How do you review the arts? Well I guess one of the first steps to reviewing the arts is to look at the arts in a greater picture. What are the arts? In what sense does art exist, and what or how is art portrayed or perceived? Is art something in physical form that has been created right in front of you, such as a painting? Or can art be in theory, or perception as in the thought or ideals of what can be art? What is seen as art, and what is experienced as art. It’s clearly in the eye of the beholder. I will look at art and consider many different things as art, that many other people won’t. Yet given these greater ideas and views of art, a reviewer can complete a much more thorough, and interesting review for the reader. They might even be able to expand into territory that might not usually be expected of a review.
So you have to ask yourself what is art? The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language defines art as, “1. Human effort to imitate, supplement, alter, or counteract the work of nature. 2. The conscious production or arrangement of sounds, colors, forms, movements, or other elements in a manner that affects the sense of beauty, specifically the production of the beautiful in a graphic or plastic medium. 3. High quality of conception or execution, as found in works of beauty; aesthetic value. I think that these are some pretty good definitions of art, and could help in ones idea of how to review art. However I don’t know if there can be a solid definition of art, which also means that there isn’t really a solid way of reviewing the arts. Art can be created or art can be found and captured, then put on display. But is it only considered art when it is displayed? Just as Lippard discusses the notation of art and place, I think that the notation of art and place has an extreme amount of connection and presence within how art can be perceived. Art can be in a place or art can be the place itself. What a concept, its all in the perception of the viewer, and the given direction of the creator.
To review the arts there are many things to keep in mind, because in a review of the arts there are many things that are expected of the review to posses. The review ultimately becomes the reviewer’s perception of the art that had been experienced. Yet the review needs to be written in a way to inform an outside source of what is to be expected when attending the alleged form of the arts. For this aspect the reviewer needs to consider all that I had speculated above into their own perception. Then form an educated and consistently flowing base of knowledge to structure their review off of. You also really need to, no pun intended, paint a picture for the reader so they are able to get a sense of the experience you had. This is necessary for them to judge how they might react to this similar experience given their own perspectives. Oh and of course especially given the demands of our class you better have good grammar in your review.
Friday, May 16, 2008
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Harrison Haiku
In light of the adopt a trainstation program Columbia in partnership with Jones College Prep adopted the Harrison redline sataion. In the adoption of this largely used station the idea was to put an additional spin on the look and feel of the station. In attempts at making the Harrison station a better looking place the idea came about to put poetry on the walls of the station where you first walk in. The form of poetry came as haiku poems that were written by both Columbia students as well as Jones Prep students. there was also a shot at adding some colorfull designs along with the haiku poetry.
Although I think this instilation is largely over looked by passing commuters going in their verious directions. I guess this instlation was an attempt at trying to grab another piece of Chicago that lies in the columbia area and make it part of our own since many of us use it so often. How or why they came to the conclusion of using haiku as their instlation piece i am not sure i can only guess that, many other stations have their paintings, and we here at Columbia like to be different. The use of haiku is deffinatly a different idea, but there may be more to it. Are they trying to use poetry rather than paintings or pictures in a way to get the people who pass by to maybe take a moment to think, or think about it later? Or were they mearly trying to provoke more of an educated instilation, not that paintings or picutres are not educational.
With Harrison redline station being a dimmly lit grungy station you would think any kind of instlation would help, and i would say it would. Any kind of instlation might be able to distract yourself from at least the look of the environment around you untill you make it up those steps and back outside. How ever Columbia took an interesting approch to their instlation of haiku and colorfull designs. The use of vinyl stickers was an intersting decision for an arts college to use for an instilation, and for the colors I guess they our part of our columbia standard color pallet. Even though the instilation may have slightly helped the look of this part of the station i think that columbia fell short on what could have been possible for this space, not in what was done but how and with the materials they used. So in all i think that what columbia and Jones Prep have done here is a step in the right direction here, i think they still have a little ways to go in their instilation work for the station.
