Can a Wooden Rollercoast be Art?
This weekend I took my son to the old amusment park here in Budapest. The Vidampark... or Happy Park. It is a lovely mix of turn of the century charm with modern rides that scare the pants off you. I love it.
As a child, this WAS the entertainment mecca. Scary rides, lots of icecream, holding hands with my girlfriend... you cannot beat this! And as I walked around the historical (ancient?) park with my family, I could not help but get nostalgic.
Having been to Universal Studios park in Florida last Winter, the old Vidampark holds all the charm and enjoyment of what being entertained is (was) supposed to be.... Take for instance: Let's get lost in the house of mirrors! Or let's go play Dogem Cars! or the Ultimate! Let's go ride the wooden rollercoast --- Circa 1906. Yes, that's right! Over 100 years old.
Let's make some things clear: First, New rollercoasters have banked curves, rubber wheels and use G-force to smoosh us around corners. We are turned upside down, left and right and then around again. All at break neck speed and it is a thrill!
The old 1906 version doesn't have the speed to thrill you. I doubt the vehicle ever went over 20km an hour! But what it doesn't have in G-force, it makes up with design. First, each of the narrow cars has NO seatbelt. As a parent, this was impossible! Second, the chair on the rail car is loaded on springs and moves with ease in all directions as you make your way down the track. The sensation of being shaken around is enhanced by a constant shaking noise which constantly reminded me of the AGE of this coaster and the car too! And that itself is a nightmare! All combined, it is a wildly different sensation than the modern day coaster.
So, what it lacks in speed, the old coaster artistically and by design, gives a different thrill besides G-force. While shaking all the screams out of you with a true multimedia experience, it reminds us how our simpler past still entertainsus with true human fear factor. And rather than playing with shear gravity, the spectacular design of these cars instill their thrill on springs and loose bolts. And it is a thrill indeed! But one that is mixed in with nostalgia that gives us a feeling of another time, another place, and, indeed, another era altogether.
What a thrill!
Monday, September 28, 2009
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Concert wakes up the Festival Hall
If you are like me and my family, you are going to go to several concerts over the Christmas holiday season. For us, we really enjoy going to the Festival Hall at the Palace of the Arts in Budapest Hungary.... simply because of the excellent acoustics and great performances.
Usually we listen to classical music in this place...the building is actually built for these purposes. And it is practically a shrine for those who love classical music... the audience surely treats it like a shrine in their attitude and the demeanor.
However, I have had two recent opportunities to listen old jazz players play familiar tunes in this shrine of music.... McCoy Tyner and Dionne Warwick. These are great musicians and really gave amazing performances with some magnificant back up musicians.
During the McCoy Tyner concert, it was obvious that these 4 'dudes' were not comfortable with their position on this stage. The audience quietly clapped when Tyner came on as if he were the Concert Master. Then as he and his band tore out their first tune, the reaction from the audience was a quiet refrain of the applause. It was difficult for me, an American, as I love listening to jazz music... but usually in a small pub with a beer or two in front of me.
Now it is not the musician's fault. The public continues to take older, well-known musicians and elevate them from the small pubs they had spent their lives playing, and put them onto a smokeless stage about 20 metres from the audience -- tis strange indeed, but not the point. It is also not the audience's fault. This style of music on their 'classical' stage just doesn't fit. The person next to the audience member is not whistling and shouting, so they continue with what they know.... more of the quiet reserve of applause. It is simply a dis-joint from what they know (for both parties).
Enter Dionne Warwick. She is an old school performer and entertainer. She has spent the last 40 years bringing beautiful songs to her audiences with the poise of a great lady of Jazz/Pop.
As she took the stage, I was surprised that she was attempting to engage this audience (in English), encouraging them to clap or sing or both. "Yeah, right" was my only comment to my wife. And then I saw the most amazing thing.... the audience melted. Somewhere in the 3rd song, sung through a seriously cold infected throat, the people began to sing. As the song ended, the applause was spontaneous and loud. Dionne had somehow overcome 400 years of custom and Hungarian cultural tradition and took the audience to 'another place.' The Room, the Festival Hall, suddenly came alive. Oh, it still looked as sterile as it did 10 minutes earlier, but it was now filled with smiling audience members who clapped, and sang and commented to their partners between songs. The lady next to me knew every word and she was about 30 -- she sang every song.
I guess my comment is not about how difficult it is to break Hungarian performance 'scripts' or traditions... more I was in wonder how a elderly lady could stand on stage and single handidly do so. This performer's energy and desire to communicate with the audience is an old tradition and one which is not part of the current concert scene. In fact, I have been to some concerts recently (R.E.M.) where the performers spoke very few words to the audience execept to plug the title of their new song. So, Dionne was a delight. And if you were there, you know, that it was a magical concert for the audience as they themselves.... melted.
