21st century genre painting

Robert Waldo Brunelle Jr (a Vermont native) counts Goya, Edward Gorey, Robert Crumb, Charles Addams, Tex Avery, Roy Lichtenstein and Edward Hopper as his "Art Heroes". The latter’s influence is clearly visible in Brunelle’s vibrant slices of Americana. Although his figures are realistic, he has a strong tendency towards caricature. This tendency (which was induced by his love of cartoons) led him to his breakthrough project; the 1997 cartoon "MR. BRUNELLE EXPLAINS IT ALL", in which his doppelganger tries to explain the absurdities of the modern world.

His acrylic paintings on the other hand, mostly feature lonely characters in day to day scenes with a dash of wry humor turning them into luminescent moments of contemporary life. Not only people but also buildings and cars fascinate him, especially their geometrics which he accentuates by adding a burning lightness in the centers of dark but rich fields of color. Brunelle tries to capture the best of both worlds and identifies himself as a storyteller whose work apprehends moments in the life of the unselfconscious "peasant class" occasionally with unabashed nostalgia, reminiscent of Norman Rockwell. To quote Brunelle: “the homely institutions people don't pay much attention to, like fairs, gas stations and old-fashioned barber shops -- all subjects that feature regular people living their regular lives against a technicolor backdrop."

The first time I saw his work was on a postcard that a friend of mine sent me. Being the girl that I am, I immediately fell for his luscious tones and his ability to make even the most mundane of activities sparkle. The way he combines color with subject matter induces a glimpse of hope in the beholder. Although his paintings are sad and simple, they are exuding warmth through the vibrant colors as they depict the serenity of fleeting moments we so easily take for granted.

I heart the eighties

Teen comedies, the nineties made them gross, predictable and fodder for those with an IQ of 30. In the eighties on the other hand, they thrived thanks to a genius called John Hughes. During this period he created one hit after another with his funny, sweet and honest movies. Alas, he has put directing behind him but he is still active as a writer. He created the genre defying coming-of-age classics Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink and Ferris Bueller's Day Off amongst so many others. Whereas teens now just want to get laid, he painted a broader picture integrating every aspect of their lives, aided by the members of the ever so evanescent Brat Pack which included the most famous redhead of the eighties and one of Hughes’ personal favorites Molly Ringwald. His films exuded a youthful innocence and idealism that few directors can get away with in this down and dirty day and age but everything was ultimately blissful in the imaginary Shermer, Illinois where most of his pictures where set. Besides teen comedies he also made the old and faithfully funny Plains, Trains and Automobiles, She’s having a baby, Uncle Buck,… All praise John Hughes for making adolescence fun!
If none of these movies ring a bell, shame on you! Otherwise, life is a carousel. A great big crazy ball of pure living, breathing joy and delight. You gotta get one.

Atone

Due to the impending release of the adaptation of Ian McEwan’s Atonement (starring Keira Knightley and James McAvoy), I decided to reread the novel. Actually it will be the first time seeing as I didn’t get further than page 50 during my previous attempt. The novel gets off to a slow, almost standstill start and takes a hundred pages or so to describe a simple event. I have to admit that too much atmosphere, setting and detail make me nervous and anxious to get on with it hence my initial failure but this time I am destined to prevail. I am still wrestling through McEwan’s eloquence and abundant sentences as we speak but because I liked his previous work, I’m hopeful that it’ll be worth it in the end. And Atonement is also considered his magnum opus so there must be something good about it (although I’m starting to wonder). For those who are interested in his other novels, I’d highly recommend The Cement Garden which is short, twisted and fascinating. Basically the perfect introduction to his work. Atonement on the other hand (I have to admit I’m a curious about the film) is more classical in the sense that it takes you by the hand and gently guides you down the yellow brick road while his other and in my opinion superior novels (also including Amsterdam and The Comfort of Strangers) catapult you into the unknown where anything is possible, just as long as you’re willing to give it a go.

Jolly July

A couple of years ago I saw a movie that immediately catapulted it’s way into my all time top ten favorite movies. It washed over me like a breath of fresh air due to it’s delicate yet quirky approach of a very contemporary theme namely, human connection. The film in question is Me and You and Everyone We Know and was the debut feature-length film by Miranda July. The film won the Caméra d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival.

In this day and age where the methods of communication seem endless, people are becoming more and more alienated due to this convenient fact. Some have even lost the reason to leave their houses. Alienation and loneliness in this digital age are the cornerstones of this refreshingly original yet minimalistic movie. The title alone already suggest July’s attempt to rekindle a connection between people in it’s purest form, that being face to face (and no, web cams don’t count). This message is intertwined with the lives of a single father and his two sons (one of them creates the most endearingly gross moment ever to be caught on celluloid), a performance artist (July herself) who pursues him, his coworker who is teasingly taunted by two teenage girls, a couple who finds love in their seventies and a girl that dreams of her future kitchen.