Although I think this instilation is largely over looked by passing commuters going in their verious directions. I guess this instlation was an attempt at trying to grab another piece of Chicago that lies in the columbia area and make it part of our own since many of us use it so often. How or why they came to the conclusion of using haiku as their instlation piece i am not sure i can only guess that, many other stations have their paintings, and we here at Columbia like to be different. The use of haiku is deffinatly a different idea, but there may be more to it. Are they trying to use poetry rather than paintings or pictures in a way to get the people who pass by to maybe take a moment to think, or think about it later? Or were they mearly trying to provoke more of an educated instilation, not that paintings or picutres are not educational.
With Harrison redline station being a dimmly lit grungy station you would think any kind of instlation would help, and i would say it would. Any kind of instlation might be able to distract yourself from at least the look of the environment around you untill you make it up those steps and back outside. How ever Columbia took an interesting approch to their instlation of haiku and colorfull designs. The use of vinyl stickers was an intersting decision for an arts college to use for an instilation, and for the colors I guess they our part of our columbia standard color pallet. Even though the instilation may have slightly helped the look of this part of the station i think that columbia fell short on what could have been possible for this space, not in what was done but how and with the materials they used. So in all i think that what columbia and Jones Prep have done here is a step in the right direction here, i think they still have a little ways to go in their instilation work for the station.
Unfamiliar Topics
In attempting to attend something out of my demographic, I wound up finding and attending a senior recital that was being held in the Columbia music center theater. It was here that I was able to experience a performance of some music that I typically would not have exposed myself to. With in this senior recital performance there were many songs that were performed, and many different genera's of music that had been covered. Everything from traditional jazz and blues to “All Night Long” written by Rick James and originally recorded by the Mary Jane Girls in 1983 and later rerecorded by Erykah Badu, to some classic Afro-Latin derived songs. It was some of these that had caught my attention the most, and made the largest contribution to my attendance of this show. Having the accompaniments of a full band which consisted of a full percussion section that consisted of a drum set and large alternative percussion section which is how they were able to grasp some of the true Latin feels to the songs performed. Just within this percussion section there were bongos, a guerra, and timbales, and many other traditional Latin percussive instruments. Aside from the percussion section in the band there was a full horn section which consisted of trombones, trumpets, and saxophones. Also in the band were a bass player who switched between electric and upright bass and two guitar players who played a verity of guitars to fulfill the requirements of the songs and genres. There was also a piano player who had a few electric keyboards allowing him to access different sounds of pianos and organs. One of the first songs played was “Mas Que Nada” which is a samba from Brazil. The Samba which has its origins as a couples danced in Brazil was well represented here even though there was no dancing due to the seating arrangements. However the samba was well represented in its traditional style here keeping true to the origins of samba. They also performed “Corcovado” which is a bossa nova song, which the musical style actually evolved from samba but is more complex harmonically and is less percussive. This was also well represented within its musical style. Over all this was a great experience to see a large variety of music yet such different demographics of music the styles within this performance that really caught me were the styles that derived from Brazil, Portugal and Cuba. After attending this performance and learning a little about some of these musical styles and cultures I will definitely search out some more performances of this genre, and I recommend the same to everyone else.
In attempting to attend something out of my demographic, I wound up finding and attending a senior recital that was being held in the Columbia music center theater. It was here that I was able to experience a performance of some music that I typically would not have exposed myself to. With in this senior recital performance there were many songs that were performed, and many different genera's of music that had been covered. Everything from traditional jazz and blues to “All Night Long” written by Rick James and originally recorded by the Mary Jane Girls in 1983 and later rerecorded by Erykah Badu, to some classic Afro-Latin derived songs. It was some of these that had caught my attention the most, and made the largest contribution to my attendance of this show. Having the accompaniments of a full band which consisted of a full percussion section that consisted of a drum set and large alternative percussion section which is how they were able to grasp some of the true Latin feels to the songs performed. Just within this percussion section there were bongos, a guerra, and timbales, and many other traditional Latin percussive instruments. Aside from the percussion section in the band there was a full horn section which consisted of trombones, trumpets, and saxophones. Also in the band were a bass player who switched between electric and upright bass and two guitar players who played a verity of guitars to fulfill the requirements of the songs and genres. There was also a piano player who had a few electric keyboards allowing him to access different sounds of pianos and organs. One of the first songs played was “Mas Que Nada” which is a samba from Brazil. The Samba which has its origins as a couples danced in Brazil was well represented here even though there was no dancing due to the seating arrangements. However the samba was well represented in its traditional style here keeping true to the origins of samba. They also performed “Corcovado” which is a bossa nova song, which the musical style actually evolved from samba but is more complex harmonically and is less percussive. This was also well represented within its musical style. Over all this was a great experience to see a large variety of music yet such different demographics of music the styles within this performance that really caught me were the styles that derived from Brazil, Portugal and Cuba. After attending this performance and learning a little about some of these musical styles and cultures I will definitely search out some more performances of this genre, and I recommend the same to everyone else.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Columbia
Columbia
Given the idea of finding something that represents Columbia, I could only think of how little time I spend at school aside from when I am in class. I have never lived in the dorms so I can’t say if I would have an ideal of Columbia if I had. So in thinking about this I started thinking about the things that I find unique about Columbia.
