Chico and Rita

This past weekend, inspired by a great review in The New York Times, I went to see the animated movie "Chico and Rita". A full length feature set against the Cuban music scene of the late 1940s and 50s, the film is a love story not only of its two protagonists but also to Havana, Cuban jazz, and creative film-making.

Directed by Fernando Trueba, the filmmaker responsible for the cult Cuban jazz documentary “Calle 54”, and designed by Javier Mariscal, a Spanish graphic artist and designer, the film is so true to life that at first you wonder why it wasn’t simply made as live action. An early car chase scene is so realistically done you actually find yourself flinching, but the quirky hand-drawn animation quickly wins you over.

The music, combining Cuban jazz standards with new compositions by the great pianist and composer, Bebo Valdes, sticks with you long after the film is over – as does the sultry sexiness of the animated Rita – who gives Jessica Rabbit a run for her money (while displaying the full frontal nudity which is really the only reason the movie would not be child-appropriate).

While the film moves as far afield as New York and Las Vegas, the other star is the exquisitely rendered and vibrantly colored Havana. The filmmakers spent several months shooting on location in Havana, and their attention to detail produces a feeling that is both realistic and seductive. I can’t wait to visit Cuba.

While foremost a love story, the film doesn’t sugar-coat the place and time. Chico and Rita, both black Cubans, have to deal with discrimination and exploitation as they work their way up the commercial ladder and without giving anything anyway, their story is bittersweet.

Most surprising of all, though, “Chico & Rita,” has been nominated for an Academy Award as best animated feature – usually the sole province of family oriented fare. In a film year generally acknowledged as one of the most lackluster, it will be interesting to see if “The Artist” and “Chico and Rita” show that breaking out of the box sometimes gets you to the Oscar stage.

Keeping Up With The Web ...

An interesting piece in today's New York Times (click here) about the most watched video on YouTube. Over 417.6 million views! Hard to fathom when you see what it is.

Meanwhile, as those who know me can attest, I'm not much of Facebook user (this blog being my outlet). But I find the pictures people post interesting and have recently been struck by how many people are now using Facebook as on online gallery to showcase photographs by other people that have resonance for them. Quite often you find accidental themes emerging from random posts - most recently I noticed this underwater theme. A wish for warmer times? A feeling people are drowning? Or a more optimistic feeling of floating? You be the judge of this pictorial zeitgeist.

Top photo by Phiippe Paoli; second photo by Seth Casteel, and bottom, this classic fashion photograph for VOGUE in 1948 by the late Toni Frissel.

Back in the Saddle Again!

I have been quite rightly called out for not keeping this blog up to date. But I’ll explain. Two things. One – it takes a lot of time and the gallery has been very busy. Two – if something really interesting or fresh comes around, I’ll let you know. This month there have already been a couple good things passed on to me which I’ll now share with you.

First (courtesy of my brother) – a series of colorized photographs by Swedish artist Sanna Dullaway. While Dullaway’s main business is restoring old family photographs, she has taken to re-imagining iconic images with enough skill and verisimilitude that the issue it addresses is not colorization (of course it’s weird and disrespectful, but occasionally effective) but about the power of black and white photography. In a world of color, it’s amazing what effect black and white has. (Perhaps this why the film “The Artist” has taken such a hold on people.) Dullaway’s motive is simple. She writes on her Flickr site: "Hi. I take coloured photographs. If I stumble upon colourless photographs I colour them." If only everyone were so honest!

BOOTSY HOLLER

Second, my friend and bike coach Angela Sherry introduced me to the work of Bootsy Holler. A Los Angeles based editorial and fine art photographer, Bootsy has created her own personal time machine by inserting herself in her old family photos, but not before painstakingly costuming and making herself up in period appropriate get up.

Her series, Visitor, takes the Zelig-ian fantasy but transports it to a personal and emotional place where we can visit those we loved, or never knew.

In my gallery, people are constantly questioning the use of photoshop, which is something I don’t really pay much attention to. There aren’t many photographers these days not using that or some other kind of digital intervention in one way or another. It's just another tool and when it works it’s great and when it doesn’t it sucks.

That's Bootsy on the left.

That's Bootsy behind the screen door.

For more Bootsy click here.