Nadim Karam Visiting artist lecture Nadim Karam is by far my favorite of the visiting artists. Nadim is from Beirut and was there during political unrest with Lebanon. During that time, he received a scholarship in which he utilized by going to Tokyo and studying architecture. He remained in Tokyo for 10 years and received a PhD. He then moved to London where he began working in making public art installations. Nadim is interesting in that these monstrous forms and installations combine both the figures/figurines that he doodles in his sketch-book with his knowledge for architecture. The installations are very large. When he discusses them he talks in measurements of meters. He happened to be in the United States to propose a project for the city of Chicago. The project he is proposing is a large wheel (24 meters) that will sit out on Lake Michigan. Nadim discussed the process by which he comes to a proposal for a city. He said that first he researches the city via topographies and maps and finds locations that seem to be receptive to his ideas of installation. For Chicago he chose the wheel, there were several reasons in choosing the wheel, and one of those being the introduction of the Ferris Wheel at the Worlds Fair over a century ago. Nadim said that he also considered the values of the people. He spoke about the idea of raising the spirits of the people in a certain area. He enjoyed the idea of art as a mechanism for inspiration and to help people to recognize the beauty of their surroundings. Nadim also discussed the ideas of failed projects, or projects that were not approved. He gave the example of a project that he proposed in Australia. He had pitched an idea for a giant kinetic sculpture with metal figures placed on a track would move out over the water and return based on time. It worked as a sort of non-traditional clock and was placed right beside train tracks. The project had gone stale and over the course of four years the design firm that Nadim owns had forgot about the project. The city of Sydney contacted them out of the blue. And suddenly the project was on again. He encouraged students not to give up on ideas, that over time they could develop into something else, or could come to fruition in an offer. My favorite installation of all the installations came as a proposal to a monastery. I have taken this information from a website in order to provide details of the project. http://www.onefineart.com/en/artists/nadim_karam/nara_project.shtml “‘The Three Magic Flowers of Jitchu’ on Kagami Lake in the Todaiji Temple complex of Nara, Japan, an art installation, 2004. The project consisted of seven hundred different steel sculptures (45cm) ‘scattered’ over the surface of the lake, and three large (8m height) flowers, made of steel and fabric. The installation took place from August 5th -20th , during which time the temple received nation-wide attention from Japanese media. It was the first contemporary art installation ever to take place on temple grounds. Kagami Lake, the location of the art installation, is in front of Daibutsuden, the main temple of Todaiji which is not only the oldest wooden structure in the world but also home to the largest seated Buddha in the world.” Nadim had proposed this installation on the lakes for years. It was a place that he had lived during the time he spent in Tokyo. It took close to ten years (and lots of coercing) before the monastery finally allowed to project to move forth. Images from the project follow this essay. The big highlight from Nadim Karam’s visit was definitely his visit to my studio. We discussed my branching out and diversifying of concepts into that of the organic and disease. He was very helpful in suggesting different ideas that he felt would be efficacious in expressing the ideas behind my concept. My work was quite unsuccessful at the time and we looked at some of my other work. He helped me to understand or gain confidence in the ideas behind my concept and suggested I move forward with processes and experimentation to create something unique and contemporary. I also was able to have my picture made with Nadim, and he gave me a business card for him and his design firm in Beirut. I was enamored in being able to meet him and engage with him on a personal level.

