Arrivederci!

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Short on time..

We've had a great time meeting more artists, dancers, musicians, etc. (most from the US)... our most learning likely came from the incredible Futurist exhibit at the Scuderie del Quirinale.
http://www.scuderiequirinale.it/

Here is the program for the exhibit. It's excellent and if you look up all the works you'll definitely learn a lot about cubism, futurism, etc.
http://www.double-vision.biz/Shortguide.pdf

Here's the new photo sets (to view as slide shows, just click on the slide screen icon to the right of each set):

Castle St. Angelo
http://www.flickr.com/photos/paulinej/sets/72157615683284700/

Trastevere - Gianicolo:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/paulinej/sets/72157615682817680/

St. Peter's / Vatican, part 2:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/paulinej/sets/72157615682634306/

Capitol Museum:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/paulinej/sets/72157615420289973/

Forum, Capitol and Coliseum:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/paulinej/sets/72157615194812901/

I think I've already posted links to the rest...

Futurism shedding more light on the debate...

Today we continued our research into the Futurist movement by attending Brian Eno's installation "Presentism" at the Palazzo Ruspoli, Rome. The program for this was very well written and I'll try to find a copy online as its explanations of Futurism were very articulate - here's a bit:

"the con-fusion between man and machine prophesised by the futurists led to the con-fusion between tradition and digital technology. Marinettie, who wanted to provide a soul not just to the crowds, but also to the industrial yards, to the trains, the transatlantics, the cars and the planes, entrusted the music to express the domain of the machines and the victory of electricity. We have to admit that the prophecy of the mechanic man has been completed: the man is not only 'composed' by objects realized by the technology and transplanted in his body, but he also uses machines as real prosthesis of himself; the computers and any other type of machine able to process informations are prosthesis of our mind, extension of our mental possibilties."

The installation greatly reminded me of the novel or phisolophical essay by Henri Bergson: Creative Evolution. Bergson explained human change by comparing essentially two metaphors: (1) watching a life through photo or film frames v. (2) seeing a life as a snowball that continues to roll down a hill - collecting ever more snow, etc. and subtly changing (but not removing) any parts of itself. I.e. westerner's attempt to force everything into concrete parts, moments in time, etc. v. an organic evolution. The installation, whether intentionally or not, really played with these two ideas. If you were focused on a tiny part of it and eventually changed your focus you might notice a change, but depending on memory, couldn't be sure. If you didn't notice a change, it was dramatic in most cases (i.e. a completely different color or design). However, if you simply took the entire video installation in, you could go for quite awhile without realizing that the installation as a whole or its parts had evolved. This is difficult to explain, but it was a brilliant use of timing and organic evolution.

Getting back the discussion of needing both creative / technical impulse coupled with financial support... I have yet to find a place where both are in equal or great enough amounts. (I sincerely doubt, though I do not know for sure, that the Futurist movement relied upon major funding.)

In Austria, what we discovered was that artists (dance-artists specifically) were expected to create whatever they wanted to, thus giving a sense - more so than in the states, i would say - that there was freedom in the arts. That said, their funding to do this work is based on the whim of a group of politicians. If funding is cut or moved to a different form of expression, that art is fully cut. (By funding, I mean a lot -- I just received an email for a new grant in San Francisco that will provide, if awarded, $250 per artist with an operating budget under $250,000.00! so ridiculous.. though it's better than $0) During the conference we attended, the Choreographic Platform Austria, someone finally asked the panel "Why are there only solos?" (as almost every piece in the festival was a solo)...to which an artist on the panel replied essentially that there were only solos because that was all that was funded by the Platform. There was no artistic reason and in fact most of the artists typically worked with groups. I couldn't help but wondering or comparing the merits of such a response versus the dedication of our dancers and collaborators to go on tour for 5 weeks without pay (versus 1.5 hrs from their home base for a weekend). Dedication to a vision and somehow making it happen v. a job. Or, in the case of much of what we're seeing in Italy - doing great artistic work, but doing so with forced content by a patron. In fact, I read recently that Michelangelo's family considered him no more than a blue-collared worker - a basket weaver in contemporary terms.

