MARCH 23, 2012

Discover the Art Gym

BY LAURA BLUM
Staff Writer

Cirque du Soleil presents Ovo

The Pioneer Log arts

Lake Oswego is not known for being a site of rich cultural expression, but this spring it has been injected with a dose of the Portland art scene. The Art Gym, a small gallery located on the campus of Marylhurst University, is participating in Disjectas Portland2012: A Biennial of Contemporary Art until April 4. Disjecta, a non-profit organization dedicated to contemporary art, produces the Portland Biennial. The city-wide exhibition is a celebration of Portlands wide array of contemporary visual artists, it featuring the work of 24 artists and artist teams. Eight of them Future Death Toll, Chris Knight, Cynthia Lahti, Ben Rosenberg, Jack Ryan, Marie Sivak and Dustin Zemelare currently displayed at the Art Gym. The Art Gym is a hidden gem. To reach it, one must make their way to Marylhurst University (a small religious institution situated on the outskirts of Lake Oswego), head to the main building, walk up two flights of stairs and traipse down a long hallway lined with offices. The exhibition includes a wide range of media, from paintings and sculptures to installations and films. Each show is a discreet exhibition with a certain scene and works that speak to one another, said curator Prudence Roberts in an interview with Portland Monthly. At The Art Gym, I think there is definite a sense of narrative, but interrupted narrativestories that are told obliquely, incompletely, and not necessarily personal narratives. Such obliqueness is well represented in Future Death Tolls Beegas, a series of beeswax casts of nude human bodies suspended from the ceiling by neon orange ropes. As the figures hang, they inevitably begin to crumble and break apart. The impermanence of these figures, combined with the natural medium of beeswax, raises troubling questions about mortality and the far-reaching effects of human existence. Ben Rosenbergs series of house sculptures, entitled This Must Be the Place, adds an element of humor to the exhibitions theme of modern disillusionment. Constructed out of materials used to make actual houses, This Must Be the Place is a miniature model of suburban America, complete with billboard advertisements and witty church signs. Other notable works in the Art Gyms exhibition include wallsized paintings by Chris Knight, paper sculptures by Cynthia Lahti and a series of simultaneous videos by Dustin Zemel. Theres something for every art lover at the Portland Biennial and, though the Art Gym may not be the easiest gallery to find, its well worth the journey. The Art Gym (17600 Pacific Hwy.) is open Tuesday through Sunday, 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.

ILLUSTRATION BY NATALIE ROESE

JORDAN ANDERSON
Staff Writer

If youve ever wondered what it might be like to be a bug in a fantastical Brazilian rainforest, youre in luck. This is the premise of Cirque du Soleils latest production, Ovo, which is coming to the Portland Expo Center this April. The Cirque is known for mixing classic circus standbys with otherworldly, experimental atmospheres. This show, with its bizarre insect aesthetic and its colorful costumes and set, is sure to live up to the high expectations that surround it.

Ovos mission is to immerse the audience in the world of insects. It follows a loose storyline in which a mysterious egg appears in the middle of a mystical rainforest, but the show is mostly comprised of independent acts centered on its insect theme. The acts include an acrobatic array of circus classics: flying acts, high wire, juggling, balancing acts and the like. The performers display their incredible strength and physical ability, but not without a dancelike grace and the exciting element of danger. Many parts come together to create the shows enticing and pe-

culiar atmosphere. The set and lighting imitate the feeling of a Brazilian rainforest. A giant net in the shape of a spider web provides both a backdrop for the action and a dynamic surface for the insect performers to climb on. The costumes also add to the shows feeling. Brightly colored bodysuits with wonderfully imaginative details attempt to convey the impression of insect bodies. Costume designer Liz Vandal was apparently inspired by futuristic superheroes and by suits of armour from all eras, so you can imagine how intriguing and strange the shows visual effect will be. Accompanying all of this is a backdrop of intermingled Brazilian samba music, electronic beats and sampled insects sounds that sets the mood for the bizarre rainforest scene. And if Cirque du Soleil lives up to their hard-earned reputation, these diverse elements will all combine seamlessly into a theatrical experience that transports the audience from this world into the one the Cirque has created. The show is stopping in Portland as part of its international tour and will be at the Portland Expo Center between April 5 and May 13. Tickets generally cost up to $143, but through a special offer, LC students can get tickets for as little as $30. Students should go to tinyurl.com/ lewisclarkovo to buy tickets.

