RYAN GOSLING And The OSCARS So GOLD 2017
by Joshua Triliegi / BUREAU of ARTS and CULTURE NETWORKS
At this years Oscars, millions of Cinema Lovers around the world will be tuning in to watch their favorite actors, directors, producers and stars of the large and small screen gather, to give, receive and honor, one another. This is OSCAR Season and Awards shall be bestowed : There WILL Be GOLD. This year, we are hearing few complaints about the pallor of the participants, for those with a memory less than 365 days, harken back to last years article by yours truly to remember how far we have travelled since then. [Visit Spring 2016 Edition above pages Read Oscars 2016 ]
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| All Images for This Article : ERIK OLSON / COURTESY BRAVIN LEE GALLERY |
Careers in Hollywood and in International Television, Stage and Cinema are fraught with difficulty, controversy and peril. Seriously, if the Critics do not tear you to shreds, than the Audience awaits, and then there are the Studios, the Agents and the individual performers history, family and friends, the ex-girlfriends, ex-husbands and ex-Everything. Every now and then, an individual performer transcends all The X-Everything's and makes IT. The Actor or Actress, the Director or Camera Person or Costumer or Film Editor or Musician or Producer, or Screenwriter, makes a new film come alive: "It's Alive," screams Dr Frankenstein and a new monster exists. We are enthralled. The transformation of those simple and delicate words placed ever so carefully, and sometimes violently, onto paper, from the veins of experience, loss, pain and joy are somehow assembled and reassembled into a very living, breathing and thriving Entity and or Vehicle, in which we aptly call a Play, or a Film, or a Show. Oft times the hood ornament of this, 'Vehicle,' is The Actor or Actress. This year Ryan GOSLING is getting his due, not just for the new Musical, "LA LA LAND," but, to my mind and heart and eyes: A very well apportioned and risk taking career.
Born in 1980, the same year that we lost John Lennon. The same day that the World Wide Web was proposed and that Voyager One space probe reached Saturn, an unassuming Canadian Couple gives birth to a boy named Ryan. Looking back to the year in which Mr Gosling was created, I recall my first film experience on the Set of Raging Bull, in 1979. A time when New Fine Art Cinema was practiced rarely by filmmakers such as Mr Martin Scorsese. Now, one has hope for this type of filmmaking to return, with the likes of Ryan Gosling. For as much as technology and comic books and product placement have replaced talent and content, it is still the performance, that ultimately rules, in my humble opinion : Cinema.
The Canadian and now Internationally renown actor, director and musician, as well as family man, has done what few Mickey Mouse Club members could accomplish, he has graduated from the halls of Disneyland to the very real universe of World Cinema. Sure, Justin Timberlake is a great comedic actor and Mr Gosling's other early compadre's can be seen on television, here and there, but few can truly claim to have taken the dramatic risks and odd career choices that have gained the respect of this writer, and I assume many of you, our readers and more importantly : The buyers of cinema tickets and subscribers of cable networks.
If you are a woman or a girl, you may have discovered Gosling in the 2004 film by Nick Cassavettes, entitled, "The Notebook." A film which my girlfriend has referenced as a guarantee that, love lasts forever, and that when her and I reach old age, our romance may still exist, through the written word. If you are a guy, you might have discovered Mr Gosling in the dangerous and controversial film titled, "The Believer." A story loosely based on real events and brought to the screen with a scrappy film crew, hand held camera work and a dangerous ending that, to this day, has both The Jewish Community and those outside, discussing the dangerous realities and issues, pertaining to self-hating indigenous peoples of all faiths. The Film Critic, Peter Travers, of Rolling Stone Magazine, rightly exclaimed that, "Gosling gives a great, dare-anything performance that will be talked of for ages." This original performance and the film were accurately compared and contrasted to Edward Norton's breakout role in "American History X," and the young Mickey Mouser was now onto something no amusement park could ever provide : Real Danger.
In 2006, Gosling plays a drug addicted teacher in, "Half Nelson," a film which inspired this writer to consider the smaller stories in my own work. See The BUREAU Literary Site for our recent Short Story Series as an example. The on screen chemistry between Gosling and his students is both politically charged and heartbreaking. The actor is unfairly compared to actor Jason Patric, simply because of his chiseled features by Film Critic Dana Stevens of Slate magazine. Actor Ryan Gosling has much more heart, restraint and inner conflict than all performances by Mr Patric combined. That's saying a lot since Mr. Patric has proven himself, at least, for a certain decade, that has long since past. More aptly, Bob Mondell of NPR, regarding "Half Nelson," states that, "Ryan Gosling… is easily the year's most mesmerizing character study." Absolutely.
In 2011, "The Ides of March," guaranteed us that Gosling had total control of his characters purpose within the actual 'workings,' of the story itself. The thriller, aptly directed by George Clooney, pits Gosling's character against the major machinery of election style, behind-the-scenes, presidential politics. Sexual controversy, deal making, and chess-like maneuvering, in both plotting and timing, that rarely make it to the big screen. Gosling holds his own with the late-great, character actor, Mr. Philip Seymour Hoffman in one of the best Washington DC insider performances since reporters Woodward and Bernstein were brought to life in the Nixon Era film exposing Watergate. Once again, film critics ask all the wrong questions, such as UK's The Independent's headline pleading, "Is Ryan Gosling the new George Clooney ?" For years, those outside our industry have asked simple questions to the much more complicated answers that we actually provide. Is this the next James Dean to both Steve McQueen and Paul Newman ? Is This the next Bob Dylan to Bruce Springsteen and UK's Donavan ? No, this is not the next Anyone, this is the next Ryan Gosling, just as this was the last Ryan Gosling and the future Ryan Gosling. We know they are losing the debate, the conversation, and the entire point, when they compare you, or them, or us, to anyone else. Though, the important factor is that they are, at least pondering, who and what and where we actually ARE.
