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Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Goya: Monk Talking to an Old Woman



The Goya miniatures were painted on small squares of ivory around four inches square that had been coated with a ground of black carbon on which he dripped water which removed the carbon to reveal the shadow of white ivory below. He would then look into this wetness and manipulate it to produce the images that he saw emerging from it (http://redtreetimes.com/2011/07/26/goyas-miniatures/).


(Goya)

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Wednesday, June 12, 2013

El sueño de la razón produce monstruos

Goya, Capricho_43
El sueño de la razón produce monstruos
etching and aquatint, 1797-1799
Museo Nacional de Prado
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Capricho_43,_El_sue%C3%B1o_de_la_raz%C3%B3n_produce_monstruos.jpg)
no copyright infringement intended

(click here for the Romanian version)

I was pretty far from home and wanted to go back. I started trying different shortcuts to shorten my way, but I was getting lost each time, ending up in unexpected places, further away. Suddenly I found myself in front of a building that at first glance seemed to be a monumental palace that I knew well, but it turned out to be something else, somewhere else. I took a shortcut from there, too, and that again put me further away. I was now in front of a hotel, not far from home, but again I could not recognize the place. A famous concert hall near the hotel emerged in front of me to immediately vanish. Something was strange.  I entered a house that I knew and that, as odd as it seems, I used to cross room after room to get on the street where I lived. Here I noticed the presence of an old friend. We hadn't met for many years. We went into a room where we saw another old acquaintance. They started talking together about a third one, who was now under criminal investigation for some unclear stuff. They intended to testify in his favor and asked me to join. I considered a little what to do, then I followed them. The two friends had meanwhile merged in a unique person. I followed him into a room, then in another room, then he vanished. I passed from room to room and got outside, to find myself in a completely unknown place. I realized it was very far from home, in the opposite side of the town. I considered taking a cab, but when I looked into my wallet, I found only a photo and a small excerpt from a newspaper. I decided to give a call, as I had my cell phone with me, but the screen was oddly white and remained stubbornly white any key I was pressing. I suddenly realized that in fact I had forgotten all that happened since I had left my home, where I had gone, on what purpose, anything. I had lost my memory for a duration of time  that I could not specify. I realized that such things would happen again and again from now on and that it would be useless to try hiding them. I wondered if I was not dreaming, so I pinched myself. This way I could see whether I was dreaming or not, so I repeated pinching, without getting a definite answer. I woke up next to my wife, you fell asleep with the head on your laptop, she said. But now I was in bed! No, I was back in that distant place. So  the discussion with  my wife had been nothing more than a short dream: I had been asleep for a few moments while standing in the street. I examined myself for a second to see if I was properly dressed, No, I wasn't, at all. I pinched myself once more, again without success. It was a hopeless situation, and I was horrified. Something was telling me that the only chance was to keep on pinching. But I could not do it anymore, my fingers were refusing to obey. I tried to scream for help, I had no voice. Was I slowly vanishing?

(Goya)

(A Life in Books)

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Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Somnul Ratiunii Naste Monstri

Goya, Capricho_43
El sueño de la razón produce monstruos
etching and aquatint, 1797-1799
Museo Nacional de Prado
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Capricho_43,_El_sue%C3%B1o_de_la_raz%C3%B3n_produce_monstruos.jpg)
no copyright infringement intended

(click here for the English version)