The dialogue is subtle yet poignant while the atmospheric shots capture emotion and longing, something Hollywood pictures can only dream of. July weaved this all together with sincere understanding, tender comedy, hope and finesse and in doing so has created an uplifting bitter sweet independent gem that blindsides you, leaving you feeling different, enlightened and possibly even improved.

Miranda July, whose debut is ever so reminiscent of a more hopeful yet equally offbeat version of Todd Solondz (Happiness, watch it! That’s an order), started her career as a performance artist and has now also published her first book, a collection of short stories: No One Belongs Here More Than You.

It is an extraordinary startling, sexy, and tender collection filled with seemingly insignificant yet life-altering experiences and awkward characters that are portrayed with compassion and generosity. July reveals their idiosyncrasies and the odd logic and longing that govern their lives. Each story bristles with creative energy leading you down a seductive, sometimes creepy, often tragic, occasionally absurd path filled with fragile yet beautifully soothing magic.

To top this all off she has created a wonderfully original narrative website to promote her book that intricately accomplishes her primary objective namely read, damn you, read! Instead of looking at the pretty pictures, that is. Once again she proves that she has a spectacularly original and compelling take on the world.

And for those who are interested (or have girlfriends who are), she has a new exhibition of her Learning To Love You More project opening on August 24th until September 30th in the MU in Eindhoven.

For the girls

I have to admit that I was pretty sceptical when I first saw it but once you get started it’s fun as hell and totally addictive due to the various poses, outfits, not to mention accessories ladies. Create your own 3D character thanks to Meez. This is mine and for the people who didn’t already know, that’s my new haircut.

Milk & Cookies

Although it was probably one of the best movies that 2006 had to offer, it wasn’t officially released here in Belgium and only recently popped up on dvd. Despite once again confirming that distributors should be ashamed of themselves over here, Marc Forster’s latest creation is a genuine work of art. Previously he directed critically acclaimed films such as Monster’s Ball (the most ridiculously over-rated movie ever if you ask me), Finding Neverland (which was ok) and the brilliant Stay (once again overlooked in Belgium) but with Stranger than Fiction he has convinced the world, and me, of his talent. He doesn’t deserve all the credit though, seeing as he was helped by the phenomenally clever screenplay by up and coming screenwriter (and director: Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium) Zach Helm. The story is bursting with creativity and reminiscent of a Charlie Kaufman film meaning that they created a wonderfully funny, touching and absurd universe, the world of Harold Crick.

Harold Crick (Will Ferrell) is a very dull person and a tax inspector none the less who literally lives his life by the numbers. One day his straight forward life is disturbed by a woman’s voice (Emma Thompson) from above, one that predicts his every move. His life is being narrated to him while he is living it. A psychiatrist wasn’t successful in helping him so he tries something a bit more risky, namely an English professor named Jules Hilbert (Dustin Hoffman) to help sort this narrator out. While Hilbert tries to find out who this woman is by using some very unconventional methods, Harold goes on with his daily routine and even ends up falling in love with a nonconformist baker (Maggie Gyllenhaal) until one day he hears some unsettling news: “Little did he know that he’s facing his imminent death ”.

Will Ferrell was surprisingly good in an uncommon serious role as the confused main character aided by an equally tremendous star-studded cast in which Emma Thompson also stands out due to her morbidly mystifying writer’s block.Despite the fantastical nature of the story Forster and Helm succeeded in giving it real emotional depth and making it a very plausible and touching tale indeed filled with some interesting brainteasers. Thanks to the narrator, Harold realises that he isn’t living but being lived (quite literally actually) and decides to take matters in his own hands. Ferrell portrays this evolution beautifully and shows the world he is actually capable of more than just making an ass of himself. The movie deals with the heavier themes of love, death and taxes combined with a story about the self-imprisonment of modern-life, the value of companionship, and the joy of infinite possibilities.

In the end Stranger than Fiction praises literature and the unworldly effect it can have on our lives. Like all great novels, this movie is funny, touching, unpretentious, romantic and intellectually delectable.

Bun-O-Vision

Ring a bell? Anyway, one night I was stumbling my way through the net when I discovered a really funny re-enactment of Brokeback Mountain, by bunnies of all things. Various movies have been given a total make-over and are told in no less than thirty seconds with some help of our fluffy friends. Despite the bunnies and the cartoon approach, each clip stays true to the film and basically sums it up to a T. If you’ve seen the movie, they’ll have you in stitches, if not why bother thanks to the wonderful people of Angry Alien Productions who gave us Bun-O-Vision.