In 2012, Gosling appears in, "The Place Beyond The Pines," another dangerous film performance that has the film critic, Scott Foundas, of The Village Voice, wanting more. The original work, as cinema, is clearly electrifying, if not slightly off kilter in structure. While the performances of both Gosling, as a carnival performing motorcyclist who returns home, and Bradley Cooper as a do-good police officer, make up for any plot issues that may be lacking. The film itself deals more with time, regret and lost possibilities, rather than redemption or heroism, as is often the case with these smaller stories. There is indeed a long standing tradition in cinema history here, much more in line with the early working class films that have been tried and true from studios such as Warner Brothers in the 1950s. The film also stars Eva Mendes, who is Mr Goslings real life mate and the mother of his children. It is well worth watching. There are few standard wrap ups, in a Gosling picture. Even fewer happy endings, such is real life ? Possibly.
The interesting thing about Ryan Gosling, in the past decade, has been the prodigious output that helped to display his range. He can do action comedy with Russell Crowe, Dark Love Stories in "Blue Valentine," Metaphorical Reality in "Drive," Musical prowess in LaLaLand, drama with just about anyone on the planet and his odd choices set him above and beyond : "Lars and the real Girl," for instance. Where Mr Gosling allows story telling, integral casting and off kilter humor to play center stage. The sort of choices that seasoned stage actors might make, as opposed to a child actor, whom clearly has overcome his past. I recall the day my producing partner and I met Mr Gosling, some years ago, in passing, we simply stated, to the then upcoming star, "We Like The Choices You Have Been Making." And in return, we received that sphinx-like smile, that now shines, so brightly for all to see.
As a disclaimer, and as a homegrown Hollywood Screenwriter and Independent Novelist, I must admit that, I do have Products, Books, Stories and Screenplays that have been submitted to more than one Actor, Director and Producer on the stage and in the audience at this years OSCARS Ceremony, that said, the part of me that watches films, loves cinema and sometimes feels compelled to write about Cinema in this publication, does freely submit this article free of such intentions. For it is The A-List Actors, Directors and Producers who make films happen in today's day and age, not just the studios, not just the cable outlets, not just the corporations. And of course it is you too, the reader, the viewer, the audience. To twist a phrase from Billy Wilder's Classic and scathing criticism of careers and life in Hollywood, in the film, "Sunset Boulevard," those of you, no longer, "…Out There, In The DARK…" The audience today has a rather clear and poignant intelligence, that no twitter account, no established has been participant, no mainstream news organization, no account of the arts, can truly be manipulated or trashed or copied, or falsified or criticized, for too long, without the brilliance and loyalty and eventual championship recognition that comes from a career of choices that simply make sense. To you, young actor, I salute you. And by the way, when you begin to read new works for consideration, your Agents at CAA, have a project with my name on IT. Until then, KNOW, that you, and everyone else, "Up There," have earned what you have been given, So, Enjoy.
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INTERVIEW: BUREAU OF ARTS AND CULTURE MAGAZINE : JOSHUA TRILIEGI
American Novelist Joshua Triliegi discusses his New On Line Novel, "They Call It The City of ANGELS," creating believable characters and the challenges therein. Season One, Two and Three are available on line at most of the 10 various BUREAU of Arts and Culture Websites & translatable around the world. All Three On Line Seasons Make up The NOVEL's Complete 55 Chapters.
Discuss the process of writing your recent fiction project, " They Call It The City of Angels ."
Joshua Triliegi: I had lived through the riots of 1992, actually had a home not far from the epicenter and experienced the event first hand, I noticed how the riot was being perceived by those outside our community, people began to call me from around the world, my friends in Paris, my relatives in the mid west, childhood pals, school mates, etc... Each person had a different take on why and what was happening, I still have those recordings, this was back in the day of home message recorders with cassettes. So, after 20 years, I began to re listen to the voices and felt like something was missing in the dialogue.
" I noticed how the riot was being perceived by those outside our community ..."
Some of my friends and fellow theater contemporaries such as Anna Deveare Smith and Roger Guenvere Smith had been making bold statements in relation to the riots with their own works and I realized that there was a version of original origin inside of me. I felt the need to represent the community in detail, but with the event in the background. Because, I can tell you from first hand experience that when these events happen, people are still people, and they deal with these types of historical emergencies differently based on their own culture, their own codes, their own needs and everyday happenstances.
You originally published each chapter on a daily basis, explain how and why ?
Joshua Triliegi: I had been editing The BUREAU of Arts and Culture Magazine for a few years, we printed thousands of magazines that were widely distributed throughout Los Angeles and San Francisco and had created an on-line readership.The part of me that had dabbled in fiction through the years with screenplays and short stories had been ignored for those few years. On the one hand, it was simply a challenge to create a novel without notes, improvising on a daily basis, on the other hand, it gave the project a freedom and an urgency that had some connection with the philosophy of Jack Kerouac and his Spontaneous Prose theories. One thing it did, was forced me, as a creator, to make the decisions quickly and it also, at the time, created a daily on line readership, at least with our core readers, that to this day has strengthened our community sites and followers on line. Season One was a series of introductions to each character. Season Two, which happened the following year, was a completely different experience all together.
Describe Season Two of They Call It The City of Angels and those challenges.
Joshua Triliegi: Well first of all, the opening line of Season One is, " Los Angeles is a funny place to live, but those laughing were usually from out of town, " That opener immediately set up an insiders viewpoint that expresses a certain struggle and angst as well as an outsider — looking — in — perception that may be skewed. In introducing characters throughout season one, I was simply creating a cast of characters that I knew somehow would be important to set the tone surrounding the riots of 1992 in Los Angeles. With Season Two, and an entire year of gestation, which was extremely helpful, even if it was entirely on a subconscious level, I had a very real responsibility to be true to my characters and each persons culture. I had chosen an extremely diverse group of people, but had not actually mentioned their nationality, or color in Season One. By the time season Two rolled around, I found it impossible not to mention their differences and went several steps further to actually define those differences and describe how each character was effected by the perception of the events in their life. This is a novel that happens to take place before, during and after the riot. The characters themselves all have lives that are so complete and full and challenged, as real life actually is, that the riot as a backdrop is entirely secondary to the story. I was surprised at how much backstory there actually was. I also think my background in theater, gave me a sense of character development that really kicked my characters lives into extreme detail and gave them a fully realized life.
