Exit Through The Gift Shop

“The whole movement of art is about brainwashing,” says Guetta Thierry, climbing up a ladder from its place on a rooftop in the middle of Los Angeles to paste an enormous stencil of himself up on a plain white wall. His opinion goes that all of this “art” is thrown at our faces, telling us to OBEY or using simplistic imagery in prolific places to manipulate what feelings are conjured up just by looking at simple symbolism. As the film speeds through images of downtown LA, London, France, and countless other locations bursting at the seams with what some call vandalism and others call street art, I can’t help but find truth in his words.

Exit Through the Gift Shop is a documentary, if one could even call it that, exploring the lives of street artists or “graffiti rats” and featuring the now internationally renowned Banksy, a mysterious artist who has showcased his own work on walls, billboards, and art galleries (usually illegally) all around the world. The film begins as a story on Frenchman Guetta Thierry, an eccentric man with an obsession on filming everything in the world around him. Never is he without the aid of his video camera, to the amusement or annoyance of the people around him. His film features his day-to-day life: working in his store, walking down the street, dinner with his family, and so on. Thierry’s life takes a dramatic turn however, when he stumbles upon his cousin creating tiny tile pieces of “pixilated” art to mimic famous 8-bit video games, only to glue them up on public walls, overpasses, and anywhere he knew people would walk by. His cousin, nicknamed Invader after the Space Invaders he so lovingly recreates in his work, becomes Thierry’s first glimpse and gateway into his new obsession of street art.

Thierry’s fascination continues to grow as the movie progresses, showing him traveling to the underground hotspots of street art for weeks and months at a time in order to connect with, befriend, and film hours upon hours of footage featuring these artists making their voices heard through their spray cans and stencils. His obsession hits its peak when he miraculously has the chance to meet Banksy, who at this point has already made his name as a legend to the public eye for his bold, eye-catching, and often thought-provoking pieces. As time passes, they become friends and soon Banksy is the one turning the camera on Thierry as the camera man evolves into a wannabe street artist and eventually a front page in the LA newspapers. It is at this point that Banksy comes to the conclusion that Thierry may not be more than a raving madman, an empty vessel who has let his obsession carry him along into thinking that any random obscenity he places on a street corner could be at the same level as the graffiti artists he once followed with great enthusiasm. Now, the question is presented to the audience as Banksy wonders, who is he to determine what art is? How can we separate a “genius” from a “madman”?

At first, as exemplified by Thierry’s undercover nature and the ever present threat of police sirens surrounding the first two parts of the movie, street art was nothing but vandalism, appreciated only by the artists and those with a more rebellious nature. Then, how did it become a “hot commodity” so quickly? Shepherd, a fellow street artist made most famous by his poster of Barack Obama and his OBEY brand, thinks it’s all about the very nature of their graffiti. Often it is all about repetition--putting up their posters and graffiti everywhere and anywhere that they can in such prolific places that people will see it over and over again. He states that art “gains real power from perceived power”. The symbols that the artists use, often characters and styles unique to themselves, create an air of mystery and make people think that perhaps there is more to this than meets the eye. In truth, the artists just want to preserve, however temporarily, a little piece of themselves for everyone else to see. However, through the inane power of the human mind, people began to see it as something more. Soon, people began selling street art and art collectors who had Picasso and Monet on their walls began buying work from Banksy and Invader at auctions for thousands of dollars.

To me, art is expression with a meaning. Still, that is just my point of view on it. Art can be anything to anyone, but for it to be lasting it should have a relevance and a meaning that resounds for more than just the artist. This is why Banksy has become so famous, because people find meaning behind his work and a way for it to relate to themselves and the world they live in. There is an aspect of social commentary, a passion for the subjects he stencils, and a caring touch that makes his audience want to watch his work for hours. So then, how has Thierry managed the same immediate hype with his almost careless hand?

