dr geez

Every year we invite artists of all background to join us at our place in France for a time of conversation, work, prayer, inspiration, food, wine, and fun. I’m always amazed at how little it takes to refresh, encourage, and inspire each other. Too often we reflect only what is thrown at us. We reflect it on others through our art and our lives. That is, of course, part of the work of an artist. However, when we only see the negative or don’t conscientiously seek the positive our reactions in our lives and work become narrow and (too often) negative.

In one week, as we sat around eating, drinking, sharing, encouraging, inspiring, and creating - all of us opened like flowers to the warmth of the sun. The life-concept of Jesus seems so alien and unrealistic at times, but it so important for art and life. Give and it will come back to you. Don’t respond in like kind, but give a blessing in response to a curse. This is so difficult at times, but we see over and over that what we dwell upon is what we will end up reflecting.

During this past week it was great to be reminded that these strange ideas of the bohemian Messiah really work. Seek the positive. Be a particle of light. Give and it will come back to you. Laugh, smile, cry, dance. This is the only life you have - live it abundantly.

Touched down in Nairobi early on a Thursday morning after a 9 hour flight. The theater and karate workshops would start that afternoon in Kayole - one of the nicer slums. I was there with my good buddy Mike Klumpp. The Karate programs in Nairobi and in Lemoru (the Rift Valley) were started about 5 years ago and a quick introduction to theater was added about 2.5 years ago before the civil rest broke out in Kenya. We were anxious to see if the Karate programs were still in tact and if the interest in theater arts was still there.

As we arrived at the grungy cultural center the members of the MARS karate group were dressed in their gis and ready to show the master the advancements they had made. Many new students for the FYV arts programs had arrived as well, but in true Kenyan fashion many would come much later. It was a habit we would try to change.

In the end, as the workshop progressed we had about 25 theater students, plus the Karate members who joined in, and the acrobats working outside who joined the work as well. Some students belonged to small theater groups and others were complete novices. Some were in High School and some had just graduated from University. It was a good group with a variety of talents, experience, and desires, but they all came with so much enthusiasm.

The point of this part of the work in Kenya is to give the young people confidence, communication skills, and life skills. We’re giving them tools to use in any vocation they are called to, helping them discover the topics they want to address, and developing their creative voices for communication. We are also helping them lay a biblical foundation in their lives like the one Jesus spoke about at the end of the sermon on the mount - solid rock rather than shifting sand. Kenya and Africa need new leaders with skills that are world-class and lives that are solid. Though we have a long path to walk, we are assisting these young people to become part of the next generation of leaders. By aiding these young people in their development we are helping them become the influence of positive change for Kenya, Africa, and possibly the world. Some may think we are just dreaming, but hand in hand with those youthful hearts we are dreaming big.

As the workshop ended we were exhausted and excited. The Karate group had demonstrated their work with power and great respect to their instructors. The theater students, like sponges, had taken in everything we could show them. And some young people who hadn’t planned on doing a theater workshop found themselves in the midst of learning some beneficial skills. They had met some westerners who were in some ways different than what they had previously experienced. They had met some teachers who were not afraid of people who were different. “Come join us.” What an exciting way to create cross-cultural exchange.

I’ve heard people complain that missionaries have had negative influences on the cultures they have worked in. Why aren’t those same concerns voiced over the negative influence from MTV, Madonna, Oprah, and a thousand other pushers of the culture of self, sex, and ‘anything goes’? As I’ve traveled the world I’ve heard people speak of how helpless and angry they feel about the cultural influence from the West. I was in East Germany when Communist fell. Besides the freedom of movement and the lack of fear the first notable changes were the enormous LCD screens that appeared in subway stations: and on those screens, non-stop MTV. The pushers of another culture were making sure the next generation from the East understood what freedom was all about. It was akin to going warp speed from ‘Leave It To Beaver’ 1960’s morality to 1990 wide-screen Madonna shaking her groin in your face. It was shocking enough in the US, but inexcusable to promote such things in the East.

One thing these pushers of ‘me-culture’ don’t seem to care about is that while many may ride the wave of their cultural revolution there are others who see it as a slap in the face to their way of life. In eastern and especially Islamic cultures religious leaders will point to these things and say, “Didn’t we tell you? This is the culture of Satan. This is who they really are.” The way to promote better relationships in the world isn’t by shoving one’s opposing ideas front and center, but by respecting the views of the people and customs of other lands. The promoters of self don’t seem to care.