I don't know what the answer or ideal situation is. I found myself getting into conversations with Europeans about the fact that I only rehearse 3 hrs a week. The typical response was complete shock and "you cannot possibly make work with only 3 hrs of rehearsal per week!!". To which I'd defensively reply that I had to due to rental costs and competition for space and then I'd rationalize it by saying I used an intuitive method to choreograph. This is BS. I might work intuitively in practice to a degree, but never before have I said that. I use complex spatial designs, complex rhtymic sturctures and my work is conceptionally rooted in the struggle to determine which technologies are good extensions of human capabilities and which (i.e. facebook) limit our human abilities and interactions. However, I now realize, having had time away from the studio, away from the pressures of producing new works constantly, and having finally had time to reflect and think that I really have had NO time to reflect and think about what I'm doing or why I'm doing it for the past 5 years. Alas.. the debate over money v. creative necessity continues.

Speaking of Masterpieces

I usually tell everyone about this piece - The Listening Post.

It's the only other piece I've seen so far (oh, and maybe one of Pollack's giant murals), that has held my attention - both intellectually and emotionally, if you will - for the same length of time as today's trip to the Pieta.. David came close. There's also a couple dance pieces that I would include in the absolute Masterpiece list that I've seen including works by Nijinksy, Jooss, Taylor, Cunningham and Forsythe.

At any rate, if you ever have the opportunity to experience the Listening Post (which is coincidentally billed as the modern-day Sistine Chapel), please do!!!!!!! It is not something to be experienced through photos or video online, but live. Here is the info:

http://www.earstudio.com/projects/listeningpost.html

Dreams come true (at least for one of us)

Today was the fulfillment of a number of childhood dreams for one of DV's directors...and another phase in our ongoing debate of historically important art v. contemporary art and what the heck is virtuosity. (We'll be seeing the huge Futurists exhibit tomorrow).

First, the Vatican Museum is by far the coolest museum I've ever been to - even if most of its contents (and St. Peter's) may be stolen goods. It has EVERYTHING. Every kind of art. We got there at 10am and managed to avoid lines (due to a tip that if you go during the weekly 10am pope address, you will avoid lines). We walked for probably over 30 min once inside before reaching the Sistine Chapel. As with the David, nothing could have prepared me for the scale of this amazing room. I could draw (not well) the paintings in my sleep I've studied them so much, but to see how huge the figure are and how incredible the perspective is.. it's like these huge figures will just leap or fall out of the sky onto you! It also took a bit of time to realize that everything you were looking at and thinking it was carved or part of the architecture was really painted and flat. Crazy. Of course, knowing how much Michelangelo hated the project made me chuckle... knowing that he also didn't think he could paint also made me shake my head and laugh some more. You couldn't take photos in the Sistine Chapel, not that it would do justice anyway.


















We then spent a couple hours making it through just like 2 of the million galleries within the museum.. .the Animal Room, a sculpture area (one of many) and the Egyptian collection. They say it takes 2-3 days to make it through the entire museum and I believe it.

Next up, St. Peter's.























(to see it large, click here for the original web site: http://panathinaeos.files.wordpress.com/2009/01/michelangelos_pieta_5450_cropncleaned.jpg)

This place is impressive to say the least, but what blew me away the most - to be honest, it brought me to tears... and even thinking of it now, still does... was Michelangelo's Pieta. I've studied the Pieta and it's considered by most authorities worldwide to be the greatest sculpture ever created. Anyone can see this when viewing it from a technical standpoint. Just looking at Mary's fabric is enough to blow you away.

But more than the sheer technique, how anyone could create the Pieta is impressive...how a young man, at age 22 could do so in such a technically perfect manner and embody so much meaning about life, death, peace, love, devastation, tranquility - of a mother's loss of her son is just unbelievable.

Looking at the Pieta, you're overwhelmed first by the immense sense of loss. Of time being lost, literally slipping out of the Madonna's hands (in fact her left hand is seen up, as if both physically and metaphorically letting go)... you feel that this piece of marble will just melt or slip into time... though it's a fleeting moment that again contains all of these emotions... The other impressive feat, I think, is that this Pieta, more than any I've ever seen, is not about the crucified Jesus - it's about Mary. While Jesus' withered figure is part of Madonna's slipping fabric, the strongest point of this sculpture is her face. It's shrouded, but one can make it out and see that It is full of peace, acceptance and tranquility - it is the only aspect of the sculpture that seems that it will last all time rather than simply melt into an abyss of loss.

