The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
Thursday, October 11, 2012 - 3B
The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom Thursday, October 11, 2012 - 3B
DIGITAL GALLERY
From Page 1B
ed by the latest electronics and
modern amenities," Oyobe writes
in the artist's book.
It's something to think about
next time you get excited for the
new iPhone.
"I like the way they don't shy
away from the bigger, hot topics
these days," Oyobe said. "Their
subjects are right at the forefront
of social issues and we became
interested in them, not only
because they are breaking sub-
stantial new ground in digital art,
but because their art really reso-
nates with college students."
Visibility and accessibility
For their UMMA show,
YHCHI has installed a two-chan-
nel set of pieces, fully titled "Isn't
it the Greatest in the World? Part
1: What to Do Good? Know How
to Shoot a Semi-Automatic Weap-
on," which operates in rhythm on
projected walls and on stacked
monitors. The piece exudes the
coy wit and social probing of their
art, but also translates their artis-
tic form into a gallery space.
"Most shows are a little bit
difficult to curate in the Irving
Stenn, Jr., Family Project Gallery
because there is little way to con-
trol lighting," Oyobe said. "And
we could have used other spaces
in the museum, but I was ada-
mant that it needed to be in this
gallery - it had to be visible to the
students."
Oyobe explained that one way
UMMA makes the show more
visible to students is by running
it during the night, which began
Oct. 1. This way, the giant pro-
jections on the gallery walls and
six widescreen television screens
are visible to anyone on the
State Street lawn. If they could
pump the music outside, Oyobe
explained, pedestrians would get
the full gallery experience as they
passed by.
That essential accessibility of
YHCHI's work has been as vital to
the context of their form as their
subtle irony is to their subject
matter. It's hard to consider now
how unorthodox it was in 1999 to
upload art solely for dissemina-
tion over the Internet. Keeping in
mind those were the days of dial-
up, AOL and Netscape, creating a
space where anyone with a phone
line and modem could go watch a
full piece of art - music and all -
online was unheard of. It was the
digitalization of the gallery.
Imagine the potential this shift
has for the viewer, especially
the college student. Rather than
expensivelytravelingto amuseum
or site of history, the work exists
wholly wherever it is viewed. It
opens the potential for collabo-
ration, sharing and exposure on
a level previously unimaginable.
And without the infrastructure of
the old art world, traditional dis-
courses on originality or authen-
ticity become muted.
Behindthe enigmas
Conversely, another key aspect
of YHCHI's art is that it lacks
interactivity and the viewer is
intentionally blocked from any
two-way dialogue. You can't stop
it, you can't rewind it, all you can
do is watch and listen. Even the
artists, who declined to comment
for this article, are careful to con-
ceal themselves, making them
high-profile enigmas in the art
world.
Oyobe explained that this
denial of interaction between
the artist and audience is often
heightened in the gallery setting.
"Actually, in an exhibition in
L.A., they tilted all the screens
and projection, which was not
warmly received," Oyobe said.
"We expect to be accommodated
when we see something in a gal-
lery, and YHCHI, with their sly
humor, know it."
And this negative reaction to
the show and outcry itself showed
what YHCHI was driving at: Con-
sumers and viewers still have the
power to resist and say, "no."
In addition to an expansion of
the ways in which YHCHI's work
is presented spatially, they have
also begun experimenting with
ways of presenting their text. One
clear example of this growth in
their UMMA work is the back-
drop of the American flag the text
is placed on.
"The flag, which is reminiscent
of Jasper John's 'Three Flags,'
forces you to read each line of text
against the mixed signals of the
American identity," Oyobe said.
"At times it's patriotic, but tinged
with doubt and sometimes it just
looks like a symbol of decline -
you read its meaning from the
poetry, but you can't read the
poetry the same without it."
On a semantic level, YHCHI's
poetic style blends different dis-
courses to create a single strand
of assembled pieces. Oyobe
explained that "they adopt a
number of discursive models:
monologue, dialogue, personal
letters, speeches, prose, novels,
poems, journalism and chat-
room posts and responses," and
combine them with appropriated
and original jazz, percussion and
orchestral arrangements to create
a single progression.