Usually we listen to classical music in this place...the building is actually built for these purposes. And it is practically a shrine for those who love classical music... the audience surely treats it like a shrine in their attitude and the demeanor.
However, I have had two recent opportunities to listen old jazz players play familiar tunes in this shrine of music.... McCoy Tyner and Dionne Warwick. These are great musicians and really gave amazing performances with some magnificant back up musicians.
During the McCoy Tyner concert, it was obvious that these 4 'dudes' were not comfortable with their position on this stage. The audience quietly clapped when Tyner came on as if he were the Concert Master. Then as he and his band tore out their first tune, the reaction from the audience was a quiet refrain of the applause. It was difficult for me, an American, as I love listening to jazz music... but usually in a small pub with a beer or two in front of me.
Now it is not the musician's fault. The public continues to take older, well-known musicians and elevate them from the small pubs they had spent their lives playing, and put them onto a smokeless stage about 20 metres from the audience -- tis strange indeed, but not the point. It is also not the audience's fault. This style of music on their 'classical' stage just doesn't fit. The person next to the audience member is not whistling and shouting, so they continue with what they know.... more of the quiet reserve of applause. It is simply a dis-joint from what they know (for both parties).
Enter Dionne Warwick. She is an old school performer and entertainer. She has spent the last 40 years bringing beautiful songs to her audiences with the poise of a great lady of Jazz/Pop.
As she took the stage, I was surprised that she was attempting to engage this audience (in English), encouraging them to clap or sing or both. "Yeah, right" was my only comment to my wife. And then I saw the most amazing thing.... the audience melted. Somewhere in the 3rd song, sung through a seriously cold infected throat, the people began to sing. As the song ended, the applause was spontaneous and loud. Dionne had somehow overcome 400 years of custom and Hungarian cultural tradition and took the audience to 'another place.' The Room, the Festival Hall, suddenly came alive. Oh, it still looked as sterile as it did 10 minutes earlier, but it was now filled with smiling audience members who clapped, and sang and commented to their partners between songs. The lady next to me knew every word and she was about 30 -- she sang every song.
I guess my comment is not about how difficult it is to break Hungarian performance 'scripts' or traditions... more I was in wonder how a elderly lady could stand on stage and single handidly do so. This performer's energy and desire to communicate with the audience is an old tradition and one which is not part of the current concert scene. In fact, I have been to some concerts recently (R.E.M.) where the performers spoke very few words to the audience execept to plug the title of their new song. So, Dionne was a delight. And if you were there, you know, that it was a magical concert for the audience as they themselves.... melted.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Docents give Tours in English at LUMU
I recently went to the Ludwig Museum to see the latest group of graduating docents (that is a knowledgeable tour guide) who had just finished a year's training. They gave a wonderful little tour (their first!) to a small group of visitors. I like to support them because I think this service is just wonderful. Linda Kondor is the head of the docent programme and she has dedicated herself to making this thing happen.
But I am very surprised that more people don't make the best of this. According to Linda, there are so few visitors who take advantage of this incredible opportunity. Not only is it an opportunity to see the permanent collection of contemporary art (fantastic!) but also, gain some insight into the pieces. Contemporary art is difficult to understand anyway, and this is a great way to see the art in a context -- led by an expert. And of the thousands of native English speakers and 10s of thousands of English speaking Hungarians, I would think that Linda would have to turn away the crowds.
So, in an effort to begin a grass roots campaign, I suggest to you... take the LUMU docent tour. It is free. The tours take place on Wednesdays evenings at 6pm. Tell your friends about it. Tell a tourist about it. They will not regret it! The collection is great and fun. The personal tour is informative and interactive. You cannot go wrong.
But I am very surprised that more people don't make the best of this. According to Linda, there are so few visitors who take advantage of this incredible opportunity. Not only is it an opportunity to see the permanent collection of contemporary art (fantastic!) but also, gain some insight into the pieces. Contemporary art is difficult to understand anyway, and this is a great way to see the art in a context -- led by an expert. And of the thousands of native English speakers and 10s of thousands of English speaking Hungarians, I would think that Linda would have to turn away the crowds.
So, in an effort to begin a grass roots campaign, I suggest to you... take the LUMU docent tour. It is free. The tours take place on Wednesdays evenings at 6pm. Tell your friends about it. Tell a tourist about it. They will not regret it! The collection is great and fun. The personal tour is informative and interactive. You cannot go wrong.
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Chaplin as a Director
I just finished watching a video about Charlie Chaplin and the background efforts of the great director. The relatively old video from Thames video show only archival footage with the focus (if not the hypothosis!) of the 5 part series was to see how creative Chaplin was on the set... always funny, never angry and really an 'out of the box' thinker. This is especially evident in the first part of the series where he worked 6 films in 3 years for Mutual Pictures. He was given a large sum of money (over 750,000USD in 1916) to make these pictures. An incredible amount of money and some incredible work.