I believe in a few aspects, Thierry has got the right idea. It seems it is all about brainwashing the people into seeing that “this” particular piece is art but “that” is just a meaningless piece of trash; then, the next day it is the other way around. This documentary is surrounded in controversy on whether it is even a real documentary or another hoax done by Banksy himself, another work that he means for people to see and enjoy, to think about why these symbols trigger such emotions within us and why we have to judge on whether something is a “magnificent piece” or a “meaningless bit of inability”. Art is important to us as human beings because each piece we praise in our lifetime becomes a representation of what our culture was like at that point in time. I suppose if we cannot judge what is good and what is not, we will not be able to represent ourselves the way we want to for those in the future looking back at the most prominent generations in history.

- Lena Mier

Reaons to be Pretty

Reasons to be Pretty

On November 20, 2010, I attended the theatrical play Reasons to be Pretty at the Arthur Wagner theatre. This work, written by Neil LaBute, was directed by Eric Hunicutt as a celebration of UC San Diego’s 50^th Anniversary. Reasons to be Pretty focuses on the physical beauty of mankind, how everyone is so consumed with his or her image seen by his or her peers. This self-absorption in the physical beauty of one self instead of the inner beauty ultimately changes each character’s relationship with others and his or her presentation of him/herself towards others in order to be more likable. Yet, as the play progresses in this direction of self-loathing in the characters and their dissatisfaction towards those who pointed out their flaws and imperfections, the characters slowly evolve and become more true to themselves and their “inner beauty” instead of their physical appearances.

In Reasons to be Pretty, two couples are present to show their outlooks on physical appearances: Steph and Greg played by Hannah Larson and Sean Estelle and Carly and Kent played by Carissa Cash and Russell Ewing, respectively. The play begins with Steph and Greg in a fight about how Greg told Kent that Steph’s face is average or regular and this girl at work, Crystal, has a pretty face. This makes Steph self-conscious about her outer appearance since she wants someone to find her beautiful. This simply shows how one person’s simple word can demoralize the other person so much. The scene switches to the warehouse where Greg and Kent work night shifts. The relationship between Kent and Carly is shown to be very loving, yet when Carly leaves the room and only Kent and Greg are present, the truth is exposed that Greg is simply doing what Carly would like to hear in order to keep her happy.

The costumes in this play were very important as Kent and Greg wear the same clothes in almost all the scenes, while Steph and Carly have major changes in their clothes that show their train of thoughts. Compared to the first scene and the scene where Greg and Steph meet at a restaurant, each on a first date with someone else, Steph’s wardrobe changes dramatically from a t-shirt and jean outfit towards a more feminine one. Steph begins to wear a dress to make herself prettier in order to feel better. This change in wardrobe exemplifies her insecurities about her body since she no longer feels pretty with her old, simple clothes. While Steph’s wardrobe change was very dramatic, Carly’s was a simple belt. Towards the end of the play, Carly takes off her heavy security belt; this shows her attempt to free herself from everything since she landed her job due to her looks. This presents the pressure that Carly feels everyday due to her outer appearance, how no one looks at who she really is as a person and instead only focuses on her face and body.

The play concludes when Greg expresses his thoughts on how beauty is not simply skin deep, that maybe it is only a mirage made up by people in order to feel better about themselves. But, at the end of the day, beauty has no value and people simply chase after something not tangible due to the influences of media. Also, the perception of beauty is so different from culture to culture and from person to person that it is a subjective topic. Therefore, the meaning of beauty can never be defined by a collective amount of people since everyone believes beauty to be something unique to only them.

House: A Very Interesting, yet Humorous Horror Film

On October 15^th, a very interesting movie was being shown in the Price Center Theatre at UCSD. It is about a school girl who originally planned to spend time with her single father. However, she realizes that her father has already remarried to a foreigner. In despair, she writes a letter to her aunt and asks if she is able to come with a group of friends. Her aunt lives in a haunted mansion.

