ART

Have you seen Wadjda yet? No, go see it. I also saw a very strange movie called Only God Forgives. I’m not even sure why that was the name of the film. It’s set in Bangkok and deals with a murder of the brother of the main character played by Ryan Gosling. The main character’s mother goes to Bangkok and the movie deals with what ensues from there. However, it’s an eerie movie because the acting (which can often draw me to a movie) takes a back seat to the effect and feel of the movie. There is less dialogue than the average film as well. It’s like an action/noir/semi-silent film all in one. Some people hate it, but if you are into films where the absurd and the form is more important than the function and acting and mundane, go for it.

I’ve seen a lot of different types of performing and visual art, but what recently stuck out to me was the Wildlife Photography of the Year exhibit which was showing in my town. If you’re lucky enough to live in a city that lies along its tour or a city or country with a similar competition or exhibit, go check it out. Or take a virtual tour of the images. They are stunning. I love that they have categories for children to participate. It’s really fascinating.

I’ve also been viewing a lot of neopop and digital art at the moment. I’m really fascinated by moving digital art.

ART

Enjoy this Week in Wildlife. The pictures are beautiful!

ART

Someone asked me what books I’m currently reading and wanted me to talk about them in this section.

Religious Studies
Finding Our Way Again by Brian McLaren
A New Kind of Christianity by Brian McLaren
Prodigal God by Tim Keller
How (Not) To Speak Of God by Peter Rollins
Fidelity of Betrayal by Peter Rollins
Orthodox Heretic and Other Impossible Tales by Peter Rollins
Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis

Social Justice
Christianity and the Crisis in the 21st Century edited by Paul Raushenbash

Negotiations & Social Science
Influencer: The Power to Change Anything by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, David Maxfield, Ron McMillan, Al Switzler
Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In, 2nd ediction, by Roger Fisher, William L. Ury, Bruce Patton (editor in 1st edition)



History
Africa in History by Basil Davidson

Economics, International Development
Wars, Guns, and Votes by Paul Collier
Dead Aid by Dambisa Moyo

Fiction
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Juno Diaz




But more than that, I wanted you take a few minutes and look at a few photos from the White House Photography Exhibit. I love photography.


Presidential Photography
Domestic News Photography
Story & Politics Photography

ART & BOOKS

Ernest Cole

Ernest Cole was the son of a washerwoman and tailor. He quit school at age 16 in 1957 in South Africa. He pretended to be an orphan and was able to convince authorities to reclassify him as colored or mixed-race, no doubt helped by his fluency in Afrikaans. This mobility (as a colored person in South Africa compared to a black South African) aided his interest and work in photography. By age 20, his family home and township were bulldozed down, considered a “black spot” by the authorities.

Ernest was inspired to write Henri Cartier-Bresson’s “People of Moscow” Ernest was inspired to create a photographic portrait of Black life in South Africa. Taking his camera into intimate spaces of work and public life, he took pictures to create a frightening pictorial record of life in South Africa at the time. He went into exile in 1966 and the next year his work, “House of Bondage” was released in the United States, though it was not allowed in his home country.
In the 70’s and 80’s he was destitute in New York City and died in 1990 just after Mandela became president. His work “House of Bondage” survives today, thank goodness, and you can view some of the photos below.

Slideshow



Do-It-Yourself Foreign Aid Slide Show

Why We Fight (a new book on America’s history of war-making)
Amazon review



Haiti Photojournalism
Haiti One Year Later
NYTimes

MOVIES, BOOKS, ART

I always do movies, but I’m being lazy and not talking about other stuff.

I restarted on fiction this year after many years of rest from it. I’m back and I love it.

Books

After Many a Summer Dies the Swan by Aldous Huxley
A Single Man by Isherwood

A Single Man refers to the Huxley book, so I read that first and am still reading the second one. I saw the film first with Colin Firth and Julianne Moore. I won’t spoil it but to say that Huxley’s book is hugely intellectual and makes you think and question life and how this world works. It’s almost like reading a non-fiction book on philosophy at the same time you’re reading a Hollywood novel (set in LA). Isherwood is all about the senses and is deeply set in the emotions of the main character with as little dialogue as possible. Small words, big feelings. You might enjoy it.

Movies

Born into Brothels



Some of the images produced by these kids were phenomenal. I heard about this first in 2006 I think it was. But I haven’t watched it until now. A photographer travels to India and while there she works with kids who live and work in brothels (usually their mothers are prostitutes) and she gives them a camera to see the world through their eyes. Definitely watch it.

Jesus Camp



I talked about this earlier in this update. It’s about these summer Christian Evangelical camps (charismatic variety) and how they indoctrinate with political ideology as well about George Bush or abortion. It’s interesting and scary. I have a small group from my church that wants to meet at my house and my roommate was freaked out saying they better not be like that or else no. What’s interesting to me is that someone described the film as neutral. It’s possible it is, but I think the film spins a bad light on the people and that’s maybe because I’m sensitive to such things, but the Christian camp director and the people in the film weren’t able to see that their own actions or responses could be interpreted pretty badly so they fed into it. I wasn’t that freaked out by it as I’m used to that type of Christianity, but maybe they didn’t see anything negative because I’m a different type.

Art




I recently have been looking at some of the art by a photographer named Newbegin. She goes to developing countries (and developed countries) and takes pictures of buildings and rooms. I’m more of a people photographer but her work is rather interesting and improves throughout the years. See if you can find some interesting pictures on her site. Click the Portfolio link.


Katherine Newbegin