Tokyo!

 Every weekend, my father and I make a tradition of scouring the local library's "At the Ritz" movie section for a new foreign film. We like to consider ourselves, "connoisseurs of subtitles" and "accent aficionados." In reality, we're just hungry for something more thought-provoking and satisfying than the average bang bang American action film.

Foreign films, as a rule, are pretty hit or miss. They can be too long, to dull, or too complex to follow in a language not your own. However, finding a film, any film really, that moves you or keeps you engaged all the way through is what the search is all about. Tokyo!  was all of those finds; artistic, engaging, thought provoking, and highly symbolic. The entire film was a triptych of three shorts, each about 35 minutes.

  Directed by Michel Gondry, the first story is about a jaded young woman in Japan, without a real job (and therefore, identity in Japanese culture) who finds herself feeling useless next to her up and coming film director boyfriend. The French director has also directed popular films like Boy Meets Girl and Mauvias Sang, as well as many other shorts. This was my favorite out of the three overall, because of the great attention to subtlety and dialogue. despite the language barrier and subtitles, the couples romance is blossoming, however strained under their finances and social status.  In the crammed space of a friends apartment, the main character (Hiroko)  overhears her friend talking about Hiroko's lack of a job and usefulness. Hiroko has been dealing with her internal feeling like a burden for a long time, and it finally manifests in the dramatic ending of the short.
In the second short, a Caucasian man, the Sewer Creature, emerges from underground and terrorizes the city. A look-alike lawyer is the only man known to speak his language, and the city awaits to see the Creature taken to justice. in this short, the unique cinematography and powerful symbolism bring distinction to the piece. the Creature, haggard, with one blind eye and a long red beard, eats only flowers, and paper money.  he lives in Japanese sewers alongside cast-off war time materials and graffiti. When he's finally captured after a rampage, he and the (human) lawyer exchange dialogue in their own language. the content of the conversation is never revealed, leaving the viewer with a sense of mystery.In the final scenes of the Creature's trial and execution, the split screen view of all the people in the courtroom keeps the otherwise drab courtroom scene exciting.
 Finally, we encounter a man who has not stepped outside his own home in ten years. He falls in love with his enigmatic pizza delivery girl, and is faced with a feat of bravery to pursue her; directed by Joon Bong-Ho. In the home of the Hikikomori (our main character, and introvert of ten years)  scenes show the man's house, a delicate combination of sterility ( his organisation and systematic stacking) and intimacy (overgrown plants, vintage furniture and flowered mugs). this unusual love story was personal, endearing, and i certainly fell in love with the Hikikomori.  Bong-Ho is also known for his involvement in other indie films such Mother and The Host.

Tokyo! broke my heart and stitched it back up again. I laughed, cried, and marveled at the beautiful stories and characters.  The ephemeral overtones seamlessly disguised the harsh and sometimes political feelings rooted into the plot lines. I would recommend Tokyo! to anyone with an appreciation for imagination, cinematography, or symbolism.

Illegal Art

Ai Weiwei's art is world-renowned for its powerful message and political potency. Wei, born during 1957 in China, has been arrested and held in solitary confinement for months, even years at a time, due to the political nature of his art and censorship laws in his country. Despite China's relentless efforts, Wei's artwork has breached the borders, and his message has spread worldwide. Wei's vision is one of civil justice, a dream of liberties, safety, and security for the people of China. Working as a writer and curator, he has used social media and other forms of communication to lift the veil of mystery behind China's censorship laws and social concerns. Wei uses symbolism, juxtaposition, and potent sarcasm to create invigorating scenes that leave the viewer with a new take on Chinese policy.

His art has proven Ai Weiwei as one of the great visionaries of the twentieth century. He uses reclaimed materials in combination with modern technique to create a paradoxical piece. After a great Earthquake in Beijing where many young school children perished due to the lack of building codes and poor engineering of the schools, Wei used this tragedy as a ploy to express the danger in Chinese public code. Using the backpacks of the deceased children, Wei built a huge serpent, white and black in color, that extends over 100 feet and winds along the ceiling of his gallery. The serpent is symbolic of the collusive nature of China's public policies; leaving citizens in blatant danger while turning their eyes away from the problem.

Wei also makes a bold statement in his piece, Dropping The Urn. Wei is photographed dropping an ancient, sacred urn into the ground, smashing it to bits. The photo set is then surrounded by urns, age old pottery that has been revamped by the artist and covered in bright glazes, to obscure the traditional designs beneath.. Together, the pieces depict Wei's rebellion against traditionalist society, waiving in a new generation of artists and idealists to advance his country.

Wei is in no way opposed to his roots. In fact, the artist takes great pride in his heritage and connection to China. He does, however, speak out against the government through his creativity and has been punished for doing so. Current;y, the artist resides in Beijing, unable to leave his home and under constant camera supervision. Rumors have it that Wei's piece in the works features the very cameras that keep him chained to his house.
The world is always eager for new material from Ai Weiwei, and the artist has certainly earned his righteous place among some of the most innovative, and influential artists and activists of all time.




As always, comments are greatly appreciated. Information on the artists history/vision was derived from here.

Nam June Paik

Nam June Paik was a visionary artist out of Korea. He was one of the first artists to transform video into an accessible medium for artists around the world. His influence was global- with hundreds of exhibits from South Korea to Germany to NYC, Nam June Paik was world renowned for his genius.
Paik pushed the limits of art through his creative use of mediums. He included televisions, magnets, demolished pianos, and miles of neon tube lights. Paik also created video loops, long and short, in crazy colors subliminally sending you his messages. Some of his most famous recognizable works were on display in the National Gallery in Washington DC of spring 2013, which I was fortunate enough to see before the pieces were moved to a permanent home (unknown, but most likely in Los Angeles).

If you're a lover of modern art, wall to wall neon, deconstructed televisions or otherworldly exhibits, Nam June Paik is definitely worth the trek to one of his many exhibits. Unfortunately, the artist passed away in 2006, but the art he created years ago is still groundbreaking and modern in today's society.
These are a select few of my favorites from the national Gallery in DC when I went. Enjoy!

More of his art can be found here, on his website.
Links to other reviews of his work are here and here.
Let me know what you think! Comments are always appreciated.

There's nothing quite as twisted as 1950's food advertisements.

The art of self reflection- both literally and figuratively.

For those of you less enticed by the ambiguity in most art, the constant mental strain of asking- "what does this mean?" " WHY is she wearing blue?" "how is that blotch of paint symbolic?"; I've found the blog for you.
Of course, a fellow Tumblrite, art-mirrors-art is just that, a seamless collection of beautiful pieces of hot impressionist, cubist, and Renaissance babes... in mirrors. You're welcome.

art-mirrors-art.tumblr.com

Pierre Bonnard

Probably the coolest shit on the web

Malformalady.tumblr.com