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Visual Art: Theater: Food:
Three
Artists, Two Shows
For DIVA's newest exhibition, Steven Oshatz — artist and co-founder of Tancho Images, a silk-printing studio — digitally printed images from the Hubble Telescope. A friend asked him if the images were art, a question Oshatz included in one of the prints: Isthisart?Isthisart?Isthisart? Whether it is art obviously depends on your definition, and you may decide for yourself. In my view, it is. Such photography requires immense skill from teams of people, from setting up and using digital cameras aboard the Hubble to creating a color photograph out of a combination of black-and-white exposures representing different colors of light. Colors are assigned during image processing for functional rather than aesthetic reasons — either to represent what the human eye would see or to visualize what it couldn't, such as an object viewed in infrared light, or to highlight detail or enhance structure. The scientists involved view this process as "equal parts art and science." The result is not only beautiful but also provocative, bound to make us think and wonder about the most fundamental questions: the origin and meaning of the universe and our place in it. Or, as Oshatz said: "It takes me to the very edge of my imagination, and that's where I want to go." These images are freely shared by their original creators. You, too, can download them. But few of us have Oshatz's capacity to print large-format images such as these. His work is excellent, and his contribution extends the work of the Hubble project to the rest of us, as it deserves to be. "Images from the Universe" will be at DIVA through June 26. Also at DIVA, Marsha Wells' conté-crayon figurative studies stand out for their strength. Wells' predilection for foreshortenings, which provides dynamic visual interest, characterizes these figures executed during 20-minute poses at the MKAC's open studio. "I always go with the foreshortened look because it forces me to look really carefully," Wells said. "I move around until I find an angle that changes the dynamic of standard poses." Wells' figures fill the entire picture plane to the point of intersecting with the frame. Image functions as a compositional element that divides and configures the two-dimensional space. This is reminiscent of Richard Diebenkorn, whom Wells admires, as are the fluidity of line, its rephrasings, and the gestural quality of the drawings. But Wells' space is less flat and compressed. "I want to position the model in space," she said. "I want it to be a real space. That's why I often add a chair to the composition. The chair provides a sense of distance and perspective. I like having something 2D and something 3D. It brings a tension and dynamic that I really enjoy." Although Wells' concerns are primarily formalist in nature, she also captures expression and conveys something of her model's mood and personality. The use of yellow conté crayon to tone the paper and the sienna of shadows contribute to the warmth and aliveness of the drawings. "Drawn from Life" figures are at DIVA through June 26. Karin Clarke Gallery's "Life, Still-Life and Landscape" is devoted to George Kettlewell's distinctive watercolors, many monochromatic and relying on gradation of value. Value in Kettlewell tends to the dark, sometimes the very dark, as in the Tart series, where only a trace of light from the paper is allowed to show through otherwise almost opaque blacks to outline a reflecting edge. An exception is Crow, Gully and Fish, a delicate rendering in light sepia, its figures barely suggested. It's one of my favorites in the show. Kettlewell does remarkably well with chiaroscuro. Light seems to emanate from his grouped Wildflowers, silhouetted against a dark sepia background, as if they were incandescent. Among the series of low-key, dark, humble Mushrooms, #3 and especially #5 also appear to glow from within with a magical effect, while in #2, fungus-like texture comes alive. Among the polychromatic flower paintings, which I find uneven, Carnations #1 is a particularly good example of dramatic chiaroscuro effect. At times, though, the heavy layering results in muddied colors. When colors are light and transparent, the mood remains subdued, as if the flowers retain an impression of earlier rain. Kettlewell's sepia-toned landscapes are understated, atmospheric, brooding. A tree silhouette emerges from fog. A bank of clouds hangs low over a group of trees, engulfing their tops (#5). A small town shimmers with light between a sand expanse to the fore and in the distance dark mountains merging into clouds (Beach Front). Behind somber tree-trunks, a clearing fills with diffused light; mist shrouds what lies beyond (Forest). Through it all, Kettlewell's gesture and stroke remain light and free, suggestive and open. His exhibition runs through June 26.