Directed and produced by Nobuhiko Obayashi. It is a very unusual film that is totally outrageous with very primitive special effects on purpose to create an exaggerated effect. Various types of Japanese humor are involved, such as fast forward motion to make things very comical.

Each girl had a very interesting name. For example, a glutton girl by the name of Mac is shortened for the word stomach. One of the strong girls, who show off an array of comical martial arts imitations, is called Kung Fu. The nerd is named Prof, which is short for professor.

The special effects used in the movie were purposefully used to be very primitive. Various colors will flash and fake animations produce some kind of hazy, hallucination which gives a sort of comical yet disturbingly creepy feel throughout the movie.

Truly, this is an art of phenomenal movie making. The pure quirkiness of the movie will only attract a few select; especially one’s deeply rooted in the Japanese humor and inside jokes. The movie House, is a very unique movie. For me, I have enjoyed many of the Japanese style of storytelling and this movie truly kept me in my seat and I was fully engaged.

All in all, House, is one classic you must see. Although, you may not enjoy it at all, it must be respected as a bold move in cultural technology and thinking.

Digital Culture Blog: Delicatessen (Foovie)

Blog Response: Delicatessen

In this day and age, digital culture is responsible for many social events and interactions. Upon attending this event, one could notice all of the people arriving in groups, as going to the movies with friends is a social phenomenon that has been spurred by advancement in technology. The event was called a “Foovie” where they combine dinner and a movie; a convenient way of bringing the often-paired experiences together into one place. (I personally chose to just watch the movie). In addition to the main event, there was live entertainment before the beginning of the screening, where a musician performed soft music on stage, giving the feeling that you were in a jazz club. The people putting on the movie most likely chose this jazz club approach because setting the mood in that sense was instrumental in how most the viewers would be primed to see the movie. So in this instance, a piece of material culture came in contact with affecting a piece of digital culture.

The genre of Delicatessen, directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet and Marc Caro, is called a black comedy, where the humor presented throughout the movie is viewed as disturbing to most people because of its dark nature. The movie is set in a post-apocalyptic France, focusing on the tenants of an apartment building and their pursuit to make ends meat. The landlord of the apartment, Clapet, who appropriately runs a butcher shop, posts job opportunities in the local paper trying to attract potential tenants. After the mysterious disappearance of the previous tenant, who we later find out is butchered by Clapet and used a meat to be sold to the tenants, a circus clown by the name of Louison applies for the vacancy. It is at this point in the film where there is a twist in the plot, because after the Louison moves in, he becomes entwined in a secret love affair with the Clapet’s daughter, Julie. When Julie realizes that Louison faces imminent death, she goes to the sewers in seek of the underground vegetarian rebels, the Troglodistes, requesting their aid in stopping her father. The Troglodistes agree to help Julie, and upon their return to the apartment, just narrowly help Louison escape from the clutches of Clapet and the apartment tenants. In the mad rush of the escape scene, Clapet inadvertently kills himself with the weapon Louison was using to defend himself. The movie concludes with Julie and Louison listening to music on the roof of a now peaceful apartment.

A common re-occurring theme in most post-apocalyptic films and novels is the practice of cannibalism, as displayed by Clapet and the apartment tenants. Another theme, that I hadn’t mentioned earlier, is the replacement of currency with a commonly available household item. In this case it is grain. In other movies, like Fallout, they utilize bottle caps. A third theme found in this movie that is parallel to other post-apocalyptic movies is the depiction of a lone wanderer, who ultimately brings about good in the face of evil. In this case, Louison is the outside wanderer who thwarts the evil butcher and tenants of the apartment. In The Book of Eli, the main character Eli wanders the wasteland in search of a proper place to put one of the last remaining bibles. After coming to a town, run by the evil mayor, Carnegie, who wants to use the book to control people, he saves the life of one of the enslaved girls. A final theme presented in this movie that is common among post-apocalyptic digital culture are the do-good rebels that live in the sewers. In the movie Mad Max, the rebel forces are the last frontier between the evil bandits and the village people. It can be argued that these themes appear in the film because of antecedent digital cultural influences from movies like Road Warrior, Fallout, Mad Max, and The Book of Eli

The movie Delicatessen successfully presents the re-occurring motifs amongst popular post apocalyptic movies. And by doing so, it attracts groups of friends and family to a social gathering in which can later be shared amongst them as an experience of digital.

