Student artist displays work on Celtic-influenced manuscripts

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Senior Jacqueline Christensen opened her exhibit, “The Manuscripts of Mont-Saint-Michel,” on Monday April 24 in the Bridge Gallery. The show features Christensen’s research and recreations of Celtic influenced manuscripts from the French monestary. (Ellayna Fredericks/Staff Photographer)

Art history and French double major senior Jacqueline Christensen debuted her exhibition “The Manuscripts of Mont-Saint-Michel” on Monday April 24 as part of her senior thesis. For the past year, Christensen has been studying the Celtic influences on the monastery at Mont-Saint-Michel in Northern France. To take her research a step further, she curated an art exhibition to mimick the illuminated manuscripts created at Mont Saint-Michel, which reflect the different cultural influences through artistic elements and styles. 

Christensen’s interests and the path of her research came together naturally. Her thesis was inspired by her experiences studying abroad in France in spring 2016, when she visited the monastery at Mont Saint-Michel.

“I just had this incredible sense of belonging there. I felt so attached to the place and I didn’t know why,” she said. “The only other time I felt that way in the past was when I visited Ireland with my family.” 

The Celtic people are usually associated with Ireland, but in the Middle Ages groups of Celts migrated downward and settled in French monasteries. After being conquered by the Roman Empire, the Celtic people slowly converted to Christianity at their own pace, creating their own unique Christian practices. 

Realizing the potential connection between her experiences, Christensen chose to delve deeper into the history of Mont Saint-Michel, verifying that the monastery is historically representative of the convergence of Celtic influences and the Christian cult of Saint Michael. 

Christensen completed her thesis paper in the fall semester, but needed a way to continue her research into the spring. Upon the recommendation of a professor, she decided to use her skills in watercolor painting to further her studies. 

“I’ve always loved painting,” she said, “but I’ve never been able to really incorporate it into any of my academics.” 

At first, she was unsure on how to blend art into the thesis, but after stumbling upon images of the manuscripts created at Mont Saint-Michel, she could immediately recognize the Celtic artistry. These manuscripts acted as proof for her conjectures about the culture of the monastery. As a result, she decided to recreate them herself as a visual representation of all the work she had done for her thesis. 

The exhibition and Christensen’s research as a whole are an incredible testament to how art can enrich our understanding of people, cultures and academic fields. Using watercolor started as a casual suggestion from a professor, and ended up leading her to the proof that tied her whole thesis together. 

For Christensen, art is not only a key tool in exemplifying her claims, but also a source of personal fulfillment in being able to do something she loves. 

“It was an extremely fulfilling journey,” she said. “It gave me the opportunity to pursue a passion that I’ve always had in the academic context.”

But to Christensen, this exhibition is more than just a representation of her research—it’s an act of advocating and a form of support for the arts at Geneseo. Christensen is also the president and co-founder of the Art History Association, which has promoted other student exhibitions in the past. 

“I really wanted to take this opportunity [through the exhibit] to promote the arts and as president of the Art History Association, that has kind of been our goal,” she said. 

She even hopes that with enough student support, the administration will reinstate an official art department at Geneseo. 

“I wanted to take this kind of activist approach because there are so many art enthusiasts in this school, and I wanted to make a statement that the arts are still very much alive,” Christensen said.

Asher talks literature, ethics in new book

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Professor of philosophy and English Kenneth Asher gave a talk on his most recent book, Literature, Ethics and Emotions, on Saturday April 15. The book explores how literature contributes to our ethical understanding. (Annalee Bainnson/Assoc. Photo Editor)

Professor of philosophy and English Kenneth Asher gave an enlightening talk on Saturday April 15 regarding his new book Literature, Ethics and Emotions. 

Published in both England and the United States, in Literature, Ethics and Emotions Asher explores the question of how literature contributes to our ethical understanding—where philosophy cannot. In his book, he explored the works of several writers to argue that literary scholars should locate the answer to this question in the history of moral philosophy.

Of note, discussions in an English class often deal with dissecting the behavior of characters or—in the case of poetry—dissecting the “implied stance of the speaker,” according to Asher. Asher argued that both can be classified as a discussion of ethics. 

He believes that emotions are central to our ethical code and that literature can provide us with important emotional understanding.  

“Do we project ourselves into the other? Do we try to imagine what it would be like if we were in their shoes?” Asher asked. “Or do we undertake the more strenuous attempt of trying to imagine what it is like for the other to be in their own shoes? If the latter, does this entail a kind of arrogance on our part: the presumption that we actually could know?” 

Asher dedicates chapters of his book to authors such as D.H. Lawrence, T.S. Eliot, Virginia Woolf and George Bernard Shaw. He uses these modernist writers to explore how literature provides emotional understanding in practice.

“A reader’s response ought to be more spectatorial, one more of third-party understanding based on a regulated emotional response, rather than the tight identification that empathy as a kind of mirroring seems to encourage,” Asher said.

Where other philosophers tend to focus on the novel, Asher explores lyric poetry in Literature, Ethics and Emotions. The discussion examined Eliot’s “Four Quartets,” which explores the idea of the objective correlative, or a set of objects, situations or events that act as a formula for an emotion that the poet hopes to evoke in the reader. The phrase “I have measured out my life in coffee spoons” from Eliot’s poem “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock,” illustrates this. 

“So, perhaps our question might be recast to ask whether literature can alter character, with character understood to be the stable agent of action patterns,” Asher said.

The development of character—when construed as such—is a slow, arduous process of intellectual and emotional discrimination for which the growing child relies on parents, teachers and more broadly, cultural norms, according to Asher. 

“Gradually, one learns to detect the morally salient and what sort of response—both in kind and degree—is appropriate. The role of literature is to refresh and refine this set of responses,” he concluded. 

Asher certainly provided an interesting exploration of the nature of literature, the effect of media on our ethical and emotional responses and the ways in which literature can bring us together through the ethics and emotions embedded in written works.

Netflix series’ third season returns with flair, heart

The highly-anticipated season three of Netflix’s original series “Grace and Frankie” was released on the online platform on March 24 to an eager audience of bingers. 

The show, a quirky take on the trials and tribulations of our golden years, had an overwhelmingly positive reaction to its first two seasons. There’s no doubt that the show has star power, with four huge Hollywood veterans taking center stage: none other than Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, Martin Sheen and Sam Waterston play the series’ main characters. 

While a gang of older actors in modern and high energy plots is not completely unfamiliar, “Grace and Frankie” switches the script. The series’ titular characters, Grace and Frankie, have been left and divorced by their husbands, who have fallen in love with each other, leaving the two proud women to deal with each other.

The series’ first two seasons set the foundation of the show and dealt with reconciliation between all parties. By season three, Grace and Frankie no longer hate their husbands—or each other. Fonda’s uptight, organized martini-drinking Grace, and Tomlin’s artsy, down-to-earth pot-smoking Frankie have learned to appreciate each other, becoming best friends and confidants. And now Robert and Sol—played by Sheen and Waterston respectively—have settled into married life and patched up their families. 

In season three we see these hilariously charming characters grow beyond their archetypes as they encounter even more challenges. The usually proper Grace joins Frankie in launching a new business that sells vibrators designed for older women, and the usually stoic Robert retires and gets cast as the lead in a community musical. All the while Sol, a normally care-free spirit, has trouble leaving his law firm. 

