There’s an entire world of impromptu from impromptu art, speech performance, and writing to impromptu creations of music in improvisation and of recipes in cooking; it’s a creative process marked with spontaneity and no previous preparation. Now there’s Impromptu magazine which explores all the possible combinations and outlets that a given theme can evoke. It’s like the ultimate game of Apples to Apples where each turn lasts a month and all can contribute!

It’s a completely free website requiring easy maintenance by devoted editors. It’s a continuum of work rather than being strictly run by weekly deadlines. The most important task is simply to pick a new theme for the month in time, after that point contributions and ideas flood in, get organized, and finally incorporated in the website. A community forms as people send in their unique connections to the theme and share thoughts through comments enabled in each article.

At midnight on the first of every month, the website will post a theme that lasts the entire month. From that point on, different perspectives and associations to the theme are posted by the editors. Content will include current events, narratives, art works, striking inspirations and any random assortment of information that is relevant to the theme. The editors will also approve content suggested by readers and viewers and post it on the website to incorporate many views on the current theme.

For each monthly theme there will be different sections and categories in which articles are posted. An art section will feature photography, original works, and current exhibitions, a literary section will feature short stories, narratives, and poems, a music page will feature compositions old and new, all connecting back to the theme. It’ll incorporate upcoming events, current happenings in the world, findings of a scientific nature, and anything else relevant to the theme that readers may discover and submit.

Impromptu is for those that want to broaden their horizons, see other approaches and ideas, or just casually sift through the contents updated throughout the month. Every reader, occasional or devoted, has an equal opportunity of expressing him or herself, sharing works, stories, or findings that relate to the theme. The combined presence of new people and new contributions all relating to a common theme bring spontaneity to Impromptu. Ever moving, ever changing, and ever inspiring, Impromptu reflects today’s society and brings together a diverse group of people.

The first month will have a theme of “diversity” defined as 1) the state or fact of being diverse; difference; unlikeness, 2) variety; multiformity, and 3) a point of difference (dictionary.com). With the holiday season upon us, a main feature will include the various holidays observed and various traditions that take place across a number of cultures. A look at the diversity of life and evolution will be the highlight of the science section. The arts section will feature unique mediums and forms of art not commonly crossed. Current events and politics will include a look at our president-elect and the diversity moving into political offices. These main features along with suggestions from the readers will be presented on the weblog and updated throughout the month as new ideas for the Impromptu theme diversity arise without previous preparation.

Visit the magazine at http://www.xanga.com/Impromptu_Magazine

Presenting Negro Scenes Drawn Upon My Passage through the South and Reconfigured for the Benefit of Enlightened Audiences Wherever Such May Be Found, By Myself, Missus K.E.B. Walker, Colored, 1997

Kara Walker’s exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago captures the audience in a room and surrounds them with silhouettes thrown into stark contrast by black paper set upon white walls. The room is long and empty emphasizing the seemingly bare walls. The works are mounted directly on the walls thus taking up little space and creating no third dimension. The silence that seems to loom in the eerie room carries guilt, remorse, and discomfort from a troubled American past.

Kara Walker carefully uses the silhouette medium popular in the nineteenth century which provides an ironic black and white contrast reflecting the obvious subject matter of slavery. With the silhouetted scenes glued directly to the wall, there is no way the viewer can escape the message and reality of the work. No details such as specific facial expressions or colors are depicted through the silhouette form so the large contributing factor toward understanding the work is the stereotypes Walker uses. By using stereotypes she addresses the ridiculous antebellum society. Walker boldly presents them without tiptoeing carefully around the severe issues, making it quite ironic. By recognizing that such stereotypes exist she aims to help reduce their power and influence over people in a negative way. The silhouette’s lack of clear details also reproduces the shadowy and unclear past of slavery. The cutting method of the artwork mirrors the violence depicted throughout the work and the violence of the antebellum South that Walker is representing.

