NEW IN MANHATTAN NY Concerti Sinfonietta Jan. 9 at 3 p.m. Church of St. Gregory the Great, 144 W. 90th St. Led by Paul Hostetter, the concert features Stan Sisskin—Grieg Piano Concerto and Yurie Minamiya—Wienawski Violin Concerto. Free. JulieJordanPresents.com NY Concerti Sinfonietta Jan. 10 at 3 p.m. Church of St. Paul and St. Andrew, 263 W. 86th St. Led by Paul Hostetter, the concert features Christian Maloney, Mendelssohn Violin Concerto I and Yurie Miyamina, Mendelssohn Violin Concerto, among other featured Irish and American jazz soloists. Free. JulieJordanPresents.com

ONGOING IN MANHATTAN Twelfth Night Festival Through Jan. 6 St. Paul's Chapel, Broadway & Fulton Trinity Church, Broadway at Wall Street Music of the medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque periods rubs shoulders with music by living composers, including premieres by Daniel Felsenfeld, David Lang, Tarik O'Regan, and Gerald Busby. Free. TrinityWallstreet.org

Dear Readers If you have an event to suggest, please send details to NYC_Arts@ EpochTimes.com in the format you see here.

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January 1–7, 2016 TheEpochTimes.com/EpochArts WILLIAM P. GOTTLIEB COLLECTION/PUBLIC DOMAIN

Honoring

Frank Sinatra at

100

CAPITOL/UME

The set of the “Ultimate Sinatra.”

By Barry Bassis

Frank Sinatra at Liederkranz Hall in New York in 1947.

dith Piaf, Billie Holiday, Muddy Waters, and Elisabeth Schwarzkopf were all born in 1915. Perhaps the most popular and influential singer born that year was Frank Sinatra, whose centennial was celebrated in December. Sinatra began as a big band singer, first with Harry James and then with Tommy Dorsey’s orchestra. He soon became a solo star (with legions of bobby soxer fans) and began appearing in movies. At first, he was a lightweight, physically and dramatically. Though he made some movie musicals when he was in his vocal prime, Hollywood usually let him down. For example, in “On the Town,” the studio rejected most of the Leonard Bernstein songs. Sinatra pleaded with them to let him sing the ballad “Lonely Town” but they refused. He later recorded it for one of his own albums. Similarly, he was signed for the musical “Guys and Dolls” but was cast as Nathan Detroit, not Sky Masterson (the role he wanted). Thus, Marlon Brando got to sing “Luck Be a Lady,” which Sinatra often featured in his live shows. In “Pal Joey,” his singing of Rodgers and Hart songs was tops, but the film was lackluster. He gave significant dramatic performances in “From Here to Eternity” (for which he won an Oscar), “The Manchurian Candidate,” “The Man with the Golden Arm,” and “Some Came Running.” However, many of the films he acted in were duds, and he also made a number of movies with his Rat Pack buddies where everyone had a good time except the audience. Sinatra’s most important contribution to the arts was his singing of the great pop songs from the past as well as pieces written especially for him by Sammy Cahn and Jimmy van Heusen, among others. He is quoted as saying, “I adore making records. I’d rather do that than almost anything else.” Though Sinatra could not read music, he had an infallible ear. Cy Coleman (who wrote the music for “Witchcraft”) recalled that the singer changed some notes in one of his songs, “Why