These plotlines are veiled in comedy, yet do not fail to address the issues at their heart—the desexualizing of older women and fears of unfulfillment after retirement. While these issues seem to be geared toward older audiences—and they are, giving our grandparents the representation in media that they deserve—they are not issues that younger watchers cannot appreciate and learn from.

Aside from these important plotlines, season three serves up just as much comedy as before with genuinely funny dialogue and new characters. One episode features Grace and Frankie stuck on the floor for an entire day because “they’ve fallen and can’t get up,” and Frankie and Sol’s son Bud—played by Baron Vaughn—has a new girlfriend who has every allergy you can think of. 

While this season is not without its faults—the characters always seem to solve massive issues in tiny amounts of time—comedy is at its heart. With Netflix continually rolling out new original series, it’s easy for some to get lost in the crowd. 

“Grace and Frankie,” however, is clearly a standout. It’s funny without being cheesy, heartfelt without being soppy and proves that our older generations are just as young as they used to be. Fans are already waiting for season four.

Activist art exhibits promote sustainability for Earth Week

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Geneseo Environmental Organization is celebrating Earth Week with two art installations. The Extinct Animals Exhibit (above) and the compost exhibit aim to bring environmental awareness to the campus. (Annalee Bainnson/Assoc. Photo Editor)

If you passed by or stopped in the MacVittie College Union this past week, you probably noticed the eye-opening exhibits located in or around the area. 

Whether it was the paper tombstones in front of the gazebo or the stacked trash cans in the middle of the Union, you might have been wondering why they were there. 

These exhibits, along with other events during the week, are efforts by environmental groups on campus to promote Earth Week and the environmental problems we currently face. These art demonstrations illustrate two separate threats facing the Earth and our current lifestyle. 

The Extinct Animals Exhibit in front of the gazebo emphasizes the importance of protecting endangered species. The exhibition is essentially a lineup of paper gravestones, each portraying varied species and genus names of animals from different habitats. It's hard to predict just how many species are going extinct because there are still so many that have not been discovered by scientists, according to the World Wide Fund for Nature. 

The paper tombstones on the gazebo lawn roughly show the amount of species that go extinct every week. The species featured are all animals that have already gone extinct, such as the Brasilia Burrowing Mouse—which went extinct in 1960—or the Christmas Island Shrew—which went extinct in 1985. 

The gravestones were set up and created by the Geneseo Environmental Organization club on campus, which promotes environmentally friendly practices on campus. GEO co-president and geography major senior Victoria Roberts was optimistic about the potential response to the exhibit.

“Hopefully [the Extinct Animals Exhibit] raises awareness that the Environmental Protection Agency, and the protection laws for extinct species are really important and people will support it and realize how important it is,” Roberts said.

In addition to this exhibit, there was a compost sculpture placed in the Union. The sculpture was created to help students visualize how much trash the average American generates. 

“We’re trying to raise awareness that we have composting workshops on campus through the Office of Sustainability,” Roberts said. “We’re also trying to show that composting is a really great thing and it’s super easy.” 

The sculpture is made up of empty garbage cans stacked on top of each other to compare the average annual trash output of a typical American versus the annual trash output of an individual who recycles and composts. As you can guess, the side of the sculpture that represents the latter is significantly smaller. The other side, on the other hand, is about three times as big.

The trash cans were also on display during Geneseo’s Campus Canvas, an artistic festival on campus from two weeks prior. 

“I think a lot of people were staring at the [trash exhibit during Campus Canvas],” Roberts said. “It’s not pretty, but I think it gets the point across.” 

Overall, with the help of the Office of Sustainability and other organizations on campus, GEO strived for their Earth Week programs to make a difference in the campus community. 

“I really hope that these art exhibits draw attention to the environmental problems and in a visually appealing way draw attention to environmental issues,” Roberts said. “I also hope that they grab people’s attention and alert them to what’s happening on campus and globally around the world … and gets them psyched about Earth Week.” 

Multiple events are to be held throughout the rest of Earth Week; be sure to check out these intriguing exhibits before they’re gone.

Flute choir welcomes spring with pop culture, upbeat tunes

In addition to the Easter weekend festivities, the Flute Choir at Geneseo welcomed in the spring season on Saturday April 15 with their annual concert: Flute Day. 

Every year, the choir of flautists put together a showcase of music for their friends and family, with a reception to follow. 

The concert was casual; it was more like a celebration or a gathering of friends than a formal performance. Choir member and English adolescent education major senior Catherine Blaszak kicked off the concert by saying, “Please, help yourself to some food, this isn’t formal … [We’re just going] to play a bunch of songs that we have fun playing.” 

Having fun is the main goal of the group, according to Blaszak. The nine members of the choir each have varying levels of experience; they joined the choir to play the flute in an accepting, stress-free zone. There are no auditions; all you need is a flute, some basic musical literacy and a willingness to learn.

The program was as light and upbeat as a spring day, and reflective of the group’s interests. 

“The music is a bunch of movie and Disney stuff because that’s what we like,” Blaszak said. 

They kicked off the concert with a Beauty and the Beast medley. The sound of nine flutes playing in harmony was enchanting, complemented by the sound of the light rain drizzling outside. The Beauty and the Beast tunes were followed with two companion pieces, “Enchanted Eggplant” and “Dance of the Radishes;” the first was a whimsical waltz and the second a more upbeat and springy tune. Both featured a piccolo played by mathematics and adolescent education major senior Jackie Pfaltz. 

Next came a piece that was new for the group: “I See the Light” from the Disney animated movie Tangled. The piece was filled with long, sustained notes and rocking melodies, conjuring the movie’s well-known romantic boat ride scene. The sound was impressively full and rich, despite the flute’s high register. Other popular Disney pieces were to follow, and soon the audience was mouthing the words along with the music.

In addition to songs from movie soundtracks, the group performed more classic tunes as well. One notable piece was “Jupiter,” from the famous orchestral suite “The Planets” by Gustav Holst. They also included a few Irish pieces, one of which was called “Rose Cottage,” which contained intricate moving parts under a beautiful Irish melody. The other was a medley of popular Irish songs, including “Danny Boy.” The choir ended their performance with an audience favorite, a musical medley from the Harry Potter movie series. 

After snapping a few pictures together, the audience and the choir enjoyed pizza, cookies and refreshments. As the group chatted with the audience members, Blaszak and Pfaltz talked a little more about what the Flute Choir at Geneseo is all about. It was clear that the club is more than just a choir; they’re there for each other as friends, too. 

“We’re all a good group of friends,” Blaszak said. “We had a movie day the other week, and just hung out and laughed.” 

Pfaltz agreed, saying, “I think that kind of just sums up the vibe of the club. It’s very much an inclusive and safe environment … and we just love playing the flute.”

Cosby’s books independent of author’s criminal allegations

Hop on Pop. James and the Giant Peach. A Wrinkle in Time. Harry Potter. Some of our favorite childhood stories have earned a spot on the American Library Association’s list of Frequently Challenged Children’s Books, and Bill Cosby’s Little Bill series is next. 

The list is based off “reports from libraries, schools and the media on attempts to ban books in communities across the country,” according to the ALA. While the ALA does not endorse the banning of these books, they compile such lists to “inform the public about censorship efforts that affect libraries in schools.” 

In 2016, the ALA found that Cosby’s Little Bill children’s book series was one of the top 10 challenged books that year. The series was challenged so often due to “criminal sexual allegations against the author.”

