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Visual Art: Theater: Wine:
First-Class
Asian Prints It is unusual and a special delight to find in a town of Eugene's size a venue that offers a window into some of the best art beyond our borders. The White Lotus Gallery, conveniently located near the Hult Center, is unique in Oregon for its representation of internationally-renowned Asian artists and its remarkable collection of first-rate Asian prints. The current exhibition, through July 31, encapsulates the modern history of Asian printmaking.. Woodblock-printing started in China, the earliest-known dated example from AD 868. Japanese artists and craftsmen developed their own distinctive styles and techniques, and, when Japan opened up to the West in mid-19th century, the ukiyo-e prints that dominated the Edo (1615-1868) and Meiji (1868-1912) periods greatly influenced European avant-garde artists from Van Gogh to Klimt. In return, in the 1870s, encounters with Western art significantly altered the look of Japanese prints with inclusions of internal shading, cast shadows and aerial perspective. Ukiyo-e prints resulted from the collaboration of publisher, artist-designer, master-carver and master-printer, and were viewed in Japan as commercial art. See Toyohara Chikanobu's Beauty of the Kanei Era for a good example of a traditional ukiyo-e print. In late Meiji, the ukiyo-e tradition became moribund, and craftsmen sometimes resorted to old paintings for their designs as with Kano Gennobu's Bird on a Branch, which also evidences the extraordinary woodblock-printing skills reached at the time. Gradation of tints, delicacy of line and color, downy texture of feathers, watermark — all might have been achieved with the finest brush. Two movements in the 1910s renewed woodcuts. Shin hanga ("new prints") artists followed much of the ukiyo-e tradition (see Kawase Hasui's prints), but Sosaku hanga ("creative prints") artists, while keeping traditional tools and materials, broke with it. Usually trained in Western-style art, sosaku hanga artist-printmakers considered carving and printing part of the creative process, and aimed to create fine art, not illustrations. Among the sosaku hanga woodcuts shown, The Stone Garden is for Hide Kawanishi an unusually sober composition that beautifully expresses the character of the Zen garden. In Red Statue, Shuzo Ikeda explores sacred stone-images in a bold, red-over-black scheme. Chizuko Yoshida, a member of the famous Yoshida family of printmakers, creates in Dawn delicate rainbow tints, one of her hallmarks. Her shading is reminiscent of ukiyo-e. In the 1960s and 1970s, Japanese printmakers started exploring a variety of media, techniques and subject-matters. Woodblock no longer dominated. In 1954, Yoshitoshi Mori, a designer of kimono patterns, transferred the stencil-printing technique (kappazuri) from textile to paper. His thatched-roofed Farm House, with its earthy pigments and bold lines, reflects his involvement in the revival of folk-art traditions. Some artists developed idiosyncratic methods. Haku Maki, a master of abstract composition, developed a complex method combining woodblock and cement work. Work 74-47, which can be read as an abstract landscape, juxtaposes embossed white (cement) and smooth black (woodblock) below a cloud-like spatter of black on white. With stark elegance, Poem 70-29, features altered kanji characters (Chinese ideograms) embossed on a pure black ground with two acrylic-painted accents, one blue, one yellow — all characteristic of Maki's work. Hiroyuki Tajima's elaborate technique involves an additive process as he first augments his woodblock with paper, shellac and lacquer — or any other materials as in a collagraph — to build up a relief image. He also combines oil-based and water-based inks to create the distinctive crater-like texture of the butterfly in Memories A. The deep, rich, luminous colors of his complex, abstract surfaces with their Zen-influenced sense of space, result from his use of a resist-process together with conventional printing techniques.