How do you go about creating a character ?
Joshua Triliegi: Well, there is usually a combination of very real respect and curiosity involved. Sometimes, I may have seen that person somewhere in the world and something about them attracted my attention in some way. In the case of They Call It The City of Angels, I knew the people of Los Angeles had all been hurt badly by the riots of 1992, because I am one of those people and it hurt. One minute we were relating between cultures, colors, incomes, the next we were pitted up against one another because some people in power had gotten away with a clear injustice. So with season two, I personally had to delve deeper into each persons life and present a fully realized set of circumstances that would pay off the reader, in terms of entertainment and at the same time be true to the code of each character. Once they were fully realized, the characters themselves would do things that surprised me and that is when something really interesting began to happen.
Could you tell us a bit more about the characters and give us some examples of how they would surprise you as a writer ?
Joshua Triliegi: Well, Jordan, who is an African American bus driver and happens to be a Muslim, began to find himself in extremely humorous situations where he is somehow judged by events and circumstances beyond his control. I thought that was interesting because the average person most likely perceives the people of that particular faith as very serious. Jordan has a girlfriend who is not Muslim and when he is confronted by temptation, he is equally as human as any of my readers and so, he gets himself into situations that complicate his experience and a certain amount of folly ensues. Fred, who is an asian shop owner and a Buddhist, has overcome a series of tragedies, yet has somehow retained his dignity with a stoicism that is practically heroic. At one point, in the middle of a living nightmare, he simply goes golfing, alone and gets a hole in one. Junior, who is a Mexican American young man recently released from prison really drives the story as much of his backstory connects us to Fred and his tragedies as well as legal decisions such as the one that caused the city to erupt as it does in the riot.
You talk a lot about Responsibility to Character, what do you mean and how do you conduct research ?
Joshua Triliegi: Well, if I make a decision that a character is a Muslim or Asian or Mexican or what have you, if I want the respect of my readers and of those who may actually be Muslim, Asian or Mexican, it behooves me to learn something about that character. As a middle aged man who lives in Los Angeles and has done an extensive amount of travel throughout my life, there is a certain amount of familiarity with certain people. But for instance, with Fred, I watched films on the history of the Korean War and had already respected the Korean Community here in Los Angeles for standing up for themselves the way they did. I witnessed full on attacks and gun fights between some of the toughest gangsters in LA and I think even they gained respect for this community in that regard. Fred is simply one of those shop owners, he is a very humble and unassuming man, in season two, he finds himself entering a whole new life and for me as a writer, that is very gratifying and to be totally honest, writing for Fred was the most bitter sweet experience ever. Here is a man who has lost a daughter, a wife, a business partner and he is about to lose all he has, his shop. Regarding Junior and Jordan, I grew up with these guys, I have met them again and again, on buses, in neighborhoods at school. Jordan has a resilience and a casual humor that has been passed down from generations, a survival skill that includes an ironic outlook at life. He also has that accidental Buster Keaton sort of ability to walk through traffic and come out unscathed. Junior on the other hand is a real heavy, like any number of classic characters in familiar cinema history confronted with the challenges of poverty and tragedy. He is the character that paid the biggest price and in return, we feel that experience. There is a certain amount of mystery and even a pent up sexuality and sometimes a violence that erupts due to his circumstances. In season two, within a single episode, Junior takes his father, who is a busboy at a cafe and repositions him as the Don or boss of their original ranch in Mexico.
There seems to be a lot of religion in They Call it the City of Angels, how did that occur and do you attend church or prescribe to any particular faith ?
I never intended for there to be so much religion in this book. But, if you know Los Angeles like I do, you will realize how important faith is to a good many people and particularly to the characters I chose to represent. With Jordan being Muslim, it allowed me to delve into the challenges a person might have pertaining to that particular faith. Fred's life is so full of tragedy that even a devout buddhist would have trouble accepting and letting go of the events that occur in his life. Junior found god in prison as many people do, upon his release back into the real world, he is forced to make decisions which challenge that belief system and sometimes go against his faith, at the same time, he finds himself physically closer to real life events and objects of religious historical significance than the average believer which brings us into a heightened reality and raises questions in a new way. As for my own belief system, I dabble in a series of exercises and rituals that spring from a wide variety of faiths and practices.
You discussed Jordan, Fred and Junior. Tell us about Cliff and Charles and Chuck.
Joshua Triliegi: I don't really believe in secondary characters, but in writing fiction, certain characters simply emerge more pronounced than others. As this project was a daily serial for the magazine, I did try my best to keep a balance, giving each character a fully realized set of circumstances and history. That said, some characters were related to another through family, incident or history and later, I felt compelled to know more about them and see how they would emerge.
Charles is one of those legendary rock and roll guys who was on tour with music royalty and simply disappeared. He's the missing father we all hear about and wonder what would happen if he were to suddenly return into our lives ? His son Mickey, his wife Maggie, his daughter Cally have all gone on with their lives, when Jordan, accidentally runs him over while driving his bus, Charles returns home and a new chapter in their lives begins again.
Chuck is a cop who just happened to marry Juniors sister and they have several daughters. When Junior returns from prison, he and Chuck clash simply because of their careers and history. I felt it was important to include authority in this story and once I decided to represent a police officer, I wanted him to be as fully realized and interesting as any other character, though, clearly Junior drives much of this section of the novel and Chuck is simply another person that complicates Juniors arrival. I should also explain that the arrival of Junior from years in prison is really the beginning of events that lead up to the basic thrust of the story and somehow almost everyone in the novel has a backstory that connects in some way.
Cliff is absolutely one of my all time favorites. He is a mentally challenged boy whose father happens to be the judge on the case that develops into the unjust legal decision and eventually the actual 1992 riots. I have always felt that challenged individuals deserve much more than the marginalized lifestyles that we as a contemporary society provide. Many ancient societies have relegated what we dismiss as something very special. Cliff is challenged, but also happens to be a very intuitively gifted human being whose drawings portend actual future events. Even though his parents are extremely pragmatic, they are forced to consider his gifts.