While some argue that emphasizing certain stereotypes only makes them more prevalent in society, Kara Walker is not afraid to present them effectively and show just how ridiculous they are. Viewers must rely on elements such as hairstyle, dress, posture, and exaggerated physical features to gather meaning. These exaggerations permeate throughout the visual scenes and imitate the attitudes of the general white society toward black people. The scenes represented include normal activities such as hanging laundry or enjoyable pastimes such as dancing and playing instruments but also range to disturbing, violent and sexual such as scenes of defecation, beheading, and abnormal sexual acts. Walker depicts the loss of humanity toward slaves as a “pickaninny” winds up another figure so that it will play music. Throughout the images there are slaves carrying out physical tasks and completing chores but there are also images of them dancing, the men with top hats and women with long skirts. These details not only emphasize the stereotypes but also the historical context within which they are depicted. They are not specific scenes of history that are written about by historians, but rather they are depictions of the general themes, misunderstandings and absurdities of slavery from the time before the Civil War.

All of the silhouette works are meant to be combined together as a whole within the gallery rather than as separate scenes. Together they expose themes and ideas that Kara Walker targets. She renders a combination of psychological and sexual influences with pleasure vs. pain and desire vs. disgust all associated with sado-masochism and the sociopolitical realities of slavery. This background is what creates the disturbing feeling in many of the figures in the actions they carry out—from the wind-up person and beheaded heads on top of other people to the defecating and naked children examining each other.

The main theme of injustice done to black people through slavery and continuing stereotypes can be represented by just one specific work in the gallery. It is the parchment paper, the one inkling of color and deviance from the black and white form. It is positioned to be the object directly in view as the viewer walks into the gallery and it simply includes a black foot from the ankle down. It reflects the posters hung up to alert the public of runaway slaves who, upon being captured, were punished by having their foot cut off. In a historical reference, the yellow parchment paper is reminiscent of the constitution with the footprint of slavery and the 3/5 compromise which only included slaves as parts of people. In both interpretations, slaves are treated harshly and inhumanely as a lower class of people, which was a prevalent belief during the time of slavery.

As the viewer absorbs each context and theme, gathering portrayals of inhumanity, child labor, disgusting hygiene, excretion, and crude sexuality, there comes an understanding of how these extreme images represent the ridiculous, all-encompassing attitude of the general society towards black people during and even after the time of slavery. By recognizing this absurdity, Kara Walker achieves her goal with this gallery. With every unsophisticated representation, Walker builds up to the point at which suddenly the images and stereotypes represented get separated from the reality which they came from. She uses every means available to achieve this end; even the violent act of cutting such precise angles, shapes, and figures contributes to the violence she depicts throughout the gallery. Every combined element coalesces to create the climax of the gallery which allows the viewer to separate himself from the ingrained stereotypes. The truth behind the inhumanity and violence becomes more intolerable as the stereotypes that qualify such actions and that dehumanize black people are broken down.

Kara Walker’s unique title and reference to the artist as “By Myself, Missus K.E.B. Walker, Colored” emphasizes her background and status in regard to her work. She also brings reference to the quote “it’s a black thing, you wouldn’t understand.” In combination the quote with the proclamation of being “colored” in her title gives her the authority to be a spokesperson of black people and the struggle they have faced through slavery and through battling stereotypes. By remembering the past and exposing it in such a way, Walker wants to guarantee history won’t repeat itself. Indeed she illuminates the perceptions of slavery and black people in a way that ensures no reasonable person could continue to act or judge upon these stereotypes. By presenting them in an artistic way for people to see in art museums and galleries, she puts them up for people to criticize and reflect on furthering her influence with this work.

References

Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago. Kara Walker, Teacher Resource. https://www.mcachicago.org/Book/Walker.html

Presenting Negro Scenes Drawn Upon My Passage through the South and Reconfigured for the Benefit of Enlightened Audiences Wherever Such May Be Found, By Myself, Missus K.E.B. Walker, Colored. Kara Walker. Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago 2008

Renaissance Society, 1997. Kara Walker. http://www.renaissancesociety.org/site/Exhibitions/Intro.Kara-Walker-Presenting-Negro-Scenes-Drawn-Upon-My-Passage-Through-the-South-and-Reconfigured-for-the-Benefit-of-Enlightened-Audiences-Wherever-Such-May-Be-Found-By-Myself-Missus-KEB-Walker-Colored.51.html

Wenzel, Ryan. Unflinching Examination, North by Northwestern, July 28, 2005. http://media.www.dailynorthwestern.com/media/storage/paper853/news/2005/07/28/Scene/Unflinching.Examination-1918946.shtml

Art has reflected society since its beginning on cave walls depicting stories and histories. Through intellectual and industrial revolutions, new techniques developed, exposing new styles and modes of expression through artistic means. As we enter an era of new technology and a higher acceptance of diversity, art takes a turn toward the contemporary ward as well. What has society been left with? Gadgets and trinkets accompanied by War and Peace-length instruction manuals and two basketballs floating in a tank of water lay scattered amid a varied culture. While some have adeptly followed the unique turns of modern art, some are left staring at random objects with no apparent meaning.

