Art Criticism at the Visual Arts Center

The mere thought of picking up a paintbrush or a piece of clay strikes terror in my heart. (Sadly, I kid you not.)  And yet I found myself at a session last week on "How to Critique Your Art" at the Visual Arts Center.  The session was the first in our new artist development series.  And while it was obviously geared towards artists, I was not the only person in the room who is "only" an art appreciator.  I always figure the more you know, the better!

The session was led by Liz Hutchinson, a leading artist in our community.  Liz talked a bit about ways to look at art--objective, subjective, with imagination--and then asked for the first volunteer.

Sculpture by Judi Roth

Judi Roth offered up three beautiful small sculptures.  This work features a teeny tiny bird's nest. The whimsy, patterns and texture of Judi's pieces delighted the group.  Liz was struck by the fact that the piece wasn't circular as you might expect.  (Another of Judi's pieces was a bird bath--complete with a rubber duckie--that had a notch cut out.)  She suggested that Judi's "trademark" might be the unexpected shapes of her works.  This thought prompted Liz to share with the group her advice when an artist asks how to develop his own style.  Her response:  "Take an aspirin and call me in the morning!"  She assured the group that an artist's style will emerge naturally if you give it time.

"Rowing Ashore" by Lyn Jensen

Lyn Jensen's stunning digital photo brought a lot of commentary from the group.  Lyn explained a bit about the process, which involves layering several photos into the final work.  Liz admired the way that the light shines through the leaves, noting that without that element, the darkness would overwhelm the work.  Someone mentioned the "accidental associations" that viewers bring to a work -- in this case, the book "Boys in the Boat" (which Lyn wasn't familiar with).  I fell in love with the colors, which reminded me of an early morning in Nova Scotia.

Jane Patton's work

 I was surprised by Jane Patton's work, which depicts her husband Tom with a nice-sized bass.  I associate Jane with botanicals and enjoyed seeing her venture into another subject.  Liz's first question was "Where are we?"  Jane and Tom used to live on a lake, and Tom would sometimes come home from work for lunch and do a bit of fishing (hence the starchy white shirt and tie -- a contrast that immediately made everyone smile).  Liz used Jane's work as an opportunity to talk about the color spectrum.  Apparently yellow is the "hottest" color and should be used judiciously.  The brightness of the dock, while perhaps reflective of its color in real life, is a bit overwhelming and makes it hard to see Tom's hand.  Liz encouraged artists to take a step back in the midst of their painting and ask themselves what their work is about.  Here, the painting is about Tom and his fish, not the dock.  So you don't want the dock to be what people's eyes are drawn to when they see the picture.  (Jane told me she's reworking the dock to add more gray.  I liked the work as it was and am interested to see the revised version.)

Michael Cahak's work

I had stepped out of the room when Michael Cahak explained the medium for this abstract, which reminded me of an encaustic.  (It was on a piece of paper, though, so I know that's not right.)   Abstracts in particular are hard for people to comment on.  Perhaps more than any other style, you either immediately like it or not.  (This is my comment, not Liz's.)  Her approach to the work was interesting.  She turned it horizontally and upside down from the way Michael intended it to hang and asked the group which way they liked it best.  Surprisingly (to the artist), the group preferred the work on its side with what looks to me like tree branches hanging down.

Mary Lou Miller's painting brought lots of "oohs" and "aahhs" from the group.  This photo really does not do justice to the amazing colors in this watercolor, although you do get a sense of the texture Mary Lou created in the nest.  Liz didn't have much commentary about this work (which she proclaimed a "seller")  other than that the baby herons add to its interest.

It was an interesting and engaging 90 minutes.  I enjoyed some of Liz' other tidbits of advice for the artists, like how to respond to questions about how long it took to create a painting ("35 years, 8 months and 4 days" -- i.e., the artist's lifetime) and to remember that "putting a frame on a painting is like putting a dress on a woman."   I am already looking forward to the session next month on "How to Name Your Work" that will be led by poet Dorothy Howe Brooks.  There's always something fun going on at the Visual Arts Center!

Punta Gorda's Got Murals

Punta Gorda is a community that takes pride in its history.  It's also a community that loves its art.  The two are brought together in the work of the Punta Gorda Historic Mural Society.  And I finally had the chance to go on a walking tour to learn the history behind a few of the murals that I pass on almost a daily basis.  There are 28 murals in total, so there's still a lot of walking to be done!

"Life and Times of George Brown" by Michael Vires

"The Life and Times of George Brown" is one of the most recent additions to the city's mural collection.  (There are actually two paintings on this subject, but they count as one mural for purposes of the Mural Society.) It's located on Marion Avenue on a wall in front of the Old Charlotte County Courthouse.

