Words and Pictures as art exhibit "Bookwork" draws Crowd

The worlds of sculpture and the written word collided in an art showing at Holyoke’s small, independent book store “The White Rose” on 284 High Street on Saturday, March 1^st, from 5 to 7 P.M. The works on display are from Adam John Mulcahy, antiques salesman and graphic design student at Holyoke Community College. The works, utilizing found objects and abandoned books, will be available for show until April 1^st.

One of Adam John Mulcahy's works. Source: Facebook

Pages are circled, crossed out, and rearranged alongside collages of pictures, from children to young couples to simple farmers. They culminate to depict ordinary people caught in the crossfires of war. The words take on a lyrical quality, almost Hemingway-esque, in their brevity.

“I read a lot of Hunter S. Thompson, John Steinbeck, Tim Dorsey, Charles Bukowski,” said the artist. “I also read a lot of books about organic farming and Buddhism. The Bookwork show was inspired by all of the books I have read and by my life experiences.”

He is less of a writer than an artist, according to him.

“I’ve done some writing every once in a while,” said Adam. “It’s more of a hobby.”

The showing was greeted by a packed room. There were free hors d’oeuvres, wine, and coffee for all. 

Down the Rabbit Hole

The rabbit has been sparking a good deal of controversy.

 On December 16^th, 2013, one day after the funeral of South African President Nelson Mandela, an approximately 30 foot tall statue of the iconic leader was unveiled outside of the Union Buildings, the South African government's central headquarters, outside of Pretoria (bbc.co.uk).

The artists of the piece, Andre Prinsloo and Ruhan Janse van Vuuren, were allegedly not allowed by officials to engrave their names upon the statue's trousers (guardian.com), so, in a brazen act of defiance, they inserted their own trademark: a statue of a rabbit hidden in one of the ears.

The rabbit is said to have been placed there due to the tight time constraints for getting the project complete. The Afrikaans language word "haas" means both rabbit and haste (bbc.co.uk).

South Africa's government wants the rabbit removed.

"That statue isn't just a statue of a man,” said Dali Tambo, CEO of Koketso Growth, the heritage development company that managed the statue project. “It's the statue of a struggle, and one of the most noble in human history," Tambo said. "So it's belittling, in my opinion, if you then take it in a jocular way and start adding rabbits in the ear" (theguardian.com).

Nelson Mandela was elected president of South Africa in 1994, shortly after his 27 year imprisonment for his activism against South African apartheid (independent.co.uk). Mandela was famously known for his willingness to forgive his oppressors, and his openness and embrace of all members of the South African community, both black and white.

While the artists have since apologized for any offense that they may have caused (bbc.co.uk), there is the question of artistic integrity that must be considered. Did these artists have any right to include this insignia?

At first, I was sympathetic towards the two artists. Although the statue itself cost a cool 8,000,000 rand (over 700,000 dollars), being your own boss implies that you have no guarantee of a steady paycheck. You have to do what it takes to get your name out there in the world, so that you may generate more business.

However, after discovering that the artists’ names were going to be on a plaque right next to the statue, this seems like an act of cockiness and arrogance (news.yahoo.com). The artists would have received credit anyway, so it seems likely that they were a little too  attached to their work and have a little too big egos to be satisfied with that.

How could the government not see that coming? As an artist myself, I can say with certainty that we are deeply attached to our work, and when we don’t have creative control over how that work is presented, then we can take it a little personally. I understand that Dali Tambo said that the signatures “could be added on the statue in a discreet place, maybe on Mandela's heel" (mydailynews.com). The problem is that that statue is Prinsloo’s and van Vuuren’s baby, so they wanted to put their mark on it in whatever way they saw fit.

Even with this disobedience to authority, I don’t think there is really much of an offense. It was the most benign way that they could have included their trademark. It wasn't like they included a giant rat on the statue, which is probably something London street artist Banksy would have done.

“You need a long lens or binoculars to see it,” Prinsloo said (bbc.co.uk).

Either way, if the Prinsloo and van Vuuren weren't known by the world before, then it certainly knows them now.

He said, She said: Thoughts on the State of the Union Address and the Republican Response

Alright. I have to give President Obama credit. He’s a good talker. I think he calls for some noble causes. Let’s get rid of policies against women that “belong in a ‘Mad Men’ episode.” Guantanamo Bay is long overdue for closing as well. And let’s get the minimum wage up. “$10.10. An easy number to remember.”

                

But let’s face it. Obama and his administration dropped the ball this past year. Obama misspoke, to put it lightly, about being able to keep our health plan on Obamacare, and let’s not get started on the NSA’s government surveillance. It’s going to take a lot from him to gain our trust back.