Cliff is a young upper middle class white boy who is entirely obsessed with the late great comedian Richard Pryor and at very inopportune times, Cliff will perform entire Richard Pryor comedic routines, including much of the original risqué language. Cliff is an innocent who pushes the societal mores to the edge. I have found through fiction the ability to discuss, develop and delve into ideas that no other medium provided me. And as you may know, I am a painter, film maker, photographer, sculptor, designer, who also edits a magazine reviewing art, film and culture.
As a man, do you find it challenging to write female characters ?
Joshua Triliegi: To some extent, yes. That said, I have spent a good many years with women and have had very close relationships with the female gender, both personally and professionally, so on average, I would say that I am not a total buffoon. In They Call It City of Angels, Jordan's girlfriend Wanda and his mom both appeared and bloomed as fully realized characters that I really enjoyed writing for. Cliffs mother Dora is also a very strong female character that I am very proud to have created. Season two presented a special challenge with dialogue between characters that was new territory for me. I have written screenplays in the past, sometimes with collaborators, once with my brother and more recently with my nephew and in Angels, I found it, for the first time, very easy to imagine the conversations and action in a way that was totally new to my process. I would most likely credit that to my own relationships and possibly to the several recent years of interviewing and writing for the magazine in general.
When will we see another season of They Call It The City of Angels ?
We have set a tradition of it being the Summer Fiction Project at the Magazine and since August is a relatively slow month for advertising and cultural events, we will most likely see a Season Three in the summer of 2015. As you may know, I do not take any written notes at all prior to the day that I actually write the chapter, so the characters simply develop on a subconscious level and then during the one month or two week process, I pretty much do nothing at all, but ponder their existence, day to day. This can sometimes be nerve racking as I do plot things out in my head and sometimes even make extreme mental notes, though even then some ideas simply don't make it on the page. During Season Two, I omitted a section of a chapter and later revealed another chapter into a different sequence of events, but besides that it has been a rather straight ahead chapter a day experience that simply pushed me to invent, develop and complete the work of fiction that might have otherwise never existed or possibly taken much more time. I am curious to see how my next project will develop.
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BUREAU ICON Essay: BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN The BUREAU GUEST Artist from CANADA Painter and Sculptor Mr. Erik OLSON NEW Interviews + Photographic Essays with Three from The United Kingdom: Street Photographers Craig REILLY, Steve COLEMAN and Walter ROTHWELL. BUREAU Dance: Martha GRAHAM, Plus Mathilde GRAFSTROM : CENSORED German Muralist: Hendrik BEIKIRCH, The CLASSICAL Genius: Daniil TRIFONOV. BUREAU NEWS: David GANS on SUPREME COURT, Plus Mexico's DR.LAKRA Daniel GEORGAKAS on HOLLYWOOD BLACKLIST, The OSCARS and Spike LEE 2016, PHOTO ESSAYS: Stephen SOMERSTEIN at The FREEDOM MARCH of 1965, Alex HARRIS showcasing The Afro AMERICANS in North Carolina in The 1970s Artist Tristan EATON + The Post Modern Paintings Plus BUREAU Film: TRUMBO Reviews & New Online Articles All Year Round at The New BUREAU CITY SITES Across America an The World Through Internet. BUREAU is an Official MEDIA Partner for The ITALIAN Film Festival Download the following Link to Hi ResOLUTION VERSION.
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BUREAU ICON Essay: BOB DYLAN. Interviews + Photographic Essays with Alex HARRIS on The INUIT, Kanayo ADIBE in Baltimore, Lynn SAVILLE in New York City, Mike MILLER on West Coast Style, Ryan SCHIERLING in AUSTIN and BUREAU GUEST Artist: Melissa Ann PINNEY ART Interview with David BURKE in Bay Area. Plus: Michelle HANDELMAN. New FICTION: THEY CALL IT THE CITY of ANGELS Part III MUSIC Contributor: Sarah Rose PERRY on The Femme PUNK Scene. MUSIC Interview with JAHI. Plus US MUSEUMS: Detroit's 30 ARTISTS Exhibit, Milwaukee's Larry SULTAN, Photo LA, BOOK Stores Across US: BookPeople, Anderson's, City Lights, Book Reviews from STRAND NYC. Classical MUSIC and Rock & Roll: Not So Different After All. Elliott Landy and The BAND. Edward Hopper at The Cantor. All This and More Plus BUREAU On Line Links to The ART Fairs in MIAMI 2015 with Exclusive Audio Interviews, Reviews & New Online Articles All Year Round at The New BUREAU CITY SITES Across America an The World Through Internet. BUREAU is MEDIA Partner for PHOTO LA . + MORE.
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Americans throughout The Entire USA
Standing Up for the Rights of Immigrants
Plus A Report from Americas Border with Mexico by J.A. Triliegi
ANOTHER BRICK IN THE WALL
Part One in a Series of Reports by J. A. TRILIEGI JANUARY 2017
All along the border, double fences topped with barbed wire, trail across the land like so many scars on the flesh of a beaten horse. Humans of all shape and size, age and color, wander on either side, like ants, gathering bits of this and that, simply to survive. The border itself is well fortified. Giant steel posts thrust upwards in a multiple vertical fashion, cold, grey, metal, blocks of concrete and men with guns, stand on either side, they are doing time, they are doing their job, they are taking orders, by a government, by a policy and by a code of service, which may very well, hurt their families, their future and themselves. As for international relations, well, "We The People …," have got some real work to do.