Try to Change Me Now?” Coleman thought Sinatra’s version was better and he changed the music to fit the master’s interpretation. Along with his film comeback in “From Here to Eternity,” Sinatra found a musical revitalization at about the same time when he signed with Capitol Records and began working with the brilliant arranger Nelson Riddle as well as Gordon Jenkins (whose arrangements were more sentimental). Sinatra began issuing thematic albums, like “Only the Lonely,” that were a critical development in the LP era. No male singer performed a lyric with more sensitivity or finer phrasing than Sinatra. He was a complete perfectionist with his music; he was known to be the opposite on films, generally refusing to do retakes. He even reached into Judy Garland’s songbook, crooning “The Boy Next Door” or belting “The Man That Got Away” (though the macho Sinatra always made sure the gender was changed). Was Sinatra a jazz singer? Yes and no. He could swing hard enough to be included in the Smithsonian’s “The Jazz Singers” collection. Yet unlike Mel Torme, he was not comfortable in a small group of improvisers. Rather, he liked to sing in front of an orchestra, albeit one that included jazzmen. The distinctive jazz trumpeter Harry “Sweets” Edison frequently played on Sinatra’s sessions. Also, Sinatra recorded albums with the bands of Count Basie and Duke Ellington. A variety of events have marked the centennial. TCM has been showing his movies and, more importantly, his music specials, including the classic “A Man and His Music.”

Sinatra had an infallible ear.

He was a complete perfectionist with his music.

AP PHOTO

Sinatra’s most important contribution to the arts was his singing of the great pop songs from the past as well as pieces written especially for him.

Recordings Among the reissues of Sinatra’s recordings, I enjoyed the box set “Sinatra: London.” I didn’t know of his connection to Great Britain. The set includes a 1962 studio recording, “Songs from Great Britain,” accompanied by an orchestra of English musicians conducted by Robert Farnon, who also did the arrangements. Sinatra is in fine voice on the album, with

a lyricism that disappeared over the following decades. An interesting extra is Sinatra speaking on BBC radio about each piece, noting that he was friends with Noel Coward and had met Ivor Novello. The second disc contains outtakes from the “Great Britain” sessions plus three tracks recorded live for the BBC in 1953. Disc 3 is a 1984 show from Royal Albert Hall. The other discs are DVDs of shows from Royal Festival Hall in 1962 (with Queen Elizabeth in attendance) and 1970 (introduced by Princess Grace of Monaco, who had appeared with him in “High Society”). Some songs appear more than once, and Sinatra sang old favorites as well as more recent material, like his hits “My Way” and “New York, New York,” plus George Harrison’s “Something” and Jimmy Webb’s “Didn’t We?” The accompanying booklet has information about the recording session and concerts as well as a timeline of Sinatra’s appearances in Great Britain. Photos include one of him with Queen Elizabeth. For those who want an overview of the Chairman of the Board’s recording career from his Columbia, Capitol, and Reprise years, Capitol/UMe has released “Ultimate Sinatra” in 25-track CD, 26-track digital, 24-track 180gram 2LP, and 101-track 4CD and digital editions. For an enjoyable tribute from a jazzman, pick up guitarist Lou Volpe’s CD “Remembering Ol’ Blue Eyes (Songs of Sinatra).” Volpe doesn’t try to sing or to replicate Sinatra’s arrangements; he just plays his tasty guitar with an excellent group that includes Onaje Allan Gumbs on keyboards. The album closes with Carlos Santana’s “Europa.” The one piece on the album that Sinatra never performed but to which Volpe adds the title “Dedicated to the Brilliance of Frank.” Barry Bassis has been a music, theater, and travel writer for over a decade for various publications.

Essence of China

Chopsticks: Their Origin and Significance By Leo Timm | Epoch Times Staff Now made ubiquitous by the spread of Asian cuisine, chopsticks have been the dining utensil of choice in China, Korea, Japan, and Vietnam for thousands of years. As a part of the local culture, chopsticks are dipped in various legends and folk customs. One popular tale holds that chopsticks were invented by the legendary Chinese Emperor Yu the Great, during a time when civilization was threatened by massive floods. Too busy with work on the innovative system of dikes that would control the waters, Yu couldn’t spare time to see his wife and children, let alone sit down to have a decent meal. Once, when his labors brought him to an island, Yu set up a pot and fire to cook meat. Anxious to fill his stomach and get back to the task at hand rather than wait for the pot to cool, he snapped a couple twigs from a tree branch and picked the meat directly from the