             

The Republican Party’s response isn’t worth much, either. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Washington spoke a lot of lofty ideas about the American dream, and about how she had to work at McDonalds to pay her way through College. She talked about her son, Cole, who has Down Syndrome. Relating seeing “all the things he can do, not those he can’t,” to the idea that “we are not defined by our limits, but by our potential,” was a nice touch.

The problem is that there weren’t any real specific plans. It was just about giving the American people more “opportunities” as she called them. But there wasn’t any mention of what those opportunities would be. At least Obama had goals. She said it was a “more hopeful, Republican vision . . . one that champions free markets - and trusts people to make their own decisions, not a government that decides for you.” However, this is the same free market that is allowing multi-billion dollar companies like Wal-Mart to get away with not paying its employees a living wage. And some corporate CEO’s on the more conservative side of the political spectrum, are okay with this.

“If we eliminated the minimum wage law,” said Peter Schiff, CEO of Euro Pacific Capital, in an interview with The Daily Show’s Samantha Bee, “then individuals would be free to accept jobs at whatever pay they’re able to get.” Samantha then asked Schiff to “Paint me a picture of a person whose work would be worth $2.00 an hour.” Peter Schiff then went on to say, “Someone who would be . . . What’s the politically correct word . . . for, uh, you know, mentally retarded? I’m not gonna say that we’re all created equal, you’re worth what you’re worth.” If this is the kind of free market that Representative Rodgers is talking about, then she needs to rethink the whole Republican angle. It sounds like she’s trying to harp the same money-first, no rules economic system the Republican Party has been harping forever.

Also, her smile looked really phony, and her posture was far too rigid. Seriously, she looked like one of the Stepford Wives.

Occupy Disney

Friends, blog readers, we need to talk.

It is time to take a stand against the devil with mouse ears.

The Walt Disney Corporation has gone completely out of control. In the past eight years, it has bought Pixar Animation Studios, Marvel, and, its most recent prize, Lucasfilm Ltd. It is also, as we speak, in the process of acquiring Studio Ghibli (Ghiblicon.blogspot.com), the Japanese animation studio behind the movie Spirited Away, much beloved by me, and, I’m sure, by anyone who saw it.

Our childhoods have been bought out by this now soulless, money grabbing machine.

The question is, however, what are they going to buy next?

I say this because the Walt Disney Corporation has become the Blob, eating everything in sight and with no signs of stopping.

The original mission of the man Walt Disney was to bring happiness to people with his company’s animated movies. Now, however, its only mission is making money.

We can no longer tolerate this. We, as consumers, need to limit the money we give the company.

The obvious objection to all this, as I understand it, is this may cause Disney to eliminate jobs. I don’t want to put people out of work, either, but Disney will probably do that anyway, whether it needs to or not. 

Following its purchase, Lucasfilm laid off the entire internal development staff at video game company Lucas Arts, “some 150 people” (kotaku.com), which was included in the Lucasfilm acquisition. The statement about the layoffs is as follows:

“After evaluating our position in the games market, we’ve decided to shift LucasArts from an internal development to a licensing model, minimizing the company’s risk while achieving a broader portfolio of quality Star Wars games,” read a statement issued by Lucasfilm. “As a result of this change, we’ve had layoffs across the organization.” (wired.com)

The Disney corporation had no reason to lay off the LucasArts staff. There was no need to minimize the company’s risk, since Disney has no risks to take. It is like killing 150 ants from a colony that controls the world’s sugar population, because they weren’t collecting as much sugar as the colony would like, but didn’t necessarily need.

Now, it isn’t that achievable to stop giving Disney money completely, but we still have to own up to the fact that we created this beast. That’s right. We’re the ones who gave Disney our money. We can still make conscious decisions to mitigate our contributions. Let’s look back to the controversy surrounding the redesign of Merida, the princess from Pixar’s Brave. “The L.A. Times reports -- and IGN has independently confirmed -- that ‘according to a Disney representative on Wednesday, the image of Merida that sparked this maelstrom is part of a limited run of products including backpacks and pajamas. But images of the original Merida will also be available on consumer products.’

Don’t buy Disney’s backpacks and pajamas.

Every dollar that you spend is a vote for the kind of world you want to live in. I don’t want to live in a world where one megacorporation, powered by our complacent consumerism, buys out everything that made my childhood special. I don’t think that’s what anyone else wants, either.

People are my Job

This past weekend, I was searching online for a job that I wished to apply for. I thought searching applications began on Wednesday, so I wasn't too concerned. I was also on ye olde internet chat. I noticed that a good friend of mine was online, so I messaged that person and engaged in pleasant conversation, while simultaneously opening the web page that I sought.

To my surprise, the company from which I desired employment would begin searching applications on Monday. What did I do? Did I cut short my conversation with her and focus squarely on the job?

No.

I still worked on applying to the job, but I wanted to continue the conversation, because this friend and I are really close, and I wanted to make the time to show her that I cared enough about her to make the time for her.