In Tabi 15, Kunio Kaneko combines a transferred photograph of a group of standing military officers and their wives seated in front, and white-on-white woodblock-embossed tabi (traditional socks) with gold leaf highlights to create a spare composition starkly evocative of a not-so-distant but forever-gone past. Tetsuya Noda developed a method involving photographic images, silkscreen and woodblock-printing for his visual "diaries," such as Diary: September 16, 1989, which all record moments in the artist's life. Some Japanese printmakers were drawn to Western printmaking techniques, eschewing woodcuts altogether. Ryohei Tanaka is justly renowned for his serene, meticulously accurate etchings of rural western Japan, its thatched farmhouses, fields, delicately-branching trees. He is a master of texture: straw, grass, twigs, wood, tile, stone, slatted-windows, latticed-screens. All are etched with exquisite subtlety. Texture is often the basis for his compositions, which then acquire an almost abstract quality. Yuji Hiratsuka, who teaches at OSU, is well-known in this country, where he's lived since 1985. His etchings bring together aspects of East and West, the traditional and the contemporary. They inherit their colorfulness, humor and a caricature element from the ukiyo-e tradition. Faces are rendered ambiguously without eyes or noses, in keeping with Zen concepts of simplicity and suggestion, but with prominent, woodblock-printed red lips. Western garments sport bright motifs and patterns as kimonos might. In Disguise II, an androgynous figure is shown exiting a frame within the picture, holding a mustache in one hand. As usual, the design is bold, based in part on contrasting three different areas: single-color, patterns of color and areas textured by hatching and cross-hatching. Hiratsuka's intaglios are reduction etchings. The artist burnishes and re-etches a single copper plate for his four-color prints. Only one edition is thus possible. (The same method in linocuts is known as "suicide prints.") Toko Shinoda, one of Japan's foremost calligraphers, is celebrated worldwide for her abstract paintings and lithographs. Her spare abstract compositions embody the principles Zen aesthetics. They are based on a few powerful calligraphic strokes — long and thin like blades, broad angled wedges, overlapping translucent layers. Their subject-matter is also calligraphically inscribed in hiragana — this cursive syllabary, which she alters slightly without compromising its readability – becomes in turn an integral part of the design. Negative space is another composition element taken into consideration. Perfect asymmetric balance is achieved, and an impression of atemporality created. Snow, Flower, Moon shows how Shinoda is able to exquisitely control differences in subtle grey tones so hard to obtain in printmaking, allowing light to show through them. The tradition of popular Chinese prints can be traced back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD) and thrived until 1911, with subjects including religion, landscapes, events, Chinese opera and literature. As with Japanese ukiyo-e, Chinese prints were the product of teamwork involving artist, carver and printer. In the 1930s, the Creative Print Movement founded by the writer Lu Xun produced woodcut-prints as cheap, efficient tools to spread ideology, using European mass-production printmaking techniques. (Lu Xun also introduced the work of social-activist printmakers Käthe Kollwitz and Frans Masereel to Chinese artists.) Later woodcuts became Mao's favorite propaganda tool, and, sadly, the old prints and woodblocks were destroyed during the Cultural Revolution. The popular Chinese print was revived in the 1980s, though. Some artists and artisans studied printmaking in Japan, and several Chinese artisan centers emerged. Printmaking as a means for individual artistic expression also took off in the 1980s. Li Yi-Tai, who has shown worldwide, produces exquisite landscapes for which he uses a 300-years-old Chinese water-based technique that demands great skill and results in a watercolor effect. Water prints require thin paper – Li uses mulberry – moistened at a precise level of humidity before printing. Li River exemplifies Li's masterful use of wood-grain texture. Western perspective provides a discrete new slant to the traditional subject of mountains reflected in water. Zhu Wei-Ming focuses on "water-towns" on China's eastern coast, showing these villages unchanged by modern life. His are gouache woodblocks (fenyin muke), a technique that involves printing "thick layers of rich opaque colors against a dark or colored background using several woodblock plates, allowing him to control the texture's density." In Snow is Coming, snow falls at night on a traditional dwelling and a moored boat. The overall impression of peace and coziness is reinforced, paradoxically, by the complex texture and strong lines. Li Yan-Peng's technique of reduction woodblock printing was first developed in China in the 1980s. The process entails re-carving the block after each color is printed, making further editions impossible. The skills involved are all the more noteworthy when one looks at Big Goats, a large-format, realistic rendering of a herd of goats next to a rocky outcrop, all in earth-tones. Also remarkable is the artist's ability to modulate the weight and direction of his dynamic hatched cuts. Su Xin-Ping achieved international stature with his lithographs. Both Horse and Shadow and Wall exhibit a subtle, playful, yet somewhat disquieting, element of surrealism. The first provides a realistically-rendered horse with a stylized, cartoon-like shadow; the other, an elongated ghost-silhouette of a horse against a curving wall. The delicate hatching and craftsmanship are superb. Two of Su's highly sought-after oil paintings are also displayed, both depicting scenes from his native Mongolia. In Outlook, a young woman wearing a traditional dress gazes behind her, her figure lit with a warm glow against a tall night sky, her pensive expression arresting. Horizon juxtaposes two worlds: a girl in traditional dress running, her arms extended as wings, while low in the sky a modern passenger-jet flies by. The eerie atmosphere of the paintings expresses well the feeling of strangeness of those who straddle two worlds. Two local artists are also represented. Jamie Newton's abstract acrylic, Direction, relies on bold calligraphic strokes, strength of composition and a sober palette. Nancy Pobanz's Resistance involves, as always with this artist, a complex array of organic materials, notably pigments from Oregon desert and mountains. The result is an elegant, abstract composition in earth-tones. These treasures at the White Lotus Gallery should not be missed. They provide a tantalizing idea of the rest of the works available at the gallery. Knowledgeable amateurs will rejoice in the quality of the art, while the exhibit also serves as a beautiful introduction for those new to the world of Asian art.
