Monday, July 21, 2008
The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
9
Patrons peruse the galleries of photographer Lisa Kristine.
The annual Ann Arbor Art Fairs have come and gone, but the talent
and ingenuity showcased by certain artists still linger
By Ben VanWagoner and Katie Carey I Associate Arts Editor and Daily Arts Writer
ARTS IN BRIEF
Film
Disposable
monkey business
"Space Chimps"
20th Century Fox
At Quality 16 and Showcase
You know what they say: "If
you can shoot a chimp out of
a cannon, then you can shoot
a spaceship out of a volcano."
Actually, wait - no one says that,
because it makes absolutely no
sense.
Meaningless gibberish like
that constitutes pretty much all
of "Space Chimps," an animated
feature that you really shouldn't
know anything about. The story
is about three chimps who go
into space as crash-test dummies
for the space program. One is a
circus performer who thinks he's
a hotshot. The other two are pro-
fessionals who happen to be very
uptight. One is a girl and, natu-
rally, che main chimp likes her.
Theyflythrough awormhole and
reach a faraway planet that sup-
ports life forms resembling pet-
rified mucus. There's more, but
the average person's head will
explode from the stupidity right
about here, so I see no point in
outlining the rest.
I realize that conceivability is
not really a top priority in ani-
mated films, or movies in gen-
eral, but coherence still applies,
right? Is it so unfair to ask that
a movie like "Space Chimps" do
something more than just add
some insane (and oddly disturb-
ing) twists to the ancient cartoon
formula we've seen embodied by
all sorts of animated characters
(from fish to robots to cars to
microbes) a thousand times?
Coming so soon after "WALL-
E" - a charming, innovative ani-
mated feature - "Space Chimps"
is a rude reminder that most films
neitherare, nortrytobe, ground-
breaking. It features a decent cast
of voices (Andy Samberg, TV's
"Saturday Night Live," Cheryl
Hines, TV's "Curb Your Enthu-
siasm" and Patrick Warburton,
formerly of TV's "Seinfeld") but
most of that talent drowns in the
oppressivelyjuvenilescript.War-
burton may extricate a couple of
laughs from this mess with his
amazing deadpan, but it really
should be a crime for a film to be
.this lazy.
IMRANSYED
Colin Delaney, Ink or Pen Wash
Delaney was sequestered in the
somewhat unflatteringly titled
"Emerging Artists" section of the
fair on South University Avenue.
His work is comparatively unprov-
en, and his booth - tiny and sparse
- reflects that. The art itself,
though, does not. His simple pen
and wash drawings of the human
form are imbued with remarkable
strength, a memorable force one
would normally associate with a
well-recognized artist.
"Sometimes a sketch is all you
need," he said. "When you can say,
'That's it, I'm done, right there'
- that's great. When a figure is
perfect, it's perfect."
At a fair filled with wild medi-
ums and off-the-wall innova-
tion, simple ink might seem a tad
quaint. But the idea that his work
is unoriginal, even overworked,
Delaney shakes his head firmly.
"People really respond to the
human form and gestural mood.
It's universally appreciated - I
think it has an intrinsic appeal to
us. After all, everything old is new
again, right?"
Jane DeDecker, Bronze each step.
DeDecker doesn't fit the artist
It's rare to see sculptures filled stereotype, and that might be part
with as much motion and vigor of her appeal. Pure, approach-
as Jane DeDecker's. Her subjects able and cheerful, her sculptures
might seem old-fashioned - after attempt to capture "emotions that
all, she works in bronze - but the we've all felt."
emotion they carry is not. "Humans are an unfinished
"I guess I'm really hopeful," story," she said, "I'm just working
said DeDecker. "I have abasic faith to explain that story."
in the human race, and
when I think about Dylan Strzynski, Mixed
describing peo- Media
ple it always
comes with The art
an element fair can be
of hope." so predict-
Many able. Year
of her after year
sculp- ~you can
tures are roam State
scenes: Street and
a father Main Street
tying his and expect
son's shoes to see a mul-
or four chil- titude of booths
drenleapingglee- filled with garden
fully off a dock - but ornaments and paint-
not all. Other pieces are more ings fit for the lobby of a den-
contemplative: "Setting the Pace" tist's office. While predictable is
traces the form of a man walking comfortable - and sellable - the
atop a huge ring, meant to encour- art fair needs artists like Dylan
age us to think a bit more with Strzynski to keep pushing for-
ward.
Strzynski's work is initially
attractive on the aesthetic level.
It draws you in with bright, con-
trasting colors and sharp lines.
Then, it hooks you with the deep
narrative that the paintings offer
about global communication and
the environment.
"When you are at an art fair,
you see a lot of product... I don't do
that," Strzynksi said.
"If you don't have contemporary
art, you have a bunch of things
that look like a remake of a famous
artist."
But Stryznski's work looks only
like his own. A combination of pen
and ink, pencil, oils, pastels and
print, he builds up layers to create
what seems like a bird's eye view to
the modern, technological world.
The vibrant greens and blues
often collide with dull, muted
lines of thick, painted highways
and overlaid blueprints or maps.
Stryznski's narrative is clear with-
out being overbearing.
"I don't like to alienate the view-
er," he said. " I don't want to make
obtuse things that people don't
understand, where someone can
See ART FAIR, Page 10