boiling oily water. His followers imitated him, and the chopstick was born. The earliest confirmed chopsticks were a metal pair unearthed from a Shang Dynasty (circa 1600–1046 B.C.) archaeological site, the Ruins of Yin. Eating with chopsticks gradually became commonplace. Cutting food before serving conserved fuel (as smaller pieces can be cooked faster) and eliminated the need for table knives, which were considered barbarian. Confucius, the philosopher who lived in the 6th century B.C., is known for saying that the gentleman “allows no knives on his table.” Symbolic Conventions Physically, chopsticks demonstrate elements of Chinese philosophy, notably the yin-yang binary. The two chopsticks must be used as a pair, with one held firm while the other moves, to be of utility. This reflects the understand-

ing of yin and yang as respectively passive and active elements that form the concept of a dynamic whole. A common style of chopstick has round and square ends, reflecting heaven, which is depicted as circular in Chinese thought, and earth, which is represented by square shapes. This has its origin in the eight trigrams, a set of principles used for divination. The fingers, situated in the middle, stand for humanity, which is nourished by heaven and earth. Because they signify the union of heaven and earth, chopsticks are seen as auspicious, and are often included as wedding dowries to bless newlyweds. Traditionally, the standard length of a chopstick was measured as seven Chinese cun (about an inch) and six fen (around a centimeter). This is believed to represent the Seven Sentiments and Six Desires described in Buddhist theology. When holding chopsticks in proper fash-

MIT

OCK /IST RS 3

ion, the fingers naturally assume three positions, with the thumb and index fingers on top and the ring and little fingers below. The middle finger is situated between the two sticks. In sum, this symbolizes the traditional Chinese axiom of heaven, earth, and humankind. The ring and little fingers, supporting each other below the lower chopstick, represent the Dao of earth, or the cooperation of people living in the mortal realm. The index finger and thumb represent flexibility and stability, or heavenly laws. The middle finger symbolizes the diﬃcult but honorable position of the monarch, traditionally called the son of heaven, who must simultaneously address the needs of the people while abiding by virtue and law. The ancient Chinese believed that there existed bonds between heaven and mankind. Such beliefs permeated culture and life, from religious rituals held in imperial court to folk customs passed down from age to age among the people.

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January 1–7, 2016 TheEpochTimes.com/EpochArts COURTESY OF THE MUSEUM AT FIT

COURTESY OF THE MUSEUM AT FIT

(Left) Lady Levi’s advertising images, circa 1940, courtesy of Levi Strauss & Co. (Center) Walking suit, striped denim, circa 1915, USA.

Denim as You Know It, and as You Don’t

By Kati Vereshaka | Epoch Times Staff Woven into the fiber of every pair of jeans is the idea of the individual against all odds, the unique, irreverent and adventurous urban hero. Buy yourself a pair and you will be one too. Here Comes the Lone Ranger Throughout the 20th century the Lone Ranger from the American western drama television series by the same name etched himself into our collective psyche. He continued to metamorphose into the rebel with-just-aboutevery-cause in the 1953 movie “The Wild One” starring Marlon Brando, and settled into the lasso-wielding Marlboro Man. The Lone Ranger may not have worn jeans, but he was the one referenced by Marlboro in its widespread advertising campaign—and Marlboro Man always wore denim. Ditto for “The Wild One.” The exhibition Denim: Fashion’s Frontier, showing currently at The Museum at FIT (Fashion Institute of Technology) comes at a time when denim is enjoying a resurgence in popularity. Designers are relishing the opportunity to use it in their latest collections, which, not at all coincidentally, hark back to 1970s styles. But despite this revival, an initial walk through the exhibition from beginning to end, leaves one with the undeniable feeling that this most ubiquitous fabric has been used to reference a limited aesthetic the closer we get to 2015. When it comes to the way we have been wearing denim since the 19th century, a look back through the decades reveals a few surprises. Before the Five-Pocket Riveted Jean “Denim has a rich history, particularly the further one goes back in time, yet our contemporary view of denim is often very limited to the five-pocket riveted jean, or this one type of jacket as introduced by Levis,” said assistant curator of costume and exhibition organizer Emma McClendon. The over 70 objects in the exhibition show that in the early and middle 1900s denim was used for womenswear, menswear, sailor ensembles, and prisoner uniforms—well beyond the iconic blue jean. Points in case are some of the ensembles displayed in the first part of the exhibition such as the 1915 walking suit in white denim with charcoal stripes, or the “Popover” dress from 1942 by renowned American designer Claire McCardell, which came with a matching oven mitt and was a huge success at the time. Most intriguing is the gray denim and linen KATI VERESHAKA/EPOCH TIMES