Rain trickles down, unlike finances, in abundance, on both sides of the border. Drops of h2o feel the same from either side. This reporter walks across the great divide, entering simply to see, to observe, to experience and to meet the people of Mexico, or at least, the people of Baja California, which is not exactly, 'M - e - x - i - c - o,' in the same way that, Ellis island, is not exactly, 'A - m - e - r - i - c - a.' And yet, there they are, offering this gringo a taxi ride to and fro. I am on a budget, no publisher or editor or local or national or international publisher would sponsor this sojourn, so I have travelled by bus, a simple twenty dollars from Downtown Los Angeles into Baja, and another 200 pesos, which is ten dollars, gets me into the tourist port town of Ensenada. A destination for the Princess Cruises. In olden day, frat boys, surfers, and tourists of all types descended upon this lovely destination in search of debauchery, coastal beauty and artifacts such as clothes, furniture, objects of value, offered, for much less than anywhere else. Decades of taking have left its mark on this locale, and yet, the new world, the world of technology. the world of commercial enterprise, the world of modern banking has emerged, and stands side by side with the ancient world, we have mythologized about this great land, the land of the Maya and the Spanish Conquistador, mixed, long ago, to create this special race of people, we know as Mexicans and their country: Mexico. History tells us of a country that once sprawled much further north, into the continent that we, as Americans, now inhabit, California, Arizona New Mexico, Texas, etc… The Southwest border states, where, we are now told, that a wall, will be built. As we drive south, over the first hurdle of hills into Ensenada, I can see a double fence, so high, that my eyes have trouble actually measuring its vertical height. Were I forced to estimate, I would guess that the swirling, jagged, barbed wire top sits at least some twenty or so feet in height ? As we drive up and over, I recall the early days of visits to Mexico, taking this same route, with my father, to see the bullfights, with my friends to Surf the coast, and as an artist, simply in search of something different in culture, lifestyle and respite. Since that time, I have been told, by my government, by my friends and by highly propagandized stories of struggle, anguish and fear of overlords, that this place is not safe to visit.
The Western Coast and indeed, the California route from North to South, has a beauty, that is unrivaled and Baja California is no exception. Choose any one mile section of Carmel or Big Sur or Malibu or Baja, and, you will find, they are identical. The earth, the flower, the fauna, the water, the light are all the same. Green valleys peppered with long stretches of two lane highways, merge into gold, rust and creme colored edges that jut downward into rocky cliffs, bays, full with blue, turquoise and white topped waves that careen into the coastal edge. I am on a tourist bus, for the first time in my life. I focus on the coast, as my fellow passengers watch some such film being projected on a television screen, mounted high above their heads. American actors faces dubbed into spanish incongruously describe a false drama that does not relate to the landscape of the earth, the coast, the real beauty of a continent that we share with others. We share this continent with more than one country, that is clear to me, the politics of borders and policies and current views, are not at all as clear as the very FACT, that We share this continent with others.
The tour bus pulls into Ensenada proper, and already I can see a great indian past, the textures of Baja Mexico, are not at all unlike those of Rome or Tokyo or Bangladesh, the history is evident. The street corners, bus stop benches, and even the surface of the streets themselves speak to the viewer, "Where have you been and where are you going ?" I have no answer. I am seeking simply to see what is here now, and what I see are thousands of people walking to and from their homes, their jobs, their responsibilities to whomever and wherever and whatever. Then it comes to me, "Why I am here?" Some time ago, I jokingly told a group of Mexican maids that if Mr. Donald Trump becomes the President of the United States of America, that I will be in Mexico on the day that this incident occurs, and so, I kept my promise, for in less than a day, this man will become the next President of our great country.
Besides occupying my time as a Journalist of some fledgling notoriety, I also write literature of a varying style and length: Screenplays, Short Stories and a Novel, so far. It comes to mind that many in the industry including, Matthew McConaghy, Matt Damon and Ryan Gosling, all very white men of some talent, are married to women with descendants of the latin variety, men whom derive from Texas, from Boston from Canada. A symbol of the sharing of this continent, we call, America. And still we are told that a wall will be built: A Wall. A fence guards against entry, a wall blocks ones view, in obscuring views, perception and reality can be manipulated, like blinders, does this new government wish to obscure our views of one another ? To block our vision ? To control our vista's as well as our Visa's ? It appears so. The Great Wall of China, The Berlin Wall, Pink Floyd's song lyrics from 'The Wall,' explains something about this policy, that most likely, a scared white man in power is, "… Just Another Brick in The WALL."
Like much of America, during the banking bailouts, some eight years ago, Mexico too has been pervaded by a proliferation of Banks. All over Mexico, young upwardly mobile individuals have been employed by this new modern system of checking and deposits, transfers and exchanges. A map of Mexico displays and amazingly flourishing economy of some sort, while on a near by television screen, an attractive young lady speaks excitingly about the new opportunities and services offered by this new technological wonder of modernity. Though this particular town has always had its own economy, and, long before these new technological advances gave them surveillance, invasions of privacy and the desecration of anonymity, this little town had and still retains the old ways of knowing who is here, what they have with them and where they are going, with whom and why. The gained or earned - through - experience, survival skills, of any port or pirate town that, for over a hundred years, has found ways to survive its visitors, its inhabitants and even, it's conquistadors. In this particular case, the Indian past, sits side by side the technological future, old world and new world meet, they make eye contact, they understand one another, they may even assist one another.
Pacific Coast Highway is not Malibu, just as Santa Monica is not Los Angeles and Big Sur is not Northern California. Suffice it to say, that the Coastal Section of Ensenada is not Baja California, by any means. And certainly Baja as a whole, is not at all a representation of Mexico, though, it is safe to say, if you speak to individuals, a bank teller, a bus driver, a casual man or woman on the street, you are indeed talking to a real Mexican, with real human concerns about a very real world that they are living in. I check into my hotel, the room is roughly 12 US dollars and some change, laundry is washed, dried and folded just across the way for under a dollar, fresh food at the local market is priced as such that I find myself giving bags I have purchased for mine own, to those I meet along the way. The first evening passes quickly, rain whips through the town, the streets flooded with over a foot of water in the lower regions.
Inauguration day arrives without much fanfare here, the television in the hotel lobby displays little about Mr Trump. I am beginning to realize that, the populist of Mexico have already been prepared for this new leader, they understand that American Presidents and most likely all leaders of major powers in the world, then and now, are what they are, a symbol, a face, or, if we search for the latin derivative source: simply a Facade. One need only walk a mile or so east, to find that Mexico, is not unlike any other place in the California's. Middle class neighborhoods lined with houses on either side, one and a half cars per home, some folks living at a higher elevation in the upper middle class areas and those whom own businesses, land and expanses of property of all variety. It is much like any place in the world, some people have money and some people do not. We have heard the new American Presidents criticism's over the past year regarding this country, its people, its past, it's problems. Something comes to mind, as I walk through town, a question arises, " Does any Country in the world send us their best ?" and conversely, "Do we send any other country our best ?" Australia's history tells a story of disbanded and exported individuals whose personal history was somewhat sorted, at least by its own monarchy's point of view, and yet, they seem to have created a land of promise, fortitude and originality, and within that, ab-origin-ality too. Yes, this is digressive, but worthy of note, very worthy.
