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Friday, November 28, 2014

BAM Blog Questionnaire:
Kirk Henning of The Wanderer

In choreographer Jessica Lang’s The Wanderer, which will have its world premiere December 3—6 at BAM Fisher, Lang weaves a ballet that imaginatively interprets Franz Schubert’s song cycle Die schöne Müllerin. Scubert’s score is performed by live musicians who not only accompany, but also interact with the dance. Weaving a tale of love and jealousy, dancers, musicians and scenic design transform the intimate Fishman space into an otherworldly dreamscape. 

Kirk Henning, a founding member of Jessica Lang Dance, performs the title role in the work. The Wanderer is a man who unwittingly falls in love by a brook and subsequently falls into maddening disillusion and despair. In addition to working with JLD, Henning also dances for The Suzanne Farrell Ballet. As he was preparing for his first time performing in the BAM Fisher, Henning answered a few questions for our blog questionnaire.

Kirk Henning and Laura Mead rehearsing for The Wanderer. Photo: Milan Misko

Wednesday, November 26, 2014

In Context: On Behalf of Nature


Meredith Monk's On Behalf of Nature runs at BAM from December 3—7. Context is everything, so get even closer to the show with this curated selection of articles, interviews, and videos related to the production. Once you've seen it, help us keep the conversation going by telling us what you thought below.

In Context: The Wanderer


Jessica Lang's story ballet The Wanderer runs at BAM from December 3—6. Context is everything, so get even closer to the show with this curated selection of articles, interviews, and videos related to the production. Once you've seen it, help us keep the conversation going by telling us what you thought below.

Vijay Iyer—Transformer

Vijay Iyer is a prominent jazz pianist and bandleader who also composes classical music. He majored in mathematics and physics in undergrad and graduate schools. Iyer, a MacArthur fellow, brings his genre-spanning music to the BAM Harvey Theater in VIJAY IYER: Music of Transformation (Dec 18—20). We spoke to him about his creative world.

Radhe Radhe. Craig Marsden/Prashant Bhargava

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Songs Without Words

by Marina Harss

If one believes in the notion of destiny—or even in its more prosaic cousin, genetic predisposition—it’s clear that Meredith Monk was bound to become a singer. Her maternal great-grandfather was a cantor in Tsarist Russia; her grandfather, Joseph Zellman, an operatic baritone who emigrated to the US in the late 19th century. Here in New York, he and his pianist wife Rose Kornicker founded the Zellman Conservatory, on Lenox Ave. Monk’s mother, Audrey Marsh, sang popular songs and jingles on the radio. “My childhood was a lot like Radio Days,” Monk told the director Anne Bogart (in the book Conversations with Anne, 2005), “every single day at one o’clock she would sing the DUZ Soap commercial” during the radio drama Road of Life.

Photo: Julieta Cervantes

Monday, November 24, 2014

William Friedkin on Making To Live and Die in L.A.

Academy Award-winning director William Friedkin joined us last year for a special retrospective of his 1970's work, and he returns to BAMcinématek’s screens this Wednesday with the opening night of Sunshine Noir, a film series curated by BAMcinématek and Next Wave artist Gabriel Kahane that soaks in the sun-drenched seediness of Los Angeles.

In the following excerpts from his memoir The Friedkin Connection, Friedkin discusses the process of making To Live and Die in L.A., his pulse-pounding cult classic which features an iconic car chase down the LA freeway.

John Pankow in To Live and Die in L.A. Photo: MGM/Photofest

Friday, November 21, 2014

Wayfinders—an interview with creator Holcombe Waller

by Chris Tyler

Holcombe Waller's Wayfinders opened Wednesday at BAM Fisher. An abstract, poetic rumination on the question, "Where are we?," Wayfinders "embraces the influences of science fiction and psychedelia to examine the interconnection of navigation and consciousness, the illusory nature of location and direction, and technology’s growing mediation between ourselves and the everyday world we perceive," as Waller notes.

We sat down with the Portland-based artist to learn a bit more about the process, the Spectacle, and exactly where we're all going.

A scene from Wayfinders. Photo: Kyle Richardson



Birds With Skymirrors—Climate Change Hits Home

by David Hsieh

Birds With Skymirrors. Photo: Jack Vartoogian


For people concerned about climate change, good news doesn't come often. (Certainly not with the increasingly violent weather patterns and the dire predictions of species going extinct!) But last week’s agreement between the US and China to limit future greenhouse gas emissions—with quantifiable goals—is certifiably good news.

It is fortuitous that on the heels of this historical agreement, BAM is presenting a show that grows out of a very tangible worry about global warming from an artist who knows first-hand its devastating effect.

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Anni Albers Is at BAM! Really!

