The Lyric Cinema Cafe

June 28th, 2007 Daryle Dickens

Last night I had my first visit to the Lyric Cinema in Old Town Fort Collins. I must admit I feel sort of bad for taking so long to check it out. And now that I have I think it may be habbit forming.

This is sort of tough to write about for me because I don’t consider myself a reviewer and never want the label of critic but I had to say some words about this addition to the art scene in Fort Collins. So here goes…

I am a fan of movies.  Big ones, small ones, Hollywood ones, and independent ones. I also believe in the theater experience of seeing a movie. And it can be hard to have a theater experience with smaller independant movies. But now with the Lyric one can see those smaller movies in a theater, on a couch, drinking a 5 Barrel in a glass no less. I felt so European.

The Lyric has a website with upcoming shows and links to previews for them. And also a very cool blog that lets us hear from the owners.

Bottom line… Support the Lyric Cinema Cafe. It is a much needed addition to the Fort Collins art landscape.

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Whos On First?

June 20th, 2007 Daryle Dickens

How is it such a simple question can leave such a mark on history? Bud Abbott and Lou Costello performed the classic comic routine on stage and the radio beginning in the 1930’s. But it was the movie One Night in the Tropics which came out in 1940 that really launched the routine and the careers of Abbott and Costello.

Time Magazine named Who’s on First? the “Best Comedy Sketch of the 20th Century,” the American Film Institute listed it in the 100 most memorable movie quotes, a gold record of it was placed in the Baseball Hall of Fame, and there was even a board game made from it in the 70’s. It has also be referenced countless times in pop culture.

If you have not seen it in its entirety take six minutes out of your life and check it out. Comic genius. Art history.

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A Demo of an Artist’s Work

June 12th, 2007 Daryle Dickens

One of the missions of ZAF622 is to show you happenings in the art world you may have missed. Could be anything. Could be in Fort Collins or something on the other side of the planet. It could be an event, a piece, an installation, a book, a movie, anything is fair game as long as it relates to art or artists.

Take for example Lisa Cameron’s web site. Lisa is a Fort Collins artist that if you remember was ZAF’s #2 interview. She works in a few mediums, one of which being paint. She paint huge florals and the like using large bold colors. I have spent time in front of her pieces wondering how she does it. Her work contains large color shapes covered with paints squiggles and drips. Lisa’s web site gives us a glimpse of just how she does it.

On her site Lisa has a section titled “demo.” And there you will find a few examples of her work. Clicking on a piece brings up a step by step slide show demonstration in the creation of the piece. It is simple but very cool. I watched everyone of them. I wish more artists would do something similar. Go check it out.

And thanks Lisa for sharing.

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You Are Beautiful

June 10th, 2007 Daryle Dickens

Did you know that? There is a group of people in Chicago who want to make sure you do know that. Though no one knows who these people are. Through the use of free stickers, exhibits, collaborations, and random installations the message is getting around. The group stays anonymous in an effort to keep the message pure. They do not want to gain money or fame from the project.

It is refreshing to find such a simple yet powerful movement using art to convey such a message. This is the statement for the project:

You Are Beautiful is a simple, powerful statement which is incorporated into the over absorption of mass media and lifestyles that are wrapped in consumer culture.

The intention behind this project is to reach beyond ourselves as individuals to make a difference by creating moments of positive self realization. We’re just attempting to make the world a little better.

Intention is the most important aspect of the You Are Beautiful project in its idea of purity. Nothing is sacred. Everything that has a perceived value becomes commodified. We work extremely hard that this message is received as a simple act of kindness, and nothing more.

Advertising elicits a response to buy, where this project elicits a response to do something. The attempt with You Are Beautiful is to create activism instead of consumerism.

You Are Beautiful uses the medium of advertising and commercialization to spread a positive message. Projects like these make a difference in the world by catching us in the midst of daily life and creating moments of positive self realization.

If you want your own You Are Beautiful stickers simply send a self addressed stamp envelope to:

You Are Beautiful
PO Box # 220175
Chicago, IL 60622

Or check out the web site www.you-are-beautiful.com

And remember you are also creative.

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1984

June 7th, 2007 Daryle Dickens

It was this week in 1949 that George Orwell’s novel 1984 was published. The novel that let us know Big Brother was watching. Orwell was born in 1903 with the name Eric Blair. Even though he was born in India he was a British citizen. And he spent many years of his young life as a British policeman in the Indian Imperial Police. It was these years participating in the declining yet oppressive British Empire that formed Orwell’s world view. A world view that came out in his two most well known works, 1984 and Animal Farm.

His first published work, Down and Out in Paris and London was published in 1933. He wrote while teaching at a private school. The book was an account of his days living with the poor of the two cities. 1934 Orwell’s first fiction work, Burmese Days, was published. After that he was able to focus on his writing more and the following years saw a steady stream books from him being published. But it was not until 1945, when Animal Farm was published, that Orwell experiences fame.

Fame did not suit Orwell and he moved to Jura, an island off of Scotland, in an effort to escape it. Living on the island aggravated his tuberculosis which he had been living with since 1941. Even while bedridden he wrote Last Man in Europe, the original title for the novel that became 1984. He died less than a year after it was published.

What I find interesting about an artist like Orwell is that his work has made his name an adjective. Orwellian, which basically means something that takes away from a free society. Forget money, forget fame, I’d like my work in this life to become an adjective. I doubt it will happen but it is a nice idea.

I wonder what Orwell would think of life in 2007. He tried to warn us about Big Brother but it seems in the age of phones with video cameras and YouTube, we need to be wary more of the guy on the street than we do of an all seeing government. Especially if you’re a celebrity, just ask David Hasselhoff.

So be careful out there, you don’t know how is watching. But don’t let the fear of a totalitarian state stop you from creating. The very act of creating can stop such things from becoming reality.

Live to create.

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