Educating Rita

Educating Rita is a play written by Willy Russell originally intended to be preformed by two actors in one setting. The film version is directed by Lewis Gilbert in 1983, starting Michael Caine and Julie Walters.

Susan, who goes by the name of Rita, is a young working class woman from Liverpool seeking to educate herself and is assigned Dr. Frank Bryant, a university professor as her tutor. The film follows their relationship over the course on one year.

Dr. Bryant is an alcoholic past tenure who takes his teaching responsibilities lightly. Impressed and revived by Rita’s zeal for learning Frank begins to look at life differently. Rita finds that with Frank’s confidence and guidance she is introduced to a new lifestyle and new opportunities.

The story focuses on social and class differences. It is a story about self development as well as personal relationships.

A goal of mine for this year is to see as many ‘older’ films as possible. When Dr. J and I first started dating we went on a kick renting classics. If you have any suggestions of films that are oldies but goodies please email me!

Contemporary Art 2009

So it is the end of a decade, the end of 2009.

We had a lovely New Years Eve. I hope you did too.

Something that stood out for me in the last week of 2009 was how many people seemed ready to get it over with. Many times I heard a ‘good riddance’, ‘it can only go up from here’ type of attitude. Was it really that bad?

Does this photograph taken at the 53rd Venice Biennale this past fall “Death of a Collector” sums up the attitude of many in the art community?
When I first saw this on the September 2009 cover of Art in America, I thought it was brilliant.

Shown by the creative duo Elmgreen and Dragset, this installation, which includes the works of over 25 artists, is based in the home of art collector Mr. B (the subject of the pool incident). The mysterious Mr. B, is an archetype that embodies the stereotype of the idealistically wealthy art collector.  His home and collection are enviable.
Are Mr. B and his kind mostly face down after 2009?

Where are they selling off his collection?

Happy New Year and all the best in 2010!

Avatar

I have to preface this review by stating that I do not generally watch block buster films. Furthermore, I do not like watching 3D movies as I have convinced myself that they hurt my eyes.
I went to see Avatar because Dr. J said the monkeys would like it. When I found out it is 163 minutes long and rated PG-13 I was resigned to several restroom visits and questions during it’s run.
The film (in 3D) was simply the most amazing movie I have ever seen. I cannot imagine not seeing it in 3D as this film, above all others, was made to be seen and appreciated in this style.
Now the story line was amazing although not original. The most obvious comparisons are Dune, Dances with Wolves and The Last Samurai or according to my friend R. Man Called Horse and Little Man (which I have not seen). In short it is the classic tale of switching loyalties and falling in love with the ‘other’.
This story is inundated with Jungian theory. There are the classic Jungian Archetypes, the identification of the ego, personal unconscious and collective unconscious. The Jungian mythology based in the analysis of dreams, especially lucid dreams is essentially what the protagonist Jake Sully experiences when his two worlds commingle.

The indigenous people of the moon of Pandora are referred to as the Na’Vi and are a peaceful loving group. They are intrinsically naturally harmonious and spiritual beings. Capable of joining and feeling other beings they are prone to express “I see you” to encompass what we understand as love and connection.

In context to our world this movie has a strong anti war message. Set in the year 2154 the conflict involves U.S. Armed Forces aggressively seeking to destroy all that is essential to the spiritual well being of the Na’Vi.  This is done to satiate their desire to harvest the source of minerals inherent to Pandora which people on planet Earth value highly.

Avatar was a movie ten years in the making with a 300 million dollar budget. I didn’t realize that I was waiting for it but it was certainly worth the wait. I am optimistic that the themes in the film are well received and understood in the context that I believe James Cameron intended them. I am happy to say that we did not take a single restroom break. Finally, I look forward to seeing James Cameron win another Oscar.