"They really believe that any
form can be manipulated as art,"
Oyobe said. "For example, in our
show they present a parody of
spam mail - one of the African
prince money scams. Within the
context of the work though, the
letter isn't asking for money as
much as it's asking for commit-
ment."
Enteringthe art world
Along with the gallery show,
which will run until Dec. 30,
Oyobe and YHCHI also col-
laborated on an innovative art-
ist's book, which was published
through UMMA and serves as the
companion piece to the show.
"They're usually against mak-
ing a traditional exhibition cata-
logue," Oyobe said. "This is only
their second attempt at an artist's
book and, although I wrote the
essay, the book is their aesthetic,
and their work."
The book itself - white, bound
and simple - is written in their
minimalist white text broken
down by each page into different
size fonts. The entire text is an
analysis of the artist's work, with
each page is its own entity.
As interesting as YHCHI is as
a corporate symbol, so too are its
artists as enigmatic individuals.
Neither Young-Hae Chang nor
Marc Voge followed the typical
contemporary artist trajectory,
and it is only in the last few years
that both poets have thought
of themselves as visual artists,
Oyobe explained.
"Because they began outside
of the typical visual arts pattern
and are now gaining such regard
for their work, YHCHI has a lot
of valuable experience and insight
that students need for the real
world of art today," Oyobe said.
Thursday's Penny Stamps talk,
"Young-Hae Chang Heavy Indus-
tries: One or Two Things We
Know About Art" will be a mas-
ter class in the real experience
and dedication it takes to create
original art in the modern world,
Oyobe explained. The lecture will
be at 5:10 p.m. at the Michigan
Theater, as part of the Penny W.
Stamps School of Art & Design's
lecture series.
"It's very special to hear them
speak," Oyobe said. "They do not
give that many lectures, though
they enjoy talking to students,
and we're very lucky to have them
so interested in wanting to come
speak to our students."
They are so careful about their
public image, Oyobe explained,
that in a recent interview, they
didn't even allow photographs. As
they climb to higher and higher
echelons in the art world, they
become even more careful.
"They have experience in the
art world, particularly in the
growing popularity of art fairs in
Europe and Asia, and they want
to share not only their perspec-
tive on the art world today, but
information on how to make it as
an artist," Oyobe said. "It's a very
important subject for students,
whether or not they are in the
arts."
Tio's tacos satisfy a
Mexican food skeptic
et's be blunt: I'm not a
fan of Mexican food. Is
it edible? Yes. Do I crave
it on the reg? Definitely not. But
from the moment I stepped onto
campus, peo-
ple couldn't
stop bragging
about Tio's
Mexican
Cafe (over on
East Liber-
ty). So after
all the hype, NATHAN
and per- WOOD
sonal prefer-
ences aside, I
decided to actually check it out
- twice, as a matter of fact. And
to tell the truth, it's not all bad.
Dinner No.1: Lotsa Tacos
Like most Mexican restau-
rants, Tio's has a sizable variety
of taco options. Since the tacos
are small and my appetite is not,
I choose five to try.
The Edamame Taco, my least
favorite, is sorely characterized
by displeasingly chewy Spanish
rice and predictably bland soy-
beans. In Tio's defense, though,
it can be a difficult feat to flavor
this insipid legume with any
complexity. The only other
notable quality is that this taco
is a disaster to eat, so steer clear
if on a first date.
Next, I try the Al Pastor,
which features shredded pork
loin and pineapple. The pork is
finely seasoned, but tough and
overcooked. And while the hot
pineapple provides an excep-
tional flavor and texture con-
trast, there simply is not enough
of it.
The Portobello Taco is a
respectable option in the veg-
etarian category, boasting well-
roasted mushroom caps whose
texture is humbly paired with a
spoonful of refried beans. The
flavors are understated and
mild.
The Fish Taco, a bold combi-
nation of deep-fried cod, jala-
peno ranch dressing and citrus
vinaigrette coleslaw, is a plea-
sure to eat. The cod is appropri-
ately dense andflaky, and the
batter s
crunch'
pleasan
riety, an
rounds(
acidic b
this tac
aftertas
My ft
the Tin
bly of cl
sauce, o
The lay
hit my t
fiery, sa
ingredi
and gon
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... Bh
Thou
mildly I
around
with a g
munch
ers. Up
chips. F
too che
there's
time ar
Be
b
cole
be
Hone
singular
appropr
someth
- and r
include(
ine Oliv
for brea
right?
