Rothko, in pain and glory

You may recognize Mark Rothko’s paintings, even if you can’t recall the artist’s name: tall canvases of bold, floating blocks of color. Their titles, such as “No. 13,” “Red on Maroon,” even “Untitled,” are just as abstract as the paintings themselves.

The Foundation Louis Vuitton art museum in Paris will host 115 of Rothko’s works in a blockbuster retrospective that runs through next spring. The exhibition, which fills four floors, proceeds in a somewhat chronological order. Paintings of city scenery from Rothko’s early career lead to his experiments with Surrealism; to the abstract, foggy rectangles he’s known for; and finally to the dark, colorless canvasses that embodied his later work.

“Over and over, in soft-edged blocks layered on filmy backgrounds, he modeled a commitment to abstraction that charged at the hardest questions of life and art through refusal of the easy path,” my colleague Jason Farago, an art critic for The Times, writes in his review of the retrospective.

Rothko preferred to show his paintings in low light, and away from the work of other artists. The show mostly stays true to those wishes, though it gives space in the final gallery to one artist Rothko at least approved of: Alberto Giacometti, whose spindly, bronze sculptures of attenuated human figures appear alongside a set of Rothko’s black-and-gray paintings.

The retrospective is a success, Jason says, though he notes that one can only view so many Rothkos in a day before they start to merge together. “They are spectacular, even if they soon all became broadly similar,” he writes.

And there’s more to appreciate about this show then just the paintings — particularly, the ordeal of getting them all to Paris.

No museum has attempted a Rothko exhibition of this scale since the 1990s, and for good reason: Almost none could afford it. The paintings are not just expensive (one was up for sale for $40 million last month), but also difficult to move because of the fragile materials Rothko used in his paint.

Moving so many Rothkos safely is something perhaps only a billionaire could afford. As it happens, the Louis Vuitton conglomerate’s chief executive, Bernard Arnault, is one of the richest people in the world.

“In organizational terms,” Jason writes, “this show is a milestone.”

If a trip to the Vuitton in Paris is out of reach, there are opportunities to see Rothko’s work in the United States. The National Gallery of Art in Washington is holding an exhibition of Rothko’s paintings on paper starting November 19. The Phillips Collection, also in Washington, is hosting an installation through the end of March. The Museum of Modern Art in New York has its own Rothko collection. And in Houston there is a permanent installation in a nondenominational church, aptly called The Rothko Chapel.

i.V KiNG's Queer Revival finds space for LGBTQ+ at NACC Church & beyond

i.V KiNG has created the Queer Revival. 
Photo credit: Andie Bottrell

By Ed Peaco

For Ed’s Occasional Posts

National Avenue Christian Church has accepted an invitation to be the venue for an untraditional, king-sized event. 

It’s The Queer Revival, with a title that provides a fair amount of information about the gathering. But there is a lot more to unpack.

The impresario, i.V KiNG (Ivy Allison Schulte), has a background as a youth pastor, a musician and a gay woman who has had difficulty with church. She is the creator of The Queer Revival, which will premiere at 6:30 p.m., Friday, November 12, at the church. 

• Welcome and cocktail hour

• Concept show: speaker, life coach Madison Morrigan; performance by KiNG

• Concert with full band, i.V KiNG

• Drag show: Tania Carrington, Kris Kohl, Liz Anya

• After party at Hold Fast Brewing

KiNG stressed that any person of any faith, or none, would be welcome: “We’re not trying to convert anyone.” She has developed this event as a transformative experience.

During KiNG’s early years in Springfield, she kept her orientation private. 

“I didn’t realize that other people of faith in the queer community existed. I felt so alone,” she said. “If I’d seen something like this [NACC] 10 years ago, it probably would have changed the trajectory of my life. I wouldn’t have had as much trauma, as much shame.”

Several years ago, she went to Los Angeles to work on her music. 

“Now, my big thing is we can have God, if we want to have God. No one can take that from us,” she said. 

Pastor Jennifer Simmons at NACC 
Photo credit: Stephanie Scott-Huffman

KiNG asked Pastor Jennifer Simmons at NACC to provide the church, specifically the sanctuary, for The Queer Revival. They spoke of reclaiming spaces of faith that were stolen from the LBGTQ+ community. 

“The biggest thing I told her, I want the LBGTQ+ community to show up exactly as they are,” she said. “So, I’m very excited. And her response was magical.”

In an interview with Pastor Jenn, she emphasized that the church had long been open and affirming, welcoming people of the LBGTQ+ community and providing space for groups such as the Ozarks Dharma Community and a Hindu group. 

She called this approach “radically inclusive,” meaning the church welcomes all. “So when  we say all, we really have to live and proclaim that message.” In the case of The Queer Revival, Pastor Jenn alongside the NACC board and leadership, accepted the invitation to provide space and helped with how the event would happen, she said.

“Go, do what you need to do, take the space and run, provide a space for healing, make beautiful music, and we’ll be here,” Pastor Jenn said. “The beauty of this event is that it is KiNG’s dream and vision — wanting to come back to church and claim it, and work toward healing, and transforming the space from her own experience.”

On the note of healing in the context of entering a church after a long hiatus, Pastor Jenn suggested that this walk might be a difficult one. 

“I have walked alongside many folks for whom, just coming back to the church, that first day was a hard day because of what they have been taught, what they were told throughout their lifetimes by pastors, from pulpits, that has been so hurtful,” Pastor Jenn said. The intention is to seek potential healing.

In this way, the church does not expect anything from anyone.

As Pastor Jenn has said, “Just bring your full, beautiful, authentic self.”

Out from the virus, Anthony Gomes hatches hit album

Anthony Gomes

In 2020, probably the worst year for live music since before songs were invented, musicians had to stop making noise in public, but they found other means to keep their creative drive burning.