Just today in the LA Times online I read about another promoter of ‘anything goes’: American artist, Spencer Tunick, who travels the globe creating and photographing nude-action events. If you are comfortable with nudity or masses of nude people being psychologically pushed to embrace one other then you will have no problem with Tunick’s work. My point is that he is creating these events in main city centers to push his agenda. And he is now attempting to do an event in the Middle East, in Israel.

The section of the LA times online that is covering this story is called Babylon and Beyond: Observations from Iraq, Iran, Israel, the Arab world and beyond. They report, “Religious leaders are aghast … prostitution has suddenly become a form of art.”  Though Mr. Tunick and those who working with him have envisioned this as a Middle East ‘disarmament’, to many it will be more like a slap in the face from a naked man. Of course Mr. Tunick doesn’t care about that. He doesn’t care what the local culture is. He isn’t concerned about putting more fuel on the fire of animosity and cultural misunderstandings. He is only interested in one thing - just as Dov Litvinoff, a leader in the region, commented to Newscore, “A nude display of thousands of nudists does not promote the Dead Sea, it promotes the whim of someone who calls himself an artist.”

It is one thing for any artist to attempt to do such things in their own culture, but to push something that is contrary to another culture is beyond concern, beyond sensitivity, beyond art, and beyond excuse. If Mr. Tunick doesn’t believe this will be yet another reason for many Imams to call for the destruction of the decadent West, then he doesn’t understand how fragile and important cross-cultural relationships are.

photo by helgasma!   @flickr.com

DrGeez just got back from Kenya. I was hoping to keep you abreast of the trip and the projects that Mike Klumpp and I are doing there, but it was difficult without an internet connection. For those of you who have iphones with 3G connectivity you may think the Dr is living in the stone age. Well, the reality is that DrGeez is a poor artist who spends what little money he has trying to help those who have less money than he does. So is you want continual updates from afar just send your nickels and dimes to ME so I can get that much needed iphone. Hey, its a joke.

In the next few days I’ll post some pics and thoughts about Kenya: art, karate, theater, acrobats, medical clinic, education, the art of giving someone hope, and much more. But for now the Dr just needs some zzzzs.

Dr Geez is off to Kenya with Mike Klumpp. We are developing an arts project there to help the young people in Kenya discover their voices of influence. Find Your Voice Kenya isn’t about bringing western culture ideas to Kenya, rather it is helping them to discover their talents and the ideas THEY want to communicate. To find more information on FYV Kenya go to www.watershedarts.com There should be a post on that site soon under projects.

I’ve heard people complain that missionaries have had negative influences on the cultures they have worked in. Why aren’t those same concerns voiced over the negative influence from MTV, Madonna, Oprah, and a thousand other pushers of the culture self, sex, and ‘anything goes’? As I’ve traveled the world I’ve people speak of how helpless and angry they feel about the cultural influence from the West. I as in East Germany when Communist fell. Besides the freedom of movement and the lack of fear the first notable change were the enormous LCD screens that appeared in subway stations. And on those screens, non-stop MTV. The pushers of another culture were making sure the next generation from the East understood what freedom was all about. It was akin to going warp speed from ‘Leave It To Beaver’ 1960’s morality to 1990 wide-screen Madonna shaking her groin in your face. It was shocking enough in the US, but inexcusable to promote such things in the East.

One thing these pushers of ‘me-culture’ don’t seem to care about is that while many may ride the wave of their cultural revolution there are others who see it as a slap in the face to their way of life. In eastern and especially Islamic cultures religious leaders will point to these things and say, “Didn’t we tell you? This is the culture of Satan. This is who they really are.” The way to promote better relationships in the world isn’t by shoving one’s opposing ideas front and center, but by respecting the views of the people and customs of other lands.

And today in the LA Times online I read about another promoter of ‘anything goes’. American artist, Spencer Tunick, who travels the globe creating and photographing nude-action events. If you are comfortable with nudity or masses of nude people being psychologically pushed to embrace one other then you will have no problem with Tunick’s work. My point is that he is creating these events in main city centers to push his agenda. And he is now attempting to do an event in the Middle East, in Israel.