Russian Ark Review Thomas Green DM-270 Russian Ark is a 2002 film by Russian director Alexander Sokurov. Sokurov’s film is an hour and half time based piece that jumps to different eras of Russian history. The film is shot inside the Hermitage Museum which provides fabulous imagery complete with lavish gold finials and light fixtures, marble staircases, floors and archways. The museum is equipped with a multitude of abysmal hallways that provide a great the opportunity for the film to run without encountering the same room twice. The film starts in what seems to be ancient times. We see gold chariots and characters that appear like they were stolen from a Grecian urn. The camera passes over a short railing and dips downward to reveal a symphony. Then we are introduced to an audience area where Catherine the great observes the characters. It appears that the characters of ancient Greece were acting a scene from a play. She approves of the play and scumbles off to pee. The camera seamlessly follows her up the stairs and into a room where she gleams out onto the streets in the middle of winter. The camera continues down the hall and enters into a gallery. The main character, the Marquis, seems to be carrying on a conversation with the character whose point of view the whole movie is shot. As they enter the hallway, a discussion starts about the artwork. This discussion pops up several times during the film. Comments are made that it (the Hermitage) looks like the Vatican. The Marquis comments “This is Petersburg, better than the Vatican.” The Marquis recalls a time 111 years ago when different paintings hung in this grand gallery. It suggests to the viewer that we are traveling in time. The whole film is just one absolutely mesmerizing camera shot that can’t really be described. With there being so many takes on a general film set even for one short scene, it’s astonishing to try and fathom how this picture was made and in just one continuous shot. I think the odds of lightening striking the same place are better than this film going off right. The only thing similar I can recall seeing is a television episode of ER that was done LIVE. Even then, with all the orchestration of characters, there were several cameras that shot the hour of TV drama. Mr. Sokurov is a very gutsy man to even think of attempting it. At one point, the camera leaves the building out into the snow. It somehow flows seamlessly (and quickly) through the terrain to meet the Marquis at a perpendicular doorway from a courtyard area. Towards the finally, there are hundreds of characters dancing in the midst of a grand ballroom. The camera seems to flow with the dancers as they waltz. It moves in and out and it swirls around and seems to mingle with people in its own narrative as it glides throughout this film. I think I can honestly say, if it isn’t Downton Abbey, I’m usually not interested in historical accounts of fancy people in fancy places doing fancy things. If it were just an ordinary film about that, I really wouldn’t have been so captivated to watch. But, the film was able to carry me based solely on the idea of how the filmmakers were getting the shot, the complexity of keeping the actors organized. What an orchestration! It’s hard to get 5 people out of an elevator together without the door starting to close, and so, I can’t imagine how you could get 300 people clad in tightly sewn Victorian bodices and tuxedos with long tail-coats to dance and move together and move in unison out of that grand ballroom down a flight of stairs and into a large clerestory lined hall. Wow, nice finally. My first initial thought is that the camera is places on a fixed tripod with caster (wheels) positioned to the base of each leg. This would explain the fluid motion as the camera pivots, heads through doorways, and glides freely down hallways. But this would be far too easy. The camera seems smooth regardless of what it is doing. And it tends to be doing a lot of different things that would not be allowed if it were fixed to just a tripod. During a segment at the dance, when the orchestra is being featured, the camera seemed to magically rise up (smoothly) about 5 feet while it was also moving in a lateral direction simultaneously. Part of me thinks also that it could have been attached to some sort of cable and that is how it went up into the air like that. Or maybe, there were some hydraulic lifts in the tripod that assisted in elevating the camera. After the camera hovers a while over the orchestra while the it descends again into it’s original position at about 5 feet off the ground. This motion is also unexplainable. During several segments, one in the hallway with children running and the other as the great multitude descends the stairs, the camera moves really quickly, much faster than a standard human walk. The biggest mystery of all seems to be in the stairwell. If the camera is on wheels, how does it navigate the stairs so smoothly? I’m thinking that as it reaches the edge of the stairs, I liked the film. I’m not sure the subject matter has great interest, and I’m sure that I caught the reference to all the various characters historically. But, it was a stunning “you gotta see this” kind of experience. I can only imagine months and months of planning and rehearsals in order to pull this all off in one fell swoop. Amazing.