Watzek Screens: Fists in the Pocket

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PHOTO FROM CRITERION.COM

BY ALICIA KROELL
Staff Writer

Blankenship designs set for senior thesis

After showing five Italian classics, Watzek Screens will present its final installment next Thursday with Fists in the Pocket (I Pugni in Tasca). Cited as one of the lost neo-classics, the film features an extremely dysfunctional family and one members attempt to save his brother from insanity by killing off the rest. Centered on a formerly wealthy family now plagued with depression and infantilism that comes to life over dinner table slap fests, Alessandro (Lou Castel) deems himself the family vigilante in an effort to provide for his brother Augusto. He begins his killing spree by pushing his blind mother over the edge of a ravine and continues on with attempts against his younger epileptic brother and unbalanced sister. Marked as the only sane member of the family is Augusto (Marino Mase). ,While sticking with his familys antics until this point, Alessandro finds his family to be too much for his brothers potential happiness. Alessandro asks his brother, Why should you let us poison your life? And I include myself.

Kaye Blankenship (12) designed the set for The Increased Difficulty of Concentration.

PHOTO BY DREW LENIHAN

BY SOPHIE EISENSTAT
Staff Writer

The Theater Department has an extra twist in its mainstage production of the absurdist-farce The Increased Difficulty of Concentration by Vaclav Havel. For the first time in over five years, the scenic designer of this production is one of our very own students, Kaye Blankenship (12). As the only Theater major doing a technical/design concentration in her graduating year, Blankenship has taken on the incredible project of designing the set for this springs mainstage production. As the scenic designer, one of her many tasks is to set the initial mood for the audience with her set. Blankenships design sets them exactly where they should be at the

beginning of an absurdist-farce feeling familiar with the setting of a home, but wondering why the walls are so tall and the wallpaper is so painfully patterned. Blankenships responsibilities began in the early weeks of November. We [Professor Stepan Simek as Director and Associate Professor Michael Olich as Costume Designer] first met to talk about the nature of the play and what Stepan wanted it to be, said Blankenship. With that information, Blankenship was able to come up with three different set designs for the director to decide on. After many more weeks of meetings, to-scale models and sketches, the set design was finalized and construction began in the early days of the spring semester. The department offered her this project as an option for her se-

nior thesis, and she readily took it. Blankenship said that scenic design had always been one of her intentions in the department. In years past, the scenic designer had been a faculty member or professor with many years of theater experience. Sometimes I felt like the guinea pig; we were all trying to figure out how to make it work with a student in the position, Blankenship said. Even though there were some frustrations along the way, Blankenship said she loved the experience. She has loved being part of the production process since high school and plans to continue working in theater after she graduates. While she has no aspirations for the big stages of Broadway, she hopes to stay around Portland and continue working in scenic design.

The great advantage of first films is that youre nobody and you have no history, so you have the freedom to risk everything.
While insanity is at the forefront, the film is shot in a very cool manner and includes some rather dark moments of humor. Alessandros killing rampage itself stands as a criticism to 1960s Italian family values and Catholic morality. Fists in the Pocket, which premiered at the Locarno International Film Festival in 1965, is Marco Bellocchios directorial debut, which immediately marked him as a one of the most controversial modern Italian directors. Regarding his debut, Bellochio once said, The great advantage of first films is that youre nobody and you have no history, so you have the freedom to risk everything. Miller 105, Thursday, April 5, 7 p.m., free