“Lacuna,” a solo exhibition of the art work of Heather Ryan Kelley, is now on view at the Baton Rouge Gallery. Kelley is a professor in the McNeese Dept. of Visual Arts.
The 16 oil paintings in “Lacuna” depict an array of everyday objects, many of which are reflected in mirrors. Here’s Kelley’s take on the significance of the work:
“A painting can function as an illusionistic window into deep space. The representation of mirrors causes the painting to be read in a more complicated, ambiguous fashion. Frames, windows, mirrors, curtains, paintings of paintings, and surface fragments are among the subjects” of the works.
The exhibition will run through Feb. 25. The Baton Rouge Gallery is located in the City Park at 1515 Dalrymple; hours are noon-6 pm, Tuesday through Sunday.
Kelley also has an exhibition at the 1910 restaurant at 949 Ryan St. in Lake Charles. Patrons will be able to view the art works during restaurant hours through April.
Lounge, Pop And Marty Robbins
Back in the day, say the 1950s-1970s, a certain kind of lounge music, made by the likes of Martin Denny and Les Baxter, popularized Americanized versions of Hawaiian and other tropical forms of music. This lounge music was quite accessible; it managed to work in little snippets of burlesque, rockabilly, jazz and surf.
Local singer/songwriter Renn Loren draws from this music a great deal. For example, on his very melodic Hawaii album (2000), the cut “Moon Song” features tinkly piano bridges, a marimba, tropical animal sounds and a wordless chorus that work together to create a Les Baxterish lounge feel.
Hawaii is a multi-genre album. In “Life Steps,” the words “when life steps in” in the chorus are accompanied by a lyrical George Harrison-style riff with a bit of reverb.
“Bubble Girl” has a mid-1960s garage pop feel with upbeat hooks you’ll only need to hear once to remember.
Loren sometimes opts for the serious lyric. He sings more than once about the ways in which modern consumerist life has eroded Hawaiian traditions. (He was born in Hawaii and lived there many years.) The cut “Feel The Sun” accurately describes several universal human states — disappointment, confusion, uncertainty, aimlessness — at once:
“All my life I spent waiting for the sunshine.
“Now that it shines, I don’t know what to do. “
Loren gives his songs solid hooks. In Hawaii’s last cut, “Magical Flowers,” he saves the most appealing hooks for last.
Another album, Return of the Topanga (2009), on which Loren is backed by his band at the time, The Topangas, often has a high-energy Marty Robbins-style old school country sound. This is especially the case in “I Won’t Let That Happen,” which also mixes in Elvis stylings, burlesque, lounge, and sad, mysterious melodies reminiscent of Roy Orbison.
“All I Need … Got” is another instance of the fact that Loren can write a solid, endearing pop song with power hooks that work the first time.
As a singer/songwriter, Loren is unusually talented and a match for anyone in this region. I’d say his grasp of hooks and melody would put him in the upper echelon of songwriters wherever he lived or played.
Loren says Lake Charles is presently “his base”; several of the members of his present band live here. He’s hoping to drop a new album within a month. Want to know more? Visit rennlorenband.com or his Reverb Nation page (rennloren.com). You can buy his CDs online at CD Baby.
Marilyn Manson Is Closer Than You Think
For a generation, Louisiana parents have been exasperated when they learned their children were fans of musical bad boy (and talented songwriter) Marilyn Manson. Would you be surprised to learn that these days, Manson has become something of a fixture in Shreveport?
That’s right. Seems Manson is an integral part of the WGN program Salem, which is being shot in Shreveport. In addition to collaborating with composer Tyler Bates on the music in the show’s opening title sequence, Manson is working on a guest appearance in the third season — the one now being shot.
Manson will portray barber Thomas Dinley, who apparently has a lot of power in WGN’s 2016 version of Salem in the witch trial days. He performs surgery (though for what purposes, I don’t know). Manson does seem like an ideal choice for a Sweeney Todd for the 21st century.
If Wishes Were Horses …
So … after all these years, John Kennedy finally decided what he wanted to run for. And when he finally did decide, he decided big.
So John Kennedy wants to be a U.S. senator. Well, well, well. I want to be a billionaire art collector. But one thing at a time.
The Voice Of Reason
In our troubled and confusing times, it’s good to be able to plug into the voice of reason when you need to. The Up Fronter has you covered. Here’s what the voice of reason’s been saying:
• “Everything is happening just like it’s supposed to. That’s what you have when you have divine guidance that is assisting. The right people come. The right words are said.” — Militia occupier Ammon Bundy, a few days before he was arrested, arraigned and thrown in jail.
• “Get here. [Speaker holds up rifle.] Get some! This is history in the making. There are no laws in this United States now. This is a free-for-all Armageddon.” — Unnamed speaker in live video feed of militia occupying Oregon building.
• “Truth Has No Agenda — It’s The Truth!” — Militia slogan posted on wall in Oregon building.
• “Right now, the situation is … out of five people left here, four of us are allowed to leave, and one of them … he has a felony warrant.” — David Fry, spokesman of militia members who hadn’t yet been arrested or run off.
• “There’s four of us here at the refuge. We’re not really inside the refuge, we’re in the driveway.” — More David Fry.
• “I will not abandon all that we have accomplished in the name of liberty for the sake of my own personal freedom.” — Ammon Bundy, as he sat in jail.
Reporting from the driveway, this is your Lagniappe correspondent Brad Goins.
What Is That Thing?
Because of his many professional duties, the Up Fronter can’t spend nearly as much time as he’d like to covering what the people at Art Review Magazine call “bad public art.”
Fortunately, the people at Britain’s The Spectator magazine have the time. Spectator has just given its first “What’s That Thing?” award, which is intended to recognize “bad public art projects all around the U.K.”
The first winner was a sculpture called “She Guardian” which is, I guess, supposed to be “guarding” London’s famous Marble Arch.
The Spectator’s comments about the work are just as funny as the work itself. Writer Stephen Bayley said the work wouldn’t please any art critic, but might appeal to “a Moldovan hooker.” He called it “a grotesque, inappropriate and embarrassing intrusion into London.” Egads!
I once wrote about bad public art in Lake Charles and got in the worst trouble I’ve ever been in. So, please, trust me on this — there is no bad public art anywhere in Lake Charles. That’s one thing you just can’t find here. Sorry about that.
Now I’ve Read Everything
“Miley Cyrus to star in Woody Allen’s Amazon series.”
— Associated Press, Jan. 26
The News
“The first Friends’ reunion photo is out … and it’s everything you were hoping for (almost).”
— CNN International, Jan. 26
“Kim Kardashian West and Amber Rose took a selfie together”
— Time Magazine headline reTweeted (and ridiculed) by comedy writer Joanne Brigden, Feb. 3
“Watch this 14 month old [sic] learn how to snowboard”
— WGNO headline, Feb. 3
The Funnies
Q: What are the five words a Louisiana politician most fears?
A: “Will the defendant please rise?”
The rest of this issue’s funnies all come from the movie Top Secret! (1984; dir. the Zucker brothers).
General Streck, German High Command (talking on the phone): What is the condition of Sergeant Kruger? (Pause.) Very well, let me know if there is any change in his condition. (Hangs up.) He’s dead.
Du Quois (speaking in broken English): Well, Mr. Rivers, it seems that you have become — how do you say? — indispensable?
Nick Rivers: Indispensable.
Du Quois: That’s what I thought.
American rock star Nick Rivers and resistance fighter Hillary Flammond dine in an East German Cafe.
Rivers: Do you know any German?
Flammond: I know a little German. He’s sitting over there.
Comments are closed.