Eram destul de departe de casa si voiam sa ma intorc. Incercam sa folosesc diverse scurtaturi, dar de fiecare data ma rataceam si ajungeam in locuri neasteptate, care ma indepartau si mai mult. Am ajuns la un moment dat in fata a ceva ce la prima vedere parea a fi o cladire monumentala de pe Calea Victoriei, insa apoi s-a dovedit a fi altceva, altundeva. Stiam insa si de aici o scurtatura, care iarasi mi-a lungit drumul. Eram acum in fata unui hotel, tot de pe Calea Victoriei, insa parca nu mai recunosteam locurile. Ateneul mi-a aparut in fata pentru a disparea dupa o secunda. Am intrat intr-o casa pe care o stiam si pe care, oricat ar parea de ciudat, o traversasem de multe ori pentru a ajunge pe strada unde locuiam. Aici am vazut un fost coleg de serviciu. Nu ne mai vazusem de multi ani. Am intrat impreuna cu el intr-o camera in care se afla un al doilea fost coleg. Impreuna discutau despre un al treilea, care intre timp devenise mare om de afaceri, iar acum era anchetat la procuratura, invinuit de niste lucruri ce nu imi erau clare. Cei doi colegi se gandeau sa depuna marturie in favoarea sa. Vino si tu, mi-a zis unul din ei. Am stat putin in cumpana, apoi m-am luat dupa ei. Cei doi colegi se contopisera intre timp intr-unul singur. L-am urmat intr-o camera, apoi in alta camera, apoi a disparut.  Cand am reusit sa ma descurc din camera in camera si sa ies afara, m-am trezit intr-un loc cu totul necunoscut. Mi-am dat seama ca eram intr-un loc foarte indepartat din Bucuresti, pe care nu il stiam deloc. Mi-am zis sa iau un taxi, dar cand am bagat mana in buzunar, nu am gasit decat vreo cinci lei. M-am decis atunci sa telefonez, aveam mobilul la mine, dar ecranul era alb si si se incapatana sa ramana alb orice tasta apasam. Mi-am dat brusc seama ca de fapt uitasem cand am plecat, pentru ce am plecat, unde fusesem, si am realizat ca imi pierdusem memoria pentru o durata de timp pe care nu o puteam preciza. Cine eram eu? Oare puteam sa nu spun nimanui despre ce mi se intamplase? Riscam sa fiu dus la un spital. Imi dadeam insa seama ca asemenea lucruri se vor repeta de acum incolo si ca nu mai este nimic de facut. M-am intrebat daca nu visam si m-am ciupit. Nu imi dadeam seama daca simtisem sau nu ceva, asa ca am repetat ciupitura, tot fara sa am un raspuns definitiv. M-am trezit langa sotia mea, mi-a zis, ai adormit cu capul pe calculator. Totusi acum eram in pat, in pijama! Ba nu, eram din nou in locul acela indepartat. Asadar discutia cu sotia mea fusese un vis scurt, adormisem in picioare pentru cateva momente. M-am mai ciupit odata, tot fara succes. Era o situatie fara iesire si eram ingrozit. Ceva imi spunea insa ca singura sansa era sa ma ciupesc din nou ca sa imi dau seama daca nu visez. Insa nu reuseam sa o mai fac. Am vrut sa strig dupa ajutor, insa nu mai aveam glas. Nu mai era nimic de facut.

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Sunday, June 09, 2013

Goya's Ghosts



(click here for the Romanian version)

I wouldn't consider Goya's Ghosts as targeting exclusively the Spanish master and his universe of thoughts and dreads.There is also an underground level, emerging as the story is unraveling: about the very dreads haunting the film director, Miloš Forman. Goya's Ghosts are also Forman's Monsters.

It's a tough movie. Sure, an opportunity to admire some extraordinary paintings, and in all a movie of exquisite beauty, while extremely tough, and very sad.

A movie that can be understood in several ways. The story starts in 1792, it's Spain, the Inquisition has absolute power.  And the story goes on till it jumps over 16 years, in the period of Napoleonic occupation., that ends when British troupes come, fraternizing with the population and driving the French away. Inquisition regains absolute power.

The master is played by Stellan Skarsgård (I saw him playing also in Exorcist: The Beginning, as well as in some of von Trier movies). As the film starts, Goya is a man in full maturity, at the best of his creative forces. After 16 years he is old and weakened. After a whole life lived under the constraints of a society dominated by Inquisition, he finds himself under the constraints of Napoleonic occupation. Some of the new guys in charge are the same from the old regime, they only changed their ideological color.

