Take Five: Take in what's in front of you
Two visual art exhibitions and three podcast-inspired listening experiences equals five chances to experience some great culture this week
“Take Five” is posted each Friday, and offers five things I spent some time with over the course of the previous week. No criticism, no in-depth analysis, just a few things I think you might be interested in checking out. When the spirit moves me, I’ll post other things at other times.
1. Elizabeth Catlett in ‘it’s a fine thing’ at the Stanley Museum of Art
Everyone in Iowa City now knows the basic details of artist Elizabeth Catlett’s time in Iowa City as the first African-American woman to earn an MFA back in 1940 (though she wasn’t allowed to live on the University of Iowa campus while she did), on her way to a storied career as a painter and sculptor. With a wonderful new exhibit at the UI’s Stanley Museum of Art titled ‘it’s a fine thing,’ we have the chance to see more of Catlett’s art in a context that adds to its power. The exhibit, curated by Katherine Simóne Reynolds, explores the “landscape of the Black Midwest,” and the Catlett images, including “Double Profile” (above) are highlights of the collection. Sometimes it is difficult to get to know someone or something that has become a part of the landscape, and this exhibit offers a chance to learn more about the work behind the name on a campus residence hall. The rest of the exhibit is well worth a visit, and you should budget time to take in the rest of the work on display while you are there.
2. University of Iowa Main Library Gallery - ‘A Roll of the Dice’
A new exhibition at the University of Iowa Main Library Gallery has opened a rich vein of exploration for me. "A Roll of the Dice: Symbolism in the Sackner Archive," is a chance for the UI to show off some of the Ruth and Marvin Sackner Archive of Concrete and Visual Poetry. More specifically, it uses French symbolist poet Stéphane Mallarmé's "Un coup de dés jamais n'abolira le hasard" ("A roll of the dice will never abolish chance"). I was not familiar with the poem1, but it becomes clear that it is an incredibly influential work given the graphical representations, book arts, concrete poetry, music and other responses to it in the decades since its 1897 publication. The poem is spread out over 20 pages, laid out in a specific way that exemplifies concrete poetry. It's a dense poem, and one that I have yet to understand, but I do plan to return to the exhibition, poem in hand, to see how the various pieces on display illuminate the text. If you are in Iowa City, I highly recommend a visit (it’s right across the street from the Stanley, so make a day of it!).
3. Nada Surf — ‘In Front of Me Now’
I've been a fan of Nada Surf since the band's post-"Popular" reemergence back in 2003, but I must admit the band's brand of power pop was a bit homogeneous to me. It has all been good, but I couldn't tell you about what song appeared on which album or, for the most part, what they were singing about. Musically, that might remain true, but it is clear that as songwriter Matthew Caws ages, his lyrics are taking on a depth that appeals to those of us on the same path. I was listening to an interview with him on the Broken Record podcast this morning, and perked up when he discussed the writing of "In Front of Me Now," one of the singles from the band's latest album, Moon Mirror. I had listened to the album a few times when it came out last year, but then filed it away. But Caws’ story about a household disaster caused by his lack of attention and the new practice of focus and mindfulness that resulted caught my attention. Who knows if his changes will take, but the song he wrote about the experience feels like an anthem for we easily distracted multitaskers: "Today, I do what's in front of me now" he sings. Not to get too sappy, but in a world where there are a million things coming at us at once — both micro and macro — it feels like a mantra-worthy sentiment. It doesn't hurt that it comes with a great hook and a strong beat.
4. Chuck Prophet — 'Sugar Into Water'
Another podcast and another record that has been out for a while but which didn't click the first time. This one is Chuck Prophet with ¿Qiensave? on Wake the Dead. Prophet, one of the most consistent performers in rock, recorded his latest album with this cumbia band, and his songs are a perfect fit for their Latin beat. Prophet and co. appeared on Live on KEXP, a radio show and podcast out of Seattle, and hearing these live versions of some of the new songs finally clicked for me. Prophet is joined by a new backing band, Cumbia Shoes (which includes one member of ¿Qiensave?). "Sugar Into Water" was a particular favorite of the set, Prophet's garage rock tune given a slinky Latin groove by the band. If you like that, the entire session is worth a listen, as is the album and pretty much everything else Prophet has released. It's amazing we have this album at all, to be honest, because it comes after Prophet went through treatment for stage four lymphoma. After treatment, he got back to the music. He's in remission now, on the road and making music. We're lucky to have him.
5. Alvin Queen — The Jazzcup Café Blues
Sticking with the podcast-derived discoveries, I'll share a great new album by Alvin Queen. I hadn't heard of Queen before he was mentioned on the Late Set by critic Nate Chinen. Queen is a New York-born drummer who moved to Switzerland in 1979 and has stayed in Europe, playing with American acts who needed a drummer while on European tours or with European performers, occasionally returning to the States to perform but always returning to Switzerland.. As such, his profile isn't as high in the U.S. as it should be. I was intrigued because he was cited as a disciple of Elvin Jones, the longtime drummer in the John Coltrane Quartet, and it is clear he has a similar authority behind the kit, driving the combo when necessary, and playing around the beat when the tune needs a little room to breathe. His new album, The Jazzcup Café Blues, is a live set recorded at a German club. There, accompanied by Jesse Davis on saxophone, Dezron Douglas on bass, and others, he offers a solid collection of hard boppish tunes. It sounds like the kind of night you wouldn't want to end. Now that I know the name, I'll watch for it.
As I predicted to a friend at the exhibition opening, it took less than a week for me to see my first Mallarmé reference out in the world, this one in a poem in the latest book by Richard Hell, What Just Happened. I knew, despite having no recollection of the poet or the poem, that as soon as it became part of my consciousness I would notice references to it.