The other interesting thing is that in all the photos the Pieta looks large, heavy, but it's so small and fragile compared to the colossal David. Oh, it's just beautiful. You could take photos of the Pieta, but it's behind glass due to an attacker, so --they didn't really come out.

Anyway, here are more photos from the Vatican City (there were five architects involved with St. Peters, and Michelangelo is largely responsible for the gorgeous dome.. sadly most of my photos did not turn out as it was so dark). Oh, there's no descriptions, so I'd just watch the slide show. Most of the images are actually of floor mosaics that were just part of the Vatican Museum's decor. (Apologies for the awful photo of the famous Laocoon sculpture -- it was SO crowded).

Flickr Vatican slideshow: http://www.flickr.com/photos/paulinej/sets/72157615107319106/show/

A brief note about funding and the arts

There will be a long, critical essay - and likely a debate - coming at the end of this voyage regarding funding and the arts. While Sean and I disagree to a degree regarding whether funding or passion is more essential to quality, innovative artwork and a thriving scene, one thing we do agree on is that having both is best.

Having both is not so easy though and usually artistic restriction or censorship comes about through funding. We - contemporary, young artists - usually are heard saying "oh, things were so good back in the day".. often referring to such prolific times as the Italian Renaissance. Well.. having spent days now seeing the same Madonna and Child motif done by a zillion artists a zillion times over, I will no longer state such a thing! One could argue that the artists wanted to paint the same image over and over, but having read Michelangelo's diary years ago, I don't think that is the case.

I also discovered a new bit about the Sistine Chapel in my tour book today (which does not make me any the less excited to see it!), so I'll share, as it's relevant:

Essentially it begins by explaining that in the Sistine Chapel paintings, M. chose a punitive and terrifying god, as he was told to depict the stories of Genesis - all of them. "In real life, poor M. answered to a flesh-and-blood taskmaster who was almost as vengeful: Pope Julius II...he was intent on uniting Italy under the power of the Vatican, and was eager to do so by any means, including riding into pitched battle. Yet this 'warrier pope' considered his most formidable adversary to be M. Applying a form of blackmail, Julius threatened to wage war on M's Florence...unless M. agreed to return to Rome and take up the task of painting the Sistine Chapel ceiling.

A sculptor first and foremost, however, M. considered painting an inferior genre - 'for rascals and sissies' as he put it. Second there was the sheer scope of the task, leading M to suspect he'd been set up by a rival...[M considered it impossible, in fact, it being 135ft long x 44ft wide!!]..." six years later, it was done.

So... was he funded? yes. Was he incredibly gifted? yes... Was it what he wanted to be doing? absolutely not. nothing has really changed.

Or has it? that debate will have to wait.

Roma

Buon Giorno!

I'm too lazy at the moment (busy) to blog about all we've seen in really just a few hours, but there's stuff on flickr.


If you flip through them you can see the titles and descriptions... or you can view as a slide show...

So:
Photos with descriptions: http://www.flickr.com/photos/paulinej/sets/72157615070164978/

Slideshow: http://www.flickr.com/photos/paulinej/sets/72157615070164978/show/


Rome is crazy. Totally crazy, insane and wonderful. I'm conducting tons of historical research regarding things that have long-influenced my work and we've come across a number of Futurist exhibits, concerts, etc. 100 year anniversary!

Step by step sunset and a bit more research into the Renaissance

Mark Twain stated: “Far off in the Valley Lay Florence, pink, gray and brown, with the enormous ancient dome of the Cathedral dominating the center of the city like a big balloon; ...rising above the horizon a fringe of mountains surging on high. Sprinkled with enumerable white villas ... After nine months of familiarity with this panorama, I still believe as I did at first that this is the most beautiful image on the planet, the most enchanting to look at.”

Watching the buildings, river, mountains and sky change colors over the period of 2 hours was definitely a highlight and made up for the rest of the day of art history activities (or missed activities as the case sadly was for the Medici Capella).

Photos taken from Piazzale Michelangelo, unless otherwise noted.

FYI... those are snow capped mountains in the background and yes, people were sunbathing today along the Arno river. Like summer out.

Two views from the Uffizi Gallery's deck first...

















This is a reflection of the Duomo, but you can see the people standing at the top in it if you click to enlarge :)


Now the step-by-step....