prisoner uniform dated 1913—intriguing because were it not for the label text, one would automatically assume that it is a Comme des Garçons outfit. McClendon explained that what struck her when looking at its construction was how well it was made even by today’s standards. “It is rudimentary by 1913 standards, but by today’s standards it is a very well made garment,” she said also pointing out that the exhibition label had to be changed to specify “Prisoner uniform” because people seeing it initially, assumed that it was a prison guard’s uniform. Denim Today As a fabric, denim has long changed from its strict definition of being a warp-face twill weave. In fact, today one would be hardpressed to find a typical denim fabric. It is made on countless types of machines, in various types of fibers, color pigments, as well as weave structures, yet they are all related to that original denim by association. But despite this promising variety, designers’ interest in denim is often limited to its cultural connotations. The 20th century was the century of denim, according to McClendon, given the fact that it was the most obvious emblem of how dress codes were breaking down during the ‘70s. It was the decade when denim was starting to infiltrate every level of the fashion system.

Detail of man’s work pants, denim and brushed cotton, circa 1840, USA.

Anthropologists claim that on any given day, half the world’s population is in jeans.. Emma McClendon, assistant curator of costume, The Museum at FIT

stores started to bring in sofas to lie down on so that customers could get themselves into their favorite jeans. The culprits—those Calvin Kleins and Jordaches of the late 1970s and early 1980s are also part of the exhibition. Mclendon recounts the best explanation of this phenomenon that she ever heard coming from an interview with designer Isaac Mizrahi who said that the idea of the good looking bottom in jeans is so far reaching that squeezing your own self into jeans is like “putting air quotes around it.” Apparently, subliminally, by associating ourselves with that iconic image, we are aligning ourselves with that aesthetic, happily disregarding any objective evidence to the contrary. So there it is: we have come to see ourselves through jeans-colored glasses. The current exhibition seeks to remove our blinkers and broaden our horizons so that we can see the denim beyond the forest of jeans again. Denim: Fashion’s Frontier is on through to May 7, 2016, at The Museum at FIT.

SPECIALIZING IN FINE CHINESE PAINTINGS & WORKS OF ART

The Denim Paradox According to McClendon, jeans are touted as being so personalized in the way that they conform to one’s body that the FBI developed a way of identifying people based on the wear patterns on their jeans. The raw denim movement is all about personalizing jeans by wearing and washing them to the point that they visibly display the unique characteristics of the wearer. “But it is also the most homogenizing and equalizing garment and textile in the world. Anthropologists claim that on any given day, half the world’s population is in jeans,” said McClendon. The paradox is inescapable. But it doesn’t end here. The Modern Girdle Women have come to don the garb of the urban hero while seeking the look of the 1970s sculpted bottom. To this day women persist in pouring themselves into blue jeans that can barely contain the curves of those who are larger than a size 0. Yet McClendon argues that if the blue jean came close to being a corset, it was in the late 1970s when they had no stretch and were meant to be worn so tight that

Chinese antiques wanted, especially painting, porcelain, jade, bronze, furniture etc. Collections purchased.

KATI VERESHAKA/EPOCH TIMES

Levi Strauss & Co. 501 jeans. (Left) Man’s work pants, denim and brushed cotton, circa 1840, USA; and woman’s jacket, circa 1850, USA.

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January 1–7, 2016 TheEpochTimes.com/EpochArts SAMIRA BOUAOU/EPOCH TIMES

PHOTOS BY RODNEY SMITH

Rodney Smith, photographer.