A girl (Natalie Portman) is put in jail by the Inquisition and tortured to recognize a nonexistent crime. She remains jailed for sixteen years,  till the French occupy Spain and free all Inquisition prisoners. She is now old and insane. Immediately she goes home, to find all her family killed in the chaos brought by the French occupation. But I won't tell you the whole movie, it deserves to be watched.

Javier Bardem (I had known him from Mar Adentro and Carne Trémula - I saw him meanwhile in many other movies) makes a great role: an inquisitor seemingly understanding any pleas and trying to be of help in all this madness, while remaining a villain. A guy changing sides and coming again with the French Army as the new man in charge. Remaining the same villain. Till the end, when even he cannot endure his own villainy any more.

Many associated the movie with the war in Iraq and with Guantanamo. It could be  a level in understanding  Goya's Ghosts. Only the thing is that Forman wrote the screenplay before the Iraq War. Sometimes life is inspired by art, isn't it?

There is also another level in understanding Goya's Ghosts, and I think this level constituted the main interest for Miloš Forman. It's about the attitude an artist takes under an oppressive regime, the role he plays in the society, his responsibility.

Forman said once that the idea of making this movie came to him long time before, while visiting Madrid. At Prado he saw Goya's works: the paintings with personages from the royal court were hanged on one wall, and his Disasters of War were on the opposite wall. That raised a question to him: when was the artist true to himself?

I would say that in all his portraits of various aristocrats there is a subtle sarcastic dimension - it is always there something that thickens and exaggerates, telling us that the artist mocks his personages; only it is a well hidden mockery.

It's what the movie is just showing: the attitude of Goya  towards the people in power (be them aristocrats or inquisitors, or French occupiers) always was slightly ambiguous, slightly on the edge - he knew how much to push without crossing the line, being careful to cultivate powerful relations just in case.

His lithographs with The Disasters of War were sold in samizdat - they became official only after his death.

And this is, I think, the hidden meaning of this movie: through the story of Goya, there are the artists of Forman's time that are targeted: the artists from his native Czech Republic, living under Communist rule that followed in turn the Nazi occupation - all those people who knew how much to push without crossing the line, always aware of possible informers among them, trying to remain true to themselves while making minor or bigger compromises, mastering the art of survival.





(Goya)

(Filmofilia)

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Thursday, June 06, 2013

Fantomele lui Goya



(click here for the English version)


Goya's Ghosts este un film nu numai despre marele pictor, despre gandurile si nelinistile lui, dar si, intr-un plan ce iese la iveala pe masura ce actiunea isi urmeaza cursul, despre gandurile si nelinistile regizorului, Miloš Forman. Nalucile lui Goya, dar si Monstrii lui Forman.

E un film foarte dur. Sigur ca e un prilej de a vedea cateva picturi extraordinare, dar e extrem de dur.

Poate fi receptat pe mai multe planuri. Actiunea incepe in Spania anului 1792, Inchizitia are putere absoluta, actiunea sare pe la jumatatea filmului peste un interval de 16 ani, in timpul ocupatiei napoleoniene, terminata prin intrarea trupelor engleze cu care populatia spaniola fraternizeaza. Englezii ii alunga pe francezi si Inchizitia redevine stapana.

In rolul lui Goya joaca Stellan Skarsgård - l-ati vazut in Exorcist: The Beginning si in cateva filme de von Trier. La inceputul filmului Goya este un barbat in plina putere, dupa 16 ani este de acum batran si imputinat de forte. O viata intreaga a trait sub constrangerile unei societati dominate de Inchizitie, la batranete se vede nevoit sa tina seama de constrangerile regimului napoleonian.