It's Alive

There are many elements of Feng Shui that I incorporate into my home. Having things in the house that are alive is always a positive way to bring about healthy circulation of Chi (life force) energy. Growing things either for the sake of having living things or for purposes such as herbs to cook with or plants that promote clean air and detoxification is also a relaxing activity, if you chose to make it a mindful one.

I love these two products which incorporate unusual methods of having things growing in the home.

This Sky Planter by Patrick Morris made for Boskke has herbs growing upside down!

Dr. J and I have grown many varieties of herbs over the years in all seven spaces we’ve shared. No matter where we lived we have always had our top three: basil, rosemary and mint.

This Play Ground, Play Table by NOTHING dESIGN GROUP is a fantastic piece. Although not conducive to a home with young children (can you imagine!) it is a really cool idea- they make both a coffee table version as well as the desk/table pictured here.

Say You're One Of Them

Say You Are One Of Them is a collection of short stories by Uwem Akpan. Born and raised in Nigeria he studied theology at the Catholic University of Eastern Africa and became an ordained Jesuit priest. He received his MFA in creative writing from the University of Michigan. Mr. Akpan's story “My Parent’s Bedroom” received recognition for the Caine Prize for African Writing in 2007. His stories have received many accolades for their true exposure of life in Africa, amongst poverty and genocide.

His stories transformed me as they uncovered the realities of circumstances told from a largely marginalized perspective. Specifically, events are told from the perspective of not only an African writer, but from the view of children.


In this collection of five stories the one that still makes me cringe is the last one “My Parent’s Bedroom”. The first story “An Ex-mas Feast” was an amazing read. Told from the perspective of an eight year old boy resonated close to me. It’s portrayal of family life in a shack “which stood on a cement slab at the end of an alley, leaning against the back of an old brick shop” was detailed to the degree that I too wanted to hold the tarpaulin roof down and cover the children with the families only wet blanket. The despair and misery was palpable through Mr. Akpan’s talented writing and although I have physically been in an African shack (while on a work project in Swaziland) I have never experienced being in a shack like this until I read this story.

Molas De Panama

Central America is colorful by nature and encouraged by nature.

I traveled to Costa Rica in 2008 and was greatly motivated by the wonderful colors, fresh fruits, beaches and primary growth jungle which smelt of ancient divinity.

My parents were in Panama and sent us this post card which was the inspiration for this segment of ‘Farts and Crafts’.

Molas are traditionally made by women of the Kuma; an indigenous people of Panama and Colombia.

From the writings of Dr. Mari Lyn Salvador , curator of The Art of Being Kuna:


“The Kuna live in an area that includes a 140-mile stretch of rainforest on the mainland and a chain of coral islands off the Caribbean coast of Panama, from San Blas Point near the Colón side of the Panama Canal to Porto Obaldía near the Colombian border. Named San Blas by outsiders, the region is now called Kuna Yala, which means 'Kuna land.'”





The Kuna people originally painted elaborate geometric shapes on their bodies. After colonization they began to make these patterns onto fabric, particularly blouses.

Molas are layered pieces of fabric which are made using a reverse appliqué technique. Layers of different-coloured cloth are sewn together. Then cutting parts of each layer away, each edge is sewn down. Generally the more layers a Mola has, the more skilled the artisan. Depending on the complexity of the design a single mola can take up to six months to make.

Mola art is popular among apprecianados. Practically anywhere in Central America there are tourist shops that sell these as pillows, placemats or wall hangings. An authentic mola is one that has been worn as part of the traditional dress by a Kuna woman. Authentic molas, those not made for tourists, are distiguishable by several factors: they are sold in pairs, made up of the back and front of a blouse, and will show signs of fading and wear.

To achieve the effect of an intricate mola my artisans painted randomly within a rectangular perimeter onto tee-shirts.

Afterwards we sewed these mola inspired cut out designs, on top, to accomplish the look of this art form.

An interesting tidbit is that the Kuna people have a high rate of albinism which in Kuna mythology elevates one to the statues of dragon defender. I’ll have to research this one more!