Material Culture: Soiree for Music Lovers

On October 23, I attended the Soiree for Music Lovers, which was free if you had a student ID. It was held in the Conrad Prebys Concert Hall, located in the Warren Music Center across the street from Pepper Canyon Hall, at 8:00 PM. The concert was directed by Janos Negyesy and was a great way to relax and enjoy some classical music. I have some musical background, so it was nice to attend this concert since I hadn’t heard any classical music in a while.

There was a variety of instruments that were played at this concert, not all of which would be heard at Western classical concerts. For example, the last piece of the night, Concerto for Sitar and Ensemble, featured a sitar, which is an instrument used predominantly in Hindustani classical music--not something that would be associated with European composers like Mozart or Brahms. Nonetheless, the music was entertaining. The sitar can have between 21 to 23 strings, of which only six or seven are actually played. The rest of the strings are called sympathetic strings, and lie underneath the frets, giving the sitar its resonance. To play the sitar, the instrument is balanced between the player’s left foot and right knee (while sitting cross-legged), so that the hands can move freely. One hand pluck the strings with a pick, and the other hand fingering the strings, somewhat like a guitar.

The rest of the instruments used are much more common (in American culture): the violin, viola, cello, string bass, and piano. Violins, violas, cellos, and string basses all have 4 strings, and are played either with a bow or by the player plucking the strings. The first piece, called Concerto for four violins in D Major, No.2, composed by Georg Philipp Telemann, was quite enjoyable. The quartet of violinists all played energetically, and it was fun to listen to. The third piece was the String Sextet No.2 in G Major, Op.36 by Johannes Brahms. The sextet consisted of two violins, two violas, and two cellos. In this piece, the plucking of the strings, called pizzicato, was used often. Also used in this concert were pianos, arguably the most popular instrument. The second piece in the concert, the Sonata for two pianos in D Major, KV 448, by Mozart, was a duet between two pianos, which were set up facing each other on the stage. The pianos they used were grand pianos, a standard for classical music. In the sitar piece, however, an electric keyboard was used. It was very interesting to see that classical music could fuse with modern technology.

Overall, I’m glad I went to the concert. The instrumentalists were all brilliant, and the concert being free was, of course, a plus. I believe that having a little bit of musical background helped me appreciate it better than others who have none at all. Although classical music is considered something of the past by many people, the last piece, written by a modern composer, played on the sitar, and accompanied by an electric keyboard, definitely would not have happened in the “classical music” that most people would think of. However, this makes me realize that music is timeless, and it will always be a part of our culture.

Viewers Choice Screening: alt.pictureshows

Viewers Choice Screening: alt.pictureshows

The Viewers Choice Screening: alt.pictureshows was a special screening held on October 12, 2010 at the Museum of Contemporary Art, San Diego, which showcased the audience’s favorite short films of this year. Several short films were presented during this two hour-long screening. Of the various short films, the most memorable short film for me was “Kavi”, a short film shot by Gregg Helvey for his master’s thesis film at USC to portray that slavery still exists even now in today’s world.

