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Student Art Spotlight

Illustration by Megan Liao.

Drawing without visible trace: when acts of drawing and running become a performance

On April 6, Carali McCall, a London-based artist and co-author of “Performance Drawing: New Practices since 1945,” gave a virtual talk as part of the “Brandeis Post Baccalaureate in Studio Art Lecture Series.” McCall is fascinated by the passage of time, physical energy and bodily movement. Her research and artwork question an artist’s role and uncover new ways to understand the body. She explores the performative nature of human activities and demonstrates how the act of drawing can become a tool of performance. In this relaxing talk interspersed with video clips of her performance work, McCall charted her journey as an artist and the development of her vibrant and expressive practice: the “performance drawing.”

Student Art Spotlight

Illustration by Megan Liao.

Crossword: On the farm

April 6 Crossword Puzzle

Student Art Spotlight

Illustration by Megan Liao.

'Elantris': A tale of magic, political intrigue and religious conflict

“Elantris” by Brandon Sanderson is a high-fantasy standalone novel about magic gone awry, political intrigue and religious conflict. I decided to read it because I read Sanderson’s “Mistborn” trilogy and enjoyed it enough to check out his other books. Also, my library had the Graphic Audio audiobook, which has a full cast, music and sound effects, and I had been wanting to listen to one of their productions. While it did not become my new favorite book, I enjoyed the intricate plot and worldbuilding.

'Seaspiracy': reviewing the world’s fishing industry

Last week I finished class and opened Netflix, as I now do every evening. I had finished all of the shows and movies I wanted to watch and was looking for something interesting. One of the easiest ways to get new recommendations is through Netflix’s Top 10 list so I headed there. One of the suggestions was a documentary called “Seapiracy.” With its seemingly obvious title, paired with an image of diving whales in an ocean that is turning from red to a deep blue, I felt drawn to it.  I had previously ignored it because I just assumed it was about pirates. As I had just watched a show about pirates, I was not that interested. In short, I had no idea what I was getting into. 

Student Art Spotlight

Illustration by Megan Liao.

The joy of life: ‘Mori, The Artist’s Habitat’

If you are like me, who just survived the overwhelming midterm season, a comforting and aesthetically pleasing movie would be a great leisure activity to soothe your nerves. Directed by Shuichi Okita, “Mori, The Artist’s Habitat” is a delightful and offbeat biopic that peers into a typical day of Kumagai Morikazu (1880-1997), aka Mori, a celebrated yet reclusive Japanese painter. The slow-paced and lighthearted movie examines a 30-year period in Mori’s late life, during which he never ventured outside his home in Ikebukuro and spent every day observing nature and insects in his tiny botanical garden. His ability to embrace peace and calm in a constrained space may offer us new insights into how we can obtain self-contentment in forced isolation during the pandemic.

Artist Shana Merola combines political activism and photography in artist talk

Over the past few months, American interest in civil disobedience has exploded, leading to increasing amounts of people participating in protests and social justice campaigns. However, some have been involved in this form of activism for years prior. One of these people is visual artist, photojournalist and legal worker Shanna Merola, who gave a talk via Zoom to Brandeis students where she detailed both her artistic work and her work with activism near her hometown of Detroit, Michigan. Prof. Sheida Soleimani (FA) hosted the talk, which took place on March 15 and was sponsored by the Brandeis Department of Fine Arts.  

The Flesh in Question: A Response to Orientalism and the Male Gaze

In the virtual discussion, “The Flesh in Question,” held on March 16, Professor Ariel Basson Freiberg (FA) engaged in conversation with Stephanie Davereckas, an art historian, curator and critic.  Outside of Brandeis, Freiberg is a painter specializing in feminist theory in the visual arts. Her exhibition, “Hellbent,” is currently being shown in a virtual format at Brandeis Women’s Studies Research Center. This particular conversation, organized by curator and Director of the Arts for the Women's Studies Research Center Susan Metrican, examined Freiberg’s exhibit in conjunction with Linda Nochlin's 1983 essay "The Imaginary Orient" and historical paintings depicting the biblical figure of Salome. The paintings showcased in this exhibition feature bright colors, women’s bodies both obscured and revealed, and cultural relics meant to counter Orientalism. 

Gillian Anderson shares insight on playing empowering female characters

America’s obsession with the affairs of the British Royal Family spiked following Meghan Markle’s March 7 bombshell interview with Oprah, but it could be said that this country’s fascination was already steadily rising with the 2016 debut of the award-winning Netflix series “The Crown.” The stars of this popular Netflix series have attracted award wins each year. This year the series took home three Golden Globes — its biggest win to date. Gillian Anderson, who played British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher on season 4, won Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Supporting Role on Feb. 28, just days before the actress spoke to Brandeis students via a Facebook Webinar on March 5.  

Review of J.M. Coetzee’s “Disgrace”

During the winter, while I was confined to a small apartment in the company of some books, I made the mistake of reading a rather disturbing and depressing book:is “Disgrace” by J.M. Coetzee, a South African writer, Nobel laureate and Booker Prize winner who, as I later learned, is known for a quite impressive oeuvre of depressing books. This article contains spoilers.

Student Art Spotlight

Illustration by Megan Liao.

On the canon

Something I have come to think about is the creation, maintenance and revision of the "canon" in literature. It seems that at least within the Western intellectual tradition for the past 30 years, the canon has been treated as something that itself emerged as a Western or European concept in the first place. Through the unraveling of history, as the narrative goes, it gradually came to be imposed through imperial and colonial means as a normalizing criterion upon the literatures and cultures of every nation. In short, the canon in literature has come to be seen as more or less an instrument for the imposition of a Eurocentric socio-cultural ideology upon the world. Supposedly, a continued socio-cultural subjugation of other peoples, societies and cultures under a Western normativity makes possible an ideological system of power relations.

Student Art Spotlight

Illustration by Megan Liao

Student Art Spotlight

Student Art Spotlight by Megan Liao.

‘To some people, you’ll be Cinderella. To others, Marie Antoinette’

“Inheritance Games” begins with Avery Grambs, a high school student with a simple plan: keep her head down, stay out of trouble and get good enough grades to earn an actuarial science scholarship to the University of Connecticut. One day, her fortunes change when billionaire Tobias Hawthorne dies and leaves Avery nearly his entire estate — the only stipulation is that she has to move into his house, a riddle-filled mansion where the mostly disinherited Hawthorne family still lives. However, she has no idea who he is or why he would want to leave all his money to an apparent stranger. Questions quickly pile up: why did Tobias Hawthorne disinherit his family? Why choose Avery of all people? At the same time, buried family mysteries start working their way to the light, and Avery and the Hawthorne family must work together if they want answers. 

Student Art Spotlight

Student Art Spotlight by Megan Liao.