1. A&E 5
Art as interaction: Profiling Cynthia Delgado
G
November 6, 2008 Mount Holyoke News
The
BY LARISA
SUNDERLAND ’11
Fast
BY SCHUYLER MARQUEZ ’11 color. She is particularly inter-
CONTRIBUTING WRITER ested in how external forces act
Talker
Cynthia Delgado ’09 is an on objects, just as the artists and
artist with vision, but she also viewers act as external forces on
likes to experiment. Her newest the sand in her latest work.
and first installation, “Bilateral Delgado names artists Niki
Contaminatio: Three Faces”, de Saint-Phalle and Mark Rothko
as some of her influences, but Initially, we were fascinated
blends her vision and experi-
she is inspired by everything by the candidates—their policies,
ments with the idea of art as in-
around her. She showed me a their slip-ups, their bizarre ver-
teraction.
couple examples of her inspira- biage (Joe the Plumber). Perhaps
At first glance, the installa-
tions from her sketchbook, we watched some political com-
tion may seem oversimplified or
which included cut-outs of Saint- mentary; maybe we read some
lacking the flashiness that many
Phalle's famous shooting paint- opinion pieces. Then the SNL
look for in the gallery. However,
ings, which were created by videos started circulating on
it might just be this simplicity
shooting containers of paint on YouTube. Now Maureen Dowd is
that makes the piece so curious
wooden base boards with a .22 writing a screenplay (between
to the unsuspecting Mount
caliber rifle. McCain/Palin advisors) for The
Holyoke student who may pass
Delgado is a double Studio New York Times instead of a col-
by on the way from checking
Art and Economics major, who umn and Gail Collins is writing a
their mail. The usually covered
Photo by Nicole Mortimer aspires to become an installation “Presidential Election Quiz” in-
walls of the Blanchard Art
artist. She attended Slade School stead of her usual opinion piece. I
gallery are bare white, while Cynthia Delgado ‘09 and Krystal Bordoni-Cowley ‘09 perform at the opening of the second
of Fine Art in London and recalls mean, don't these people watch
nine plastic squares make a grid half of Delgado’s exhibit at the Blanchard Art Gallery on Wednesday night.
the experience as a turning point The Daily Show? A. Don’t worry.
on the wooden floorboards, each
in her artistic career, as it gave Jon Stewart has got it covered
displaying an amount of a differ- Bordoni-Cowley ’09, began the will interact with the work,”
her idea of what it is to be an (and we get to wash Stewart down
ent colored sand. second phase of the installation. Cynthia explained excitedly, “I
artist and pushed her to pursue with the “fine whine” aka
The installation is hard to de- Dressed in neutral colors, the want to see how the work pres-
her own ideas and concepts. Del- Stephen Colbert). B. The Times is
scribe since it is constantly two proceeded to mix the sand, ents itself to people as well as
gado is also a member of the Art supposed to be a legitimate news
changing and may never be the creating a myriad of new colors how the people present them-
Board, which aims to promote source.
same for any two viewers. The and shapes. The installation is selves to the piece.” She made
art on campus and manages the The entertainment hype that
installation is meant to go now in its third phase, the inter- clear that the viewer is not sim-
Blanchard Art Gallery. has resulted from this election
through three phases: the first action phase. ply a viewer, but a part and par- could blow Alaska clear out of the
phase began on Saturday, Oct. 25 Delgado has left a lot of up to ticipant in the art. “Bilateral Contaminatin: water—and not just because its
when Delgado set up the sand the viewer, displaying no in- This installation is only a
The reel Israel
Three Faces” is on display now governor has taken the brunt of
and plastic squares. On Wednes- structions or title cards to steer part of a greater vision and par-
until Nov. 15 at the Blanchard Art Tina Fey's solid comedic
day, Oct. 29, Cynthia and her per- viewers in any direction. “I'm re- ticular passion that Delgado has
Gallery. sketches, but because how this
formance partner, Krystal ally interested to see how people for working with containers and election has crept into the enter-
tainment industry has been truly
explosive. While it's nice to see
interesting dynamic between familial roles and gender roles. The Leonardo DiCaprio being political
women in the film have their own unique voice; they use their voices and stuff, the lightness with
to hold their family together and find their own place within it. which the media has begun to
Like Aviva, Live and Become deals with issues of identity. Di- treat this election frightens me–
BY SAMANTHA SILVER ’10 rected by Radu Mihaileanu it follows the story of Shlomo, whose own especially as the seriousness
WEB EDITOR
mother sends him away to pretend to be an Ethiopian Jew in order to began deteriorating in the days
Although it is only 60 years old, Israel's youth as a country has in escape the Sudanese refugee camp they are being held at. The crisis leading up to the election, the
no way been a limitation to its cultural development. With great from the famine in Ethiopia leads to Operation Moses, a 1984 effort days on which it is most impor-
works and creations within language, art and literature that date from both the IDF and the CIA to protect Ethiopian Jews and take tant to remember that this is not a
back to the beginning of time, it is surprising to learn that in Israel, them into Israel. screenplay. It is not a quiz, and it
its film industry is still rather new. Its first large productions oc- A Touch Away is a controversial television series that has just is certainly not a comedy sketch.
curred in the early 1980s. More recently, these films have gained been bought by HBO and is now in its third season in Israel. It is the I'll put it in presidential candidate
press attention and made their way to the United States. story of a family of ultra-Orthodox Jews living in the neighborhood of terms: Kids, this is our future.