The story, set in Maharashtra, India, begins with a young boy, Kavi, working at a brick kiln with his parents to pay off the debt, 10,000 rupees, his father owns to Sumrat, the kiln owner. Kavi dreams of going to school and playing cricket like the boys he sees passing by instead of working at the brick kiln and playing with an imaginary farm with his plant. The turning point of the short film occurs when Kavi, being punished by Sumrat, discovers two reporters hidden behind the bushes asking a slave questions about the brick kiln. Kavi, intrigued by the food he would receive in exchange for giving the reporters, Arvind and Vishal, information, goes towards them, gives them his name, and runs away with a bottle of soda. However, the guard discovers Kavi with the soda and reports this to Sumrat, who punishes Kavi again. After this event, Kavi no longer plays with his farm, which symbolizes Kavi’s innocence as he believes the farm really exists, showing that Kavi has come to a realization and his change. Kavi becomes rebellious and is being chained to the wall by Sumrat as a punishment. When reports that people are coming to free the slaves, Sumrat sends all of his slaves away except for Kavi as he is still chained in his room. The people that came are none other than Arvind and Vishal, whom Kavi met previously. The two demands Sumrat to free his slaves, but after finding the brick kiln to be empty, they no longer can do anything about Sumrat. Kavi, in Sumrat’s room, overhears the whole conversation and tries desperately to escape out of his handcuffs. He succeeds in escaping with bloody wrists and runs to the two to confirm that there was a slavery camp and that Sumrat held them there to repay their debt. As Kavi leaves the brick kiln, he steps on the wet brick laid out to dry, leaving his footprint, which symbolizes Kavi’s first step to freedom from making bricks.

Another short film that caught my attention was “Vomit Pig/Lustful Fistful”, a film without any narration except the music in the background playing. This film depicts an emotionless girl smoking and drinking while the camera adds many effects to emphasize her loss of self. The effects almost overpower the girl in the film with its music, the color changes to portray the distortion of the girl after she drinks and her loss of control on her life. Her lack of voice in this short film represents how the girl has lost her own voice in life, metaphorically; she is no longer able to make her own decisions or she has lost her drive. She simply smokes and drinks to fulfill her pitiful life. The title, named “Vomit Pig/ Lustful Fistful” shows how eccentric the film is: the girl may experience all these different emotions, but she can no longer do anything to change as she is stuck in this lifestyle.

Helvey, through his lens, exposes the issue of slavery to the viewer. Without the technological advances we have made in cinematography, Helvey would not have had the chance to shoot this short film. These advances have led to a broader range of information presented to the people, but nevertheless negative effects of these changes are also present as further advances in this technological era are made that focus more on the technology itself rather than the people they are suppose to assist. Therefore, people lose more of themselves at times when the technology becomes overbearing, as shown in “Vomit Pig/Lustful Fistful”, where the girl loses her self to the effects within the film. Overall, this Viewers Choice Screening: alt.pictureshows was very interesting even though it was not what I had expected the screening to be like.

Deep Water Horizon: The Fallen Humanity

It was the first day of October, as a person who had never been to any art exhibits, I went inside an ordinary looking building that when one walk pass it they would not think twice about what is inside. As I stepped inside, I found myself in a different world, looking at eight giant canvases forming a circle hanging down from the ceiling. Each of them has some writing in black bold letters on the back. As I walk towards the center, I was overwhelmed by the paintings. The painting seems abandoned at first sight and they all seem to be screaming at me, trying to tell me something; but at the same time it was silent except for the low voices of people complimenting, discussing, and explaining about the giant paintings before them.

Hans Weigand, the artist responsible for the eight giant canvases, chose to cover the canvases with a layer of paint to set the time of the day. Next, he uses the pictures of different coastlines throughout California and Hawaii as the next layer to present the setting. Finally, he covers the painting with a last layer of dark liquids.

Each of these paintings contains a “lone surfer” representing the last man on Earth, symbolizing the end of humanities with just that one person who survived. The old, rundown buildings and broken RVs further portraits how the time of technologies had passed and that the only thriving things were things of nature. Also, some of the canvases have pictures of apes and bridges and a trailer truck; which suggests that even though the canvases are separated, they are connected because of the similarities within the painting.

Just as nature gave humans everything they needed to survive and evolve at their own different rates, as Weigand’s paintings showed, everything was eventually given back to nature as it once was. However, it’s not all hopeless, for there is a “lone surfer” left in the world with bits and pieces of technologies here and there to rebuild society.