Torrid
Fling
The Lord Leebrick Theatre Company's 2003-04 season ends on a high note with the smartly written and fabulously funny farce, Wonder of the World, from playwright David Lindsay-Abaire. The play examines a problem shared by many — when we realize all the things we meant to do but never got around to doing. The play opens on Cass, who discovers a disturbing secret of her husband's buried in his sweater drawer. Cass is simultaneously packing her bags and weeping over an old movie when husband Kip arrives unexpectedly. He catches her packing and tries to dissuade her from leaving. He has even prepared for her a delicious aspic in the shape of a fish. But Cass's mind is made up, and armed with her suitcase, the aspic, and a notebook full of things to do that she never did. She embarks on an incredible odyssey of self-discovery. Cass' seatmate on the bus is a woman named Lois, who is harboring a big, round, suspicious-looking object. Feeling giddy with her newfound freedom, Cass shares with Lois her plans for a new life. Lois, as it turns out, is headed to Niagara Falls for a different reason — to end her own life. Lois's husband dumped her because of her drinking problem, and the object is a barrel she intends to use to propel herself over the falls to her death. Fortunately, having a sidekick is one of the things Cass has always desired, so she drags the boozing Lois along for the ride as she endeavors to tick more items off of her long list — from riding in a helicopter to wearing a big wig to dressing in overalls, to name but a few. On a boat excursion, she meets Captain Mike, a lonely widower, who fits nicely into Cass's "have a torrid fling" category. Meanwhile, Kip has employed a bumbling husband-and-wife investigator team to locate his wayward wife. Epiphanies and chaos erupt when everyone winds up in Cass's hotel room where a dysfunctional therapist on parole conducts group therapy via a mock "The Newlyweds Game." Will Cass take Kip back despite his freaky fetish? Or, will she run off with Captain Mike in a Winnebago? Can she save Lois? Will she ever go parachuting? Life is full of wonderful possibilities. Director Stephen Rupsch has assembled an extraordinary cast. A one-woman ball of energy, Melanie Harmon is both dynamic and endearing as the high-spirited Cass. Likewise, Michael Scott is wholly convincing as her pathetic, whimpering, sweater-wearing husband, Kip. Connie Hymer is a riot as the ever-inebriated Lois. Sharon Wetterling and Ken Hoff grab the laughs as the dabbling P.I. duo Karla and Glen, and Richard Leebrick is fantastic as Captain Mike. Rounding out this delightful cast is Jennifer Thomas, who lends herself to multiple roles as Barbara, a helicopter pilot, an odd assortment of waitresses, and therapist Janie. Funny, poignant and over the top, Wonder of the World is as entertaining as it gets.
The
Next Generation
Downtowners will be happy to have a Thai restaurant back at 1200 Oak Street, and even happier to know that the relatively new establishment, Tararin, is owned by B, son of Chao Pra Ya's Vivat and Bangon Kaokept, whose cuisine has become known in Eugene for its dynamite flavor and freshness. Upon entering Tararin, you will be announced by clanging chimes attached to the glass door. The sound is almost startling given the calm, quiet setting of the waiting area. Tararin is painted in warm shades of cinnamon and beige, and the lobby area has a charming water fountain made from two spiraling towers of small terracotta bowls, 40 bowls all together spilling water from the top, one into the next. The sound is soothing and, along with the soft strains of background music, helps to create a calm, quiet atmosphere for a good meal. Maybe because it's the first day in a while that feels like summer, but I have the littlest hankering for BBQ. Scanning Tararin's lunch menu, I see that there are actually a couple of BBQ options. I decide to order the Khao Naa Kai Tod BBQ selection ($7.50), which is described in the menu as: "Battered lemongrass chicken breast, deep fried. Served over jasmine rice. Comes with a side of Three-Flavored Sauce and Garden Salad." I also order salad rolls ($4.95), feeling a little guilty about BBQ and particularly this deep-fried version. The salad rolls arrive promptly, and they are huge, enough to take leftovers, or to at least be a lunch meal on their own. With basil leaves, crisp lettuce, carrot bits and a chunk of tofu wrapped in tender rice paper, these are wonderful morsels of fresh flavor and texture. The basil is amazing, and the chunk of tofu is the perfect soaker-upper for the sweet, tangy, spicy, nutty dipping sauce (the sauce is so flavorful and tasty, in fact, it is another one of those cases where you wonder if you aren't eating the real food just to get as much of the dipping sauce as you can…). Then comes the BBQ, and it is both not at all what I expect, and a pretty cool food surprise all in one. The "deep fried" description had me fearing I might get a hunk of fried chicken tender on a plate. And the BBQ aspect had me thinking there was chance that the dish could be greasy or drenched in sauce. However, what arrives at my table is a beautifully prepared chicken breast coated with a very thin, but full-flavored batter. The batter is so thin, I hesitate to even use the word — it's more like a rub or a well incorporated marinade. According to my waitperson, the chicken is first grilled, then coated with the batter and deep fried lightly. Lemongrass, it seems, is a pretty great flavor to accompany grilling (I would never have known this on my own). It adds just the subtlest hint of lemon and something floral to the dish. With the Three-Flavored sauce, similar to the salad roll dipping sauce, but not quite as spicy, it still didn't seem like BBQ, but it was very delicious all the same. The dish comes not only with jasmine rice, but with tender steamed vegetables (mine was broccoli) and a salad of iceberg lettuce, cubes of cucumber and bits of red onion. The dressing (I could write a whole column, I suppose, on the sauces and dressings) is a sweet, light vinaigrette — simple, clean and fresh. Actually, throughout the whole meal, the word "fresh" keeps coming to mind. From the flavorful basil to the crisp greens to the perfectly prepared steamed vegetables to the lemongrass batter, my meal is full of fresh flavors that are clear and distinct, yet perfectly matched and balanced when everything is put together. The service at Tararin is fantastic. Waitpersons are attentive without being overbearing, and food orders arrive promptly, even during the lunch rush. While Tararin's predecessor Chao Pra Ya may be known as well for its cuisine as for its affordability, Tararin's tony downtown location and more sophisticated, sit-down style seem to be reflected in slightly higher prices. Tararin serves a variety of noodle, stir-fry, curry and entrée specials (lots of veggie options), along with appetizers, soups, salads and desserts. 1200 Oak St. 343-1230. Lunch M-F 11 am-3 pm, dinner 5 pm-10 pm; Sa-Su noon-10 pm. Wheelchair accessible. $-$$.
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