What has always been told and reinforced to us as students is that the city is our campus given the fact that we don’t have your “typical” kind of college campuses, and the fact that our buildings are spread out within downtown. So in that thought I would say to experience Columbia you have to experience the city and hit the streets but to really experience Columbia you have to experience the large and diverse student community we have here. Its when you experience the community we have here you will see what Columbia represents. The best way I can say to do this is once again to hit the streets around Columbia’s buildings because this is where we are given the fact that it’s not December, January, or February.
Here on the streets around Columbia specifically the 623 Wabash building the 600 Michigan building and 33 E Congress building. These are some of the areas where you will find painters, photographers, fashion designers, audio engineers, musicians, writers etc. etc. etc. It is also here where you will really get a good vibe of what is going on around Columbia hearing all these kids talking about their different projects and lines of work, to what going on around the city involving their work or other extra curricular activities.
When I think of how I could show someone Columbia this is how I would do it, because when I am here I am quite often closed off in a classroom or in the basement of the 33 E Congress building’s recording studios. However when I do make it out, I can run into friends and other students on the streets or outside some of these buildings and learn of what everyone is doing throughout the college and in some ways become involved with the rest of the Colombia community. That’s the best way I could put it is that we are a community of creative minds perusing our interests not a intuition of higher education…(yawn) boring.
Given the idea of finding something that represents Columbia, I could only think of how little time I spend at school aside from when I am in class. I have never lived in the dorms so I can’t say if I would have an ideal of Columbia if I had. So in thinking about this I started thinking about the things that I find unique about Columbia.
What has always been told and reinforced to us as students is that the city is our campus given the fact that we don’t have your “typical” kind of college campuses, and the fact that our buildings are spread out within downtown. So in that thought I would say to experience Columbia you have to experience the city and hit the streets but to really experience Columbia you have to experience the large and diverse student community we have here. Its when you experience the community we have here you will see what Columbia represents. The best way I can say to do this is once again to hit the streets around Columbia’s buildings because this is where we are given the fact that it’s not December, January, or February.
Here on the streets around Columbia specifically the 623 Wabash building the 600 Michigan building and 33 E Congress building. These are some of the areas where you will find painters, photographers, fashion designers, audio engineers, musicians, writers etc. etc. etc. It is also here where you will really get a good vibe of what is going on around Columbia hearing all these kids talking about their different projects and lines of work, to what going on around the city involving their work or other extra curricular activities.
When I think of how I could show someone Columbia this is how I would do it, because when I am here I am quite often closed off in a classroom or in the basement of the 33 E Congress building’s recording studios. However when I do make it out, I can run into friends and other students on the streets or outside some of these buildings and learn of what everyone is doing throughout the college and in some ways become involved with the rest of the Colombia community. That’s the best way I could put it is that we are a community of creative minds perusing our interests not a intuition of higher education…(yawn) boring.
Monday, April 14, 2008
Columbia Event #4
Building Pictures
I have always had an interest in photography as well as architecture, given this the gallery show Building Pictures, at the Museum of Contemporary Photography in the 600 S. Michigan Ave. building of Columbia College seemed like a great pick for something that I would be interested in seeing.