This past Sunday, Nov. 2, at Smith College, a film series and lec- B'nei Brak outside of Tel Aviv, when a family of non-observant Russ- Both Obama and McCain say a lot
ture entitled “Israeli Film: National Cinema in a Post-National Age” ian immigrants move into the apartment next door. Despite the clash that misses the truth but the seri-
featured two Israeli films, Aviva My Love and Live and Become along between these two cultures, a forbidden love affair develops between ousness with which they ap-
with the television show A Touch Away, that have all been com- the observant family's 17-year-old daughter, and the secular family's proach America's next biggest
mended worldwide. Featured speaker Yaron Peleg is an associate 24-year-old son. decision (I guess I would too if it
professor of Hebrew at George Washington University, who facili- The two films and televison series have all helped to spread and meant the last two hundred bil-
tated discussions on the nature of Israeli cinema and the issues ad- boost the popularity of television and film in Israel. Although the con- lion dollars I spent was worth
dressed in the films after each screening. ditions presented are not common, the emotions that go along with something or not), is a sentiment
The 2006 film Aviva My Love, directed by Shemi Zarhin, is a them are universal. And while Israel is constantly absorbing Ameri- we need to adopt.
drama about a mother, living in the northern city of Israel of Tiberias, can and European culture, the Western world is finally getting to You want to see some really
struggling to take care of her family, while exploring a budding ca- catch a closer glimpse into Israeli life. good entertainment? Forget Sat-
finds
reer as a writer. The film tackles many difficult issues in contempo- With recent releases of award-winning films like Beaufort and urday Night Live, watch Sarah
Thrifty Valley
rary Israeli life: economic struggles, the importance of family, the The Band's Visit, and the anticipated arrival of The States of Waltz Palin; in crafting her political per-
internal conflict that every young Israeli experiences as they ap- with Bashir, hopefully this view will only develop and broaden as sona, the woman has become a
proach service in the army and cultural conflicts between Ashkenazi time goes on. parody of herself. Or watch
(European) and Sephardic (Mediterranean) Jews. Aviva presents an Barack Obama and listen to his
policies (he might not be Di-
Caprio, but he's not bad to look at
either), watch John McCain and
listen to his policies (or lack
thereof). Watch Colin Powell's
speech—a few cheap laughs just
don't compare with watching a
BY SOPHIE JASINSKI ’12
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
staunch Republican come out and
glasses, then Sid Vintage for twenty-five dollars? Other stores in
endorse Barack Obama (and elo-
Looking for the best thrift stores in (18 Crafts Ave., Northamp- Northampton that are worth
quently, no less!). I'm all for kick-
Northampton? Tired of the generic brands ton) is the place to go. going to are Ultra Gal, Better
ing back and poking fun at the
that everyone wears? Want to be fashion for- This tiny vintage punk Yet, Goodwill Industries and
serious—unless it's really seri-
ward and get the best deals?Well , the Mount store in downtown Second Showing.
ous, and has to do with the econ-
Holyoke News has the inside scoop on the Northampton has If you’re willing to make the
omy, Iraq and, I don't know, my
best thrift stores in the area. These are the racks and racks of fash- trek, then Glamourpuss Vintage
personal survival (I'm truly
best vintage stores, and they are only a ionably worn out T-shirts, Clothing (206 Russell St,Hadley) is
frightened that with the wrong
PVTA ride away. Why not check them out? jackets, hats, jeans and kit- the place to go to get unique skirts and
person in office the wrong coun-
Before shopping for vintage clothes, ten heels. It seems like a fan- dresses. This literally glamorous
try will get irritated with America
there are a couple of tips that you need to tasy. Sid Vintage is not as store is full of day clothing and
and bad, bad things will happen).
know. First, check to see if the buttons are cheap as the Salvation racks of old costumes, which
I guess I'm also pretty in-
sewn properly and that the zippers work. If Army, but it is affordable makes playin dress-up fun.
vested in this election because I'm
you aren’t the type of person to replace them, and worth it. Of course, we all know that the best
curious to see what Jon Stewart
then don’t buy the item. Secondly, check for Don’t want to rum- place to go for the best prices is the Sal-
will be able to come up with for
stains; you don’t want someone’s nasty coffee mage through the Salvation vation Army (310 Russell St., Hadley). You
Obama—Stewart sends me into
stains on your new jeans. Last but not least, Army for hours? Than Roz’s can find great pieces for as cheap as fifty
fits of laughter, but let's face it,
the best part about shopping for vintage Place Vintage & New Clothing (6 cents at the Salvation Army in South
he's had great material these past
pieces is that you can splurge. Take a chance Bridge St., Northampton) is the Hadley. Rummage through those one-dol-
eight years. Funny as he is, I'd for-
and buy pieces that you wouldn’t usually place to go to find new and used lar bin boxes; the pieces are incredible
feit The Daily Show for a Bush
wear. clothing. There is a huge selec- and very inexpensive.
policy re-write any day. So let's
If you like chunky belts, unique jewelry, tion to choose from, and where
stop laughing about it, until our
cowboy boots and a great selection of sun- else can you get cowboy boots
country's future is secure enough
to laugh about.