I've spent 7 years in Tucson, will be 8 before I leave, and I'm still learning some of the cultural differences between here and "back east"
Case in point: Nobody, except me, wears evening clothes (aka a tuxedo) to the symphony's opening night.
Neither way is clearly better, but one sure is strange to me!
Showing posts with label art. Show all posts
Showing posts with label art. Show all posts
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Joesler, who set Tucson's architectural "tone", featured in exhibition.
Driving or walking about Tucson's older neighborhoods, it's difficult not to see the influence of Josias Joesler. An eclecticist responsible for bringing "Spanish Colonial Revival" and "Pueblo Revival" style to Tucson, he is best known for St. Phillip's Church and Plaza, Broadway Village Shopping Center, and the Catalina Foothills Estates residential subdivision.
He's largely if not entirely responsible for the tendency in Tucson to make buildings appear older than they are. At his best, his works are near-paragons of the art of building with the desert landscape. At his worst, he was a pastiche artist. For better or for worse, he largely set the "tone" for development in central Tucson and the Catalina Foothills; many more "modern" developments including Casas Adobes Plaza show his influence. As reported in the Daily Star, through 21 August the University of Arizona Library's special collections department is featuring a Joesler exhibit, consisting of original plans, concept drawings, and photographs of his buildings.
He's largely if not entirely responsible for the tendency in Tucson to make buildings appear older than they are. At his best, his works are near-paragons of the art of building with the desert landscape. At his worst, he was a pastiche artist. For better or for worse, he largely set the "tone" for development in central Tucson and the Catalina Foothills; many more "modern" developments including Casas Adobes Plaza show his influence. As reported in the Daily Star, through 21 August the University of Arizona Library's special collections department is featuring a Joesler exhibit, consisting of original plans, concept drawings, and photographs of his buildings.
Saturday, April 04, 2009
The Phoenician audience isn't quite as naïve as I thought.
Before tonight, my last trip up to Phoenix's Symphony Hall was for Ning Kam as featured soloist followed by the
orchestra's rendition of the Ravel orchestration of Pictures at an Exhibition. Not only is that a poor choice for an orchestra of that size, but the performance was extremely ragged for a full-time, professional orchestra. Yet the audience was on its feet at the end. I may have been the only one still in my seat. It was as though they were applauding Ravel the colorist or the grandiosity of Mussorgsky's final movement or even hearing such a familiar work live, in their own city. The performance itself wasn't worthy of a standing ovation, and the piece is so established in the Romantic canon that the one cannot or oughtn't applaud the composition.
Rachmaninoff's Symphonic Dances received top billing tonight, but the real reason to go--and certainly the reason I drove all the way from Tucson!--was Time for Three and the concerto "4-3" composed for them by Jennifer Higdon. I have a mixed opinion of Higdon as composer but this work--a bluegrass hallucination of sorts, with nonstandard technique and at times nearly absent development in the first movement followed by a thrilling blitz of fiddle and bass and almost playful exchanges with the orchestra in the second--is a standout, proof that modern art music can be simultaneously adventurous and fun. (Look for a full review of the performance on Associated Content soon.) And at the end, I was one of the first to stand and applaud. But maybe a third of the audience, including many of the older attendees, remained seated and some didn't applaud. No boos, but the disapproval could be felt. One man of about eighty turned to the person next to him, asked, "you liked that?", and gave a thumbs-down with a surprisingly nimble flourish.
Signs of consciousness in the audience! I disagree with their opinion, but am pleased to see that Phoenicians don't elevate everything to the status of greatness. Judgement, taste, and controversy are both signs of and contributors to the health of the fine arts. However, at the end, there was a near-unanimous standing ovation for the Rachmaninoff. The performance was far better than last November's poorly-xeroxed Pictures, but nothing special. I know now that the Symphony Hall attendees aren't zombies; their standards are a different matter.
orchestra's rendition of the Ravel orchestration of Pictures at an Exhibition. Not only is that a poor choice for an orchestra of that size, but the performance was extremely ragged for a full-time, professional orchestra. Yet the audience was on its feet at the end. I may have been the only one still in my seat. It was as though they were applauding Ravel the colorist or the grandiosity of Mussorgsky's final movement or even hearing such a familiar work live, in their own city. The performance itself wasn't worthy of a standing ovation, and the piece is so established in the Romantic canon that the one cannot or oughtn't applaud the composition.
Rachmaninoff's Symphonic Dances received top billing tonight, but the real reason to go--and certainly the reason I drove all the way from Tucson!--was Time for Three and the concerto "4-3" composed for them by Jennifer Higdon. I have a mixed opinion of Higdon as composer but this work--a bluegrass hallucination of sorts, with nonstandard technique and at times nearly absent development in the first movement followed by a thrilling blitz of fiddle and bass and almost playful exchanges with the orchestra in the second--is a standout, proof that modern art music can be simultaneously adventurous and fun. (Look for a full review of the performance on Associated Content soon.) And at the end, I was one of the first to stand and applaud. But maybe a third of the audience, including many of the older attendees, remained seated and some didn't applaud. No boos, but the disapproval could be felt. One man of about eighty turned to the person next to him, asked, "you liked that?", and gave a thumbs-down with a surprisingly nimble flourish.
Signs of consciousness in the audience! I disagree with their opinion, but am pleased to see that Phoenicians don't elevate everything to the status of greatness. Judgement, taste, and controversy are both signs of and contributors to the health of the fine arts. However, at the end, there was a near-unanimous standing ovation for the Rachmaninoff. The performance was far better than last November's poorly-xeroxed Pictures, but nothing special. I know now that the Symphony Hall attendees aren't zombies; their standards are a different matter.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Chihuly's "Nature of Glass" installation at the Desert Botanical Garden
My first impression of the Dale Chihuly art-glass installation at the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix was that it in some ways reflects a "one size fits all" approach by the artist--brightly colored tentacles everywhere.
No, that was my second impression. My first impression was of the three yuccalike columns near the entrance, catching the sun at dawn; I was surprised that a sculptor could meaningfully add to the scene. I also had no idea a special exhibition was taking place; having never visited the DBG before and thinking them very well placed, I took the three yuccas as being part of the permanent collection.
Some of the pieces--squat agaves of two kinds, a yellow column, evocative of a saguaro, near the entrance, a giant alliumlike flower head on one of the paths--kept me from thinking the installation totally without context. And on reviewing my Kodachromes, which didn't all come out due to a failing meter battery, I've concluded that the exhibition is very well done. Even some of the one-size-fits-all elements, such as Chihuly's signature boats, take on meaning due to their context.
Those of you who don't ordinarily like abstract art will probably like this study of form in nature. The exhibition continues until May 31st; I recommend visiting before then. See my slide show on Associated Content for images and further reflection.
A post about art on a policy 'blog? Readers may find it strange, but the old-timers lead me to believe that this 'blog's doll-collecting, photo-enthusiast namesake would not have disapproved. And this installation is far more interesting than most of the happenings in Phoenix I report here!
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