The book series, which has also been adapted into a successful children’s television show, is centered on Bill Jr., a five-year-old black boy living in Philadelphia. The series’ placement on the list of challenged books is highly unusual since it is the first book to be challenged solely due to issues with its author rather than its content, according to The New York Times. 

This leaves us with one question: do Cosby’s books deserve to be taken off the shelves because of the allegations made against him? 

On one hand, the books themselves are innocent—they do not include any questionable or inappropriate content. In fact, the books—which are made for beginner readers—teach valuable lessons on everything from lying to imagination to taking turns. 

This separation of creator and content calls to mind recent issues with Nate Parker’s The Birth of a Nation and Casey Affleck’s Manchester By The Sea. Both films, despite the valuable content they portrayed, were boycotted due to Parker and Affleck’s previous sexual harassment charges.  

The issue with the Little Bill series is perhaps more complicated considering Cosby’s young character seems to reflect the comedian himself. Bill Jr. shares the author’s name and hometown of Philadelphia, which suggests that Little Bill is a younger version of Cosby. 

When the actor was one of the world’s favorite comedians, this parallel was charming and inventive. Now that Cosby’s skeletons have emerged from the closet, however, parents seem to believe that reading his books is akin to justifying his actions. 

What some fail to realize, though, is that many beloved American authors—like Thomas Jefferson—have just as alarming backgrounds as Cosby, if not worse, yet we still rank them as some of our country’s best and brightest. It’s now known that Jefferson often raped his slaves, but we still recognize him as one of our great Founding Fathers and study his writings. 

The fact remains that Cosby’s books are valuable tools that teach young readers a variety of lessons, not to mention that they provide representation for black youth. If we choose to ignore the pasts of some authors in order to preserve the value of their work, we must do the same for all artists.

Met to include indigenous art in American wing

For decades now, New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art has placed authentic Native American art in the indigenous wing of its museum, beside works from Africa, Oceania and the Americas. Such placement of Native American art has become a recent issue, and the Met has finally decided to place these works in its wing of American art. 

For years, art by Native Americans wasn’t typically included in museums, according to The Smithsonian. Instead, the works were valued not for their aesthetics, but for their ethnicity. As a result, these works were commonly placed in natural history museums as opposed to national art museums.

The location of such works often confuses international art enthusiasts. 

“They go through and expect to see Native American work here,” American wing curator Sylvia Yount said to The New York Times. “Because often where they come from, indigenous art is part of the narrative of a nation’s art, in a way that it’s not in the United States. We’re really behind the curve.”

The Met’s decision to rearrange their American wing was made when Charles and Valerie Diker—owners of one of the largest country’s private collections of Native American art—donated 91 Native American pieces from various locations and time periods to the museum. Along with 20 other previous works donated by the Dikers, these pieces will be featured in a mass exhibition set to debut in 2018. 

“We always felt that what we were collecting was American art. And we always felt very strongly that it should be shown in that context,” Charles Diker said to The New York Times.

One of the newly located pieces includes a jar created by the Hopi-Tewa potter, Nampeyo. Other pieces include an 18th century Tlingit dagger with a face-shaped hilt and a painted shield by Hunkpapa Lakota master Joseph No Two Horns from the Standing Rock reservation. 

These works will now be shown beside the works of celebrated American artists, such as portraitist Gilbert Stuart and Jon Singer Sargent. The Met’s goal for the rearrangement is “to display art from the first Americans within its appropriate geographical context.”

Twenty pieces of Native American art from the Dikers have already been moved to the American wing, as they serve as a preview for the upcoming unveiling in 2018. The combination of pieces has already shown some interesting and new perspectives.

A John Trumbull painting of George Washington and his slave Billy Lee is now located next to an Iroquois pouch, drawing parallels between Native Americans and enslaved individuals. This relationship—which is shown by so many works in the updated American wing—is one of the many ways “to complicate the narrative,” Yount said.

Other museums such as the Denver Art Museum and Art Institute of Chicago have notable Native American art collections, but have yet to separate them from their ethnological ties. Although the Met’s inclusion of the Native American art in their American wing is a step forward, curators admit that there is still a long way to go until the value of the Native Americans’ art is given its justice. 

Still, it’s nice to know that with the help of the Met and the Dikers, often-neglected cultures—like that of the Native Americans’—can finally be recognized in an artistic setting.

Award-winning dance company celebrates Indian heritage, culture

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Mystic India dance company performed on campus on Saturday April 15. The company merges past and present Indian culture in their brilliantly choreographed dances. The performance was the final show in Geneseo Campus Activities Board’s Limelight and Accents series. (Ash Dean/Photo Editor)

Hosted by Limelight and Accents, the award-winning Mystic India dance company blew Geneseo audiences away with a high-energy performance on Saturday April 15. 

The company uses a combination of traditional Indian dance and modern movement, and founder Amit Shah maintains the company by incorporating new Western influences as the company grows. 

Mystic India has received international acclaim in North America, Europe, Africa and Asia as the first United States-based Indian dance company to make this kind of impact on such a large scale. Famous Bollywood icon Farah Khan praises Mystic India, describing their performances as “visually grand and dynamic” and “a kaleidoscope of color and beauty.”

“Their choreography is even better than in the films,” Khan said.

There were several sections to Mystic India’s showing in Geneseo, each showcasing a different facet of Indian culture. Live narration was given before each piece to explain the story behind the dancers’ movements. 

The show opened with the story of Ganesha, the remover of all obstacles. Ganesha is the Indian god of wisdom; over the years, he has become a common symbol of Hinduism. Dancers came on stage in beautifully elaborate and colorful traditional Indian clothing. The dance itself was traditional, with cultural music and movements. The women wore bells on their ankles, which made their movements percussive and attention grabbing. 

The next piece was based on Holi, the festival of color in which children throw colored powder at each other in a celebration of color and life. The dancers in this number wore different colored costumes and threw glitter at each other and even into the audience. 

The next two parts of the performance were dance numbers that doubled as scenes of a play, the first of which told the story of Radha Krishna, two Hindu gods that represent masculinity and femininity. The performers—as well as the live narrator—did a beautiful job of portraying this love story and the classic Indian folktale. 

The second part was a recreation of the history of King Akbar, the third ruler of India during the Mughal Dynasty. He is known as a force of equality because he created his own religion: “a religion of God.” 

Soon, the dancers returned to the stage with explosive energy. In this section, they portrayed the different subcultures among the villages of India, illustrating both the similarities and differences between these Indian cultures. The style of dancing, tempo and clothing varied for each subculture, and the dance incorporated Bhangra, a style of dance traditional to the Punjab region of India typically performed to the beat of a drum.

The performance then morphed into a much more modern form of dance. The performance became Westernized, but still showcased Bollywood culture. The choreography and costuming also appeared to be more sexualized and flashy, showing how Western ideas and modern pop culture has been integrated into traditional Indian culture. 

Mystic India was a spectacular show with an eclectic collection of numbers. The choreography, music and beautiful performers took the audience on a stunning journey through Indian culture and history.

Annual art history symposium celebrates student scholars

Geneseo’s Department of Art History and the Art History Association celebrated its best and brightest scholars on Friday April 7 at its eighth annual Art History Symposium.     

The afternoon consisted of one guest speaker and five student speakers who presented on their respective research efforts, culminating in the gift of the Pam Eder Memorial Art History Prize awarded to one hard-working student. 