Anni Albers, Wall Hanging, 1984, wool, 98"x89". Collection of the Josef and Anni Albers Foundation.
When you next visit the BAM Peter Jay Sharp building, take a good look at the artwork hanging next to the escalator. It's a 1982 weaving by none other than Anni Albers, one of the leading lights of the Bauhaus (from which she received a degree in 1930) and its informal American outpost, Black Mountain College, where she taught from 1933 to 1939 along with her husband, Josef. The college is inspiration for Black Mountain Songs at the BAM Harvey this week, a collection of music put together by Bryce Dessner and Richard Reed Parry by some of our most creative songwriters, sung by the Brooklyn Youth Chorus under the baton of Dianne Berkun-Menaker.

Monday, November 17, 2014

10 Things You Might Not Know About Wayfinders' Holcombe Waller

by Chris Tyler

From tidal patterns and ancient ocean voyages to errand-running and GPS devices, navigation past and present propels Wayfinders, a new song cycle by Portland-based musician and composer Holcombe Waller opening at the BAM Fisher this Wednesday, November 19. We undertook our own voyage through cyberspace to bring you this series of interesting tidbits on the artist behind it all.


Holcombe Waller. Photo: Alicia J. Rose


Saturday, November 15, 2014

BAM Illustrated: Black Mountain College Yearbook

Black Mountain College was founded in North Carolina in 1933 as a new kind of college with art as its central focus. Students and teachers shared roles and work, boundaries between disciplines dissolved, and art bled into life, nurturing an atmosphere of unfettered creative collaboration. Only open for 24 years, the school was home to an impressive list of former students and teachers, many of whom were, and continue to be, hugely influential in the arts and beyond.

From November 20—23, the Brooklyn Youth Chorus, Bryce Dessner, Richard Reed Parry, and others celebrate the college with Black Mountain Songs. Below illustrator Nathan Gelgud revisits some of Black Mountain's famous alumni in our own Black Mountain College Yearbook. (Scroll down for additional information on each person.)

Friday, November 14, 2014

BAM President Karen Brooks Hopkins inducted into Crain’s New York Business Hall of Fame

Karen Brooks Hopkins accepting the honor. Photo: Buck Ennis
BAM President Karen Brooks Hopkins was inducted into the inaugural Crain’s New York Business Hall of Fame on November 10th at a ceremony at Cipriani, alongside Michael Bloomberg, Diane von Furstenberg, and others. She was introduced by Ford Foundation President Darren Walker, who said through Karen’s leadership BAM “joined the pantheon of the world’s great cultural centers in London, Paris, Berlin, and beyond.” In accepting the honor Karen celebrated the fact that Brooklyn’s Cultural District embraces the cultural diversity of New York City and that arts organizations feed the souls and minds of residents and tourists alike. And as these institutions endure for generations, Karen called support for the arts "the best deal in town.”

Thursday, November 13, 2014

In Context: Black Mountain Songs



Black Mountain Songs runs at BAM from November 20—23. Context is everything, so get even closer to the show with this curated selection of articles, interviews, and videos related to the production. Once you've seen it, help us keep the conversation going by telling us what you thought below.

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

In Context: Birds With Skymirrors

Birds With Skymirrors. Photo: Sebastian Bolesch

Lemi Ponifasio's Birds with Skymirrors runs at BAM from November 19—22. Context is everything, so get even closer to the show with this curated selection of articles, interviews, and videos related to the production. Once you've seen it, help us keep the conversation going by telling us what you thought below.

In Context: Wayfinders



Wayfinders runs at BAM from November 19—22. Context is everything, so get even closer to the show with this curated selection of articles, interviews, and videos related to the production. Once you've seen it, help us keep the conversation going by telling us what you thought below.

BAM Blog Questionnaire: Wade Kavanaugh and Stephen B. Nguyen of Oxbow

Wade Kavanaugh and Stephen B. Nguyen are Brooklyn-based installation artists who have been working together since 2005. They maintain separate studio practices that they allow to inform their collaborative work. Their common medium is often paper that suggests landscapes in motion and other elements of the natural environment. They collaborated with Ivy Baldwin on Oxbow, a piece inspired by Oxbow lakes, which will have its New York premiere in the BAM Fisher Nov 13—16. Wade and Stephen continue their collaboration by answering a few questions together for a BAM blog questionnaire.

Oxbow. Photo: Andy Romer.


Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Voices from the Front Lines:
BAM Staff Brente Kelly and Daniel Curato

In conjunction with the multimedia theater production BASETRACK Live, BAM has developed a program called Voices From the Front Lines to facilitate conversations between civilians and service members about life on, and beyond, the military’s front lines. In addition to BASETRACK Live, which was inspired by the online Facebook community Basetrack, we are hosting a variety of talks, post-show receptions in conjunction with StoryCorps Military Voices Initiative, live music, and more.