George Brown was an enterprising African-American who at one time owned more than half the land in Punta Gorda, including the land where the mural commemorating his life and work is located.  He is best known for running a shipyard and boat works company and was an early adopter of equal pay for all of his employees.  Mr. Brown's commitment to Punta Gorda was evident in many ways, including a willingness to pay his taxes early on several occasions in order to enable the city to make ends meet.

Videographer David Sussman made a cool time lapse video of artist Michael Vires creating these murals.  To watch the video (and learn a bit more about Mr. Brown), click here.

"Movie Memories" by Michael Vires

Mr. Vires also painted "Movie Memories," a series of three paintings capturing the locals' favorite form of entertainment from the 1920s until the early 1960s.  (If only we had a movie theater in Punta Gorda now!)  This painting captures several aspects of the culture -- the "adult only" balcony, a time when you might be able to afford to buy popcorn at the theater, and the messenger delivering reels of film from the "white" movie theater to the "black" movie theater.  Like most towns in the South, Punta Gorda's history includes segregation.  And so there were two theaters in town that served the different populations.  Both saw the same movies on the same night, with the white audience viewing a reel first while a messenger stood by to bike it over to the black theater.  This mural can be found on the "privacy wall" at the Charlotte Harbor Event and Conference Center.

"Postcards in Time" by Jack Reto

In 1917, former President Teddy Roosevelt came to Punta Gorda to do a little fishing. The world's largest manta ray--an 18 footer--was caught off Captiva in 1915 by a man named Jack Cole.  Always the eager sportsman, Roosevelt wanted to best the record.  Roosevelt contacted Cole, who agreed to an outing.  Roosevelt and Cole stayed on a houseboat in Charlotte Harbor near Punta Gorda with five crew members.  The first step was to teach Roosevelt how to throw a harpoon.  (He apparently became proficient quite quickly.)  Roosevelt did manage to spear--and pull in--a 16' 8" manta ray, but Cole's world record remained intact.  To read a story from the 1917 St. Petersburg Times about this adventure, click here.   This painting is one of seven that comprise the "Postcards in Time" mural by Jack Reto.  It is located on the Andrew's Building at 126 Nesbit.

Libby (in front with hat) and her followers

Our tour guide for the evening was Libby Schaefer, and I was surprised to learn that the walk wasn't sponsored by either the Mural Society or the Historical Society.  Libby is "just" a woman who loves to share her knowledge of Punta Gorda's history, especially as viewed through its murals.  So she periodically leads these walks (for no charge!)  The next walk will be at 9:30 a.m., on Saturday, October 11, at 9:30.  The meeting point is Hurricane Charley's.  I am not sure of the exact spot, but trust that if you wander around a bit, you will find Libby and a gaggle of people.  It's sure to be a fun way to kick off your week-end.

Costume Designer Julie Weiss Shares Her Magic

A couple of weeks ago Kathy Grey, my editor at Florida Weekly, called to see if I could attend a talk given by Academy Award-nominated Julie Weiss at Ringling College of Art + Design.  I had a furniture delivery scheduled for the day of the talk, but it wasn't really a hard choice.  Getting a glimpse into the world of costume design easily won out over waiting around for sweaty guys to deliver night stands for my second guest bedroom.

Over the past year, Kathy has coached me about the dos and don'ts of journalism.  One of her pet peeves is when reporters string together a bunch of quotes and call it a story.  It's not typically an issue I have to contend with.  It's often more difficult to get a usable quote than a surplus of gems.  But I found myself scribbling away frantically when I found myself sitting at a desk in a Ringling College auditorium listening to Ms. Weiss.

The article I filed is set out below.  But before you get there, here are a few of Ms. Weiss' pearls of wisdom that didn't make their way into the story.

"When the costume becomes clothing, you know it's the actor becoming the character."

"Imagination costs nothing. You cannot budget it."

"I love dirt."  (This one requires a bit of an explanation.  Designers use dirt and sand to age clothes and add color around sweat stains. How cool is that?)

"We are thieves of other people's memories."

"You don't want the costumes to arrive before the words."  

Julie Weiss

Costume Designer Julie Weiss Shares Her Craft with Ringling Students

By Nanette Crist, Florida Weekly Correspondent

Clothes make the man. Or so said humorist Mark Twain.  

Perhaps nowhere does this statement hold more true than on the big screen. Costumes play a crucial role in an actor’s transformation into his character. They also give the audience visual cues about a character’s personality and the world in which he lives. All without a word having been spoken. 

It is the job of a costume designer to make this magic happen. And Julie Weiss is one of the best. 

