Improve Everywhere "We Cause Scenes"

     Improve Everywhere was created in August 2001 by Charlie Todd.  Charlie's background began by taking classes at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater in New York where he met most of the other performers in his Improvisational group named, Improve Everywhere.  In the Uptight Citizens Brigade, he learned about creating comedy sketches that generally pulled pranks on people in public places. There was a show many years back called,  Candid Camera, a funny show that pulled pranks on the public with comedy actors and a hidden camera. I remember this show from my youth and it was definitely fun to watch the real expressions of people unfold from shock and dismay to embarrassment or anger. Anyway, later this group formed to pull some pranks in the local communities of New York and are tamed by the local law enforcement on occasion.  Just to make sure the pranksters do not push it too far... no obscenity of language and or nudity.  The group has met annually since 2002 for their improvisation of "No Pants." This is a public displayed skit and the actors are in full bloom of their characters. A group riding the public trains with no pants on but of course, undergarments are worn, socks, shoes, blouses shirts ties, hats and et cetra. You got the picture... right. There are many other skits performed and this is just one of many funny pranks.  This I could image only causes many smiles and don't we need a little laughter in our lives?

Vanessa Beecroft

     Vanessa was born in 1969 in Genoa, Italy.  He art is a unique fusion of conceptual issues consisting primarily of recorded photographed events. Her subjects stand still, usually finding unity, among multiple subjects by wearing the same colored outfits, shoes, wigs, makeup, or color of skin. Her events and or performances mostly represent the female body; sometimes a woman is clothed and many times she is nude. What I read also stated that she uses the locations historical events as a backdrop but injects her personal view /  message in her displayed events. Thus, provoking her political angle arranged in a historical context.  What is she saying with her art? What I see is a woman taking on many roles in her life. Women strive to accomplish varying roles in society. Maybe my point of view is completely wrong. Nonetheless, her events are created before an audiences eyes and the characters/ performers usually stand motionless. So, in a sense her events appear like a painting being recreated before the audiences eyes. Some imagery is strange or confusing others are beautiful and symbolic.

     

Maurizio Cattelan Contemporary Artist

 

     Maurizio is an Italian born artist who is well known for his dark puns on social and political rules of acceptance in society. Maurizio held many odd jobs in his earlier years yet furniture designing served as his catalyst into the artist world. He pokes fun and does it with enough finesse to be successful.   He derives subjects from past historical themes as his focus and sometimes substitutes animals for people. A humorous style filled with a satirical angle can entertain but also can anger viewers, too. For example,  Him, 2001 is a photorealist sculpture of a miniature of Hitler in  prayer.  This  photo is a contradiction that would summons plenty of comments from observers near and far.  Another sculpture involves a collapsed squirrel who is dead, at a table in a kitchen, with a gun on the floor.  Maurizio seems to push the limits in many of these artistic installations/sculptures but he must be doing something right because people are paying him to show his work. Art has many forms and freedom of expression goes along with it. I am not saying I don't find some of his work comical because I do. He is quite talented in crafting creations and provoking emotions by viewers.

   

Lauren Bon / Not a Cornfield / Farmlab

Agricultural growth in bed of El Camino

     The following photographs are of vegetation or agriculture being grown, in the city of Los Angeles, for the Farm Lab project by trustee and owner Lauren Bon of the Annenberg Foundation. Her message is to bring attention of organic life struggling to live with in the confines of of an area in Los Angeles that is encompassed by city buildings, houses, open land and homeless patrons. 

      Another project of Lauren Bons is "Not a Cornfield."  This project was initiated in 2005.  The project's main focus was to bring to light the sounds of a field.  The 32 acre piece of land was a corn field in reality but the sounds of the land was the main purpose and direction of her project. Wind rustling past leaves of the field, bugs chirping, a train passing by sounding off its horn, and surrounding sounds of the local community were recorded.   Her group of members who helped in this project set-up two large speakers in the vast field three thousand feet apart to grasp a surround sound experience. Her projects bring attention to the smaller things in life that do not get much attention by the average person walking or driving by.  I viewed an interview of her by KCET regarding the Farmlab  project and I was inspired by her attention to the details of a street in Los Angeles that she focused on.  She turned this area into a cornfield and the volunteers assisted in raising corn crops that varied in multiple colors from pale white to blue-green, to purple-red, and chocolate.