Unfo
a letdow
in every
exceedi
mask th
the thre
The firs
the nex
of the st
palatabl
urrounding it thick and But since I don't particularly
y. The jalapeno ranch is a like salsa - though I will eat it
tly cool, punchy contra- on occasion, given there's noth-
ad the citrus vinaigrette ing more appetizing available -
out the dish with an I order a side of refried beans
ite. Beware, though, that - to dip the chips in. The beans
o has a surprisingly fiery are prepared in-house, and you
te. can tell, as they're everything
avorite taco of the five, a good refried bean should be:
gas, is a simple assem- rustically mashed, expertly
hicken, smoky chipotle salted, precisely cooked and
nions, cilantro and lime. most importantly, delectably
ers of flavor successively gloppy. They're not "the best
:ongue: first sweet, then beans you'll ever have," as the
lty and acidic. The menu claims, but they're pretty
ents are crunchy, chewy tasty, especially considering
te in three bites. their lard-less preparation (a
plus for you veggies out there).
r No.2: Chips, Dips and So there I sit, barbarically
ue Cheese Coleslaw? glopping up my beans, when I
notice the woman at the table
igh I'm actually only next to me. What is she eating?
hungry this time Is that coleslaw? I pore over the
, I agree to revisit Tio's menu until I finally find it: blue
troup of friends to cheese coleslaw. And because
on a couple of appetiz- I love blue cheese like Paula
first are the tortilla Deen loves butter, I promptly
'or my first dinner, I was request a bowl. But, in the big-
ap to order them, but gest culinary disappointment
no avoiding them this of my life, the slaw is inedible.
ound. Imagine how the sides of your
tongue would curl under if you
were to suck on a rotten lemon.
ware of the Now imagine them locking
in this position as curdles of
lue cheese sour milk and sauerkraut slide
off the back of your tongue
'slaw. You've and down your throat. There,
you've experienced Tio's blue
en warned, cheese coleslaw. I should have
known better than to order a
dish like this at a Mexican res-
taurant.
stly, I find it offensively So it is on this (literally) sour
r that Tio's thinks it note that Iend my excursions to
-iate to charge extra for Tio's. On the whole, the Mexi-
ing that people expect can food here fares well in my
ightfully so - to be book, which really is saying a
d with their meal. Imag- lot given my general distaste of
e Garden charging extra the cuisine. And while I can't
dsticks and salad. Pitiful, speak to the food's authenticity,
I can say the establishment is
rtunately, the chips are quite the hit, with Ann Arborites
en, completely standard packing it every evening. So the
'way, and, truthfully, not next time you have a hankering
ngly fresh. Hoping to for a toothsome taco, slide on up
eir mediocrity, I dig into to Tio's bar and join them. Just
e accompanying salsas: skip the coleslaw.
t is as spiceless as water,
t hotter than the core
un and the last actually
le.
Wood quiere Taco Bell.
To join his fiesta, e-mail
nissacw@umich.edu.
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INTERESTED IN FOOTBALL?
WANT TO MEET FORMER COACH LLOYD CARR?
COME TO THE M DEN ON STATE STREET
TONIGHT AT 7 P.M.
OCTOBER 11, 2012 . 3:00 RM.
Rackham Auditorium - 915 E. Washington St., Ann Arbor
Keynote policy lecture by Ambassador Nancy G. Brinker,
founder of Susan G. Komen for the Cure
Miki Orihara, soloist of the Martha Graham Dance Company
Tribute remarks from President Mary Sue Coleman,
family members, and other special guests
Inormation: 734-6.5-3893
fordschool.umich.edu
Gerald R. Ford
School of Public Policy GAs
Special thanks tot I 'Gorald R, Ford Prcsidcntial Libialy and M,,Ljs(,,,Jm ',.,i irch ,al ass ct,:.nce ard