My clothing is soaked, from top to bottom. I carry my possessions over the shoulder. I am in a country that is not my own. I have little finances, neither a job, nor, a relative in town. I do not speak the language fluently. In essence, for this brief moment in time: I am a Mexican in America. Now I am beginning to understand the beauty, the stoic and sometimes exhilarating aspects of searching to find something more. In this case, I am seeking to learn more about the border, it's realities, it's myths and it's challenges, while many of those among me, are looking for, a better job, some more income, possibly an opportunity, wether imagined or real. I drop off my clothes at the laundry. By the time I pick them up, an hour or so later, several locals are sitting on a couch, watching the television, which displays Mr. Donald Trump uttering the words, "…So help me God." Within a week, he has ordered the building of a wall, the closing of EPA protections and reopening an Oil Pipeline straight through America. My clothes are clean, my conscious is clear and my country is in trouble.
WELCOME to Music 2016 Edition BUREAU of ARTS and CULTURE MAGAZINE. The BUREAU Guest ARTIST INTERVIEW Realist Painter CHRISTOPHER STOTT . This New Edition Contains The BUREAU MUSIC ICON Essay: HANK WILLIAMS . PHOTOGRAPHIC ESSAYS and ARTICLES BY THE INFAMOUS MR. ART SHAY . MATHEW BARNEY at MOCA LA Plus BUREAU PROFILE : ANDREW HOLDER . The BUREAU PHOTOGRAPHIC INTERVIEW with LAURA STEVENS in PARIS . BUREAU FILM : BLUE VELVET at THIRTY . ART of MILES DAVIS "The SHAMAN" . PRINCE TRIBUTE plus MUSIC INTERVIEW with Singer-Songwriter: JOSHUA TATE . SOUND ARTIST : CÉLESTE BOURSIER - MOUGENOT with CHRISTOPH COX . DESIGN : ITS ABOUT WALLPAPER . COMEDY INTERVIEW with Andre HYLAND . John DOE . Aimee MANN . Chris STAPLETON . BLACK IS BEAUTIFUL : KWAME BRATHWAITE'S New HARLEM RENAISSANCE . DANNY LYON at THE WHITNEY MUSEUM + R. CRUMB at SEATTLE MUSEUM . Reviews & New Online Articles All Year Round at The New BUREAU CITY SITES RAP MUSIC'S : TUPAC and ICE CUBE with PHOTOGRAPHER Mr. Mike MILLER . BUREAU TRIBUTE TO " LEGENDS OF THE FALL'S," WRITER : JIM HARRISON . Plus BUREAU ORIGINAL PHOTOGRAPHIC ESSAYS, REVIEWS and ARTICLES
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MUSIC 2016 Edition
Guest ARTIST INTERVIEW Realist Painter CHRISTOPHER STOTT . This New Edition Contains The BUREAU MUSIC ICON Essay: HANK WILLIAMS . PHOTO ESSAYS and ARTICLE BY THE INFAMOUS MR. ART SHAY . MATHEW BARNEY at MOCA LA Plus BUREAU PROFILE : ANDREW HOLDER . he BUREAU PHOTOGRAPHIC INTERVIEW with LAURA STEVENS in PARIS . BUREAU FILM : BLUE VELVET at THIRTY . ART of MILES DAVIS "The SHAMAN" . PRINCE TRIBUTE plus MUSIC INTERVIEW with Singer-Songwriter: JOSHUA TATE . SOUND ARTIST : CÉLESTE BOURSIER - MOUGENOT with CHRISTOPH COX . DESIGN : ITS ABOUT WALLPAPER . COMEDY INTERVIEW with Andre HYLAND . John DOE . Aimee MANN . Chris STAPLETON . BLACK IS BEAUTIFUL : KWAME BRATHWAITE'S New HARLEM RENAISSANCE . DANNY LYON at THE WHITNEY MUSEUM + R. CRUMB at SEATTLE MUSEUM . Reviews & New Online Articles All Year Round at The New BUREAU CITY SITES RAP MUSIC'S : TUPAC and ICE CUBE with PHOTOGRAPHER Mr. Mike MILLER . BUREAU TRIBUTE TO " LEGENDS OF THE FALL'S," WRITER : JIM HARRISON . Plus BUREAU ORIGINAL PHOTOGRAPHIC ESSAYS, REVIEWS and ARTICLES
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BUREAU PHOTOGRAPHER
INTERVIEW : LAURA STEVENS
© Laura Stevens / All Images Courtesy of the Artist and Schneider Gallery Chicago, Ill, 60654 U S A
BUREAU: How long have you been creating images with the camera ?
Laura Stevens : I had always wanted to be a painter but didn’t pursue it as I couldn’t perceive how to make a living from it, so I followed a more vocational creative path, becoming a video-maker and graphic designer, which I eventually found frustrating and unfulfilling. I started using photography in my mid-twenties and immediately began to shift directions. It presented a way for me to directly engage with the world from a slight remove, perfectly suiting my curious yet reserved nature. The camera had an immediacy and also offered the means to organise and adapt reality, without stepping too far away from it, becoming the object through which I could better interpret what was around and inside me.
BUREAU: Mood plays a key role in your work, discuss where this element .
Laura Stevens : I am attracted to looking at moments of intensity, to the darker sensations of longing, loss and loneliness, attempting to describe emotions which can be difficult to verbalise and near impossible to share. By constructing scenes, all gestures, expressions, colours and situation help interplay to communicate a feeling. It’s a natural tendency I have to veer towards the shadows - finding it a place more intriguing and challenging to step into in my work. With the series Another November I was describing the sensation of losing love, the deep and lingering emotions following separation. It was following my own experience of a breakup that I made these images, when I desperately needed an outlet to understand and convey the extreme and unbearable moods I found myself in.
