theartidiot

[theartidiot]

Critic Concern...

As I become more heavily immersed in the writing, Substack, and art critic spheres of society, I begin to worry about how saturated each circle is with opinions, many of which are the same. How can I, how can The Art Idiot, differentiate and stand out? Who knows, but “nevertheless, she persisted.”

[theartidiot]

Book Blurbs…

Just Finished…

All About Love by bell hooks - 4/5 stars

For those that know me personally, you may be generally aware that my life motto is “LOVE IS COOL,” but to read about love, as a subject matter rather than a feeling or object of desire, in a “professional” and academic focused manner is something I had not previously considered nor experienced. To study love is to swim to the 5 oceans – endless. While All About Love lacked diverse, well-thought evidence from other writers, hooks still explores the many forms of love that humans experience and is able to make the plethora of concepts digestible, concise,and enjoyable. This is a book for anyone and everyone. Throw aside your cliche self-help book and engage with love and the writing of bell hooks; you’ll be better for it.

[theartidiot]

Featured Films...

Top Gun: Maverick – 4/5 stars

A sequel being better than the original is rare, and shockingly this has been the only win for the United States this year. Keeping this brief to avoid any potential sign of patriotism but can’t say I didn’t enjoy this one!

Elvis – 3/5 stars

3 stars is a bit generous for this film, but anything less would be disrespectful to Austin Butler’s performance and commitment to his role as Elvis. Knowing the director’s, Baz Luhrmann, style and approach to story telling (he created the 2013 rendition of The Great Gatsby), I knew that this film would be colorful, slow moving, and rely heavily on a great soundtrack. While the creators attempted to showcase Elvis stealing from Black artists and marrying a teenager, it seems they wanted the audience to leave the theatre feeling bad for him due to his even more problematic manager, Colonel Tom Parker, disgustingly played by Tom Hanks. In spite of my own qualms, I’d watch it again and again for my sweet Nana, the original lover of Elvis’s music (and to look at Austin Butler). 

GoodFellas – 4.5/5  stars

I’ve been thinking about this film since I first watched it on June 12th. Although I am deep into a re-binge of HBO’s classic, The Sopranos, GoodFellas solidified my ability to enjoy borderline-problematic, somewhat-organized, Italian crime content. This is arguably Martin Scorsese’s best work, and while his shot at The Wolf of Wall Street has a similar aesthetic sentiment, the story and authenticity is incomparable to that of GoodFellas. Despite being a 2.5 hour film, there wasn’t a moment where my eyes strayed away. Queuing up The Godfather and making some gabagool.

Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain – 4/5 stars

There are overall mixed reviews about the depiction of Anthony Bourdain in this posthumous production. While I agree that there is more to the story, it must be nearly impossible to entirely capture all that this man was. My fellow cancer saw the beauty, and the despair, in everything, and he was able to articulate those observations in such a way that impacted and resonated with millions. What has stuck with me most is this line from a mourning fan of Bourdain: “Everyone forgets that Icarus also flew… Icarus was not failing as he fell but just coming to the end of his triumph.” 

Showtime…

The Watermelon Woman – 4/5 stars

A 90s movie about a black lesbian that works in a movie store and loves movies? And it’s a mystery? What’s not to like! Albeit, mystery may be a slight exaggeration, but nonetheless, Cheryl Duyne has written, directed,  and starred in a one of a kind film that was monumental for the queer, specifically lesbian, community.  If you are looking to push your boundaries a little and watch something new (or shall I say old), I encourage you to watch The Watermelon Woman.

C’mon C’mon –  4/5 stars

Joaquin Phoenix further solidifies his greatness as an actor with his performance in this late 2021 film, C’mon C’mon. His co-star, child actor Woody Norman, also delivers authenticity and dedication. My first instinct is to describe this as a “feel good” film, yet there are a number of conflicting emotions that one feels throughout the duration of the film. To further explain, there is particular art to encapsulating the triumphs and frustrations of raising a child. As we continue to navigate a world where the future is uncertain, it is crucial to continue to protect children. C’mon C’mon is a small, niche, example of how relationships, especially our relationships with children, are transformative, uplifting, detrimental, frustrating, scary, but most importantly, deserving of our patience and energy. Maybe it’s “not that deep,” but there is no use in stripping things of their meaning or impact.