Rodney Smith’s Photography for Life continued from C1 “I realize everything has changed, but remember a change is not necessarily an improvement,” he wrote in his blog, “The End Starts Here,” where he shares his musings with much revelry and insight. Although the classical and whimsical aesthetic in his photographs—which appear in countless magazines, books, and galleries around the world—is easily recognizable, his name is not widely known. He recently completed his fifth book, a retrospective coffee table book that includes over 175 photographs from the past quarter century of his 45-year career. It’s his only book so far that includes some color photographs, which he only started taking 10 years ago. The book, simply titled “Rodney Smith,” will be distributed for sale in bookstores and online next year. He priced it at about half of what he normally would because he wants to make his photographs accessible to a larger audience. To Thine Own Self Be True Everything about Rodney Smith seems paradoxical. His photographs look planned, but they are actually spontaneous; he dresses and looks like a CEO, but he’s actually very eccentric; he’s a private person, yet he shares quite personal details on his blog; he’s not interested in fashion, and yet he shoots fashion photographs; while maintaining a serious and critical demeanor, he’s also very optimistic and witty; he feels anxious and small, yet his images are serene and powerful. He knew he wanted to be a photographer during his junior year in college, when he visited the permanent photography collection at the Modern Museum of Art (MoMA). He felt he belonged, having an epiphany that photography was a way he could express himself. Even the first photographs he took astounded him. “I remember looking at the pictures and thinking ‘Oh my God who took these pictures, this isn’t me.’ There was this incredible disconnect because the pictures were so powerful, strong, and composed and I perceived myself as so frail, weak, and anxious. I couldn’t figure out who took these pictures.” Smith studied theology at Yale, all the while knowing he would become first and foremost a photographer. It provided him with a foundation for asking essential questions—about existence, why we are here, and what is the purpose of life—questions that would help him process his confusion. His creative process is intricately connected to how he examines his own life, how he gets to know himself, how he draws clarity from his emotions and translates them into pictures. It’s an arduous process well worth the journey. Through that journey his early work depicted people like farmers and sharecroppers in different parts of the world, landscapes depicting a very different world from the affluent lifestyle he grew up in. Then, much to his chagrin, he took portraits of top CEOs of multinational corporations, men like his father. Eventually, also much to his chagrin, he took fashion photographs, featuring models in landscapes, men wearing suits and hats. Each transition required tremendous effort for him to adjust emotionally. He continues to shoot photographs with his Hasselblad camera, mostly in black and white, with real film only, in real locations,

While most of his photographs look as though they were carefully planned out, his best are a triumph of spontaneity and letting go.

SAMIRA BOUAOU/EPOCH TIMES

Read Rodney Smith’s blog, “The End Starts Here,” at RodneySmith.com/ blog

There’s an old aphorism: A change is not necessarily an improvement.