That's because people are my job.

It seems like we're always sleepwalking. Henry David Thoreau saw this when he decided to live for a year in Walden Pond. In his iconic narrative of these events, called Walden, Thoreau said, “[o]ur lives are frittered away by detail.” I saw this when I took a family trip down to New York City. The streets were filled with stampedes of somnambulists who are always locked in their own heads, constantly letting themselves get frittered away by detail, not bothering to even acknowledge your presence.

We are always roaming around, trying to get things done, whether it be at the office or checking emails on our cell phones when on the bus, or being on the phone for something business related when sitting at the dinner table with the family.

It is important to make an income to support yourself and the people you care about, but one must keep in mind that the job is only a means to an end, not the end itself. Anything that you do in your life must come from a place of compassion.

That is why I chose my friend over any potential employment. This is because I already am employed. I am employed by God to make time to listen to the people that matter to me, and let them know that I care about them. My job, and your job, is to take up the call of duty and spread love to the people. It can be something as simple as saying “hello” to a passerby on the street, or calling an old college friend that you keep saying that you ought to call, but never do. Go to your kids' baseball games. Be there to exercise with them and share their interests.

“Now go and do likewise.”--Jesus

Conversation with Myself

Stop!

I can’t believe you’re doing this! How could you? This is despicable. You know that people need you. And yet, there you are, sitting, in your living room, playing video games from dusk ‘til dawn.

Instead of using your mind for conquering the alien armada, why don’t you conquer a real problem, a problem that impacts actual people, not just random artificial intelligence drones that are walking the city of Grand Theft Auto. Instead, use your abilities in a way that brings about actual change.

No, I’m not saying that you have to give up your video games, but have you ever heard of the fable of Plato’s cave? It is the responsibility of the person who sees the light at the end of the cave to lead the other people in darkness to that light. You have a Nintendo Wii. That was made with minerals from the Democratic Republic of Congo. These minerals are harvested by miners who are exploited by rebel militias and the government’s own army: not just men, but women, who are sex slaves, and children as well. Even little girls are raped by these soldiers as a weapon of submission. `

Did I mention that some of the rebel soldiers are children, too?

The miners are unfairly taxed by these rebels and soldiers for the minerals that they procure, and they can barely stay alive, while the ones with the AK-47’s make a profit to buy more guns and rocket launchers in a bid for power and dominance.

There, now you know something. Do something about it.

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/columns/criticalintel/10039-Conflict-Minerals-and-the-Game-Industry-The-Problem

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/columns/criticalintel/10049-Conflict-Minerals-and-the-Game-Industry-Progress-and-Setbacks

Men should be "Brave:" An Alternate Perspective of Media's, I mean Merida's, Redesign

This is deeply disturbing.

A considerable amount of ire has erupted over the redesign of Merida, the central protagonist of Disney's and Pixar's “Brave” to mark her official induction in the Disney family as the eleventh Disney princess. While her original image is a plainly dressed, realistically proportioned teenage medieval Scottish girl, as opposed to an anorexic Cinderella doll, “[f]unctionality has given way to chic belts, sequins, and gold lace. Much more worrying, however, are the physical alterations. The waist has certainly been taken in an inch or two, and I suspect those cheeks are no longer rouged by the bracing Scottish wind” (Krupa IGN.com).

Let us flip this situation on its head for a moment.

Instead of Merida being a girl trying to break free from the social norms of masculinity, let us say that Merida is a prince, who wanted to bend traditional norms of masculinity, by wearing brightly colored clothes (perhaps a dress?), attending wine tastings, and growing out his long, flowing hair. If he were redesigned as wearing a gray suit, clipped, combed hair, and having a six-pack of abs, there wouldn't be outrage: there would be approval.

This demonstrates a significant double standard for men when it comes to bending gender norms. Women are applauded for taking on higher roles in the work place and getting their hands dirty, but if a man were to smell flowers or be cooking in the kitchen, he would be identified as being far too feminine. We're still seeing this in popular culture. Actor Kunal Nayyar's character, Raj, from CBS's TV show “The Big Bang Theory,” is the butt of many jokes that mock his apparent lack of manliness, by having him suggest to his three male colleagues that they attend a wine tasting in the coming weekend, since “the flowers will be in bloom.” One of the guys then drives in the punch line, “We go from talking about women to becoming women.” What makes wine tasting and appreciating nature such a taboo? I attended a wine tasting at my college, and the two faculty members who hosted the event were both men. Also, Earth is the only planet we have, so why not appreciate every aspect of it?

To put this situation in a nutshell, it’s like Michelangelo’s painting on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, in which God is reaching out with his hand and giving life to Adam (Vatican.va). Adam is reaching out to God as well. Women reach across borders of femininity, so we can’t expect social change for women unless men are willing to enjoy a glass of chardonnay every once in a while.