Comprehensive Art Critic Magazine is coming prepared to teach you how to approach these emerging, complicated art styles. You will explore the meaning behind prominent artists and movements of the day through reviews, critiques, and analyses. As our contributing authors take you behind the exhibitions and galleries, you will develop an understanding of complex works and the theory behind them. As you visit museums of contemporary art across the country, your cultured friends will encompass you with awe at your newly developed comprehension and insight into the multifaceted contemporary art world.

Comprehensive Art Critic Magazine will introduce you to the terms commonly used to discuss modern artwork, as well as provide a background of modern art styles and their development. Each page will bring you closer to understanding modern art in the United States. This quarterly magazine will provide an installment every season to keep you up-to-date with recent events, closings, and openings. It will advertise present and future exhibitions with reviews and expectations to guide you as you start your own anthology of gallery visits. As a beginner in the world of understanding modern art, you will be guided by our hand-picked, seasoned professionals.

The magazine is funded by art institutions and their sponsors as well as by independent sponsors who care about our purpose. Our goal at Comprehensive Art Critic Magazine is to make modern art available to all, whether it’s to analyze meaning or to analyze the artistic components in an artwork. We want to show art as a reflection of the current society and its progression and we want to involve you in that society. We want to build appreciation for these sometimes little-understood arts so that the art world can continue to prosper. We offer you memberships to our magazine and to our community. By joining, you will have the option to sign up for more frequent updates on the art world so you will not have to wait for a new issue to provide you with the current information as soon as possible.

The first issue, coming soon this winter season will feature reviews of Willam Kentride, Vincent Fecteau, and Jenny Holtzer by renowned art critics that got their start at Northwestern University. It will provide information on exhibits and galleries in big cities like Chicago, New York, and LA as well as in smaller towns across the US. The issue will feature specific works and how they can be interpreted and in terms that are clearly defined. After this issue, you will begin to develop an understanding of the contemporary art world and you will begin to feel confident in your abilities as part of a new and welcoming art society.

We look forward to seeing you become a part of our contemporary art community!

Ksjusha Povod

Editor-in-chief

The William Kentridge exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago does not immediately announce itself as what it is. After walking up the circular stairs, charcoal drawings emerge as the focus depicting an overweight man. He is shown in a hospital bed and surrounded by doctors; other charcoal drawings show x-rays and ultrasounds that curiously include desk objects such as a type-writer and a stamp. As the drawings line the wall they lead in a counterclockwise direction to the drawing of a street going off into the distance with a billboard and what resembles a human body.

It is the style of Kentridge to use a subject, specifically this overweight man named Soho Eckstein, in a short series of frames to represent a more general statement on South African apartheid society¹. Though there is no doubt what Kentridge’s purpose is from reading his short background, the charcoal drawings do not openly speak toward that purpose. Rather they directly present a character in a situation as a response. Only in the end do they lead to an understanding of the political statement that Kentridge wishes to make. The starting point is not analysis; there may be some vision or depiction of society but that’s not where the starting point is².

In the exhibition, the starting point seems to be charcoal drawings with small hints of pastel colors of red or blue. From the medium itself, the viewer gathers some primitive, natural feeling from the dark charcoal strewn in big, broad lines. There’s a roughness to the outline of objects which, coupled with the general monochromatic theme, instills a gloom and dread that can be associated with Kentridge’s background in apartheid-ridden South Africa.