O fata (Natalie Portman) este arestata de Inchizitie si torturata ca sa recunoasca o crima inexistenta (a fost surprinsa refuzand o portie de carne de porc, deci exista suspiciunea ca a trecut in secret la iudaism), fata marturiseste sub tortura orice si ramane inchisa pana cand francezii ocupa Spania si desfiinteaza Inchizitia. Iese batrana, urata, nebuna, se duce direct acasa, unde toti cei din familia ei au fost omorati - ocupatia franceza a adus haos. Nu vreau sa va povestesc tot filmul, dar ati prins ideea.

Un rol extraordinar joaca Javier Bardem (il vazusem in Mar Adentro si Carne Trémula, l-am mai vazut intre timp in multe alte filme) - un inchizitor (schimband la un moment dat tabara si devenind procuror militar sau asa ceva  odata cu venirea frncezilor) care aparent intelege totul si incearca sa ajute in toata nebunia asta, ramanand insa toata vremea un ticalos.

Multi au facut asociatia cu razboiul din Irak si cu inchisoarea de la Guantanamo. Ar fi un plan de receptare a filmului. Forman a spus insa ca scenariul a fost scris inainte de Irak. I s-a raspuns ca viata copiaza filmul.

Exista insa un alt plan al filmului - si cred ca pe Forman planul asta al doilea l-a interesat. Este atitudinea artistului aflat sub vremuri, rolul lui, responsabilitatea lui.

Ideea filmului i-a venit lui Forman de mult - a vizitat Madridul, la Prado pe un perete erau tablourile de curte ale lui Goya, pe celalalt, Dezastrele razboiului.

Si Forman s-a intrebat, cu ce inima a putut sa picteze artistul asta atat de lucid personajele de la curte? Sau, altfel spus, cand a fost artistul cinstit cu el insusi?

Imi permit sa adaug: mi s-a parut ca in toate portretele lui de curte (cateva le-am vazut la Washington), exista un sarcasm subtil - exista un ceva care ingroasa, care exagereaza, ceva care ne spune ca artistul isi bate joc, insa pe ascuns.

Iar din film reiese ca relatiile lui cu puternicii zilei, fie de la curte sau din Inchizitie, fie cu ocupantii francezi, relatiile astea Goya le-a avut intotdeauna usor ambigue, usor pe muchie de cutit - a stiut sa intinda coarda putin, a avut grija intotdeauna sa aiba pe cineva pe care sa se bazeze ca sa poata intinde coarda putin mai mult cu altii.

Litografiile lui cu Dezastrele raboiului se vindeau in samizdat - au aparut oficial dupa moartea lui.

Revolta in genunchi. Si am inteles ca Forman ii vede prin Goya pe artistii din vremea lui, din Cehoslovacia in care a trait pana la emigrarea in America, Cehoslovacia lui, aflata in regim comunist dupa ce fusese sub ocupatie nazista - se gandeste poate nu numai la artisti, la atati si atati oameni care au intins coarda atat cat au simtit ca se poate, care s-au revoltat in genunchi, care faceau bancuri pe sest, care stiau de cine sa se fereasca, toti cei care au trait incercand sa ramana cinstiti dar trebuind sa faca si compromisuri mai mari sau mai mici.





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Goya



The last of the Old Masters and the first of the Moderns.



(Old Masters)

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Monday, October 22, 2007

Phillips Collection - The Old Clock

Goya, Repentant Saint PeterPeter answered and said unto him, Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended. Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this night, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice.Peter said unto him, Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee. (Mathew 26, 33 - 35)
...
And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly. (Mathew 26, 75)

I met some friends two weeks ago and it came in our talk the subject of the Repentance of Saint Peter - so deeply authentic in his initial enthusiasm, in his quick denial, in his final repentance.



The Old Clock
And yesterday it happened that I was at the Phillips Collection, where the old clock has been quietly and solemnly watching the Repentance, as imagined by Goya and by El Greco.

El Greco - Repentant Saint Peter, 1600

(Phillips Collection)

(Goya)

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