BUREAU: The lines between Fine Art, Fashion and Filmmaking seem to have blurred in the past decade, your work includes all three, can you cite examples of each whom have influenced your Work ?
Laura Stevens : All three disciplines feed into my work. In fashion, Deborah Turbeville, with her theatrical, melancholy photographs which went into the private worlds of the models, with such beauty and enduring elegance, and, Horst P Horst for his incredible sense of colour and form. In art; I love Eric Fischl whose voyeuristic paintings of interior lives have such vulnerability and narrative, like a more libidinous and immediate Edward Hopper; as well as Vallotton, Schiele, Hockney and Courbet to name a fair few. My favorite directors include Todd Haynes, Aki Kaurismaki, Gus Van Sant, David Lynch, Louis Malle and Douglas Sirk. I was watching a lot of Sirk when making Another November. His rich and complex melodramas were a big inspiration with their beautiful and uncanny use of colour and light, which cleverly use the domestic space around characters to project their psyche and heighten mood.
BUREAU: When working in a series, do you generally start with a single idea / image or picture and then follow that through with a particular aesthetic, or is there a theme / story to begin with ?
Laura Stevens : They typically start with a theme I want to explore, which at the root is autobiographical. It won’t be defined till after making several images when I’ll begin to understand what is at it’s heart and how best to interpret the subject. The aesthetic develops with time and will be refined to fit the mood. They are narratives centered around women within the domestic space, the divide between the public and the personal, looking at what can only be revealed when in the safe space of the home.
BUREAU: It appears that you are a bit of a Short Story writer, with the camera, does literature influence your work ?
Laura Stevens : Words don’t come easily to me, so I would make a terrible short story writer, but I do enjoy creating narratives within images. When I’m working on something I will try to read around the subject, whilst working on Another November, some particular books which were deeply resonant were Days of Abandonment by Elena Ferrante, The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion, Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy, Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte and Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf - many of my favourite authors. Literature is the most direct way to get into the mind of another, through reading I can experience the intimate language and thoughts of another to help articulate and process my own individual experience and give it weight and clarity.
"Through Reading,
I can Experience
the Intimate Language
and Thoughts of Another
to help Articulate
and Process my Own
Individual Experience."
INTERVIEW : LAURA STEVENS
BUREAU: How do you choose locations, yours are particularly thick with atmosphere ?
Laura Stevens : Normally the locations are the homes of the people in the photographs. The space around the subject creates an added layer of narrative and they have the ability to feel more comfortable if within their own environment. It gives me the chance to work in different, surprising spaces, finding a frame which is aesthetic and balancing to the subject, whether by colour, shape or objects within it. I have been working in Paris for eight years now, so the locations are often very old, bohemian and rich with details. Living within this city has greatly influenced my work both visually and psychologically.
BUREAU: Discuss the technical aspects of Photography.
Laura Stevens : I have always worked alone, preferring to create a more intimate atmosphere between me and the subject. Technically, I use a DSLR, portable lights, which I sometimes mix with ambient light and a tripod. I am in contact with the subject for some time, viewing their apartment in advance, in person or by a photo, planning the situation and scene before arrival. I bring outfits along with me from my own wardrobe or use something I find of the subjects, searching for a harmony between the styling and the decor. I give the subject a scene to play, directing and stimulating an emotion and we work together to find the best representation of that. I always have a general idea of what I think I want to achieve but leave a large space open for the accidental and unexpected to happen.
BUREAU: Historically speaking, do you ever long for another time or place, and if so, please describe which and why ?
Laura Stevens : Paris in the twenties sounded like fun, but I’m happy living in the present day, even amongst the growing turbulence around us. In another time I wouldn’t have been able to have the opportunities and freedoms I’ve been able to access as a woman. Although I recognize that my work is steeped in nostalgia, from its references to its aesthetics and themes, where memory and dislocation fill the scene.
BUREAU: When was your breakthrough moment before entering the Art gallery Scene as a Fine Artist ?
Laura Stevens : I have been exhibiting since finishing my Masters degree in 2007, but it was after, "Another November," that I seemed to receive more opportunities. I attended Santa Fe last year, meeting gallerists and agents, which gave me some valuable connections and the opportunity of showing my photographs at The Schneider Gallery in Chicago this September.
BUREAU: You live in Paris, describe how your city affects your work .
Laura Stevens : I came to Paris in 2008 expecting to stay in the city for a year or so, but 8 years later I’m still here. This experience has created a shift in my understanding of my identity and of how I approach my work. I spent some years in the city without being in much communication with others or feeling a sense of connection - due to language, culture, relationships. Solitude became a frequent companion and transferred itself to my work. City life itself with its intense proximity to other people heightens this sense of aloneness and it sometimes can feel a little like being James Stewart in Rear Window. The shifting boundaries of self when outside of one’s country are interesting and exciting to play with, but can create a sense of dissonance. The home is the background to my work, questioning what home implies and where one can find it when the location itself becomes lost. Paris, the city of melancholy and romance, with its rich cultural history, the architecture, all combine to affect the ideas and visual notes in my work.
"Paris, The City of
Melancholy and Romance,
with its Rich Cultural History,
The Architecture,
All Combine to Affect
The Ideas and Visual
Notes in my Work."
INTERVIEW : LAURA STEVENS
BUREAU : Give OUR READERS a top ten of things to do in Paris.
Laura Stevens :
1. Francesca Woodman exhibition at La Fondation Henri Cartier-Bresson
2. Olafur Eliasson at Chateau de Versailles
3. Josef Sudek at Jeu de Paume
4. Sunbathe by the Seine at Paris plage
5. Flow - a new concert venue/rooftop bar/beach/boat/restaurant on the Seine
6. Have a picnic at Buttes Chaumont - the most beautiful park in Paris
7. Get out of Paris along with all the other Parisians
8. Ride a Velib through the empty streets on a Sunday morning
9. Go to a flea market - all over town every weekend. www.vide-greniers.org
10. Visit Musee de la Ville Romantique and take a tea in the garden
© Laura Stevens / All Images Courtesy of the Artist and Schneider Gallery Chicago, Ill, 60654 U S A
"The Shifting
Boundaries of Self
when Outside of One’s Country
are Interesting and Exciting
to Play with, but can Create
a Sense of Dissonance."