The drawings show a hospitalized man, Soho Eckstein, and many doctors huddled over him. The amount of doctors examining Soho suggests there is something difficult or peculiar with his condition. From the drawings of his x-rays and ultrasounds, littered with desk objects, that is a fair assertion. Further in the progressive line of drawings, there is a lonely street. On this street, the figure of a human body captures attention and arouses interest, though the exact event being depicted is unclear. In the last drawing, Soho is sitting at his desk on which are those objects seen in his medical exams. It is difficult to make any connection between those objects in their different realms. From the images displayed in this progression, it seems Soho has been hospitalized because of some accident on this lonely street. But somehow he returns to perfect health behind his desk with all of his desk supplies in all the right places.

However, these charcoal drawings, presented in the open room coming off the stairs, are not the starting point of Kentridge’s work in The History of the Main Complaint at all. They provide a storyboard for the actual work that Kentridge does which is presented in an initially unseen room. Playing inside is a short animated film created with twenty-one charcoal drawings that were erased and redrawn to create motion³. Thus the presented drawings in the first, open room are actually a final work rather than a starting point, and they display this with erasure marks and redrawn lines that reveal a passage of time.

With the fluid passage of time presented in the film, a more concrete storyline emerges. Unseen in just the drawings themselves are other characters scattered throughout the short series of events, particularly through a windshield view of a street. The film also shows a hospitalized Soho. From flashbacks to dark figures being beaten in the street, it is clear that the damage seen on Soho’s medical exams is reflective of damage done to those figures. Finally, as a figure in the road smashes into the windshield, Soho awakens from the coma now knowing what put him into it in the first place. In the end Soho returns to his desk with all the objects back in their proper places. There is an ambiguity as to what revelation or lack thereof Soho must have gone through to return to his position of health and power.

After the movie molds together a clear story, seeing the charcoal drawings separately holds more meaning. They begin to represent Kentridge’s statement on South African society in a more detectable way. The past events of oppression and abhorrent violence toward Africans affect Soho in such a way as to reduce him to a coma. Similarly, society is bogged down by this brutal inhumanity and is repressed by the social inequality apparent during the apartheid. All of the wounds of the victims are reflected onto society, prohibiting it from prospering. With recognition of the injustice, Soho comes out of the coma, just as society recognizes and then forbids such cruelty. However, in this film, Soho returns to his exact place, leaving an uncertain end. Is he restored to his previous condition because he knows of the truth or was nothing learned, nothing changed? Is this truly a reflection of society?

The film is eerie in that it does reflect society and the evaluation of events retrospectively. It was a direct response to South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Committee that allowed for victims to be heard and for perpetrators to request amnesty⁴. With the debate of the effectiveness of the committee, Kentridge’s work could represent either a knowing society correcting a horrible mistake, or an inherently unequal society that further brings out that inequality. In parallel, after discovering the disaster, Soho recovers either by addressing it or by simply sitting back behind his powerful desk throne; Kentridge was purposely unclear.

It is this retrospective view of the crisis itself that brings any chance of retribution to power. However there is no guarantee how effective it may be. Regardless, that move toward justice and willingness to “right the wrong” is caused by the passage of time and an awakening to what has occurred. Only by recognizing the harsh reality of the apartheid era was the committee created, awakening society from its blind-to-the-truth coma even if there was a chance it was partly ineffective. As a result, Kentridge’s work with The History of the Main Complaint serves a purpose of its own by depicting the story of a man, but ultimately presents a general statement as a necessary reaction and reflection of society.

References

1. Christov-Bakargiev, Carolyn. William Kentridge. Societé des Expositions du Palais de Beaux-Arts de Bruxelles, 1998.

2. History of the Main Complaint. William Kentridge. Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago. 2008

3. History of the Main Complaint 1996. Elizabeth Manchester. Tate Online. February 2000

4. Jessica Dubow, R. R., History As The Main Complaint: William Kentridge and the Making of Post-Apartheid South Africa. Art History 2004, 27, (4), 671-690

The Empire State building in New York City towers and dominates in this photograph. Though a streetlamp and the back of a sign are the foremost objects, the eye is initially captivated by the Empire State building centered in the photograph. It also captures the viewer’s immediate attention as it overshadows the peripheral buildings and looms over its surroundings. The Empire State building is also presented in lighter gray tones than all the surrounding buildings creating a powerful contrast that emphasizes its importance. The prevailing position, upward perspective, and vivid color-contrast emphasize the Empire State building’s significance in the photograph.

