Я буду бифштекс.

А я буду кока-колу.

Dragon Slayers 3

For this specific go around of IART blogs, I decided to shake things up. Instead of going to the art installment at the Ridges, I decided to attend a play reading of a play called “The Appointment/Dragon Slayers 3” done by a friend of mine on January 23, 2010. Unfortunately it was an event that occurred over just one evening, and it was in a rather informal manner, meaning it was by word of mouth and not a very highly regarded event. Gabrielle Wiker, the author, is in our OU’s very own playwriting program. She held her very quaint, modest event inside of room 203 of Kantner Hall, expressing that she only wanted to introduce her close friends and colleagues to work that had been stewing within her mind for years whilst also getting a feel for how it would be to experience it beyond just reading.

Room 203 was a very bare basics room, various props and extras from other plays strewn haphazardly about the room, giving it a very “distressed playwright” kind of feel. Roughly 20 people showed up for the event, keeping it small and intimate. We were seated in two lines across a back wall of this dark room whilst the actors for the first play simply sat in front of us, their scripts in front of them. Although it was meant to simply be a read-through, her actors were dressed the part, giving the simple evening another level of element. Additional actors were sitting side stage, but it was simply the two main characters and narrator that sat in front of the audience. Without much introduction, the play began quite simply, introducing two characters called Lawrence and Thomas, both fully grown men sitting in an empty waiting room at a doctor’s office. As the play progresses, Lawrence shows to be a very upfront and confrontational character without being offensive. Thomas, on the other hand, seems to want nothing to do with Lawrence although the other man is simply curious about Thomas’s reasons for being there. It is when Lawrence begins to question Thomas on a level that requires deep thought, meaning, and passion to respond that Thomas begins to show agitation, yet a subjective understanding for his own perspective on life. Lawrence reveals that he developed testicular cancer, the disease causing strain on his already toxic marriage. As Lawrence discusses his story and how he ended up in the present, he alludes quite frequently to how he hasn’t much time, or to how Thomas will never see the doctor he is so intent upon visiting. In his own story, he continually returns to Thomas, prompting the man in a way that forces him to recognize his pleasures within his own life. Throughout the entire play, Lawrence is saying things such as, “There is more to you than where you come from. I want to know who you are.” It is this stimulation that allows Thomas to realize how in love he is with his wife, family, and life, and how he should feel accomplished with his life. Lawrence then returns to his own plight, speaking of his misdiagnosis and how it led to the ultimate downfall of his marriage. What throws a twist into the entire play is how suddenly Lawrence becomes hostile and jumpy as sirens begin to sound in the background. It is then revealed that he killed his wife earlier that day and has taken Thomas hostage without his knowing. When Lawrence pulls a knife on Thomas, the play cuts out and ends, leaving the audience to wonder the end.

I absolutely loved the meaning and emotion that Gabrielle evoked in this play. Although it was very obvious with her use of foreshadowing, I greatly appreciated how she used one character’s dismay with his own life to bring joy and pleasure to the other before their lives were both turned, for the better or worse still unknown. It was wonderful how although Lawrence took Thomas, he still found a way to make the man appreciate his life before it was insinuated that it was taken. Some people could argue that this play was cliché and was not art, but I believe life is the most beautiful art of all. The way Lawrence prompted Thomas to appreciate his own brought the most meaning to this work.

Dear God, this is shameful.

   On January 10, 2011 I visited the Trisolini Gallery inside of OU’s Baker Center.  At this point in time they were, and still are, hosting an exhibit called “Ecosexuals in Love, Our PollenAmorous Relationship with Nature.” The exhibit was by two very well-known ecosexuals named Annie M. Sprinkle and Elizabeth M. Stephens. This was not the first time this school year that the ecosexuals had been to our school or displayed their very unique art and lifestyle to our curious and eager young minds. Although very unusual, this collection was on display to showcase a different lifestyle and frame of mind that many of the students at Ohio University have not been exposed to – a frame of mind that supports self-love amongst the acceptance of love for nature and those around us.