“Architects and photographers both transform space, yet they both approach their tasks from opposite directions.” Given this quote the difference between the two is existence or nonexistence, architects usually are looking for something that isn’t around and want to create it. Where as photographers are looking for images or spaces that already exist that they can capture. As soon as you walk into the gallery in the 600 Michigan Ave. building you are immediately confronted with six very large photographs, large enough to cover a wall. Each one of these photographs is uniquely capturing and portraying the structural magnificence, and architectural integrity of the buildings shown, along with the unique vision of the photographer. Given the photographers unique points of view some of these pictures are able to make a statement, some are there just to show the purity of an architectural structure. Others might challenge the way you might typically look at a building or an individual space, and some portray a time line of structural events.
Dionisio Gonzalez is one of the photographers who are exhibiting their work in this gallery, he is also one of the photographers who is making a statement with his pictures. Gonzalez uses his photography as a way to bring attention to the social issues that exist in the favelas, or shantytowns of Brazil. Gonzalez does this by taking his photographs of the favelas and placing modern contemporary architecture within the all ready cluttered shanties. It is said he has done this in a reaction to the governments Proyecto Cingapura project, which was supposed to re-urbanize the favelas and provide better living conditions but has come up lacking in every area that it has proposed. On the other hand photographer Terence Gower took a much less political approach to his work and instead portrays the work of architect Luis Barragan who used color in a way to transform style into a more rich experience. Barragan does this by portraying architectural spaces that may even look abstract in black and white photographs hung on brightly painted colorful walls.
I really enjoyed this gallery show and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys photography, the marvels of architectural structures and spaces, or even anyone how enjoys staring into a picture and imagining all the thousand words, and ideas a photograph can possess.
I have always had an interest in photography as well as architecture, given this the gallery show Building Pictures, at the Museum of Contemporary Photography in the 600 S. Michigan Ave. building of Columbia College seemed like a great pick for something that I would be interested in seeing.
“Architects and photographers both transform space, yet they both approach their tasks from opposite directions.” Given this quote the difference between the two is existence or nonexistence, architects usually are looking for something that isn’t around and want to create it. Where as photographers are looking for images or spaces that already exist that they can capture. As soon as you walk into the gallery in the 600 Michigan Ave. building you are immediately confronted with six very large photographs, large enough to cover a wall. Each one of these photographs is uniquely capturing and portraying the structural magnificence, and architectural integrity of the buildings shown, along with the unique vision of the photographer. Given the photographers unique points of view some of these pictures are able to make a statement, some are there just to show the purity of an architectural structure. Others might challenge the way you might typically look at a building or an individual space, and some portray a time line of structural events.
Dionisio Gonzalez is one of the photographers who are exhibiting their work in this gallery, he is also one of the photographers who is making a statement with his pictures. Gonzalez uses his photography as a way to bring attention to the social issues that exist in the favelas, or shantytowns of Brazil. Gonzalez does this by taking his photographs of the favelas and placing modern contemporary architecture within the all ready cluttered shanties. It is said he has done this in a reaction to the governments Proyecto Cingapura project, which was supposed to re-urbanize the favelas and provide better living conditions but has come up lacking in every area that it has proposed. On the other hand photographer Terence Gower took a much less political approach to his work and instead portrays the work of architect Luis Barragan who used color in a way to transform style into a more rich experience. Barragan does this by portraying architectural spaces that may even look abstract in black and white photographs hung on brightly painted colorful walls.
