Search This Blog

Thursday, June 30, 2011

global ART


Today I was introduced to the art photography of Tseng Kwong Chi (1950-1990) while exploring identity in American life. Chi was an Asian photographer best known for his East Meets West self-portrait series in which he dressed in a Mao styled suit and sunglasses in front of iconic Western architecture and landscapes. Chi challenged the constucts of identity with his images and this critique also encouraged me to define who I have become through imagery and creative influences. In my eyes, Chi was an 80's trendsetter and an iconic artist whose visual imagery will forever stand the test of time.

Sunday, June 5, 2011

finding my HEART

From the opening scene to the closing credits, the foreign film Biutiful (2010) grabbed my emotions (along with a box of Kleenex) and didn't let go. Directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu, Biutiful is an emotional rollercoaster and anything that can go wrong for Uxbal (Javier Bardem) does exactly that. Iñárritu also sheds a glaring light on a host of societal ills: poverty, slave labor, police corruption, child abuse, capitalism, and racism. Symbolism holds the film together and issues like mental illness and spirituality are more than explored, they are the ties that bind everything and everyone together. 

The effects of poverty cover every aspect of Uxbal's life. He has cancer because he did not seek medical intervention early enough. He makes a living from slave labor yet he sincerely cares for the people that he helps to imprison. He is raising his two kids because their Mother is bi-polar, a situation that he must put in order before his death. He questions which god to pray to as he sees and speaks with spirits who have yet to cross over into the afterlife. Everyone depends on Uxbal and it's because of this, one wants more for him than his painful attempts at survival. Although we know it will never happen, we want Uxbal to walk away off into the sunset, alive and well.

The beauty about Biutiful is that it is dreary and ugly and a mesh of crippling disappointments one after another. The soundtrack pushes the film along. It's brilliant in its ability to evoke emotions and stage some of the most important scenes in the film. The camerawork is simply amazing as well. Iñárritu places the viewer inside of Uxbal's head with plenty of close ups, jump cuts, and POV shots. Enough can't be said about the cinematography. It frames Uxbal's tragic world and creates cohesion between what's happening inside of him and around him.

There are so many scenes in Biutiful that tugged at my heart strings. My favorite is when he tells his daughter that he is dying. As they hold onto each other for dear life with tears and the fear of what lies ahead, the scene fades with a heartbeat. It could have easily been mistaken for mine. That is the power of a great film. That is the power of great art. Biutiful exemplifies the best of both.