Guest speaker Rachel Kousser—a current professor at Brooklyn College and the Graduate Center at CUNY—gave the audience an explanation of her paper, “Black is Beautiful: The Materiality of Sculpture in Hellenistic Egypt.” Kousser’s interest was sparked when “the dark stone queen” was discovered during an underwater excavation. The statue is an intriguing mixture of ancient Greek and Egyptian styles, and made of a dark stone material. 

Kousser soon set out to find an explanation behind this combination of styles and to answer the question, “Why is black beautiful in Hellenistic Egypt?” Kousser has just released her book, The Afterlives of Greek Sculpture: Interaction, Transformation, and Destruction, which goes into more depth about how the ancients used their sculptures in their everyday lives. 

English major sophomore Raina Salvatore followed Kousser with her own presentation, entitled “Rape Culture in The Rape of Europa.” Titian’s painting The Rape of Europa draws on Ovid’s Metamorphoses, in which the Roman god Jupiter disguises himself as a bull to lure the young and innocent Europa, subsequently raping her. 

Salvatore argues that the painting places the blame on Europa in addition to normalizing the action of rape. She also maintains that scholars tend to treat Titian’s painting as an erotic work, which continues to sexualize rape instead of condemning it. 

Taking a different turn, history major and museum studies minor senior Caleb Weissman followed Salvatore, presenting his research, “Contemporary Art and the Environmentalist.” In his research, Weissman examines two current artists—Olafur Eliasson and Edward Burtynsky—whose works serve to send messages about environmentalism and sustainability. 

Weissman argues that although Eliasson and Burtynsky use very different means—Eliasson with his manipulation of man’s relationship with nature and Burtynsky with his photographic projects—they both work toward the same goal. Weissman ultimately makes the conclusion that although these artists are doing noble work, they require an already dedicated environmental audience to get their point across. 

Art history major senior Alexander Shaw presented his research on “Men in Advertising: How Media Objectifies Men.” He argues that while there is clear sexism directed at both men and women, objectification of men is less recognizable. In his essay, Shaw examines six decades’ worth of advertising, tracking the changes in how society has dictated the way men should look and act. He finds a correlation between this “forced masculinity,” and the recent influx of self-objectification, eating disorders and depression in adolescent males. 

Following Shaw was art history major and French minor senior—and winner of the Pam Eder prize—Olivia Morris. Morris’ paper, “Dear Antigone: Female Artists, Trauma, and Mental Illness,” looked at how three artists—Camille Claudel, Romaine Brooks and Frida Kahlo—translated their own personal trauma into their work. She finds that although each woman treats their personal issues differently—Kahlo does so head on, while Brooks denies it vehemently—their works all bring their past emotions into the present and act as a vessel for indescribable feelings. 

The last student scholar, communication major and art history minor senior Megan Erickson, gave a presentation on her work, “The Representation of Motherhood in Art.” Similar to Shaw’s work, Erickson also followed a progression of how motherhood has been represented from past to present, with a focus on how modern women fuse their work with their role as a mother. She concludes that depictions of motherhood have come a long way, as contemporary art showcases both the positive and negative aspects of the job. 

The symposium came at the perfect time, as students are drowning in work and busy studying for finals. Hearing the success of fellow students is the encouraging push we need to get us through to May.

Legendary comedian Don Rickles dies, leaves behind witty legacy

Hollywood suffered another true loss. At 90 years old, legendarily abrasive comedian Don Rickles died in his home in Beverly Hills on April 6 due to kidney failure, as confirmed by his publicist Paul Shefrin. Rickles is survived by his wife Barbara Sklar and his daughter Mindy Rickles.

After serving in the navy during World War II, Rickles followed in his father’s footsteps, working in the insurance industry after the war. He quickly discovered, however, that insurance wasn’t for him, and instead pursued acting. 

He attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York, but found pursuing acting to be difficult, so he turned to comedy instead. 

Rickles’ career spanned an amazing 60 years, his hilariously crude humor and wild insults never getting old. He appeared on television and in movies, but mainly at nightclubs where he would hurl insults at audience members without holding back.

His fame began to flourish when he met singer Frank Sinatra—member of the musical group The Rat Pack—at Slate Brothers nightclub in Los Angeles. The two became fast friends, as Sinatra helped Rickles gain fame. Rickles then went on to use America’s favorite singer as a punching bag in some of his most successful routines.

After a decade of Las Vegas performances, Rickles finally broke free from typical nightclub appearances. He landed his first film role in 1958 in director Robert Wise’s Run Silent, Run Deep. In addition, he found himself in some guest appearances on television programs, such as “Bikini Beach” and “Beach Blanket Bingo.”

Rickles really broke out into television in 1965, when he appeared on “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson” and later Dean Martin’s comedic roasts. He even tried his hand at a variety show in 1968 and a situational comedy in 1972, both called “The Don Rickles Show,” though they were both short-lived, along with 1993 sitcom “Daddy Dearest.” 

Despite his success, Rickles’ comedic style was not always favored. In the 1970s and 80s, his crude humor was not popular. Just as his fame seemed to be waning, however, a new generation of comedians burst onto the comedy scene to compliment Rickles’ signature style. 

Later in life, he starred in Martin Scorsese’s Casino with stars, such as Robert De Niro and Sharon Stone. Some modern audiences might also know him as the comical and outspoken Mr. Potato Head in Pixar’s Toy Story films. 

Rickles also published a memoir, Rickles’ Book, in 2007, which was later the subject of an HBO documentary titled, Mr: Warmth: The Don Rickles Project. The documentary won an Emmy award, and Rickles gained a new nickname that stuck—Mr. Warmth. 

While Rickles began to suffer from health issues, he never stopped working or performing in his own shows, the occasional concert and television appearances. He even appeared as one of the last guests on the “Late Show with David Letterman” in May 2015.

Whether it’s for his irresistibly funny insults or his hilariously cranky Mr. Potato Head, Rickles is sure to be remembered as one of comedy’s greats.

Artist Honl uses geometric forms to translate community, human feeling

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Ellie Honl’s exhibit “Sheltered Strategies” opened in the MacVittie College Union’s Kinetic Gallery on April 5. Honl uses geometric shapes to convey themes of community and raw human emotion, and her collection moves in a cycle around the gallery. (Ash Dean/Photo Editor)

The newest exhibit in the Kinetic Gallery is a captivating display entitled “Sheltered Strategies” by Ellie Honl. Located in the MacVittie College Union, the exhibit made its Geneseo debut last week on April 5. 

The depiction of geometric structures, or shelters, is the central theme tying the collection together. Using this link, the pieces make up a sort of sequence or cycle around the gallery, telling a story. 

The shelters are pictured in clusters resembling groups of homes, as they present the concept of a community. At the start of the cycle, the shelters are pictured as some type of environment of adversity. 

The first piece is titled “Abandoned,” as it features a dilapidated structure with broken windows. Honl uses mixed media; the shelter made of stiff wood and plastic is set against a softer printed background. In “Abandoned,” the background is made up of reddish, watercolor-like hues and a large dark shadowy mass, which seems to be encroaching upon the run-down structure.

The following pieces in this leg of the sequence depict other structures in various predicaments; some are being swept away by murky waters or battered by winds. By the time the viewer comes to the end of this row of pieces, there is a shift. 

The last picture in this phase is titled “Fortified” and depicts a cluster of shelters, but this time is protected by a sturdy wooden wall and a moat. The drawbridge of the wall is lifted, protecting the shelters from the ominous shadows swimming just outside the barricade. 