I really enjoyed this gallery show and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys photography, the marvels of architectural structures and spaces, or even anyone how enjoys staring into a picture and imagining all the thousand words, and ideas a photograph can possess.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Sicko
www.michaelmoore.com
In 2007 the controversial filmmaker Michael Moore came out with another film. Yes this was going to be one more film that was going question many things, and make a lot of people angry, because that’s what Michael Moore is good at. Michael Moore’s new film Sicko is a film that questions and looks at the United States health care system and compares it to the health care systems of other countries. From the beginning of the film you are shown a few people who have had some sever and unfortunate accidents that they either have to deal with on their own or go to the hospital and pay straight from their own pocket. I never really thought your middle finger could be worth sixty thousand dollars as we found when one gentleman needed to have that or his twelve thousand dollar ring finger. There are fifty million people in the United States that don’t have any health insurance and of the fifty million who are un insured eighteen thousand of them die per year uninsured, some major statistics here. However here is where Michael More made his point that this film is not about the fifty million who are uninsured, it’s about the two hundred and fifty million who are insured in the United States. Here is where the problems have started to begin. You would have thought being insured would cover any of your health problems. With the stories of a few different people Michael More takes us through the amount of problems or madness you could say when these people who have health insurance are denied coverage, denied full payment, or told they will only be covered if they use specific health care providers even in the case of emergency. Michael More uses all of this information and all these stories, specifically the story of two 9/11 volunteers who are now facing major respiratory problems due to everything they were breathing in wile doing what they could to help. Who’s insurance companies wont give them the correct help they need because it’s not covered. Michael More takes these stories and information and starts to explore how other countries health care systems work. Moore visits Canada, England, France, and Cuba well and if you saw the extra footage Norway who’s health care system made the systems of France and England look strict.
I have only seen two of Moore’s films yet I have always liked him not necessarily because of the work he does in film, but because of the fact that he causes people to become aware and look at different issues, and he makes people question them. He has done this in many ways one of witch he might be the best at is pissing people off, a lot of people don’t like Moore yet by irritating people and making them angry he still is able to make them aware of the issue he is getting across bring more light to it. It kind of goes along with the no publicity it bad publicity saying. I have seen Sicko twice and I think that it’s a good movie it hits on a major issue we have here. The issues of health care have long been around and effect us all, so I don’t why it isn’t more of and issue. We all are going to have to deal with it very soon if we haven’t already, being college students. Some of us have had to deal with finding our own insurance or taking the risk and not having any insurance, and some of us are still fortunate to be covered by our parents insurance.
In all I think that this was a good movie because it brings awareness to a good issue that needs more light shown upon it from somewhere other than the politicians. How ever for the actual aspects of the film there were some parts that I was off set by. I guess you could simply call it Moore’s film making style, but I don’t know because I didn’t remember some of these things in the other movie I saw by Moore. The things that got me were just some of the comedic portions, I actually like that he is able to add this aspect to a documentary and a serious issue I felt some of it was just stretched a little bit to much. The other thing that got me I guess even more so than the comical jabs and satirical humor was the sound track for the movie. It may have been this that actually made some scenes seem comical when they didn’t necessarily need to be. If there were anything I could object to or alter would have been the sound for this film.
www.michaelmoore.com
In 2007 the controversial filmmaker Michael Moore came out with another film. Yes this was going to be one more film that was going question many things, and make a lot of people angry, because that’s what Michael Moore is good at. Michael Moore’s new film Sicko is a film that questions and looks at the United States health care system and compares it to the health care systems of other countries. From the beginning of the film you are shown a few people who have had some sever and unfortunate accidents that they either have to deal with on their own or go to the hospital and pay straight from their own pocket. I never really thought your middle finger could be worth sixty thousand dollars as we found when one gentleman needed to have that or his twelve thousand dollar ring finger. There are fifty million people in the United States that don’t have any health insurance and of the fifty million who are un insured eighteen thousand of them die per year uninsured, some major statistics here. However here is where Michael More made his point that this film is not about the fifty million who are uninsured, it’s about the two hundred and fifty million who are insured in the United States. Here is where the problems have started to begin. You would have thought being insured would cover any of your health problems. With the stories of a few different people Michael More takes us through the amount of problems or madness you could say when these people who have health insurance are denied coverage, denied full payment, or told they will only be covered if they use specific health care providers even in the case of emergency. Michael More uses all of this information and all these stories, specifically the story of two 9/11 volunteers who are now facing major respiratory problems due to everything they were breathing in wile doing what they could to help. Who’s insurance companies wont give them the correct help they need because it’s not covered. Michael More takes these stories and information and starts to explore how other countries health care systems work. Moore visits Canada, England, France, and Cuba well and if you saw the extra footage Norway who’s health care system made the systems of France and England look strict.