[theartidiot]

Let’s talk about Drake...

As a fellow, biracial-lightskin, sometimes corny, wannabe, I get it. The vibes, the rico-suave, the gangster softness, the chase for depth yet falling short. Drake’s been in the game since I, and most of us, began to intently listen to music. So Far Gone, Take Care, and Nothing Was the Same, were (and still are) all instantly classic albums of the 2010s, and now, he fights (and succeeds) to remain relevant. However, with his most recent project, which was immediately out-shined by Beyoncé’s new single Break My Soul, it seems that his (very large) fandom, is not giving the artist the space to grow, change, and attempt to tap into new genres and mediums. 

I must admit, I, too, am not the biggest fan of what he’s created with Honestly, Nevermind. It feels rushed, thrown together, and would’ve been better off a brief EP for the Summer season. Perhaps what bothers me the most is the genre, “dance,” is heavily reliant on the producer, so what exactly did Drake contribute other than empty lyrics? Yet, as always, there are a few tracks that will live on, and as always, Drake remains #1 on the charts.

I conclude with: there is more to be said, however, this is a newsletter, not a novel, and I am unsure whether Drake deserves lengthy critical thought from anyone. Nonetheless, I am going to listen and find guilty pleasure in it.

[theartidiot]

Some Sound To Go...

To best organize my life and keep up with the changes in music as time goes on, I began to categorize my music into playlists accordingly to the respective zodiac/astrological season. Essentially, these playlists have become an amalgamation of music released during that time, or simply what is on repeat throughout the season. The best of this archival process has proven to be the Summer season (gemini, cancer, leo). Some may say this is a biased opinion, however, we must keep in mind that we live in America, where “marketing” and data analysis exist, and Summer releases also produce the best numbers (and good numbers can be synonymous with success). 

Do you have a method of organizing your music library? A close friend of mine, who inspired me to implement such a thing, uses the months: march, april may, etc. I’d love to hear about your way. 

[theartidiot]

Twitter: Social Media’s Minimalist Art

another blurb from the thesis archive…

Minimalist art, although simple in composition, is complex to figure out.  It can provide a sense of ease, calmness, and a relief of something that makes sense.  While it does all of those things, it also gives space for questions, theories, and a copious amount of assumptions; the work transfers from the artist to the audience. To better illustrate how a tweet can be considered art, let’s, once again, think about contemporary, minimalist art. Let’s say an artist paints two circles on a canvas. One big, the other small. One pale yellow, the other a pale orange.  They overlap ever so slightly. There is much to be said about these circles, their color, their size, their relationship to one another, but ultimately the responsibility for understanding, or lack thereof, is placed on the viewer. 

Funny, shallow, profound, out-of-pocket, moving, enraging, thought-provoking, jaw-dropping:  some of the ways to describe what a tweet can be. Twitter has become a main source for information of any kind, and at the same time, it is still a space for individuals to share any thoughts they want.  How has twitter enabled us to be brief? We are capable of expressing so much with such a limited amount of space.  Is it teaching us to shrink our feelings down or to refine them in such a way that makes them bearable and communicable? Poetry acts in similar ways to minimalist fine art; little may be said but the weight it holds may still be heavy. This forces us to ask, what is the difference between a poem and a tweet?  The character limit may not permit a sonnet, but a haiku surely can fit within the confines that Twitter has put in place. 

There is something particularly new-aged to sharing something so incredibly vulnerable with  strangers, or with the internet, and despite that public vulnerability, we all do it anyway. We put ourselves out there and in return, we watch others do the same.