The next two pieces show the shelters against a dark, solid blue background, stark and strong. This sets off the next part of the story, where the shelters start to strengthen and even fight back against the opposing forces of nature. Some of the shelters are up on stilts to rise above the dark shadows, while others are thrusting wooden spears against the darkness to fight it off. Some are even flying through the air, firing ammunition against a dark turbulent force. 

One notable piece is titled “Going with the Flow.” It shows the structures inside of a boat, floating atop a dark sea. Instead of being beat down by the world, the shelters are now holding their own. 

The final piece in the sequence is “Acceptance,” the only piece without any geometric structures in it. It depicts a brightness that looks like clouds in the sky. There are no shadows and no structures—none of the chaotic darkness shown in the other pieces. By the end, the shelters have finally done their job.

The shelters in this collection make for an interesting subject. They are almost personified; they are rigid and stark, but somehow they seem to possess emotion, as the viewer sees their battle with their environments. We feel for the poor houses. 

But in the real world, it’s not our buildings and homes that battle life’s ups and downs—it’s the human beings living inside them. This collection recalls those who are without homes, whose shelters have been taken from them by natural disaster, war or poverty.

Honl’s work is created based on how people react to trauma in their lives and the coping mechanisms they use. In her creative research, she utilizes theories about human defense mechanisms from Sigmund Freud, as well as other current theories. Honl’s chaotic landscapes and backgrounds are a metaphor for the uncertain and unreliable circumstances of life. 

Human psychology may be a dark and touchy subject for some, but the light color palette and simplicity of these pieces make these issues more easily consumable. It gives the viewer a way to contemplate these ideas openly and comfortably. 

As she has portrayed through this collection of artwork, Honl hopes that, “if we confront and effectively cope with our circumstances, we will become stronger and more resilient as individuals and as a society.”

Netflix’s “13 Reasons Why” glamourizes teen suicide

Netflix original series have completely revolutionized the television industry as we know it, as the online platform continues to produce hit after hit. Most recently, Netflix has begun adapting well-known books into television series. Earlier this year, viewers saw the release of “A Series of Unfortunate Events” and now, a re-working of Jay Asher’s Thirteen Reasons Why.

“Thirteen Reasons Why” was released as a television series by Netflix on March 31. The series, based off Asher’s New York Times bestselling novel, follows the point of view of high schooler Clay, who was allegedly involved in fellow classmate Hannah’s choice to commit suicide. 

Hannah leaves behind 13 cassette tapes, each describing a person who contributed to her death, and creates a makeshift scavenger hunt around her hometown. Clay is given a map and ordered to travel to each of the places Hannah describes, all while listening to her voice on an 80s-inspired vintage cassette tape as Joy Division and The Cure drearily play in the series’ soundtrack.

The series has gained mass following and rave reviews, but it is also a perfect illustration of a story that glamorizes suicide. While it is based off Asher’s novel, the Netflix adaptation goes even deeper to create a beautiful, romantic 80s essence around a subject that is neither of these things.

A story about the impact of a person’s death is an incredibly harmful one to impressionable viewers and readers. While the knowledge that Hannah’s death had such a wide impact on her high school peers may be sadly comforting, this is something that Hannah will never be able to experience. This concept is widely overshadowed. As Hannah’s voice is narrating throughout the entire show, it gives the eerie illusion that she is still present.

Furtherwmore, while creating a story of the impact of someone’s death is one thing, blaming others for an essentially personal decision is on a completely different level. As Hannah chose each of her “13 reasons,” she points fingers, creating a lifetime of guilt for 13 people. 

She even threatens to release the tapes to the public if the people who are mentioned on tape do not follow her exact instructions. This aspect of the story highlights the overarching theme of vengeance and manipulation, rather than mental health or suicide.

It may come as no surprise since this book was widely successful when it was first published, to the point where it has finally made it onto the small screen. The concept of “Thirteen Reasons Why” is incredibly enticing due to the mystery and the taboo behind what causes someone to take their own life. 

When it comes down to it, however, the reason behind someone taking their own life is no one’s business other than their own. This is something that the book, and now television series, tragically fails to capture.

As a serious matter, presenting suicide in a juvenile manner to many impressionable viewers is nothing short of irresponsible. 

With the national suicide rate being at an all-time high in the past 30 years, it is disappointing to see that the Netflix producers saw this book as a lucrative business opportunity when in actuality it is triggering. “Thirteen Reasons Why” may be a huge hit as a Netflix original show, but it will unquestionably contribute to our culture’s fascination with mental illness in all the wrong ways.

Indie artist tackles issues of mental illness

Singer-songwriter Aimee Mann has been a force on the music scene since her initial debut in 1982 with the band ’Til Tuesday, and the release of her first solo album, Whatever, in 1993. Mann has just recently released her ninth studio album, Mental Illness, ending a five-year hiatus from the industry.

In an interview with The Los Angeles Times, Mann states that Mental Illness is “the saddest, slowest, most acoustic” album she has written to date. Over the years, Mann has garnered a reputation for releasing, almost exclusively, depressing songs. In the interview, Mann commented about her reputation and how it affected her songwriting process for Mental Illness. 

“If [my fans] thought that my songs were very down-tempo, very depressing, very sad and very acoustic, I thought I’d just give myself permission to write the saddest, slowest, most acoustic, if-they’re-all-waltzes-so-be-it record I could,” Mann said, according to The Los Angeles Times.

The style of Mental Illness is certainly more raw, intimate and unplugged compared to Mann’s signature rock roots. Here, she channels similar vibes to those present in the soundtrack to the Oscar nominated movie Magnolia, for which she received the nomination for best original song. 

None of Mann’s previous work, however, matches Mental Illness—at least in terms of melancholia. Throughout the album, Mann delves into concepts of depression, anxiety and other mental illnesses through the means of characters dealing with a variety of situations varying from heartache to daily life. 

The idea of mental illness continues to be an extremely controversial concept, as its credibility is constantly questioned by society. Many people even deny its existence altogether. 

Mann takes this controversy on by taking common situations that everyone goes through and comparing them to the struggles of mental illness, illustrating just how unbearable the latter can be. The album achieves Mann’s goal of being her most “depressing” work to date, exceeding all previous albums for miles. Mental Illness captures the essence of human struggle with such perfection and beauty.

The album’s introductory song is also its first single, “Goose Snow Cone.” This track deals with the concept of loneliness and feeling homesick—concepts that can resonate with almost anyone. Mann croons about that pit of loneliness that persists, even when in the presence of friends, as well as feelings of insecurity when outside one’s own home. 

“I saw a picture on Instagram of a cat I know named Goose. Her fluffy white face was looking up at the camera in a very plaintive way, like a little snowball, and I started singing a little song about her that turned into a song about loneliness,” Mann said about writing “Goose Snow Cone.” 

“I intended to change the lyrics [of “Goose Snow Cone”], but could never find a phrase to replace the one I started with,” she added. 

This perfectly demonstrates the authentic and intimate quality to Mental Illness.

The powerful imagery and emotion continues in the track “Philly Sinks.” Mann uses this song as the epitome of her album’s concept, giving her listeners an even more stripped down, bare and personal song. 

In “Philly Sinks,” Mann focuses on thoughts of suicide and how easily one can slip down such a path, birthing the actual potential to commit the act and how suicide affects those left behind. Additionally, Mann comments on the death of innocence in our society, alluding to Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird, as she possibly sees this loss as a cause for increased suicide rates.