I have only seen two of Moore’s films yet I have always liked him not necessarily because of the work he does in film, but because of the fact that he causes people to become aware and look at different issues, and he makes people question them. He has done this in many ways one of witch he might be the best at is pissing people off, a lot of people don’t like Moore yet by irritating people and making them angry he still is able to make them aware of the issue he is getting across bring more light to it. It kind of goes along with the no publicity it bad publicity saying. I have seen Sicko twice and I think that it’s a good movie it hits on a major issue we have here. The issues of health care have long been around and effect us all, so I don’t why it isn’t more of and issue. We all are going to have to deal with it very soon if we haven’t already, being college students. Some of us have had to deal with finding our own insurance or taking the risk and not having any insurance, and some of us are still fortunate to be covered by our parents insurance.
In all I think that this was a good movie because it brings awareness to a good issue that needs more light shown upon it from somewhere other than the politicians. How ever for the actual aspects of the film there were some parts that I was off set by. I guess you could simply call it Moore’s film making style, but I don’t know because I didn’t remember some of these things in the other movie I saw by Moore. The things that got me were just some of the comedic portions, I actually like that he is able to add this aspect to a documentary and a serious issue I felt some of it was just stretched a little bit to much. The other thing that got me I guess even more so than the comical jabs and satirical humor was the sound track for the movie. It may have been this that actually made some scenes seem comical when they didn’t necessarily need to be. If there were anything I could object to or alter would have been the sound for this film.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Block Party
Block Party
In Dave Chappelle’s Block Party you are able to witness Dave’s pursuit to bring together a community of people of all demographics to attend a free block party / Hip Hop show. Within the beginning of this documentary Filmed by Michel Gondry, you see Dave Chappelle as his humble self. You see him as the way he acts in his normal or somewhat normal life, yet he is still entertaining us. Dave travels around his hometown in Ohio looking for local residents to attend his block party. Not only is Dave looking for local residents, he is trying to get people who wouldn’t typically experience a Hip Hop show in Brooklyn, almost in a way to open people up to something new. Through all of this I feel you can get a better idea of who Dave really is, and to me he seems like a great person. I really like this film and the way it portrays Hip Hop culture. I do like Hip Hop although I haven’t really listened to it on a regular basis. However I have always had a familiarity with it. I am also familiar with the work of Mos Def and Talib Kweli, who both make up Black Star and represent some of the Hip Hop that I like the most. I have also heard of, and listened to at one time or another just about everyone else who was in this film. I guess I have somewhat of a different out look on this subject matter because of my involvement within music and the recording industry. As well as the fact that I have worked with different Hip Hop artists from all the different demographics that Hip Hop has. I also challenge my self to listen to different music and always keep an open mind to everything until I am able to hear it myself and create my own opinions. With that said I definitely think that Dave made great choices with the musicians that he gathered to represent Hip Hop.
After reading Dyson’s work I was just reminded of the constant argument that has happened time and time again with many different types of music. Dyson expresses what I would hope more people realize, and that’s that you can’t just generalize a style of music with an entire culture of people. Hip Hop/Rap music has been around for many years, and has many different demographics to it. You have to look deeper into it, into its origins where they can be traced back to, well Brooklyn, the hart of Jamaica, and the Afro-Latin styles of Caribbean music. I believe that Dyson would give Dave’s Block Party the seal of approval based on the representation of Hip Hop music that he created. I also think that Dave shares and or agrees with Dyson’s depiction of Hip Hop culture as well as most of the performers who were in the film.
In researching alternate reviews of block Party I came across a review by Ebert and Roeper which I couldn’t agree with any more, this review was found at http://tvplex.go.com/buenavista/ebertandroeper/mp3/060306-dave_chappelles_block_party.mp3 or searched for Block Party at www.rottentomatoes.com and clicking Ebert and Roeper’s review. Here they comment “the performers Chapelle uses are not from the hard edge of rap their not gangsters but accomplished musicians and created a harmonious spirit in Brooklyn despite the rain that day.” The only part of their comment I wasn’t crazy about was the statement “not gangsters but accomplished musicians” this to me just seemed like they didn’t get the message of the film. However Roper did say “I want to see another hour of Dave Chappelle’s Block Party.” There were also a few reviews that were poor given to the film, and what I gathered was that they were all responding on the footage of the film. Like “It looks like run-of-the-mill party videos shot by a drunk.” Quoted from Jim Lane of the Sacramento News & Review found on rottentomatoes.com. Although some people may not have like the footage, or possibly the mobility or unsteady shots given (Jim Lane) I on the other hand maybe through a biased view being a fan of Gondry’s work, felt that it just added to the experience and actually brought you further into the film as if you were there, rather than watching some over produced large budget style of concert footage.