INTERVIEW : LAURA STEVENS
© Laura Stevens / All Images Courtesy of the Artist and Schneider Gallery Chicago, Ill, 60654 U S A
INTERVIEW : LAURA STEVENS Schneider Gallery 770 North LaSalle Dr. Suite #401
Chicago, Illinois 60654 (312) 988-4033 www.schneidergallerychicago.com
LITERARY 2016 Edition
BUREAU of ARTS and CULTURE MAGAZINE. NOVELIST : Irvine WELSH . ICON Essay : John STEINBECK . BUREAU GUEST Visual Artist New YORK City PAINTER : Nathan WALSH . Cinema: AMERICAN Director Hal ASHBY & The CLASSIC FILM "BEING THERE". ART Reviews: Emilie CLARK . Michael KAGAN + The Max GINSBURG LECTURE . San FRANCISCO : Photographs Roman VISHNIAC . Bill GRAHAM at The CJM . The South West Photographic Essay Winner Rich HELMER Plus Diane ARBUS . NEW FICTION ENCORE: They CALL IT The CITY of ANGELS Selected Chapters . INTERVIEWS: Sandy SKOGLUND . Shaun HUSTON on Library Comic BOOKS . MUSIC: The MALLETT Brothers Band . Kehinde WILEY in SEATTLE. USA Museums : Arizona . Oklahoma . San Francisco . ART: John MELLENCAMP. BOOKS : ALI & Malcolm X . SPRINGSTEEN . Literature by U.S. Military Vets . The SEATTLE Photographic Essay . FIVE Best Bookstores in BERKELEY +LITERARY Events 2016 S. E.Hinton's The OUTSIDERS + WOMEN Writers RULE. Reviews & New Online Articles All Year Round at The New BUREAU CITY SITES.
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SPRING 2016 Edition
BUREAU of ARTS and CULTURE MAGAZINE. This New Edition Contains The BUREAU ICON Essay: BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN The BUREAU GUEST Artist from CANADA Painter and Sculptor Mr. Erik OLSON NEW Interviews + Photographic Essays with Three from The United Kingdom: Street Photographers Craig REILLY, Steve COLEMAN and Walter ROTHWELL. BUREAU Dance: Martha GRAHAM, Plus Mathilde GRAFSTROM : CENSORED German Muralist: Hendrik BEIKIRCH, The CLASSICAL Genius: Daniil TRIFONOV. BUREAU NEWS: David GANS on SUPREME COURT, Plus Mexico's DR.LAKRA Daniel GEORGAKAS on HOLLYWOOD BLACKLIST, The OSCARS and Spike LEE 2016, PHOTO ESSAYS: Stephen SOMERSTEIN at The FREEDOM MARCH of 1965, Alex HARRIS showcasing The Afro AMERICANS in North Carolina in The 1970s Artist Tristan EATON + The Post Modern Paintings Plus BUREAU Film: TRUMBO Reviews & New Online Articles All Year Round at The New BUREAU CITY SITES Across America an The World Through Internet. BUREAU is an Official MEDIA Partner for The ITALIAN Film Festival Plus Our BUREAU ofARTS and CULTURE PHOTO Essays.
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SEATTLE BUREAU http://BUREAUofaARTSandCultureSeattle.blogspot.com
MID-WEST BUREAU http://BUREAUofARTSandCultureMagazineMidWest.blogspot.com
SOUTH BUREAU http://BUREAUofArtsandCultureSouth.blogspot.com
BUREAU LITERARY http://TheyCALLitTheCityofANGELS.blogspot.com
BUREAU NEWS http://BUREAUofArtsandCultureNews.blogspot.com
BUREAU MAGAZINE TWITTER https://twitter.com/JoshuaTriliegi
BUREAU NEW YORK CITY TWITTER https://twitter.com/BureauNewYorkCity
BUREAU NEWS TWITTER https://twitter.com/BureauNewsNow
BUREAU SAN FRANCISCO TWITTER https://twitter.com/BayAreaBureau
BUREAU FREE PREVIOUS EDITIONS http://joshuatriliegi.wix.com/joshuatriliegi
BUREAU ON PINTEREST http://www.pinterest.com/BUREAUMagazine
BUREAU OFFICIAL SITE LINKS:
THE CENTRAL BUREAU MAGAZINE SITE http://BUREAUofARTSandCULTURE.com
SAN FRANCISCO BUREAU http://BUREAUofARTSandCULTUREsf.blogspot.com
NEW YORK CITY BUREAU http://BUREAUofARTSandCULTUREny.blogspot.com
SAN DIEGO BUREAU http://BUREAUofARTSandCultureSanDiego.blogspot.com
SANTA BARBARA BUREAU http://BUREAUofARTSandCULTURESantaBarbara.blogspot.com
SEATTLE BUREAU http://BUREAUofaARTSandCultureSeattle.blogspot.com
MID-WEST BUREAU http://BUREAUofARTSandCultureMagazineMidWest.blogspot.com
SOUTH BUREAU http://BUREAUofArtsandCultureSouth.blogspot.com
BUREAU LITERARY http://TheyCALLitTheCityofANGELS.blogspot.com
BUREAU NEWS http://BUREAUofArtsandCultureNews.blogspot.com
LOS ANGELES BUREAU http://BUREAUofARTSandCULTURELosAngeles.blogspot.com
BUREAU MAGAZINE TWITTER https://twitter.com/JoshuaTriliegi
BUREAU NEW YORK CITY TWITTER https://twitter.com/BureauNewYorkCity
BUREAU NEWS TWITTER https://twitter.com/BureauNewsNow
BUREAU SAN FRANCISCO TWITTER https://twitter.com/BayAreaBureau
BUREAU FREE PREVIOUS EDITIONS http://joshuatriliegi.wix.com/joshuatriliegi
BUREAU ON PINTEREST http://www.pinterest.com/BUREAUMagazine