On Veterans Day, we spoke with two of our colleagues who are service members to find out more about their experiences and what today means to them.


Brente Kelly
Brente Kelly
Supervisor at BAM Rose Cinemas
Lives in Brooklyn, NY


What branch of the military did you serve in and why did you enlist?
I am currently serving in the United States Navy and I can say, it has been a great learning experience. I joined the military back in 2011 because I wanted a change in my lifestyle. I also wanted to travel and meet new people from around the world, as well as gain valuable skills and advance my education.

When you served, how did you keep in touch with family and friends?
I was always able to keep in contact with my friends and family when I was away, either by mail or Facebook.

What does Veterans Day represent for you?
Veterans Day for me represents all the other soldiers and sailors before me who supported and defended this country with their life to keep others safe and out of harm’s way. It is a day to honor our fallen comrades who made a change whether or not their cause was the most or least important. I am happy to serve these people knowing that one day I will be recognized as a veteran for my honor, courage and commitment.  



Daniel Curato
Daniel Curato
 

HVAC Maintainer
Lives in Manalapan, NJ


What branch of the military did you serve in and why did you enlist?
I served and am still active in the United States Army. I joined to serve my country and to be a better person.

When you served, how did you keep in touch with family and friends?
When I went to training and overseas I always had internet access, and usually used Skype. I used it or some [other] type of communication—phone, email—mostly on a daily basis.

I have to say, social media has really enabled veterans to connect or re-connect after years of wondering, “What ever happened to _______?” One of my old units has a cool Facebook page and new images of old memories show up on a regular basis. Keeping up with the people you served with brings back great memories—those you served with often help fill in the gaps of your fading memory. The best memories for me stem from the fact that all these tough soldiers made me a better person. They pushed me farther than I could ever [have] by myself. They set high standards and raised the bar. They helped, encouraged, and looked out for me. I hope I did the same for each and every one I served with.



BASETRACK Live is at the BAM Harvey Theater Nov 11—15. For our full Voices from the Front Lines programming, click here.

Thursday, November 6, 2014

Bryce Dessner and Dianne Berkun-Menaker Discuss Black Mountain Songs

by Susan Yung

Between 1933 and 1957, Black Mountain College in North Carolina was a model of progressive interdisciplinary learning that posited the importance of the arts. Brilliant thinkers from many genres spent time there: Buckminster Fuller, Anni and Josef Albers, John Cage, Merce Cunningham. The rich collaborative spirit of the college suffuses Black Mountain Songs, a suite of commissioned songs by eight composers curated by Bryce Dessner and Richard Reed Parry, sung by the Brooklyn Youth Chorus, directed by Maureen Towey, with a film by Matt Wolf and sets by Mimi Lien. The composers are Dessner, Parry, Caroline Shaw, Nico Muhly, Aleksandra Vrebalov, John King, Jherek Bischoff, and Tim Hecker. Dianne Berkun-Menaker directs the chorus and conducts.

We asked Dessner (curator, musician, songwriter, composer, and member of The National) and Berkun-Menaker (chorus director and conductor) about the project.

Black Mountain College. Photo: Hazel Larsen Archer




Where did the inspiration come from to honor Black Mountain College?

Bryce Dessner: I have been interested in Black Mountain College for many years. I went to summer camp in North Carolina as a kid just a few miles from the site of the college and actually learned to play music in those same mountains that spawned some of the greatest artists and art movements of the 20th century. I first learned about Black Mountain College through the well-known and incredibly long-running John Cage and Merce Cunningham collaboration, which was in its early years at Black Mountain (both were teachers at the college). I learned more about the college later in reading about the many profoundly important visual artists who came through there either as teachers, visiting lecturers or students (Robert Rauschenberg, Cy Twombly, Robert Motherwell, Willem de Kooning, Philip Guston, Franz Kline, etc.).

Ivy Baldwin Dance's Oxbow—A Visual Thriller

by Susan Yung

Oxbow. Photo: Andy Romer

Ivy Baldwin Dance, which celebrates its 15th anniversary this year, has history of seeking out intriguing artistic collaborators. For its two most recent works, artist Anna Schuleit created very different sets. In Ambient Cowboy (2012, New York Live Arts), she used high-intensity projections to delineate chambers on the floor, or interact with the dancers; in one case, a green squiggle of light seemed to entrap a prone dancer like a spiderweb. For Here Rests Peggy (2010, Chocolate Factory), Schuleit painted an expressionistic backdrop, which the dancers slammed against or leaned upon. Chloe Z Brown designed the sensitive and strategic lighting for both shows.

