Page 176 - Flaunt 175 - Diana

IN THE ARTIST‘S FIRST EXHIBITION AT HAUSER & WIRTH NEW YORK, TETSUMI KUDO: METAMORPHOSIS BRINGS TOGETHER 20 WORKS FROM THE JAPANESE ARTIST FOLLOWING HIS MOVE FROM JAPAN TO PARIS IN 1962.
FEATURED: TETSUMI KUDO. “CULTIVATION” (1972). PAINTED CAGE, WOOD, PLASTIC, COTTON, PAINT, SNAIL SHELLS, SPRAY PAINT, ARTIFICIAL SOIL, HAIR, RES- IN, THERMOMETER. 11” X 13 5/8” X 7 5/8”. PHOTO BY PIERRE LE HORS. COURTESY HIROKO KUDO, THE ESTATE OF TETSUMI KUDO. © 2021 ARTISTS RIGHTS SOCIETY (ARS), NEW YORK / ADAGP, PARIS.
DRAW THAT PLOT, KIDDO, AND YOU MIGHT JUST TELL A STORY
If it’s one thing that drives Sister Mary wild, it’s Italians. The brashness, the confidence, and the occasionally larger than average noses. In her research, the Romans kept coming up, and it burned deep into her psyche: these guys had some big ideas!
See, The Roman Empire is acknowledged as one of the more technologically-advanced ancient civilizations. From roads to surgical tools, Romans made great strides in technology— most notably the revolutionary use of aqueducts (see, there’s a point!). Aqueducts were an irrigation system that brought fresh water from the mountains down to heavily populated cities be- low. Roman engineers built bridge-like structures fastened with arches, surrealistically using gravity to move water. Water for drinking, irrigation, and to supply hundreds of public fountains and baths (Sister Mary loves a bath—this was a great find!). The water from these systems also played a crucial role in Roman agriculture—from olive trees to vineyards to... well, who needs much beyond that?
However, in Sister Mary’s research1, she learned of a pretty unsavory situation here on planet Earth: climate change. Like,
wtf? Seriously? Sister Mary then outbound linked from Wiki- pedia and discovered Italian architect (presumably descended from Romans), Stefano Boeri. This guy designed the first “verti- cal forests” in Milan in 2014, which Sister Mary can recall seeing every season before the Versace show—a pair of truly impressive buildings. Like aqueducts, these vertical forests were developed to provide populated cities with natural needs often lacking in cities.
What’s more, these vertical forests allow for city dwellers
to feel close to nature—a luxury that was formerly exclusive to those with yards. The sky-scraping forests also allow cities to decrease greenhouse gas emissions, and the shade created by the plants reduces indoor temperatures, lessening the air condi- tioned impulse Sister Mary knows so well. That’s not all! Vertical forests help to build a micro-climate and to filter dust particles, which Sister Mary is also well familiar with, having spent so much time in dense urban centers. To come home and blow your nose, and witness not only the remnants of your weekend, but particulate soot and dirt, was never very pleasant2. Sister Mary learns of Boeri’s plans to advance his vertical forests in major urban centers like Wuhan, Shanghai, and Cairo, and she finds herself pretty inspired. No, she doesn’t have the capacity
1Atonement. Joe Wright. Focus Features, 2007. 35mm. This English drama, based on the book by Ian McEwan, follows the lives of young lovers Cecilia Tallis (Keira Knightley) and Robbie Turner (James McAvoy). When the couple are torn apart by a lie constructed by Cecilia’s jealous younger sister, Briony (Saoirse Ronan), all three of them must deal with the consequences. Robbie is the hardest hit, since Briony’s deception results in his imprisonment, but hope for Cecilia and Robbie increases when their paths cross during World War II.The scene in question? Cecilia and Robbie take a walk in a garden, she’s holding flowers. She ends up going in a fountain in the garden to retrieve a broken vase in front of the housekeeper’s son, Robbie. Her watching sister Briony’s failure to understand the sexual tension between them will later play a part when she accuses Robbie of a terrible crime. The scene is supposed to symbolize that the Water is a symbol of purity, hope, and rebirth throughout Atonement, and the water in the fountain symbolizes a rebirth in the way Robbie sees Cecilia—no longer a sisterly figure, but as a subject of attraction.
2Being There. Hal Ashby. United Artists, 1979. 35mm. Middle-aged, simple-minded Chance lives in the townhouse of a wealthy old man in Washington, D.C.. He has spent his whole life tending the garden and has never left the property. Other than gardening, his knowledge is derived entirely from what he sees on television. When his benefactor dies, Chance naively tells the lawyers that he has no claim against the estate and is ordered to move out. The scene in question? In a discussion about the economy, Chance takes his cue from the words “stimulate growth” and talks about the changing seasons of the garden. The President misinterprets this as optimistic political advice and quotes “Chauncey Gardiner” in a speech.
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