Quest
for Love Similar in genus to The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Hedwig and The Angry Inch is quickly evolving into something of a cult classic, drawing "Hedheads" to late-night venues, and even spawning a Hedwig convention. The Actor's Cabaret Annex production of John Cameron Mitchell's Obie-winning, gender-bending musical rock and roll extravaganza continues to draw appreciative crowds.
On a set filled with attention-grabbing artwork, a collage of twisted torsos, and a screen used as a backdrop for added imagery and audience sing-alongs, the musical opens on Hedwig's national tour of the Bilgewater's chain of "family seafood restaurants" (similar to Sizzler, but not quite as prestigious). And through a medley of hard-rocking anthems and soulful ballads, Hedwig chronicles her tragically twisted story. Raised behind the Iron Curtain in East Berlin, Hansel longs to find freedom on the other side of the wall. When an American GI sugar daddy comes along offering gummy bears and matrimony as a way out, Hansel is ecstatic. However, there is a catch — to obtain a license, he must first "leave a little something behind." The result is a botched sex change operation that renders him essentially genderless. When his GI dumps him, leaving him alone in a trailer park in Kansas, Hansel puts on some makeup, dons a blond wig, and reinvents herself as wannabe rock star Hedwig. To help support her dubious singing career, Hedwig takes on a variety of odd jobs, including babysitting, where she meets young Tommy, an aspiring musician, whom Hedwig takes under her wing. Transforming him into rock star Tommy Gnosis, her ungrateful protégé makes it big by stealing Hedwig's songs. Complicating matters further is Hedwig's current relationship with husband and band mate, Yitzhak, who dresses like a man, is played by a woman, and who likes to gussy up in Hedwig's wigs and outfits. Enough cannot be said about Adam Goldthwaite's commanding and mesmerizing performance as the irrepressible and oft-conflicted Hedwig. From in-your-face songs such as "Angry Inch" to moving ballads like "The Origin of Love," Goldthwaite's strong vocals resonate with indignant anger and heartfelt emotion, and his outfits are très stunning. Dori Prange is fabulous as Yitzhak. Although she doesn't have any speaking parts, through her dazzling vocals and bass guitar accompaniment, Prange is a persuasive presence on stage. Similarly, Connor Dudley lends his fine voice and musical skills on acoustic guitar to his role as Tommy Gnosis. Rounding out the cast is Patricia Morse as Hedwig's mother, and backing up Hedwig as The Angry Inch is the awesome local glam/rock girl band The Ovulators. While Hedwig may not be suitable for everyone
(under 18 must be accompanied by an adult), its deeper message
goes beyond mere gender confusion to explore other important issues
such as identity, freedom, and the
Fun
with War and Wine Oh, what a lovely war! Through this war, we are gifted with marvelous lessons in comparative values and relative meanings of language, all by virtue of charming charades. The Bushites, on the one hand, have offered us a view of civilized legalisms through which we can arrive at wonderful new definitions and distinctions for torture, when it is, when it isn't (must reach level of pain caused by damage to internal organs; lawyers know how to measure such scales of pain). These are refinements to rival the finesse of Torquemada, the Grand Inquisitor of the Spanish Inquisition. Radical Islamist butchers respond by decapitation, which Bush then describes as "barbaric," at the same time that American soldiers are going on trial for suffocating to death a prisoner in their charge. Now, our problem, students of war, is to determine: Which is more (or less) barbaric in the treatment of helpless prisoners: severing the head from the body with a sword (recalling that the inventor of the French guillotine argued that this method would be more "humane" than, say, hanging); or slowly beating the prisoner nearly to death, then shoving him into a sleeping bag and smothering him? We could probably extend this debate to consider other forms of institutional killing, as