Design for Bruce Willis in "12 Monkeys"

From “American Beauty” to “Frida”

While you might not recognize Ms. Weiss’ name, if you’re a moviegoer, you’ve almost certainly seen her work. For the past 25 years, she’s created the costumes for movies as varied as “Steel Magnolias” to “Hitchcock” to “Blades of Glory.” She dressed Selma Hayek and Alfred Molina in “Frida” and Brad Pitt and Bruce Willis in “Twelve Monkeys,” receiving Academy Award nominations for her efforts. And did we mention her work on the visually stunning “American Beauty”? The list goes on and on.  

Ms. Weiss recently spoke to an auditorium filled with Ringling College of Art + Design students and community film devotees. And while her talk was punctuated with numerous clips from films on which she worked, she did not take the opportunity to dazzle the audience with stories about the celebrities she’s dressed and the awards she’s won. Instead, she talked about what draws her to the projects she takes on and her philosophy about costume design. 

 

Costume design as storytelling

Perhaps a bit surprisingly for someone whose career revolves around the visual, it’s words that get Ms. Weiss’ creative juices flowing. She finds little more exciting than reading a script and thinking, “What are these words? I want to be a part of them.” 

Design for Selma Hayek in "Frida"

The reason for this enthusiasm is simple. To Ms. Weiss, the costumes are an integral part of telling the story. And when she is intrigued by a story, she is eager to help the audience go along for the ride. 

Take, for instance, the movie “Frida,” a biopic about Mexican artist Frida Kahlo. The possibilities for costumes to aid in the development of Frida’s character thrilled Ms. Weiss. But before she put pencil to paper, there was work to be done. She researched the politics and culture of Mexico during the first half of the 20^th century. She studied Ms. Kahlo’s paintings. She pored over pictures of Ms. Kahlo throughout her life. The vibrant costumes she created reflect Frida’s politics and defiant nature and acceptance of herself for who she was. They embody Frida’s character and helped actress Selma Hayek become Frida. 

Honoring the project

Ms. Weiss acknowledged that it’s only human nature for a costume designer to want her work to be truly seen, perhaps to even be the focal point. But, she said, “If this is your goal, put a brassiere on a tree.”  

Instead, she views costume design as a collaborative effort. “[My] responsibility is to bring the director’s vision to life,” she said. The director, she explained, sees the whole picture in a way that others do not. 

Ms. Weiss repeatedly used the word “honor” when speaking about her work. Her goal is to create designs that honor the director’s vision and the story rather than establish her own signature style. 

And then there’s “Blades of Glory”

Ms. Weiss’ choice of projects tends towards messy stories filled with ambiguity. These tales enable her to pay attention to characters who might otherwise go unnoticed and to provide them with a bit of dignity.  

Even Ms. Weiss, though, sometimes longs to create costumes that go over the top. And so she found herself in 2006 working on the hilarious “Blades of Glory,” a film whose characters would never be described as dignified. The movie stars Will Ferrell and Jon Heder as rival figure skaters who team up to compete as the first male duo in a national figure skating championship.  

A character’s wardrobe is typically a combination of pieces specifically created for the project and items purchased or discovered at a costume shop. For “Blades of Glory,” Ms. Weiss found herself laboriously sewing on the stones in Mr. Ferrell’s and Mr. Heder’s sequin-laden, form-fitting costumes. She says she still has scars on her fingers as a remembrance of the film. She also has an Award for Excellence in a Contemporary Film from the Costume Designers Guild for her work. 

Costume design for opera "Carmen"

Screen versus stage

These days, Ms. Weiss’ name tends to be associated with major motion pictures. She enjoys mixing it up a bit, though, with work for television and the stage. In fact, Ms. Weiss’ mantle bears two Emmy Awards for the 1984 primetime movie “The Dollmaker” and the 1995 mini-series “A Woman of Independent Means (Part 1).” She also earned a Tony nomination for her work in the original production of “The Elephant Man” on Broadway. 

Ms. Weiss answered eager students’ questions about how creating costumes for a stage performance is different than designing for the screen. The most significant challenge, she said, stems from the fact that movies are shot out of sequence. When an actor is available to film, his costumes must be ready, regardless of whether his character appears in the first scene or the last. This makes it difficult to “design between the words,” as Ms. Weiss likes to do.    

Stage productions, on the other hand, progress in a more orderly fashion, with a set schedule for dress rehearsals for the entire cast. And yes, costumes for the stage are somewhat “bigger” than those for film as they are designed with audience members in the balcony in mind. 

It’s a wrap

After years in the trade, Ms. Weiss has come to recognize the moment when an actor and his costume have become one. That’s when you stop designing, she says, and “have a little funeral for all the things you wanted to add.” 

It’s this knowledge—together with her creativity and unerring eye--that makes Julie Weiss an artist in the world of costume design.  It’s also what ensures that we will continue to see her work on screen and stage for years to come.