[theartidiot]

Featured Films (and non-films)…

Nope - 3.5/5 stars

While not his best film, Jordan Peele has made a uniquely enjoyable film that will for sure be rewatched just like Get Out and Us. One of the most notable aspects of this film’s growing success is due to the fact that the trailer remained selective which kept movie-goers curious throughout the entire film. Although intellectuals and cinephiles are inclined to immediately dissect Peele’s horror, sci-fi films, Nope is complex enough at surface level that I strongly suggest saving your hyperbolic symbolism for your second viewing. Confusion, fear, worry, joy, giggles, and queasiness are a few of the feelings experienced while watching Keke Palmer, Daniel Kaluuya, Steven Yuen, and Brandon Perea absolutely nail their roles. And I cannot fail to mention the exceptional beauty of the film, set, costumes, and special effects. See it in theaters!

Non-films…

HBOMax…

There are few streaming services/corporate content creators that bring a limited series to life like HBO; while not all are reviewed in depth in this edition, I encourage you to also check out: Big Little Lies, Lovecraft Country, and The Watchmen. Like all limited series, be sure to protect your heart and hopes from getting too attached as we are never getting more. 

Station Eleven - 4.5/5 stars

During undergrad, I would frequent the library, and for a while, they were giving away copies of a new novel, I picked one up, kept it for years, failed to read it, and now I surely regret that as this show, adapted from the book, was a unique approach to the now played-out, over-used “post-pandemic” world. Station Eleven, has been one of the rawest, most intentional, calculated approaches to the mass loss experienced from widespread illness; something that seems genuinely missing from our present-day reality. One of my biggest takeaways from this is: what knowledge do you hold that would live on? I am left wondering what the book was like; hopefully, I can find my copy.

The Midnight Gospel

An early pandemic watch, The Midnight Gospel has me hooked. I have never really been one for podcasts, but add some animation and a side adventure, and you have the ultimate entertainment. Unfortunately, Netflix did its usual thing and discontinued one of its best productions, but this is a good show to toss randomly with a friend or if you spontaneously feel like learning something new. The animation is best described as contemporary

The Last Dance - 5/5 stars

When people talk about their “comfort show,” I often don’t relate because I am more into films (and despise rewatching television shows), but this right here? The Last Dance? Nothing short of a  masterpiece. Perhaps because it was another early pandemic watch, and an exceptionally popular one as it was the first, new sports-related programming in nearly two months, but this is one of the only shows I’ll toss on regularly and repeatedly. Even if you’re “not a sports person,” that does not matter because this is purely juicy drama.

[theartidiot]

[theartidiot]

Real Life Recommendation…

The weather is better, and eating fresh is always best. Wherever you may be reading from, I am positive that there is a local farmers market for you to visit. In Chicago, there are an overwhelming number of markets, and luckily they are held on varying days of the week to best accommodate your schedule. 

What do farmers markets have to do with art? Well, food, and the preparation of it, is known as the culinary arts. Everyone needs to nourish their body, and nourishment is more enjoyable when it looks, and tastes, pretty. Here is a salsa recipe I made up from things I’ve gotten at the market and what I had at home:

3 heirloom tomatoes (or whatever tomatoes you find at your market)

2 cloves of garlic

A variety mix of microgreens

Lime

1 onion (red or white)

Cilantro (if you have the soap gene, my sincere apologies)

Corn, jalapenos, tomatillos, and much more are all great additions to this recipe as well

Once you have your desired ingredients, chop away. Or if your knife skills are poor, like mine, toss it all (sans lime) into a food processor. Whether it's chunky or blended, fresh salsa is always a good, and exceptionally easy, summertime snack. #ShopLocal #EatLocal

[theartidiot]

First Monday of May

For the fashion fans who follow, you are well aware that tomorrow, May 2nd, is the first Monday in May. For those who do not quite catch the significance of this, don’t fret; this is a space for art idiots anyhow. The first Monday in May is the famous, “fundraising” event known as the Met Gala. While it’s a nice sentiment to hate on this event for how the money could be put to better use (if this is your concern, worry about Elon Musk spending $44 billion for a bird app), the Met Gala will always be one of my favorite days to ridicule the rich. This year’s gala follows the theme of the 2021 gala, “In America: An Anthology of Fashion,” and we can only hope that now that the event has returned to the first Monday in May that those who attend will also return to genuinely participating in the theme and serving iconic, creative renditions of American fashion that we deserve.  