In Context: Oxbow


Ivy Baldwin's Oxbow runs at BAM from November 13—16. Context is everything, so get even closer to the show with this curated selection of articles, interviews, and videos related to the production. Once you've seen it, help us keep the conversation going by telling us what you thought below.

Wednesday, November 5, 2014

War in the Theater—From Ajax to A.J.

David Strathairn, Jake Gyllenhaal, Reg E. Cathey. Photo: Beowulf Sheehan
By David Hsieh

  • A panelist in active combat said she was reluctant to offer help to her brothers when they came back from the battlefield; she worried that their wives would see it as interfering. 
  • Another panelist said that a former combat-mate’s suicide a couple of days earlier prompted him to speak out. 
  • An audience member who was a veteran said he didn't realize that he was hurting his wife until she forced him to see a therapist. 
  • Another said she works with LGBT community and saw a lot of similarities between ancient warriors and those she's trying to help. 
  • Still another said Sophocles was trying to sound an urgent call to action—that in real distress, words are inadequate and won’t get things done. 

These are some of the responses from a unique presentation on September 28 at the BAM Fisher. Theater of War is a table reading of two Sophocles’ tragedies—Ajax and Philoctetes—with the purpose of prompting the audience to understand the psychological impact wars impose on combat warriors and people close to them. Four actors participated in the BAM event. Frances McDormand, with short platinum hair, holding the script in front of her as if proclaiming an oracle, was a majestic Athena—until she put down her glasses and script and turned into an anguished Tecmessa, Ajax’s suffering wife who was powerless in preventing her husband’s suicide. Sitting next to her was Jake Gyllenhaal, arms crossed on his chest, shoulders slouched on the tabletop, ranting over the injustice imposed on him by his fellow councilors. Reg E. Cathey made the opportunist Odysseus almost noble. And with his unruly white hair and beard, David Strathairn looked exactly like Philoctetes who was abandoned on an island for 10 years.

In Context: Sadeh21


Batsheva Dance Company's Sadeh 21 runs at BAM from November 12—15. Context is everything, so get even closer to the show with this curated selection of articles, interviews, and videos related to the production. Once you've seen it, help us keep the conversation going by telling us what you thought below.

Tuesday, November 4, 2014

Who's Who of Warhol’s Unseen Films?

Warhol may be the 20th century’s greatest schmoozer. He actively befriended and connected with the NYC and international art world elite. Many of his mainstay muses are now household names, but Andy’s social net was so wide cast, you may need a brief refresher on the “It” men and women who appear in the films of Exposed: Songs for Unseen Warhol Films.

Mario Montez and Boy, 1965. Photo: Andy Warhol ©2014 The Andy Warhol Museum, Pittsburgh, PA, a museum of Carnegie Institute. All rights reserved. Film still courtesy of The Andy Warhol Museum.



In Context: BASETRACK Live


BASETRACK Live runs at BAM from November 11—15. Context is everything, so get even closer to the show with this curated selection of original blog pieces, articles, interviews, and videos related to the production. Once you've seen it, help us keep the conversation going by telling us what you thought below.

Monday, November 3, 2014

Proceed At Your Own Risk—The Ecstatic Rage of Derek Jarman

BAMcinématek just kicked off the most comprehensive New York City retrospective of pioneering British queer filmmaker Derek Jarman in nearly two decades. From his collaborations with a young Tilda Swinton and rock legends like the Smiths to his audaciously experimental takes on classic literature, his was a career marked by fervent political commitment and a deeply personal aesthetic.

In addition to laying the foundation for the New Queer Cinema movement, Jarman was a gifted painter and writer. In conjunction with the retrospective, we’ll be giving away a copy of his book, At Your Own Risk: A Saint's Testament. Send an email to contest@bam.org with the subject line “Jarman,” and read critic Thomas Beard on the important place Jarman’s books hold in the legacy of his art.

The Last of England. Photo: Channel Four Films/Photofest

BAM Illustrated: The Making of Dean Wareham

This week, Dean Wareham and The Andy Warhol Museum's Exposed: Songs for Unseen Warhol Films comes to BAM. Wareham curated the musical lineup, and he and Eleanor Friedberger (The Fiery Furnaces), Martin Rev (Suicide), Bradford Cox (Deerhunter, Atlas Sound), and Tom Verlaine (Television) will perform original music alongside 15 never-before-seen Warhol films. 

Wareham and Warhol are a natural fit. Wareham's former band Galaxie 500 toured with the Velvet Underground, and he released 13 Most Beautiful: Songs for Andy Warhol's Screen Tests with his wife, Britta Phillips, in 2010. But who was Wareham before his Galaxie 500 days? Who was he as a kid? What made Dean Wareham? Illustrator Nathan Gelgud took a look at his memoir Black Postcards to find out.