in the application of executions for death penalty states: Which is more humane/less barbaric, hanging, electric shock, firing squad, lethal injection? Any votes for decapitation? Related issue – isn't it swell how war raises profound questions of morals? Is it more (or less) civilized to show a beheading on broadcast television, or shoot digital film and then circulate that on the Internet? Probably most Americans will feel grateful that we have broadcast personalities like Rush Limbaugh and Jay Leno to help us distinguish between terrorism and frat-boy hijinks. For myself, I confess that I'm having a hard time keeping score. Better think about wine. Last month, I was involved in helping raise funds for Davey Untz, a three-year-old fighting leukemia. We tried a wine auction at Eugene Wine Cellars, relying on the donations of local wineries and wine merchants. I'm pleased to report that we were able to generate, through the auction and raffle, over $4,000 for the lad and his mom. I still glow with pride for the generosity and humanity shown by the winefolk. What a contrast to the burlesque of war. While running from vineyard to winery in my pursuit of donations for Davey, I tripped over some treasures. Let's start with facts: It's summer and we're gonna burn (soon, I think) and even the most fervent winefiends will (usually, reluctantly) admit that summer is made for lighter wines, matched with lighter foods. High Pass Winery 2000 Sauvignon Blanc ($10) is lovely, has a little bottle age on it, so flavors have matured into pleasant roundness of tropical fruits on a firm but balanced frame. It goes very well with grilled halibut or chicken. Winemaker Dieter Boehm is also happy with his High Pass 2003 Pinot Noir Rosé ($10); the wine is dark pink and so rich with fruit character that it drinks like a very light-bodied pinot noir, with bright cherry flavors, low alcohol (11 percent), and just enough acidity to accent foods like summer pastas, cheeses, and light meats. Makes a nice sipping wine, too. Rosés are vastly under-valued as well as under-appreciated, and deserve a lot more attention. Some of the damage done to these wines can be blamed on the marketeers who have corrupted rosé into "blush" wines like white zinfandel, too often schlocky sweet and utterly lacking in character. Oddly, though, the blushies have also opened the world of wine for the shy and reticent; after some time at the entry level, folks are ready to try wines with greater flavor and complexity. Good rosés make a fine transition. One of our favorites for this summer will be Territorial 2003 Rosé of Pinot Noir ($10), a fine product from Eugene's newest urban winery, bursting with bright fruit flavors (pie cherries, roses, tangerine), finely balanced in alcohol and acidity, just straight-forward delicious. While at Territorial, You might pick up Territorial 2002 Pinot Noir Stone's Throw ($25). I'm a known pinotphiliac, okay? I love this wine, especially after an hour open; it delivers sweet black cherry/black raspberry flavors with a candied note and lingering finish with fine tannins. Its sister wine, Territorial 2002 Pinot Noir Capital T ($25) is a deep, smooth, rich Pommard-style, probably best after two more years in the bottle (only 120 cases made). Hide some in a cool, dark place. Since I made acquaintance with New Zealand sauvignon blancs, I've developed a severe jones, but Andrew Rich 2003 Willamette Valley Sauvignon Blanc Croft Vineyard ($15) scratches my itch: lush flavors of lychee and other tropicals, mouth-filling, silky smooth, so satisfying. Serve with fresh fish, and blow somebody's mind. One more: Some of the best merlots in the world are coming from Washington and fetching hefty prices in the $50-100 range and beyond. One of the best I've tasted is Hogue 2001 Columbia Valley Merlot (around $30): just explodes in the mouth, hits all the corners, a real bunker-buster, with profound black fruit flavors, satin-smooth, long finish. Don't give a rip for the swelter, must-have-big-red? Try this one, swoon in bliss. Well, friends, pour a glass or two, lubricate your debates and enjoy the war. |
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