Mann promised to produce an album that would exceed her previous works, which were already believed to be rather gloomy. She has certainly established herself as a dominant presence in the indie music scene, especially when it comes to sorrowful pieces.

There’s no doubt that with Mental Illness, Mann has delivered. No track on this album will leave you with dry eyes.

4/5

Visiting artist speaks on political inspiration behind paintings

The Lederer Gallery was filled with eager faces on April 6 to hear Mexican artist Maddu Huacuja speak about her artistic inspiration and the process of creation in a presentation entitled “Sources of Art: Maddu Huacuja On Her Works.”

Huacuja was born and raised in Mexico City, just after the political fervor of the Mexican Communist Party and its famous members Frida Kahlo and her husband Diego Rivera. As a result, Huacuja was strongly influenced by the remnants of this political movement, since Rivera’s murals still cover the city.

During her childhood, Huacuja often visited Kahlo’s house, which was turned into a museum after her death. At the time the museum saw very few visitors, leaving Huacuja and her best friend to explore every nook and cranny of the “Blue House.”  

“I became very intimate with Frida and her belongings,” Huacuja said.  

Due to this closeness with Kahlo, the inescapable influence of the surrounding political murals and the experience of her own mother’s failure as a painter, “I don’t think I had a choice but to be a painter,” Huacuja said. 

Most of Huacuja’s own works are political, with messages about Mexican history, the role of women in society and issues of environmental sustainability shining through. Huacuja explained that, for her, painting such touchy subjects is often not a conscious decision, but a natural reaction. 

For example, her many paintings of Kahlo—executed with thick swatches of color—are a direct reaction to the closeness she felt to the famous painter during those wanderings in her home. 

“Besides the glamorous woman, I felt her pain,” Huacuja said. Her most recent painting of Frida, however, draws on the pain of others in combination with her political efforts. 

This painting is a zoomed in portrait of Kahlo with the words, “They didn’t know we were seeds” written on her neck, and, “They left alive and we want them back alive” on her face. These words reference the 43 Mexican students that went mysteriously missing in 2014—a tragedy that has struck the Mexican population strongly. 

Another issue close to Huacuja’s heart is the destruction of Mexico’s native animals. In a series entitled “And Nothing Matters When We Are Dancing,” Huacuja mixes painting and drawing to depict half-animal-half-human androgynous forms. Her goal here is to “assign figures to the devastation” of the extinction of these animals and to effectively show her audience that “when we destroy these animals, we destroy ourselves.” 

This series has had an especially poignant effect on Huacuja’s audience. 

“People look at these paintings, and they start crying, and I know they get it,” Huacuja said.

Her invitation to paint utility boxes in Boston has also received an overwhelmingly positive reaction. As one of three Boston-based artists chosen for this project, Huacuja chose to paint portraits of Prince, Michelle Obama and Muhammad Ali. She attests that members of the community have approached her while painting the boxes, exclaiming, “This is what it’s about!” and “We relate to this!” 

A community favorite is a box depicting Ali with the words, “Champions come and go, but you gotta have heart” emblazoned on the side. 

Although Huacuja seems to specialize in portraits and traditional works, she also “loves experimenting with materials.” Her “Love Letters” series is a group of abstract works done in oil pastels. Huacuja describes these as “action paintings,” with their dark lines and bright, rich colors that “melt into the piece.” 

With these pieces, however, Huacuja doesn’t lose her ties to her culture. They include beautiful quotes from Mexican poets, leading Huacuja to claim, “I’m not always about the end of the world.” 

It’s visitors like these that make the art history department a true asset to Geneseo. Despite recent cutbacks on creativity at the college, the department continues to grow through the classes students can take and the opportunities and real world experiences it offers.

Spring musical impresses with choreography, strong characters

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The Department of Music put on a production of “Gypsy: The Musical” from April 5-9. The college’s biggest musical to date, “Gypsy” showcased innovative choreography, risky director’s choices and impressive vocals. Pictured above are mathematics education major senior Benjamin Reiner (left) and psychology major senior Nicole Eras (center). (Keith Walters/Campus Photographer)

Geneseo’s Department of Music presented “Gypsy: The Musical” this past weekend from April 5-Sunday April 9 in the Alice Austin Theater. 

Under Director Scott Scafidi, choreographer Katie LeSur and music director Don Kot, the student cast amazed audiences as their musical and choreographic talent made for a thrilling production. 

“Gypsy” is the story of a pushy stage-mother named Rose—played by communication and musical theater double major junior Sophie Yeomans—who forces her two young daughters, Louise—played by musical theater major junior Jessica Murphy—and June—played by psychology major senior Nicole Eras—into show business. 

After being in the business for years, June quits and elopes, leaving Louise—the always-undermined daughter—to carry out her sister’s legacy. After mistakenly booking an appearance at a burlesque house, Louise transforms herself into Gypsy Rose Lee, a famous dancer.

Apart from the main narrative, this performance of “Gypsy” had attributes that touched upon other themes. The musical takes place in the Great Depression era and discusses the collapse of the vaudeville musical genre. Additionally, there were multiple feminist themes that came from the driven female characters. 

Rose was persistent no matter how many times she failed and didn’t seem to care about her marriage to Herbie, played by political science and musical theater double major junior Aram Peers. 

In addition, Louise started from nothing and grew into an astounding success story, one who loves her job despite its bawdy reputation. In a brilliant scene toward the end of the show, Louise proclaimed, “I am Gypsy Rose Lee and I love her,” illustrating self-love.

Yeomans was excellent in exhibiting Rose’s true determination for her and her children’s future and well-being. Underneath the hard exterior, Yeomans portrayed Rose’s underlying love to achieve her own dreams and wishes—which she was unable to accomplish in her own life.

The finale song, “Rose’s Turn,” was a true exhibition of Yeoman’s talent and Rose’s character. The audience saw Rose’s true desires when Yeomans belted her song and stole the show, as Rose’s name dropped down in big flashing letters. 

On a more comical note, “You Gotta Get a Gimmick” with Mazeppa—played by musical theater major sophomore Erica Milliman—Electra—played by communication major sophomore Maria Floriano—and Tessie Tura—played by musical theater major junior Kimberly Cole—was a comical number that showcased the burlesque dancers and their gimmicks. 

To highlight these aspects, Electra’s outfit contained flashing lights and Tessie Tura was dressed in a beautiful butterfly costume for “You Gotta Get a Gimmick.” In addition, Mazeppa’s trumpet skills soared in the performance. “You Gotta Get a Gimmick” was a funny scene that introduced the risqué world that Louise was about to enter in a lighthearted way.

After Louise becomes Gypsy Rose Lee, the audience witnesses her rise to fame in “Gypsy Routine.” This consisted of vignettes of her performances across the country in various risqué performances—one actually involving a strip tease at the end, which ended with Murphy wearing nothing but nude underwear in dim lighting. 

The choreography also played a crucial role in the success of this production. Whether it was the main ensemble dance routine, “Baby June and Her Newsboys,” or an intimate scene between Louise and her love interest Tulsa—as played by musical theater major freshman Brett Hammes—the choreography was definitely a highlight.

“Baby June and Her Newsboys” appeared throughout the show in different forms, but specifically in the “Farm Sequence.” Here, two actors were dressed in a cow costume and—though it seemed challenging—danced in perfect synchronization with both each other and the other cast members. 

On the other hand, “All I Need Is The Girl” with Louise and Tulsa was brilliantly and articulately performed, showcasing many dance styles of the era. 

