Jackson Pollack and the Des Moines Print Club

Last week, during the Art Center's usual Thursday evening hours, a special lecturer was invited to speak in the Levitt Auditorium about Jackson Pollock.

Joann Moser, Senior Curator at the Smithsonian American Art Museum and one-time curator at the University of Iowa, has studied Pollock's works and spent a plethora of time with his largest work titled "Mural"- which was displayed at the Des Moines Art Center this summer on loan from the University of Iowa.

'Mural' - Oil on canvas, Jackson Pollack

Her lecture's focus was not on the 8'x20' behemoth that Peggy Guggenheim commissioned for her flat in NYC, but instead on Pollock's virtually unknown intaglio prints that he made at Atelier 17 in the mid 40's.

'For and Eye, an Eye' -Intaglio, Mauricio Lasansky

Atelier 17 was a print-making studio that started in Paris and moved to New York (where Pollock studied) after the outbreak of WWII.  The studio was started by an English artist named Stanley William Hayter, who's vast influence is connected to many other famous 20th century artists besides Pollock.  While at Atelier 17 Pollock jumped into the medium of intaglio and made seven engravings and found a new and important perspective.  

Intaglio is a form of print making where artists use metal tools to etch, mark, and/or engrave a plate that holds the ink for the print.  After the ink is applied and wiped away from the areas intended to provide negative space, the plate and paper are then sent through a rolling press which transfers the ink and visible indentations onto the paper.  Some intaglio artists, like Mauricio Lasansky (who too created works under Hayter's influence) would also use acid to etch into soft metal plates - which was his preferred material- thereby creating deep pools of ink for the paper to absorb. Lasansky used these jet-black ink pools to create dark moods for some of his works that are thought to reflect his feelings toward the Holocaust (like 'For an Eye, an Eye). 


Pollock's intaglio prints are not impressive (nor do I find them particularly entertaining- in fact they are almost childlike because they lack the overwhelming complexity that his paintings possess) but this phase in his art career was an important step in order for him to make abstract expressionism his own and by examining his intaglio works this becomes very clear.

In her lecture, Moser said that it was while working at Atelier 17 that Pollock showed important growth and without this experience he may never have become the artist we know him for today.  According to MoMA "Hayter’s personal engraving style, based on improvisation and chance, influenced Jackson Pollock, who made seven engravings with Hayter in 1944–5" (even though Pollock later denounced chance as part of his art, stating/believing that he could control the chaos of drip/splatter painting).

In 'Untitled', Moser pointed out the places where burrs made by inexperience and his tools forced Pollock to make something artistic of the accidents, thus introducing chance and feeding his improvisation.  After examining the print up close I can attest to the changed in style that Pollock shows in this piece as opposed to his earlier "organized chaos" work 'Mural'.

'Untitled' - Intaglio, Jackson Pollock

Pollock's dry point engraving will be on display at the Art Center until Sep. 23 as part of the 'Hornets' Nest' exhibit along with several other great prints from their permanent collection. Go and check it out, it's free and stuff.

-CK

Cloud Nothings @ the M-Shop in Ames 9/15

Because I already have a ticket for this intimate space, I'm not concerned about over-publicizing this event... but I am so damn excited for this that I might wet myself and if I keep containing this emotion it might make me explode. Saturday September 15 at the Maintenance Shop, Iowa State's personal venue in the Memorial Union, the Cloud Nothings are going to deliver a great ruckus to those lucky enough to attend (i.e. me).

For those of you who don't know the Cloud Nothings here's a little rundown...

A few months back Stereogum posted the odd video for "No Future/No Past" following the release of the bands latest album Attack on Memory (which is loud, packed full of angst, and driven by speedy, roaring guitars). The album contains some truly genius work and tracks from this 2012 release keep finding their way through my speakers at all hours of the day and usually on repeat.  The band's popularity is growing, in fact The Cloud Nothings have been touring like mad and even stopped at Gabe's in Iowa City this July (to my dismay; stupid work keeps me from being truly happy).

Other key tracks for this album are: "Cut You" (my favorite actually), "Stay Useless" which has a charming cartoon video that sits somewhere between Lord of the Flies and South Park, and the angry and anthemic tune "Fall In".

If you think you can handle the punch these Ohio boys deliver be sure to hit up this link where you can get a live recording from the Grog Shop.

-CK

Poetry Unplugged @ Ritual Cafe

Attention wordsmiths and literary fans of all types: tonight from 7-9 at Ritual Cafe, Miguel Ramirez hosts Poetry Unplugged. This is an opportunity for local bards to be heard and for fans of the craft to be treated to original verse.  If you want to swim in the prose of the metro's aspiring writers be sure to check-it-out.