Car scene A gold Ford Fiesta parks outside the Jack Pirtle's Fried Chicken Restaurant. Johnna Sparks and John-John Rubenfeld are negotiating whether or not to eat in the restaurant this particular Sunday afternoon. Johnna SparkS is a big busty woman in her mid 30's. She has just finally finished her transitional operations and processes into fully becoming a woman. She is a performance artist at a local gay bar. she has big red hair (most of the time) and often adjusts her boobs and make up and checks herself in the mirror. John John is a normal looking precocious 10 year old boy who also happens to be a bit of a germ-a-phobe. He is very shy and timid and has blond hair. Int: Car It is 3'oclock on a Sunday afternoon. Johnna is trying desperately to get John John fed and off to his mother's house by 4. John John Dad!!! I'm hungry, and I have got to pee. Johnna checking her lipstick in the visor's mirror. Reaching into the glovebox, she pulls out a small airplane sized bottle of vodka and slyly puts it into her purse as she speaks I know sweetie! THAT is the reason that I brought you here. And, you have got to stop calling me Dad. John John but dad, Mom says... Johnna John john, I'm sure I know what your mother is meant for the best, but we have got to ALL start looking past the past. That is all it is. we have got to learn to accept the changes that have happened in our lives. I have learned to accept it, and soon you will too. if you can just at least try. Please? pirtles restaurant Int: Jack Pirtles The restaurant is glum, slow, old school country music plays in the background. The walls are lined with wood paneling from the mid 70's and softly the buzz from the florescent lights can be heard. Linda the counter girl is in her early twenties, she has thin stringy blonde hair and wears a topless maroonish brown tennis cap and polyester maroonish brown button up short sleeve shirt with the Jack Pirtles logo embroidered on the shirt pocket. She is friendly, but soft-spoken. She speaks with an Arkansas accent. Linda: Hi there, welcome to Pirtles Johnna: Well hello there! um.. (looking for a name tag) Linda! Oh HI LINDA! My son and I are here to get something to eat and I would like to get an orange juice. Linda: um.... Orange juice? Johnna: Oh yes, yes hon. fighting a nasty cold...um, could you just fill it to about an inch below the rim... I hate spills. Here's my cup. Johnna hands Linda her large styrofoam lidded cup with lipstick covered straw. Linda looks a little shocked, slightly smirks and proceeds to dump a plastic foil topped tub of orange juice into the cup Linda: And, what can I get for you to eat? Johnna: well, I'm not going to be eating, starve a cold you know! John John would like a basket of Chicken TENDERS and fries. Linda: one chicken finger basket John John: (interrupts) Dad... I mean...NOOOO... Johnna: Oh Linda, john would like to have the chicken TENDERS, not the chicken FINGERS basket. Linda: You mean...Oh... yes, one chicken tender basket. Did you want cole slaw John No ma'am. Just the fries. Linda: Okay, that's gonna be a sec, if you could just wait at the table I'll bring it out for you, did you want that for here or to go? Johnna: We are in a bit of a hurry, if you could just make it to go, thanks. Johnna and john sit down at the table while Linda prepares the food. Johnna is looking around for people as she slyly pulls the vodka from her purse, just as she is pouring it into the cup she is interrupted Pirtle's dining room John:(speaking loudly and from nowhere) DAADDDDDD!!! Johnna is startled as she is pouring the vodka into the cup, she jumps and misses the cup pouring about half of it onto the table. She reaches for the table tent and rakes the rest off the side of the table and into her cup John: I have got to go pee!!! at this point he is grabbing his crotch area trying to hold in any liquid that might escape freely into his pants. Johnna: Seriously, John john, you have got to quit calling me that. The restroom is right by the door. you are a big boy now! You can't expect me to hold it for you. John: But, you could at least go with me Johnna Oh please John... seriously? What do you think it would look like if a woman like myself came out of the restroom with you? You are totally gonna be fine, you are a big boy now. Remember? I'm always with you in spirit. Nobody is in there and there is absolutely nothing that is gonna happen to you. Your mother is going to make sure of that. John: You promise? Johnna: Of course baby, I promise! just as Johnna is saying this a short haired lesbian in her mid 20's with a sid vicious blue jean jacket and a leather spiked collar enters into the restaurant. she charges up to the counter. John is now on his way to the bathroom, still holding his crotch and repeating to himself "not gonna be anyone in there" "not gonna see any bugs" "not gonna pee myself" Pirtle's counter Lesbian Girl, you have some nerve! Linda: Me? What did I do? Who are you? Lesbian You been getting with my sissy!!! I knew there was something going on and then she admitted it. Linda She said she didn't want to be with you anymore! you aren't the kind... of girl... from around the counter Linda comes, just as John is making his way to the alley way where the fight ensues. Linda and the Lesbian are now on the floor kicking, pulling hair, screaming and calling each other obscenities hearing the ruckus and John starting to cry, Johnna jumps into action. Cut to slow motion sequence. Johnna is coming to the rescue of John. Her boobs are bouncing and she is straightening her wig as she barrels through the dining room and towards the counter. instrumental version of Fat Bottom girls is playing. Cut to fight scene pirtle's counter Johnna pushes the girls aside who are still fighting and pulling hair. she holds them up against the counter rail. Johnna: now go sweetie! Mommas not going to let anything happen to you. John passes by Johnna who is holding the girls (still kicking and fighting) so that he can pass. During the visit we see Johnna push the girls who are still shouting at one another, but not physically fighting. We see Johnna grab her drink. As John comes out of the bathroom. His mother is standing there waiting for him. We hear the beep of the timer signaling that his chicken is done. The lesbian is still trying to engage in physical fighting and Johnna steps in breaking the fight apart once again. Johnna: (speaking to the lesbian) Look girl, you gotta go before momma puts those teeth in the back of your head. (speaking to Linda) And, I told YOU we were in a hurry! now get back there and wrap those chicken tenders for us to go. beat And I'll take another orange juice, too. I distinctly feel a cough coming on as we speak! Car scene Int: Car, John and Johnna are in the car. John is reaching into the bag for his french fries and food. He places a napkin absurdly around his neck and begins to eat. Johnna has the styrofoam cup between her legs and is looking both ways before pouring another small vodka. Just as she seals the lid John turns to her John MOM A beat passes, during which we see Johnna realize that John has just referred to her as "mom." She smiles exaggeratedly and looks to john. Her eyes are gleaming Johnna Yes, honey? John That was awesome in there. Johnna Oh sweetie. Thank you. sometimes it just takes a real woman to handle girls like that. John Mom Johnna Yes sweetie. John Can we go to Chick Fil A next time? Johnna Sure sweetie. But, it's not open on Sundays. And, you know they hate the gays. John But, Mom, you aren't gay. You are a real woman. Johnna Awww sweetie. Momma loves you. End