Photography for Life’s Sake

and strictly with available light. Today, especially in the digital age, it is very easy to shoot technically competent photographs, but Smith argues that the number of photographers who have a unique vision is very small, maybe 1 in 15,000. He mentioned Henri Cartier-Bresson, Irving Penn, W. Eugene Smith, and Dorothea Lange as examples—the photographers he had encountered at MoMA. “A photograph is a really complicated thing in the sense that you are qualifying and quantifying this three-dimensional world, and maybe its even more than three dimensions, but anyway, this three dimensional world which is full of all kinds of senses—sound, smells, taste, and memories—to qualify it down to a two-dimensional piece of paper, and then ask people—who have no relationship to you or to your experience—to look at it and say, ‘I like this picture.’ That’s what those photographers could do,” he said. “It’s really hard to have a vision. … To have something to say, to have it be apparent in all the pictures, so that somebody says ‘Oh that looks like a Rodney Smith,’ whether it was shot 50 years ago or today, that is a very hard thing to do,” he said. Then he implied that it’s nearly impossible if you don’t have something to express from the heart. He quoted Wordsworth: “Thanks to the human heart by which we live.” Smith has taught photography students at numerous universities and institutions, such as Yale, The New School, International Center of Photography, and Pratt to name a few. He has changed many of their lives, encouraging them to find their voices. “You don’t have to worry about being like anybody else if you can touch your own special voice, but you would be amazed at how people resist that. They do not want to go there because it’s a psychological journey; it’s not a mechanical journey. And people don’t want to deal with their past, their history, their emotional core, it’s too painful for them, so they stay on the surface and they make pictures that are alright, but not really powerful. And so you have to really want this, you have to be willing to go to places that you may not want to go to,” he said. The Rhythm of the Heart Smith trusts his instincts to get to the heart of the matter. If you watch him work you will see him move around and all of a sudden he will stop when he has found the right spot to take a picture. While most of his photographs look as though they were carefully planned out, his best are a triumph of spontaneity and letting go. “It’s an intuition about what is proportion and scale and how I am relating to the subject. It’s not an intellectual concept; it is an emotional concept. Also if there are other people in the picture, it’s about how they relate to each other, so it’s all a very complicated thing,” he said. First he must find the location, then everything else follows. Having studied with Ansel Adams he knows his technique, he knows how to photograph landscapes, and how to integrate the subject into the landscape. While he’s intent on the composition, inadvertently many of his photographs tell a story. “Composition is like rhythm in music, it’s where everything is in sync. It’s where the whole picture comes together succinctly and

carefully,” he said. He used to enjoy lunches with his friend, the late Peter Viereck, a Pulitzer Prize-winning poet. Smith said, “He would talk about writing in iambic pentameter. To the reader it all feels right because there is a cadence or a resonance to body rhythms, to the heartbeat, and so when poetry is not written in verse, it feels discordant or out of sync.” Perhaps the reason why Smith’s photographs feel timeless is because of their cadence and classicism where the proportions, the scale, and the relationships feel just right. On the Edge of an Era Most of the time Smith feels estranged from the world. Taking photographs has been his way of reconciling the mundane with the ideal. “I’m always at that eccentric part, that loner that is sort of on the outside, but always looking in—always sort of peering through the door, sort of looking in, but never quite going through it,” he said. Calling himself something like one of the last Mohicans of photography, he has been fighting for pictures all his life, staying true to his vision without any separation between what he has done commercially and his own work. At the beginning of the interview for this article, he offered coffee in delicate China, placed on a silver tray. Classical music played softly in the background as a canary in a cage chirped along. Like his photographs, his home, studio, and garden are equally peaceful, elegant, and carefully pruned. He joked about wanting to interview the photographers who came with me instead. He was curious about their work and shared some wisdom. “Nothing has ever, ever been easy for me, I mean people come here and they think ‘This guy does really well.’ But for 25 years I never made a penny. I mean I struggled just to eat, and I wouldn’t sell my work when people wanted to pay me very little for it. I have fought the battle for photography for so long, it’s not an easy life and if you want it, you have to really fight for it because no one is going to give it to you,” he said to the Epoch Times photographers. Smith represents photographically and maybe even personally a completely different era than the era we live in today. His classically styled home, studio, and garden reflected that as well. Currently he is perhaps in the middle of a new transition. When I asked him what he planned to do next after his latest book he said, “I definitely feel like I am at this turning point, and I’m not sure what it is. I’m kind of open, we’ll see.” For now we can enjoy his retrospective, showing a world of repose, “where there is a slight wink to other art forms, but the medium remains unique. It is a world where certain men wear suits, not because it is the fashion, but because it represents graciousness, a kindness, and a forbearance, which is only proper if there is a lady in waiting. It is a make believe world I am trying very hard to make real once again,” he wrote in “The End Starts Here.” “This Is New York” is a feature series that delves into the lives of inspiring individuals in New York City. See all our TINYs here: epochtim.es/ TINY or follow @milenefernandez on Twitter.

Epoch Times, January 1–7, 2016

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