However, the reason I bring this up on the blog is the fact that he didn't work from a script. He allowed an initial premise to guide his thoughts and then moved through hundreds of 'slates' to create his narrative. NO SCRIPT seemed like it took film to a process which was more like a painter experimenting with a canvas. A shape turns to a flower, which ends up a figure....
In our class we spend some time noting the differences between the film director and the painter... and process usually was gone by a group of people, utilized machines, elongated the narrative, etc. But perhaps this was a time when they were the most similar. This was the time when process was sheer creativity. Making it up as he went along.
Today's' film doesn't have this luxury.
But why don't film makers return to this idea.. now that Video is Cheap... and friends can act... and you don't need too many lights. Think about this... and let me know. Is this process happening? Can you give examples of this process taking place today? Should we use this process in the creation of films? Perhaps Central Europe can start a new PROCESS movement for film making.... perhaps they already have.
However, the reason I bring this up on the blog is the fact that he didn't work from a script. He allowed an initial premise to guide his thoughts and then moved through hundreds of 'slates' to create his narrative. NO SCRIPT seemed like it took film to a process which was more like a painter experimenting with a canvas. A shape turns to a flower, which ends up a figure....
In our class we spend some time noting the differences between the film director and the painter... and process usually was gone by a group of people, utilized machines, elongated the narrative, etc. But perhaps this was a time when they were the most similar. This was the time when process was sheer creativity. Making it up as he went along.
Today's' film doesn't have this luxury.
But why don't film makers return to this idea.. now that Video is Cheap... and friends can act... and you don't need too many lights. Think about this... and let me know. Is this process happening? Can you give examples of this process taking place today? Should we use this process in the creation of films? Perhaps Central Europe can start a new PROCESS movement for film making.... perhaps they already have.
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
A matter of manners or truth
We are at the Hunderwasser exhibition in Budapest. We paid for tickets on line, and figured that there was some sort of limiting mechanism to the number of people that could be allowed to be in the room at once. But, not so. Once inside it was obvious that the room was going to be crowded and dark. This has been the fourth exhibition I have been to in this very room in the last year. And I am seeing a horrible pattern.
It is dark. Presumably because the travelling exhibition cannot have more than a certain number of lumens on the pictures. I understand this, but I don't like it. Secondly, the room is crowded with so many people that it is difficult to see ANY of the paintings. Further, the layout or design of the 'traffic' -- the path that must be followed, or should be followed for the optimum viewing pleasure -- provides 4 hallways with dead ends. So, basically, you see the paintings down the path and then MUST TURN AROUND and walk through the on-coming traffic. Incredible.
But this is just the picture. The question is: Should one mention to the curator, or the management of the museum, that this is distracting in the least -- annoying for the most part. Do we tell them that this is NOT WORKING? Or do we just live with this type of mis-management?
Please give some advice to those who encounter this type of dilemema.
It is dark. Presumably because the travelling exhibition cannot have more than a certain number of lumens on the pictures. I understand this, but I don't like it. Secondly, the room is crowded with so many people that it is difficult to see ANY of the paintings. Further, the layout or design of the 'traffic' -- the path that must be followed, or should be followed for the optimum viewing pleasure -- provides 4 hallways with dead ends. So, basically, you see the paintings down the path and then MUST TURN AROUND and walk through the on-coming traffic. Incredible.
But this is just the picture. The question is: Should one mention to the curator, or the management of the museum, that this is distracting in the least -- annoying for the most part. Do we tell them that this is NOT WORKING? Or do we just live with this type of mis-management?
Please give some advice to those who encounter this type of dilemema.
Intitial Notes
Hello!
This blog is a distillery for people who think about the arts. It is a place for scholars and students of the arts -- be it Arts Management, Creative Industries, or the creation of art -- to give their ideas about how the arts are affecting their world.
Generally, this blog is focused on regional views regarding Central and Eastern Europe, but it is possible that ideas in general relating to the arts may be posted and commented on.
You can criticize. You can describe something beautiful. You can give advice. You can observe and wonder.
From time to time this blogger, Dr. Phil, will ask professionals in the field to comment, or make arguments for or against something that is happening. I encourage all reader to challenge all that is posted.. but especially challenge the pros.
Art is life. Life is everywhere.
Dr.PHIL
This blog is a distillery for people who think about the arts. It is a place for scholars and students of the arts -- be it Arts Management, Creative Industries, or the creation of art -- to give their ideas about how the arts are affecting their world.
Generally, this blog is focused on regional views regarding Central and Eastern Europe, but it is possible that ideas in general relating to the arts may be posted and commented on.
You can criticize. You can describe something beautiful. You can give advice. You can observe and wonder.
From time to time this blogger, Dr. Phil, will ask professionals in the field to comment, or make arguments for or against something that is happening. I encourage all reader to challenge all that is posted.. but especially challenge the pros.
Art is life. Life is everywhere.
Dr.PHIL
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