The grand physical stature of the Empire State building projects it as the most important object in the photograph. It is presented at a high, upward angle that contributes to its establishment of superiority. The height of the building moves toward a vanishing point at the top of the photograph as windows and features of the building become less defined and less clear closer to the peak.  The base of the Empire State building is large and bulky making the entire image of the building more strong and momentous. The Empire State building also holds a more unique, stacked-box shape than the other buildings which are depicted with completely straight sides and edges. By being completely represented in the photograph, unlike the rest of the buildings which are cut off and incomplete, the Empire State building dwarfs its surroundings and commands attention toward itself.

The unique use of lighter tones in the Empire State building further brings out its focus as it stands out from the dull, darker surrounding buildings. The dominance of the lighter color on the Empire State building is offset by the shadow of another building captured on its lower half. The dark shadow creates a striking contrast to the light color of the Empire State building, making it more remarkable. Similar lighting effects bring into focus details of the building that make it stand out against the other, monotonous buildings. The lighting behind two gargoyles positioned halfway up the Empire State building creates a dark contrast between the gargoyles and the light gray building.  By highlighting the gargoyles through this light, the photograph adds to the Empire State building’s significance by giving it apparent details that are not presented on any other building.  Near the top of the Empire State building, more gargoyles disturb the sleek, vertical climb of the walls and windows. These two sets of gargoyles create a balance between the lower and upper halves of the building.  This distinguishes the Empire State building from the rest of the buildings which are heavily unbalanced because they are not fully represented in the photograph.

The photograph relies heavily on the contrasting blue background in the sky to emphasize the Empire State building’s importance as a focal point. The clouds in the background are uniform throughout like a blanket superimposed behind the buildings. The contrast of the blue sky and white clouds reflects the contrast between the Empire State building and its surrounding buildings.  Just as the light gray Empire State building dominates the photograph despite being outnumbered by the darker buildings, the white clouds rule over an entire blue sky as captured in this photograph.

By incorporating a few figures with color, the photograph shows that the Empire State building is still a more prominent figure simply from its displayed stature even if it is a less vivid gray color. The way the photograph was taken, a cut-off sign in the bottom right corner reveals a blue color and a building in the middle of the left edge shows a light brown construction material.  Those two objects are only a fraction of the image but provide a visual disparity with the rest of the grayscale objects in the photograph.  Even though the eye is drawn instantly to color, the significant perspective and position of the Empire State building help it to capture attention before the color can.

Despite the clear distinction in the photograph between the intended subject and the surroundings, there is a natural nonconformity seen in the windows of all the buildings.  The building in the top left corner, the buildings behind the Empire State building, and the Empire State building itself all have different window views.  Some windows are open while others are closed and some have visible curtains or objects while others are completely empty. Conversely, the building on the right side of the photograph is completely uniform in regard to how the window looks: all closed, sleek, and dark.  However, this is such a minute detail that the building on the right side of the photograph does not take away any focus from the Empire State building which, with the help of visual elements such as subject placement, perspective, and color, remains the integral piece of this photograph.

College is a time of exploration, independence, and good hard work. But often in between classes and studying you may not have time to take a much-desired nap or among a slew of sports, clubs, and activities you may find yourself wishing for some solitary meditation time. Once the week winds down on Friday there are different directions the weekend could set out on, each reaping respective merits.  As a freshman at Northwestern University here’s my top five weekend suggestions:

5. Sleep

What college kid doesn’t need to be reminded to sleep? The lack of sleep syndrome may be caused by a strenuous course load or a large commitment to parties and activities. Regardless of the cause, the problem remains: college students need to sleep. Without parents walking by your room as they head off to bed at 10:30, there’s no one to nag you about your health and getting enough sleep. Maybe your roommate insists on lights out at 11:00 pm, but there’s always a way to stay up later than you should. Then, with morning classes, you can’t prolong your sleep cycle by sleeping in. So when the weekend dawns upon you, sleep through the dawn! Take that chance to sleep, especially if the week was particularly stressful or busy. While you sleep your body works at rejuvenating itself, repairing damage you may have done as an overworked, overly-active college student pushing your limits. It keeps you healthy and alert so you can stay up through your lectures, exams, and social interactions. Though it’s important to try to maintain your sleeping habits throughout the week, the freedom on the weekend provides a great opportunity to get some well-deserved shuteye that was passed by the week before.