               Ecosexuals in Love showcased a wide variety of pieces, ranging from gorgeously tailored dresses to the ever confusing box of various body hairs, all used as examples of how people embrace the beauty of their bodies and the beauty of nature, all tied in together. What caught my eye the most, however, was a display of bronze cast panties. There were roughly ten pairs hung upon a white-washed wall in the dimly lit room, all directly across from the aforementioned showcase of what I’m assuming was pubic hair. Playing in the background was a very personally shocking video of two lovers kissing quite explicitly (and violently) for the camera. The now-metal undergarments were hung as homage to the women who were brave enough to submit their underwear and a part of their sexuality to a display available to hundreds of thousands of students, faculty, and passerbys.  At first the underwear was hardly recognizable, the bronze pieces looking as if metal was simply melting down the pristine walls. However, at a closer glance I noticed how lace was visible, the intricate detailing slightly damaged due to the alchemic process. Although my white bread background and upbringing wanted me to be shocked and slightly revolted at the sight in front of me, I couldn’t help but find myself more than curious. The bright golden sheen of the metal was eye-catching, and the shape of the dangling lingerie was intriguing.

               I will not lie when I say the meaning at first eluded me. All my eyes caught at first glance was the portion of the placard that read ‘PORN STARS’ in large letters, but with closer inspection the meaning became clear. Each single pair had been donated by porn stars and intellectuals alike. Some pairs had been donated by women who maintained a career in the explicit and erotic, whilst other pairs had been donated by extremely important women with big names, and even bigger successes to back them up. However, what they all had in common was they are all looked up to. Intellectuals are savored for their intelligence and revered for their accomplishments. In a completely different industry, women in the business of erotic film are looked up to for their ability to display their confidence and sexuality for all who are willing to gaze. Even if they were different in so many ways, these women were confident, sexy, and powerful. As Elizabeth Stephens noted for this display, “Porn stars and academics are both in the forefront of thought and practice around issues such as sexuality and identity politics.” These women all had the nerve to display themselves to all who were willing to look, and that embodied the meaning of the installment.

               Blatant expressions of love and sexuality have never been my cup of tea, always managing to turn me an uncomfortable tinge of rouge. However, even though I cringe at the sight, I still found this display to be somewhat inspirational. This display pairs perfectly with our class discussions, showing that controversy is often times what brings to light what is and what is not art. I still get fidgety and uncomfortable when I remember what I saw in this gallery, but to those women who were strong and brave enough to display a piece of themselves – I salute you.

Narwhals! Narwhals!

Haaaaaaaaah. So, my dedication to blogging is a laughable concept. Couldn't even manage to drag my silly ass away from work or sleep long enough to pull together a decent post, so here I stand in the same situation as always - no productivity. To be quite honest, I got roughly 20 pages into the book I claimed I was going to read and had to set it back down. Honestly, how much turmoil and hardship can 3 people seriously go through? I found myself getting anxious during the most mundane parts because I knew that more shit was going to hit the fan. It's tough on my poor stomach when I'm staying up until 6am reading a book that gets my adrenalin rushing and find myself facing a 7 hour shift at work.

Regardless! Work is over FOREVER and I'm back at my beloved Ohio University. I've got 11 full weeks under my belt and I'm already exhausted. One good thing to come of this though is my IART (Interdiciplinary Arts) class. As the title suggest, this class studies art through different diciplines, the diciplines ranging from English to Philosophy to dance and music movements. My TA is, interestingly enough, a fan of German philosophy and pop music so that's where my studies seem to lay. I'm looking forward to a future of avant garde studies as well lessons in Afro Punk and the punk music movement. Isn't that glorious? Ah, enough. I stray. My point of this rant is that my IART class challenges me to view and critique art in less conventional settings, these critiques coming in the form of...

*drumroll please*

Blog posts! Now, the initial posts will be through Blackboard, but I still feel like it would be somewhat productive to write them with this in mind. I've got my first one written up at a whopping 673 words. Now I have incentive to post, but it'll be good for me to maintain something like this up. Expect a post about *shudders* Sex Ecology sometime later in the week. Ugh, my life is so shameful. :/