A few of the themes of years past include: “Camp: Notes on Fashion,” “China: Through the Looking Glass,” and my personal favorite, “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination.” Although common folk transform into critics on this day, it is of utmost importance to not overlook the hard work and dedication of the designers. As an amateur, developing critic, one of my values and “check boxes” is to remember the intention when the execution is poor. I invite you to do the same and consider all the intricacies of creating whenever you are presented with some (art related) thing you may not like.

This is one of the few acceptable days to tune into E! News and Vogue; don’t miss it!

[theartidiot]

Ocean’s 8 - 3.5/5 starsIt would simply be wrong to discuss the Met Gala without recommending the 2018 film, Ocean’s 8. While 8 follows in the heist footsteps of Ocean’s 11, 12, and, 13, there is always something significantly more exciting about women leading a male-dominated genre. This all-star cast, featuring Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, Rihanna (yes, that’s right), and many more, paired with iconic fashion and art make for an easily enjoyable film.

[theartidiot]

Amazon Prime Video…

Arrival - 5/5 starsI must admit that I am a sucker for science-fiction, but Arrival is one of those films that I’m unable to put entirely into words how it made me feel. Denis Villeneuve’s filmography took a turn when he created Arrival as he has since directed a few of my other sci-fi favorites: Blade Runner 2049 and Dune. Evidently, his films are fundamentally and technically excellent, but the story, which is based on Ted Chiang’s short story Story of Your Life, and the manner in which the story is brought to life is extraordinary (and extraterrestrial).

[theartidiot]

Amazon Prime Video, Peacock, &  YouTube…

Short Term 12 - 4.5/5 starsShort Term 12, in short, is a rollercoaster of emotions. While the storyline alone is enough to make this film spectacular, the early-career performances from Brie Larson and Lakeith Stanfield make even more of an impact. There is an additional layer to the film that sheds light on those who are in the social work field. After hearing a number of stories from my parents, whose careers began working at a group home, this film, to my knowledge, accurately depicts the struggles and triumphs that come with working with children. Grab a tissue and hug your loved ones.

[theartidiot]

Real Life Recommendation

The Art Assignment is an interactive website, webseries, book, and much more, that has a similar mission as The Art Idiot: to make learning and learning about art fun and unrestricted. If you are someone who struggles with where to begin your creative endeavors, the assignments archive is an endless source for inspiration. There are a plethora of artists who have contributed to sharing their ideas and methodologies in order to spark that creativity, and if you lean towards learning rather than doing, video lessons about the art world and art history basics are available as well.

[theartidiot]

The Sample: Songs as a Stepping Stool

There is something intrinsic about music, and sound in general, that sparks the nostalgic, feel-good part of our brain. If I were not an idiot, of the arts and apparently of science, too, I’d impress you with some brain science fact, but that’s not what we’re here for. (Pretty sure it’s the hippocampus; shout out to my remarkably useful psychology degree.) 

Most things in life are slightly deviated copies of the thing that came before it, so that begs the question: is anything original? While I’ll avoid the philosophical rabbit hole this question presents, this pattern of evolution can be found in the sciences and in the arts. More specifically, the idea of taking an original blueprint and manipulating it to make something new is increasingly common in music. The concept of sampling is in no way a new phenomenon, but I am consistently impressed whenever I catch an artist doing it. I present a playlist of a few songs I’ve stumbled upon that serve as samples.

Here are some other sources to explore songs that sample:

Who Sampled: This website serves as a massive search engine for finding any sampler or samplee. Did you know Beyoncé’s  2016 hit “Hold Up” samples the Soulja Boy classic “Turn My Swag On”? Check it out. Samples Media: This Twitter profile is dedicated to sharing exactly how songs are manipulated (sped-up, slowed-down, flipped), however, content is limited to R&B and hip-hop.

[theartidiot]

The Art Idiot -  A Master’s Thesis Mixtape

I present the soundtrack of (some) sounds that inspired me, resonated with my emotions, narrated my experience, served as an homage to the loved ones supporting me, and served as the background noise throughout 2020 - 2021.