-CK

Andrew Bird and the Simon Estes Amphitheater

Andrew Bird, almost by name alone, lured me to Nitefall on the River.  After abiding the careful advice of a friend I was ready to embark on a little journey with Mr. Bird. I was even promised a sock monkey sighting, which ended up guiding me to my favorite part of his show.

Mr. Bird put on quite a concert, even breathtaking at times, but I found myself with more questions than answers after the show.  Starting with: behind the sock monkey, what was that odd Y-shaped tornado that created an fantastic sensation when Bird turned it on?   Each revolution on this contraption sent sound echoing in every possible direction. Upon returning each tone had changed, maybe even melted in the time-lapse.  This combined with the natural reverb from the amphitheater was a reel treat to experience.

This infamous instrument is called a "double spinning horn speaker" and I wish it were in my price range...  

To begin the show Bird made the crowd marinate while gathered in the bowl that is Simon Estes Amphitheater.  His subtle plucks, melancholy violin solos, and the double spinning horn speaker going at full speed made me feel awash in the blue glow of the stage light.  What a terrific sensation.  As soon he turned off the machine, however, time seemed to change, like he actually controlled it.  Following the cloud of sound he let a great pause hang in the calm night air thereby creating an enveloping and intimate suspense.

Andrew Bird is one very talented musician.... and does a pretty good Kermit cover.

Casablanca at the Varsity Theater

Des Moines movie geeks know about the Varsity Theater - the old and true independent movie theater located in the Drake Neighborhood.  Until 8/16/12 this movie-showing relic will be screening what is often debated as the greatest film of all time: Casablanca. I'd imagine that this film has played in this theater before, maybe even in the year the film was released (as Varsity Theater has been around a while to say the least).

Casablanca is a tremendous film.  I own a digital iTunes copy and with my iPad or laptop I can watch this gem under almost any circumstance (I am very fortunate indeed).  I only paid $6 to watch it for the experience of the "big screen" (well worth it).  Regardless of the price it cost, I think that it pays more back.  This film has a long kept legacy - and for good reason.

While watching it this time I became more focused on the political atmosphere.  After watching a short clip about it on public television sometime ago, I realized how well my love story was accentuated by the political turbulence.  When the film came out in 1942, it came off as a bit tongue in cheek, but was done so stunningly the world has been gobbling it up ever since.

We're gaining strength by doing this or maybe inducting this story into a canon of sorts.  (If you don't believe me how much culture has nibbled at this film...)  I was making some great connections to a young-adult literature book I read in April called Little Brother by Corey Doctorow.  It was published 2008 and deals with politics in its own technology draped way, but I think the underground movements of the two stories are built on similar territory- through the many parallels both of these heroes see a threat on basic human rights.  A transcendent message as old as the building that houses it...

In honor of basic humans rights go see Casablanca on the big screen at the Varsity Theater before it is too late....

-C.K.

Grow Up Des Moines, quit being immature.

Des Moines, make haste and start growing up.

As a city ripe with young professionals, it is time for the young and inexperienced to grow up; this is a dangerously immature place.  Why hasn’t Des Moines decided to grow up? 

Looking out across most of the city isn’t tough.  Just a glance down I-235 and most of the Metro’s heart reveals itself immediately.  From an aerial view this city might resemble a large cemetery; but no, our city only looks like it is randomly spotted with abandoned gravestones, actually we call those ‘buildings’.  This city had better start thinking about growing up in a serious way soon, as the availability of affordable housing is reaching a spillover point downtown.

Modern architecture has embraced the green revolution by taking to “green-scrapers” like a duck does to water… I mean they have created designs for living spaces with lush, green house like sections apart of a 13-story high-rise.  Up.  

Here is one that looks like a cactus, I think it closely resembles the "corn-cob towers" in Chicago.

More housing in the downtown would be quickly utilized, especially in such a cutting edge, and eco-friendly design.  Beautiful utility withstands the test of time.

Beasts of the Southern Wind

At the 2012 Sundance Movie Festival in Utah this film took top honors and has spurred interest across the country.  Beasts of the South Wind is equally strange and tantalizing and I can see why it caught the attention of the Sundance crew.  What is so interesting about the film, I've found, is the number of perspectives that can be established in a single movie.  One important thing about the medium of film: it controls the POV for the audience. But his film gets around that by acting like a vat of loose symbols floating in a bathtub.  I remember a quote of Hemingway's after he was asked about the symbolism in the Nobel Prize winning novella Old Man and the Sea,  he stated that his story was merely a fictionalized account of a newspaper clipping and the symbolism is brought into the story by the reader.  Beasts of the South Wind accomplished a similarly rich, symbolic-minefield with a strange combination of primitivism and contemporary culture/history.  Besides being a total trip to think about, it also will charm the pants right off you...metaphorically speaking of course.

Beasts of the Souther Wind is playing at the Fleur Cinema & Cafe with regular showings.