Well I can definitely say I enjoyed this film, I also feel that Dave did a great job at representing Hip Hop, and delivering a fantastic set of performances to an audience who are new to the scene, or already fans. If anything I think Dave did a great job of taking viewers and opening up a different view about himself, a style of music and a culture that has gravitated around it.
In Dave Chappelle’s Block Party you are able to witness Dave’s pursuit to bring together a community of people of all demographics to attend a free block party / Hip Hop show. Within the beginning of this documentary Filmed by Michel Gondry, you see Dave Chappelle as his humble self. You see him as the way he acts in his normal or somewhat normal life, yet he is still entertaining us. Dave travels around his hometown in Ohio looking for local residents to attend his block party. Not only is Dave looking for local residents, he is trying to get people who wouldn’t typically experience a Hip Hop show in Brooklyn, almost in a way to open people up to something new. Through all of this I feel you can get a better idea of who Dave really is, and to me he seems like a great person. I really like this film and the way it portrays Hip Hop culture. I do like Hip Hop although I haven’t really listened to it on a regular basis. However I have always had a familiarity with it. I am also familiar with the work of Mos Def and Talib Kweli, who both make up Black Star and represent some of the Hip Hop that I like the most. I have also heard of, and listened to at one time or another just about everyone else who was in this film. I guess I have somewhat of a different out look on this subject matter because of my involvement within music and the recording industry. As well as the fact that I have worked with different Hip Hop artists from all the different demographics that Hip Hop has. I also challenge my self to listen to different music and always keep an open mind to everything until I am able to hear it myself and create my own opinions. With that said I definitely think that Dave made great choices with the musicians that he gathered to represent Hip Hop.
After reading Dyson’s work I was just reminded of the constant argument that has happened time and time again with many different types of music. Dyson expresses what I would hope more people realize, and that’s that you can’t just generalize a style of music with an entire culture of people. Hip Hop/Rap music has been around for many years, and has many different demographics to it. You have to look deeper into it, into its origins where they can be traced back to, well Brooklyn, the hart of Jamaica, and the Afro-Latin styles of Caribbean music. I believe that Dyson would give Dave’s Block Party the seal of approval based on the representation of Hip Hop music that he created. I also think that Dave shares and or agrees with Dyson’s depiction of Hip Hop culture as well as most of the performers who were in the film.
In researching alternate reviews of block Party I came across a review by Ebert and Roeper which I couldn’t agree with any more, this review was found at http://tvplex.go.com/buenavista/ebertandroeper/mp3/060306-dave_chappelles_block_party.mp3 or searched for Block Party at www.rottentomatoes.com and clicking Ebert and Roeper’s review. Here they comment “the performers Chapelle uses are not from the hard edge of rap their not gangsters but accomplished musicians and created a harmonious spirit in Brooklyn despite the rain that day.” The only part of their comment I wasn’t crazy about was the statement “not gangsters but accomplished musicians” this to me just seemed like they didn’t get the message of the film. However Roper did say “I want to see another hour of Dave Chappelle’s Block Party.” There were also a few reviews that were poor given to the film, and what I gathered was that they were all responding on the footage of the film. Like “It looks like run-of-the-mill party videos shot by a drunk.” Quoted from Jim Lane of the Sacramento News & Review found on rottentomatoes.com. Although some people may not have like the footage, or possibly the mobility or unsteady shots given (Jim Lane) I on the other hand maybe through a biased view being a fan of Gondry’s work, felt that it just added to the experience and actually brought you further into the film as if you were there, rather than watching some over produced large budget style of concert footage.
Well I can definitely say I enjoyed this film, I also feel that Dave did a great job at representing Hip Hop, and delivering a fantastic set of performances to an audience who are new to the scene, or already fans. If anything I think Dave did a great job of taking viewers and opening up a different view about himself, a style of music and a culture that has gravitated around it.
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