Anthony Gomes — the blues guitarist, band leader and thoughtful songwriter — made the most of the lean year by forging a new album, Containment Blues, out of the sorrow of the virus, bringing some urgently needed healing. 

He and his band will perform two shows at Shuffle. One is sold out. Tickets for the April 24 show can be bought at Eventbrite. Routine COVID-19 health measures will be enforced, said promoter Monte Lorts.

• No tickets can be purchased at the door
• Tickets are for tables of four, or for individual stools
• Mask required for entry
• No mask needed when seated and eating and drinking
• Mask required when moving around the venue

This show presents an opportunity to hear live music, new music. 

“Out of it we birthed this unforeseen baby, a much different album than we would have otherwise,” he said. “We were working on a different album and we just stopped that because it didn’t seem appropriate.”

He realized the historic significance of this global predicament, he said. “Somehow, I needed to archive that, artistically. I’m really proud of the results.”

Cover art for album,
Containment Blues

Containment Blues became their best received, best selling album, hitting No. 1 on the Bluebird Blues Chart last year, and doubling the sales of their previous album, he said.

“People need some humor. Blues has always been a healer. We really needed some healing in 2020,” he said. The title song presents a family situation involving scarce toilet paper. “Hell and Half of Georgia” is a drama in which one partner has multiple lovers.

One of several songs with a more serious theme is “Praying for Rain,” an autobiographical song where he reminisces about lessons from his grandfather, such as: “… son, I’m counting on you to finish what we started to find a way … .”

Another serious piece has an unexpected title, “Stop Calling Women Hoes and Bitches.” This song, calling for respect for women, is a huge, powerful moment in the show, Anthony said. He found that listeners respond in one of three ways: 1) women are thankful, 2) men who have daughters appreciate the song, or 3) some other men don’t really understand.

Anthony has spoken about his work as an artistic journey, as well as a worldwide scope for the Blues. The trio is comprised of Anthony from Canada, bassist Jacob Mreen from the U.S., and drummer Chris Whited of Sweden. Additional musicians on Containment Blues are from Brazil, Venezuela and Russia. 

His foundation was able to confer modest grants to five musicians in need last year. Meanwhile, he’s “very cautiously optimistic” for 2021 and more upside for 2022, with another album in the works. 

“There’s an overwhelming feeling that we’re coming out of the darkness. … We’ve been working hard and struggling and getting by. Soon we’re going to be together again. That’s what living is all about.”

 

Anthony Gomes Band

Shuffle

Doors open 7 p.m., show 8 p.m.

2550 S. Campbell Ave.

417-883-2166

Tickets from Eventbrite

Saturday, April 24, ticket link:

https://bit.ly/3uVHNr4

Maria Schneider vs. Data Lords

Maria Schneider
Session photography by Briene Lermitte

I have been listening to the Maria Schneider Orchestra for about 25 years, and I had always characterized her work as ethereal, uplifting, yet vigorous. For most of her career, she has avoided big music companies so she can own her music and work for herself. 

She has been working with ArtistShare, dedicated to supporting independent musicians with a platform for artists, focusing on crowdfunding for raising capital, and connecting artists with fans, as noted in the organization’s website. 

Over the years, as the music business has become a streaming industry, Schneider has spoken out about the way artists have little revenue from this arrangement. 

With this two-disc album, Data Lords, released in 2020, Schneider seems to have boiled over about industry trends. The music on this album is dedicated to calling out the “Data Lords” of social media, the music business and other grifters who exploit the natural world for financial gain. 

The Digital World

The Data Lords are spanked on one disc with grating bombast on The Digital World. The other disc is titled Our Natural World, which brings us back to music that is ethereal, uplifting, yet vigorous. 

“A World Lost" is the first song on The Digital World, with the mournful long tones of Ben Monder, sounding like a funeral dirge. 

Next is “Don’t Be Evil,” using this title in mockery of Google’s motto. Trombones sound like chattering clowns, then they stir up a thick dust storm that settles into some twinkling of ivories as the buffoons come again at the end.

“CQCQ,” was a call from Schneider’s father, who was a ham radio operator. The call means “Is anybody there?” She worked this memory into an anthem for the Data Lords, using Morse code and radio waves expressed as music. Later, the electronics may feel like sitting in an electric chair for a long time — in a good musical way.

“Data Lords,” the song, brings discordant blasts, slams of percussion, and Mike Rodriguez’s trumpet with electronics spewing fear. 

I have never heard such music from her, and it’s really exciting, like a horror movie.

Our Natural World

If you play both discs in this order, at this point, you can catch your breath and listen to more iconic, graceful Maria music, with quirks and surprises.

“Sanzenin” is a Buddhist term, perfect for this stately, ethereal piece. Gary Versace, playing accordion, spins squiggly lines of joy.

Steve Wilson, playing soprano sax, creates a feeling of squirrels and birds chattering and chirping on “Stone Song.” 

With “Bluebird,” we are fully back in the groove of ethereal, uplifting, yet vigorous. Again, Wilson, this time on alto, takes one of those long building solos as the whole band lifts him chorus by chorus. Versace lands the plane gently.

On “The Sun Waited for Me,” Donny McCaslin on tenor and Marshall Gilkes on trombone are threading lines around each other until McCaslin takes over with a jumpy solo.

One more thing

Will Schneider continue with the character of Data Lords? Actually, I liked that disc better, although Our Natural World is also outstanding. But I would miss all of that bombast and electronics if she goes back to the same approach. It would be appropriate to use these newly found components by the composer and the band in future projects. 

Look up Data Lords, the two-disc album, at ArtistShare.