As always, the Department of Music produced a performance that wowed the audience. This production of “Gypsy” is sure to be remembered for many years to come for its incredible choreography and many memorable moments.

Milne Library “gets graphic” with innovative collection

The newest addition to Milne Library’s stack is a sizable collection of graphic novels. Brought to us by education and instructional design librarian Michelle Costello, this collection has been in the making for over three years now, and greatly adds to what the library has to offer.  

The collection is comprised of content-specific children’s novels and others geared more toward college students and adults. As a result, first graders, high schoolers and adults alike can enjoy this genre. 

Content-specific elementary titles include Coral Reefs: Cities of the Ocean for science learners, The Maid of the Mist for history lessons and Tippy and the Night Parade for English language students. These titles can be found in the library’s Teacher Education Resource Center in the lower level. 

In the upper stacks, graphic novels for more mature readers can be found among the reference books and essay collections. These include a pictorial version of Pride and Prejudice, Such a Lovely Little War: Saigon 1961-63—a memoir about the Vietnam War—and the first of John Lewis’ award-winning historical series March.

Costello’s objective for building a graphic novel collection was to help education students. Costello works closely with assistant professor of education Kelly Keegan’s secondary literacy education classes, in which students look for books that teach content-area literacy. Keegan decided that graphic novels would be a terrific way for students to “understand the content, but also make it interesting for them,” according to Costello. 

When Keegan first started this project, Milne’s graphic novel collection was less than impressive—but based on the students’ needs, Costello has been able to grow the collection considerably. 

Costello said that graphic novels are ideal to help reluctant readers engage in texts. 

“You might have some students who, once they get into either middle or high school, have decided that they no longer want to read,” she said. “But these students wouldn’t have any issue picking up a comic or watching a movie. So this is a way to get them still interested in reading, but in a format that is more like what they’re used to.”

Graphic novels are an asset to all student readers as well. They are “a great way to bridge what students already know with what they have yet to learn,” according to Costello, as they help facilitate and support students’ ability to visualize and understand complicated ideas. 

This will serve as an ideal way to get reluctant readers engaged in texts. The graphic novels can follow a more traditional format or can be innovative and take the form of a “choose your own adventure” book—something that Costello finds particularly exciting.  

Although the collection originated with the intent to aid education courses, Costello knows that the graphic novels have the potential to be integrated into other departments as well, such as history, English and foreign languages. 

“A great way for someone to learn a new language is through graphic novels because it might be easier for them to see the vocabulary and the tenses in context,” she said. 

Thus far, the collection does include several graphic novels in Spanish, French and Japanese. 

As graphic novels are only growing in popularity, it’s appropriate for the library to integrate the genre into their ample collection. Costello attests that a large number of students are checking out the graphic novels for pure enjoyment, not just for educational purposes. 

In fact, Costello is continuing to grow the collection; she welcomes suggestions from students, faculty and staff. Other than consulting award lists and other book lists, student recommendations are the primary way in which the collection has come to life. Submissions can be emailed to Costello or ordered through IDS’ purchase option. 

As for Costello’s personal favorite, “It’s too hard to say!”

Musical Theater Club dazzles audience with hilarious songs

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Geneseo’s Musical Theater Club presented their biannual performance on Friday March 31 and Saturday April 1. This semester’s theme was “Lights, Camera, MTC.” (Annalee Bainnson/Assoc. Photo Editor)

The Musical Theater Club treated the Geneseo community to a dazzling performance on Friday March 31 and Saturday April 1 in Wadsworth Auditorium. The performance, “Lights, Camera, MTC,” featured scenes and skits from well-known musicals—but with a Geneseo twist. 

The show opened with two crowd favorites from the High School Musical series. “All For One” was performed by all members of the club with high energy and passion, which made it incredible to watch and “I Don’t Dance” had two groups of guys playfully joking about the similarities between baseball and dancing. 

The humorous acting and facial expressions were especially entertaining in this number, which was directed by theater major senior Brodie McPherson, biology major freshman Patrick W. Jones and MTC’s president senior Benjamin Ranalli.

“The New Girl in Town”—a song featured in the musical “Hairspray”—was a standout performance that cleverly featured the club’s female newcomers. From the colorful dresses to the percussive choreography, the audience was thoroughly impressed by this fun routine directed by McPherson, Ranalli and musical theater and communication double major sophomore Erin Burris. 

MTC’s rendition of “Cabaret’s” “Don’t Tell Mama” was particularly funny. The club’s male performers took the stage to get the audience chuckling with altered lyrics that joked about what college students tell their mothers versus what they are actually doing at school. The mastermind directors behind this number were psychology major senior Francesca DiGiorgio and MTC’s vice president senior Beth Ohman. 

The show’s second act continued the fun with “Life Outside Your Apartment,” from “Avenue Q.” MTC’s lyrics, “Life outside Geneseo” creatively conveyed students’ love for the school and the bittersweet feeling that accompanies the idea of graduation. This relatable skit was directed by communication major senior Noah Pfeifer and MTC’s treasurer junior Lisa Cento. 

Next up was the “Cell Block Tango” from “Chicago,” which introduced six sassy performers portraying “six salty celebs.” Instead of using characters from the famous musical, student directors childhood and special education major juniors Hanna Fox and Shari Bischoping and MTC’s secretary junior Danielle Comerford decided to take their own route. In this number, students told the stories of infamous celebrity break ups, such as Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens and Drake and Rihanna, which made for a positive response from the audience.  

The seniors soon took the stage in a number they collaboratively directed from High School Musical. The performance was a tribute to graduation and to letting go of some of the great experiences and memories made at Geneseo, not to mention in MTC. 

Then, in a very appropriate ending, all MTC members gathered on stage for the final number: “We Go Together” from the classic musical “Grease.” Each performer donned a crazy outfit, creating a fun atmosphere. The solid vocals and lively choreography made for a spectacular closing number directed by Comerford and Ohman.  

The audience—which encompassed many MTC alumni—was left inspired by the success of the club, serving as a great representation of the levels of creativity that Geneseo students have to offer.

Artist Honl introduces cyanotypes to student creators

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Artist Ellie Honl visited the Kinetic Gallery on Wednesday April 5 to teach a free class on cyanotypes. The students created their own pieces and learned about the history of the medium. (Elizabeth Jacobs/Staff Photographer)

Most people know what a blueprint is, but not many know that this style of printing is not just for architectural plans—it’s actually its own form of artwork, known as a cyanotype. 

In an event planned by special education and English double major sophomore Emma Belson—who is the Geneseo Campus Activities Board’s Arts & Exhibits Coordinator—San Jose based artist Ellie Honl taught the process of making cyanotypes. Honl shared some of the history of early photograms to a group of eager students on Wednesday April 5 in the Kinetic Gallery. 

Cyanotypes are made similarly to film photographs. There is an exposure period in which the image is created, as well as a development period. When it comes to cyanotypes, however, only the outline of images are left behind, which are usually in white or light blue on a bright blue background. 

Honl led students through the process of making their own cyanotypes. To begin, the students took an assortment of objects, such as seashells, beads, buttons and cereal before heading outside. There, they placed the objects on paper, which had been pretreated for the creation of cyanotypes. This allowed the paper to be exposed to the sun. After 10 minutes, the students brought their creations inside to be developed in a water bath. 

“Cyanotypes are more accessible because the materials are cheaper,” Honl said. “There’s no expensive developing fluid, just water.” 