4. Study

If only college consisted of living with copious amounts of friends in dorms, social activities, and walking around campus to hypnotist and Boomshaka shows, then maybe…well, maybe we would have even worse economic troubles. We’re all paying–at least our parents are–for a one-of-a-kind, first class education at Northwestern. With the prestige of this university, the weekends have to consist of at least some studying and homework. As classes pile up work throughout the week, by Saturday morning your desk is covered in post-it notes with scribbled to-do lists. Since your grade isn’t cushioned by a large percentage from participation and daily homework checks you just have to study and learn; it’s the real deal and there’s no getting around it, but it really isn’t that bad. We came here to learn and all the work we do does pay off. Using time on the weekend to catch up, or even get ahead, in work will return in the form of good grades on tests and quizzes and great relationships with Northwestern’s world-renown professors. So when the weekend comes, set aside time with your desk, textbooks, and notebooks (and Facebook for occasional study breaks) to achieve your college and life goals.

3. Procure a trip back home

It could be to get something you forgot, to write that obligatory monthly newsletter for the hotel you worked for over the summer, to see friends and family at home, or just to get away from campus life for some time alone. Regardless of the reason, a trip home is worthwhile if the journey is not too tedious and involved. Northwestern’s Evanston location, close to Chicago and all the surrounding suburbs makes traveling convenient and accessible for many students from the area to get home by a car, the CTA, or the train. Being at home you can enjoy the comfort of your own house, your own room–without a roommate in most cases–and your own bed. Your family will be excited and happy to see you and just imagine all the real food you get to eat without spending a single meal or Wildcat Point! Being in your home town, you also get the chance to see friends from high school that you are no longer able to see on a daily basis. You can work a job such as babysitting or pick up a few hours with a previous employer. This way you’ll receive a payoff that goes toward those constant college expenses. Of course, you can always relax and laze around without the pressure of going out and constantly doing something with dorm-mates and friends. It might even be a better environment for really focusing on homework or studying as there are no temptations of a campus and all the activities it hosts.

2. Campus Activities

Whether you are in many clubs and organizations, you participate in sports as a player or spectator, or you just have a lot of activities and meetings that you go around to, the weekend entails time that gives you free reign over your campus involvement. There’s a cappella, dance, and instrumental groups, journalism activities, research opportunities, volunteering locations, plays and productions, film interests, even a plethora of organizations supporting important issues, all sexual orientations, certain personal beliefs, diverse religions, and numerous nationalities. No matter what interests you may have as a Northwestern student, there are more than enough social groups and events broadcasting themselves through sidewalk flyers and chalkings. When the lecture halls evacuate and discussions disband on the weekends, it is your chance to get involved in whatever way intrigues, challenges, and motivates you most. You may go out for Sushi in Chicago, paint the rock with your friends or an organization, or even go to rehearsals, practices, or all the various shows on or around campus.  Through these involvements you make great friends with shared interests but with diverse backgrounds that you can learn about throughout your undergraduate years. Finally being at college in a new and exciting environment, what reason is there to not take advantage of the campus atmosphere, get involved, and be social on the weekends?

1. BIG TEN COLLEGE FOOTBALL!

Northwestern may not be the best team in the Big Ten conference but their Big Ten games are still exciting and fun to go to. The energy can be felt throughout the student crowd, parents, alumni, the NU cheerleaders and the Wildcat Marching Band. There’s no better time to start heading off to these Wildcat battles at Ryan Field as the Northwestern football team is undefeated after five games, is ranked 22^nd by USA Today, and is one win away from being bowl eligible. As excitement about this team grows, more students are going to games and are working toward creating a “Purple Haze” where the entire crowd wears purple to rival Purdue’s “blackout” and Penn State’s “whiteout.” Every day this week there will be spirit bands playing by Norris, certain residence halls and the arch, all to bolster spirit and excitement for the team going into the game against Michigan State University this Saturday. Kickoff is at 2:30 pm and will be publically broadcast. Northwestern’s games get even more exciting as the game next Saturday is Northwestern’s Homecoming game versus Purdue. In the middle of this undefeated season, each weekend is preceded by growing amounts of exhilaration. So gather your friends on Saturday, take a shuttle up to Ryan field, WEAR PURPLE, and make it one heck of a weekend!