So, I've decided to revise my concept and do something besides the scene from the longer film. It was shot down in the critique, but somehow during the critique, I remembered an episode in my life in the middle of a bus station in Knoxville Tennessee when I was young. I hope I never have to take a Trailways/Greyhound bus ever again in my life. During our "layover" in the bus station, we decided to go and eat in the cafeteria as my mother was hungry for fried chicken. I have no idea why we didn't just drive to Charleston S.C. I could understand that flights were too expensive, but honestly, a trailways bus. Anyways, we placed our order for fried chicken and were instructed to wait. As we waited for our chicken, a ferocious "cat fight" broke out between a woman behind the counter and another woman who seemed to be ordering food. I have never been so terrified in my life. The howling (like an alley cat in heat in the evening), the pulling of hair from one anothers head, the scratching of long freshly polished fingernails and the blood that oozed from the girl's cheek. I remember those fingernails so vividly. I remember my mother jumping up from her seat and running to get help. I was left there to endure the violence continued. It took several minutes. Amused? Not at the time, but in reflection, it was such a momentous event, it is unforgettable, and amusing today. My new concept is entitled Fried Chicken Fried Chicken is the story of a needy young 10 year old germaphobic gay boy and his eccentric and alcoholic mother's venture into a seedy Jack Pirtle's Fried Chicken joint to get something to eat, and, moreover, the boy's desperate attempt to navigate through a "dining room" cat fight so he can go "pee." The theme pivots on the family dysfunction and the struggles of individuals living in certain capacities (alcoholic/white trash) to overcome challenges brought on by the very mundane. This short is a black comedy, dark and satirical, but has a serious tone. Viewers will laugh at the characters, and their lack of capacity to complete menial tasks, but also feel a small degree of sympathy. The goal of the film is to amuse and entertain it's viewers. Viewers can relate to the tasks on many levels. The alcoholic that needs a drink. The mother whose kid won't shut up (i.e. I'm hungry, I've gotta go, etc). The film poses no real dramatic or educational underlying motifs with the exception of the possible negative outlook on alcohol and fast food. All audiences will be able to relate to hunger and the need to urinate. My audience is adults between the ages of 20 and 50, especially fans of dark humor, and campy films.

PROPOSED FILM PROJECT: PITCH 11/7/2012


My film is about the obstacles an "over the top" outrageous transsexual must face in order to overcome drug/alcohol addiction, social anxiety, and societal rejection to find faith (in an all accepting Christian Church).



The theme is two-fold in presenting the "letting go" and overcoming of self (addiction, identity issues, and hate) and also pushing the limits of an all accepting church.



This movie is a black comedy, dark and satirical, but has a serious tone.  Viewers will laugh at the character, but also feel a great deal of sympathy through trials in completing the tasks to find faith.




< The goal of the film is to to have fun, to make fun, and to illustrate to outsiders and individuals (especially within the LGBT community) of the contemporary stances taken by all accepting faith based organizations in our world today.


My audience is the LGBT community, their friends, and members of all accepting faith based organizations.