From Here to There: Alec Soth's America (A review of an exhibit from the Walker Art Center)

Like many artists these days, Alec Soth seems obsessed with the beautiful, yet eccentric moments in a modern day road trip. Travelling across the country while seeing beautiful sights and interesting people can always be inspiring, but is Alec Soth’s record of his wanderlust anything to write home about? Or is it as cliché as that last phrase? Through stunning composition and engaging subjects, From Here to There: Alec Soth’s America is luckily just as moving as any road trip you have been on.

By using an incredibly burdensome 8 X 10 field camera, Alec Soth has made a name for himself by surveying America in his own unique way since the 1990’s. His work has been in The New York Times and Newsweek, as well as several museums around the country. He currently has an exhibit at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, MN, and has two books of photography published. While he has all of this exposure, Soth still remains a relatively unknown photographer.

Which is not to say that he shouldn’t be known. His work is unique, not only because of its beauty, but also because each picture or set of pictures weaves a hidden story. Each picture is so complex and fascinating, that it is hard not to wonder how each photo came to be. If the photographer didn’t position all or most of these photos, how do these people and places get to be this way? Where did the photographer have to go to find this stuff? These types of questions make the whole exhibit feel more like an adventure, and less like a museum exhibit.

Even without the hidden narratives behind each photo, Soth’s work stands as a notable exhibition through brilliant composition. For instance, in his work Enchanted Forest (36), Texas he photographs a relatively normal forest with a few remnants of humanity strewn about. The gaudy and out of place disco ball is in the center of the frame, which immediately draws your attention. As you look closer, you see how the trees and rocks add intricate lines and shapes to piece, making the whole picture extremely detailed and engaging. Like a cherry on top, Soth adds a basketball and a Frisbee near the bottom of the frame to add more of his signature eccentricity. These aspects make the picture extremely fascinating, and the rest of the exhibit is just as mesmerizing.

While many artists may try to capture the moments of the American road trip, few photographers have done such a good job at it as Alec Soth. His pictures are not only beautiful to look at, but make you feel like you are taking the journey with him through the ins and outs of America. From his rare 90’s work to his contemporary series, From Here to There: Alec Soth’s America’s only disappointment is that you didn’t get invited on any of these road trips until now.

Exhibition Website: http://calendar.walkerart.org/canopy.wac?id=4673&hp=link&poster=Exhibitions

Review on Episode 10 of Boardwalk Empire

When Boardwalk Empire was announced, TV fans immediately christened it the next big HBO show based solely on its cast, creator, and Martin Scorsese (who executive produced the show, as well as directed the pilot). So when Boardwalk Empire finally premiered, viewers assumed that the promising, yet sluggish pilot was just an introduction to a grander story. They assumed that these great artists knew where the show was going, so they forgave the show’s strange pace and style. Yet after ten episodes, and with only two episodes left in the season, it seems like this season is all build up and suspense with no release. Like the season itself, episode ten is interesting, yet leaves the viewer frustrated.

With so many stories happening at once, it is hard to keep track of all of Boardwalk Empire’s plots. In this episode, Nucky finds and punishes the men who almost shot him, while also finding out how Rothstein figures into the equation. Margaret connects with Richard Harrow, which makes her re-evaluate her own situation. Angela tries to work things out with Jimmy, but after Jimmy beats up her lover’s husband out of jealously, she soon plans to leave with her lover and son. Also, after being scolded by the higher officers, Nelson becomes frustrated and decides to embrace his more sinful impulses.

As you can see, there are a lot of little interesting moments in this episode. However, like in all the other episodes in this season, these moments do not connect well enough to create a noteworthy episode. Instead, these episodes seem more like episodes that build up the suspense and drama for later episodes. While this build-up structure worked for some shows (remember how long The Wire took to get interesting every season?), Boardwalk Empire uses it in a way that makes the audience feel like they have to get through these episodes to get to the good stuff. This asks an important question. Isn’t it important for a show to be consistently good, even if it is working in a larger narrative arc? Countless of other shows have perfected this build up formula (Dexter, The Sopranos, and Nip/Tuck come to mind), so why can’t Boardwalk Empire do the same?

That being said, Boardwalk Empire is still a pretty good show. The writing, at least sometimes, is unique and engaging. The art design and production values are exceptional, and are easily the best on television. Yet what really saves this show time and time again are the actors. From Michael Shannon’s creepy narc to Kelly MacDonald’s naïve mother to Steve Buscemi’s stoic crime boss, all the actors make the show watchable. These positive aspects make the show worth watching, but with caution.

Sadly, Boardwalk Empire, at least in its first season, will not be the next big HBO show everyone wanted it to be. It will never be the Scorsese show either. Even if the last two episodes somehow make this season worthwhile, episode 10 shows us that Boardwalk Empire is less focused on individual episodes and more focused on the grander narrative arc, making the series generally weak. It is time people accepted Boardwalk Empire for what it is, a flawed yet promising show.

Review of Aqua

In the twenty first century, it is commonplace to have giant skyscrapers tower above us in pretty much every city. To stand out as a work of architecture, a building needs more than height and majesty to make the cut. Architects are desperate to find the new way to design buildings, so that the art of architecture can be revived once more in the populace’s eye. During the years of 2007 and 2009, a Chicago based architect created a building that would try to change the way skyscrapers are built. While it may not have changed the face of architecture, Aqua is still an amazing work of art.

Aqua is an eighty-six story residential skyscraper in downtown Chicago. Inspired by the postmodern movement in both art and architecture, Jeanne Gang designed Aqua to be a sustainable yet stylized building that would be as efficient as it is beautiful. After three years of construction, Aqua was let loose on Chicago to much fanfare. In fact, it even won the award for skyscraper of the year by Emporis.

While it may be the skyscraper of 2009, does Aqua even work as a residential building? The general apartments are intricately designed, as well as very striking. Most of the apartments have large window walls, making the already stunning views absolutely breathtaking (or incredibly fear inducing if you are afraid of heights). The decks on the building also add a unique aspect to the Aqua lifestyle. Each deck is individually designed to get the best view for each location, making every apartment seem like the best suite in the tower. Yet the most important aspect is that the apartments are very practical and well thought out, making the residential life at Aqua a very exquisite treat for the high-rise connoisseur.

However, it is not the residential aspects of the building that make it truly unique. It is all due to the artistry behind the design of Aqua. When you first look at Aqua, there seems to be something wrong with the building. This is caused by the sporadically placed decks mentioned before. The decks make it seem as if there are waves pulsing through the architecture, giving the building a very surreal vibe. You don’t really see very many surrealist skyscrapers, so it is very refreshing to see it done here. This wave structure also makes the building give off the subtle imagery of water, hence the Aqua name. This imagery connects visually with the river beside Aqua, giving the whole building an almost warped mirror effect. Aqua’s beauty comes from the strange details like these, making the building seem as intricately constructed as any painting or sculpture.

Aqua is definitely a bizarre building. It is hard to see very many skyscrapers copying its style in the near future. Yet with Aqua’s brilliant design and innovative stylistic flourishes, it is hard not to be in awe of such an incredible achievement. It truly is an amazing work of art.