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An art show finally came to my part of town!! The Coup d’etat Art show was held in the Skylight Gallery at Restoration Plaza in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn. The exhibition, titled “Live To Change Something Through Art” featured emerging and mid-career artists who showcased paintings, photographs and more that alluded to the culture and social conditions of contemporary Brooklyn.

The stand out of the show was definitely the crowd. From the outfits to the hair, the crowd itself was a work of art. If I had to categorize the crowd, I would say it was urban/afro centric chic, but there were definitely variations. One woman had on a ski bib with high lace boots and a flowery blouse. Sounds like a hit or miss combination but it was definitely a hit. Another woman with short cut hair had a huge black feather on her head to accent her flapper-esque look. And the men, they were fashionable dressed as well.

One story idea is to write about the fashion distinct to Brooklyn. Perhaps even a story for the local about the fashion in the Fort Greene area.

This film would make for a great critical issues stories because of the notoriety the film has gotten, even creating an Oscar buzz, while also being so controversial because of it’s portrayal of an overweight, illiterate, poverty stricken black girl from Harlem.  One idea is to compare and contrast The Color Purple with Precious, exploring the themes of both films, the controversy and even projections for how Precious will do at the Oscars compared to The Color Purple.

One idea I had is how new media is transforming traditional stage shows and making them more contemporary.  It would also be interesting to see whether or not these new and innovative approaches to set design  and stage will draw younger audiences and/or abandon the older, more tranditional crowds.

This doesn’t have much to do with the show, but one of the things that stood out to me were the names of people and organizations on the back of each chair in the theater.  I want to know who some of these people are and their significance, how they were able to get a permanent name plate in the theater (what did they have to do or pay), and who made the decision to place the name on the back of every seat.

What really freaked me out though was the cost to make the film-$11,000 (though it wasn’t a surprise based on the quality)- and how much the movie grossed-over $60 million.

It made me wonder whether or not we’ll see more “Blair Witch Project” type of thrillers.  It may be interesting to see whether other generes of films, outside of comedies and thrillers, which have found the most success in low budget turned million dollar films, bank on making movies with this model in mind.

Though the movie wasn’t great, (I probably wouldn’t have paid $12.50 to watch edited versions of Michael’s classics), but it did make a good concert DVD.

A story I may consider is whether or not we’ll see more artists documenting their concert rehearsals and turing them into movies or DVD’s, and what effect this would have on their overall profit.  It may even be a model for artists to consider to make up for lost profits in their album sells.

Starring Dylan Walsh, Sela Ward and Penn Badgley, the movie is about a serial killing stepdad who gets cozy with the mom and kids before trying to kill them.  The movie-remake has all the ingredients of a cliche suspense flick-predictability, gratuitous sexuality and corniness.  The only difference is that this film is a lot tamer in its execution.

One thing that really bothered me about the film was the overt sexualization of the son’s high school girlfriend Kelly.  In almost every scene, she had on two pieces, whether it was a bathing suit or panties and a tank top.  On top of that, the camera angle would normally focus on her midriff or chest.

I’m not sure if it’s a story, but it made me think of the sexualization of girls and the pressure to look sexy at a young age.

On Thursday night, I went to the Brownstone Books for a book signing of “Like Loving Backwards,” by Cheo Tyehimba.  The book is a collection of slightly supernatural short stories about black men who have varying love relationships.

After Tyehimba read a few excerpts from the book, he moderated a discussion about black men and love with fimmaker Byron Hurt, activist and writer Kevin Powell and Khary Lazzare-White of The Brotherhood/Sister Sol.

One of the most interesting things that came out of the conversation was when a women brought up the issue of spousal abuse among seniors.  The point raised by the women who works with seniors on a regular basis, came out of a story that Tyehimba read about an old man who sought redemption from his deceased wife who he had abused throughout their long marriage.

The woman said that she’s witnessed primarily women who have been abused throughout a long marriage, mishandle their ailling husbands or give them too much or not enough medicine.

This would make for a good story because I could interview an older couple who demonstrates this to show the issue of spousal abuse amoung seniors.

The event featured visual art from graffiti writers from the ‘80s and ‘90s, namely Crane TMT; Ink 76 Bad inc; Part TDS; Priz TSF; Ree 2 MTA; Sonic 002 Bad inc and Stan-One TSF, many of whom have been featured in the PBS Documentary “Style Wars” and the classic photobook “Subway Art” by Martha Cooper and Henry Chalfant.

I arrived to the spot where the event was being held early to help set up the 25 plus canvas pieces of ghraffti.  Once the event got underway, hundreds of people poured in to enjoy the art work, free Brooklyn beer and interactions with the graffiti artists and art lovers alike.

Unlike most art shows, guests could display their own artistic talents as they came through the door by tagging the blank sketch pad that rested on a podium at the front entrance.  The sketch pad featured old ghraffti heads, some in their 40′s and 50′s, and young ghraffti artists in their teens.  What I found interesting, which could also work in terms of a story, is how the ghraffti culture has transcended to newer generations.

Scene from Chris Rock's "Good Hair"

Chris Rock’s “Good Hair” was an insightful docu-comedy about the meaning of “good hair” in black culture.  Rock explores the idea of good hair by interviewing celebrities, stylists, scientists, manufactures and more, and the impact that perms, weaves and certain hairstyles have on self-esteem, relationships and the bank.  Rock even goes to India to find out where a lot of the weave that black women wear in their hair comes from.

One thing I thought was missing from the film was more historical context.  There wasn’t one mention of Madame C.J. Walker who invented the straightening comb.  I would have also have liked to see more definitions of “good hair,” particularly a look at more natural styles like braids and locks.  Although Rock missed the mark on these things, I thought the film was well put together and took a unique approach to the idealistic meaning of “good hair.”

One of the things that I thought about while watching the film is how I’m perceived in job interviews/ place of work when I wear my hair big versus when I wear it straight.  Although my hair is natural, when I have it straight, people assume I have a perm.  And when I wear it big, people think I’m in protest mode or something when really, it’s just cheaper to wear it that way.

Given the tough economic times that we’re in, one story I would consider is how the job search affects black women’s hairstyles.  For example, I have thought about wearing my hair natural, but I honestly think twice about it when I have to meet someone new in the industry because I’m worried about how I’ll be perceived.  Lucky for me, I’m in an industry that is a bit more lax when it comes to style, but for black women looking to get hired in a more strict business enviroment, I wonder do they think twice.

The talented spoken word artist not only played himself, but he also played a host of characters including his Puerto Rican mother who died from AIDS, his high school girlfriend Lily and his friend, an Ohio D-Boy who made fun of him for saying “Yo” and “B” all the time.

The play made me think a lot about my capstone project, which looks at the relationship that aritsts have to New York City.  Andersen’s story was rooted in New York City, the place that served as a vessel from which experiences, memories, pain and triumph flowed.  I hope to show this through the artists I profile, presenting NYC as more than just a city, but a character.