Because of the wind, a second round of cyanotypes were developed inside with UV lights, allowing students to use lighter materials—such as flowers, bubble wrap and feather—to create impressions. During the exposure time, Honl gave a presentation on the history of cyanotypes, mentioning significant artists who have done work in the genre. As a former associate lecturer of printmaking at the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point, silk screening and cyanotypes are Honl’s area of expertise.

“I assume that many of you think that photography is a form of art,” Honl said. “Actually, it developed as a form of science. Photography changed everything. It changed art, it changed science, it changed culture.” 

Cyanotypes were one of the earliest forms of photography, as they were first used to create scientific reproductions of algae by Anna Atkins. It only became accepted as an art form when photography replaced it as a better way to create scientific diagrams and reproductions. Christian Marclay, who creats cyanotypes of cassette tapes, and Hannah Lamb, who hand stitchs silk, metal thread and cloth into her prints, are other noted cyanotype artists.

Upon wrapping up the presentation, Honl showed attendees how to treat their own paper so that they could create their own cyanotypes at home.    

In addition to teaching the class, Honl has an installation in the Kinetic Gallery. 

“Basically, it’s about the way people cope with stressful situation,” she said. “If you enter the gallery, the most maladaptive coping methods are on the left, and as you move toward the right, healthier coping mechanisms are depicted.” 

Honl’s exhibition will be on display through April 14.

The Scarecrow Show wins Battle of the Bands

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The Scarecrow Show, a local rock band, won The Battle of the Bands on Thursday March 30. Its three members have been playing together since childhood and plan to continue to grow their local popularity. (Annalee Bainnson/Assoc. Photo Editor)

This year’s Battle of the Bands winner, The Scarecrow Show, intertwines self-taught musical talent with a strong sentimental connection of companionship. 

Hailing from Delevan, NY, the band consists of Ray Cook III on guitar, accounting major junior Benjamin Juchniewicz on bass guitar and Juchniewicz’s older brother Jon Juchniewicz on drums. All three contribute to the band’s vocals. 

The trio titles their sound as a “high energy rock and roll with a punk attitude and a bluesy twist.” The group performs both originals and covers from bands like Black Sabbath, Metallica and ACDC.

The Scarecrow Show has grown their bond—as well as their band—since childhood. The chemistry and work ethic between the band members is an “organic process,” according to Benjamin Juchniewicz. 

“My brother and I have been jamming since we were 10 years old,” Benjamin Juchniewicz said. “My dad hooked us on Black Sabbath by the time we were four. I started playing bass, [Jon] picked up drums … it was a natural thing.” 

The Juchniewicz brothers have been friends and musical buddies with Cook since they were around 12 years old. 

“We pride ourselves on the chemistry within the band,” Benjamin Juchniewicz said. “We say we can be in different rooms playing the same song and still be note-for-note spot-on because we just have that natural chemistry that comes from playing together for 10 years.” 

Although the three members have been playing together for quite some time, The Scarecrow Show was just recently established in 2015. After years of playing together, things just “fell into place” to make their band official, according to Benjaminn Juchniewicz.  

They spent their first year as a band working on their debut album, self-titled The Scarecrow Show. Available on Spotify, the band members are enjoying local fame. They have had 40 shows within the last six months and have even more lined up for the summer.

In fact, the band performed at the Hard Rock Cafe in Niagara Falls just two weeks ago. Sponsored by radio station 107.7 Alternative Buffalo, the band was joined by the local Geneseo-based band Ponder the Giraffe at the event. 

Benjamin Juchniewicz described the Hard Rock performance as incredibly unique. 

“We went in and the place was packed; everyone loved us, and it’s so cool—the legacy of playing the Hard Rock—everyone wants to play there, so it was a lot of fun,” Benjamin Juchniewicz said. 

In the future, The Scarecrow Show aims to expand their horizons and grow even further as a band. 

“I think for all of us, the number one priority is the band,” Benjamin Juchniewicz said. “We all have our backup plans, but I think any musician is in it to win it. You want to become big, and you don’t want to just play in local bars for the rest of your days. But at this stage, we realize that’s what we have to do.”

To spread their music locally, The Scarecrow Show hopes to open the 2017 Spring Concert for Catfish and the Bottlemen—which has been the privilege of previous Battle of the Bands winners.

For right now, though, The Scarecrow Show’s main objective is to continue making music. 

“The reason we do it, even if we don’t become famous, is for the fun of it,” Benjamin Juchniewicz said. “We’re definitely in it for the long haul.”

Trump officially proposes axing NEA, Republicans divided

President Donald Trump released his first federal budget proposal to the public on March 16, confirming the fears of the nation’s artists and art lovers. The proposal eliminates funding to a number of arts and entertainment organizations, including the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. 

There have been rumors about Trump’s axing of the NEA for months now, but this proposal proves Trump’s detrimental intentions for the arts. The money saved from cutting these programs is an estimated total of $3 billion. It seems that Trump intends to redirect this money toward defense spending and Homeland Security, according to The Art Newspaper. 

Among those fighting to save these institutions are of course arts groups, such as the Association of Art Museum Directors, the Arts Action Fund and the National Center for Arts Research—but a number of Republican politicians are also against Trump’s defunding of national arts and cultural agencies.  

There are many convincing arguments for keeping these programs. Other than the obvious benefits of creativity, education and freedom of expression, these agencies provide economic and medical advantages as well. 

The NCAR reported on the tangible benefits of national arts organizations such as these, finding that museums contributed about $9.95 billion to the American economy and increased their employment by 1.5 percent. These programs and institutions can also help those suffering with mental diseases—such as Alzheimer’s and post-traumatic stress disorder—regain control of their lives through art therapy programs. Many museums also provide teachers with materials and lesson plans. 

The New York Times emphasizes the importance of the NEA and other arts institutions’ aid to war veterans; the newspaper suggests that redirecting the conversation around this point may be able to save these programs. 

Republicans are famously supportive of veterans and “are so reluctant to take anything away from vets,” according to Democrat Mark Mellman. 

Trump has also spoken extensively about providing care and opportunities to veterans. With the Republican Party in control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate, many supporters of the arts feel it’s necessary to bring up the NEA’s unconditional support of veterans suffering from PTSD. 

This message has resonated with many Republican politicians, such as Alaskan Senator Lisa Murkowski, Maine Senator Susan Collins, West Virginian Senator Shelley Moore Capito, Nevada Representative Mark Amodei and New Jersey Representative Leonard Lance, to name a few.

In fact, Senator Collins and Moore Capito are among those who signed a letter that encouraged continued support for arts and culture agencies in the United States. Murkowski, Amodei and Lance have all released statements of support as well, believing that there is a way to “commit to fiscal responsibility while continuing to support the important benefits that NEA and NEH provide.” Many choose to highlight the 4.8 million jobs that the programs provide as well as how they support our restaurant and tourist industries. 

Unfortunately, there are still those who would prefer to cut the endowments and relocate the money elsewhere. But, as some point out, there are still many obstacles in Trump’s way when it comes to abolishing creativity—in 2011, the Budget Control Act effectively put a cap on military spending.

Although we’ve seen Trump overstep his boundaries before, it’s Congress that officially writes the federal budget. Lobbyists and NEA supporters are wasting no time as they knock on the White House door and appeal to Congress with the hopes of saving the programs. 

With the party so divided on the issue, even those in favor of Trump’s proposal admit that “they have a fight on their hands,” in a never-before-seen Republican battle for the arts.