The section of the LA times online that is covering this story is called Babylon and Beyond: Observations from Iraq, Iran, Israel, the Arab world and beyond. They report, “Religious leaders are aghast … prostitution has suddenly become a form of art.”  Though Mr. Tunick and those who working with him have envisioned this as a Middle East ‘disarmament’, to many it will be more like a slap in the face from a naked man. Of course Mr. Tunick doesn’t care about that. He doesn’t care what the local culture is. He isn’t concerned about putting more fuel on the fire of animosity and cultural misunderstandings. He is only interested in one thing - just as Dov Litvinoff, a leader in the region, commented to Newscore, “A nude display of thousands of nudists does not promote the Dead Sea, it promotes the whim of someone who calls himself an artist.”

It is one thing for any artist to attempt to do such things in their own culture, but to push something that is contrary to another culture is beyond concern, beyond sensitivity, beyond art, and beyond excuse. If Mr. Tunick doesn’t believe this will be yet another reason for many Imams to call for the destruction of the decadent West, then he doesn’t understand how fragile and important cross-cultural relationships are.

photo by helgasma!   @flickr.com

I’ve heard people complain that missionaries have had negative influences on the cultures they have worked in. Why aren’t those same concerns voiced over the negative influence from MTV, Madonna, Oprah, and a thousand other pushers of the culture self, sex, and ‘anything goes’? As I’ve traveled the world I’ve people speak of how helpless and angry they feel about the cultural influence from the West. I as in East Germany when Communist fell. Besides the freedom of movement and the lack of fear the first notable change were the enormous LCD screens that appeared in subway stations. And on those screens, non-stop MTV. The pushers of another culture were making sure the next generation from the East understood what freedom was all about. It was akin to going warp speed from ‘Leave It To Beaver’ 1960’s morality to 1990 wide-screen Madonna shaking her groin in your face. It was shocking enough in the US, but inexcusable to promote such things in the East.

One thing these pushers of ‘me-culture’ don’t seem to care about is that while many may ride the wave of their cultural revolution there are others who see it as a slap in the face to their way of life. In eastern and especially Islamic cultures religious leaders will point to these things and say, “Didn’t we tell you? This is the culture of Satan. This is who they really are.” The way to promote better relationships in the world isn’t by shoving one’s opposing ideas front and center, but by respecting the views of the people and customs of other lands.

And today in the LA Times online I read about another promoter of ‘anything goes’. American artist, Spencer Tunick, who travels the globe creating and photographing nude-action events. If you are comfortable with nudity or masses of nude people being psychologically pushed to embrace one other then you will have no problem with Tunick’s work. My point is that he is creating these events in main city centers to push his agenda. And he is now attempting to do an event in the Middle East, in Israel.

The section of the LA times online that is covering this story is called Babylon and Beyond: Observations from Iraq, Iran, Israel, the Arab world and beyond. They report, “Religious leaders are aghast … prostitution has suddenly become a form of art.”  Though Mr. Tunick and those who working with him have envisioned this as a Middle East ‘disarmament’, to many it will be more like a slap in the face from a naked man. Of course Mr. Tunick doesn’t care about that. He doesn’t care what the local culture is. He isn’t concerned about putting more fuel on the fire of animosity and cultural misunderstandings. He is only interested in one thing - just as Dov Litvinoff, a leader in the region, commented to Newscore, “A nude display of thousands of nudists does not promote the Dead Sea, it promotes the whim of someone who calls himself an artist.”

It is one thing for any artist to attempt to do such things in their own culture, but to push something that is contrary to another culture is beyond concern, beyond sensitivity, beyond art, and beyond excuse. If Mr. Tunick doesn’t believe this will be yet another reason for many Imams to call for the destruction of the decadent West, then he doesn’t understand how fragile and important cross-cultural relationships are.

Following the traditions the Oscars the Dr has decided to do his own awards for films of great cinematic and artistic achievement. The current winner of the Geezer for best film goes to …  ‘Ladri di Biciclette’ (the Bicycle Thief) - 1948/1949. If you’ve not seen this amazing piece of cinematic story-telling by director Vittorio De Sica, don’t just rush out and get it. Instead, put it on your ‘to rent’ list. You’ll need to be in the mood.

‘Ladri di Biciclette’ was shot in Italy just following WWII. It documents that time, when thousands were living in true poverty and jobs were scarce. Then Antonio, the main character, gets a job; but there’s a catch.  The job requires that he has the bicycle which he recently pawned and he has no money to buy it back. One of his early lines sets the mood for the film - “I’ve always had rotten luck.” Antonio’s wife knows they can’t survive without the job so she hawks all her bed linens to buy back the bicycle. On his first day on the job, however, the bicycle is stolen and a mood of desperation begins. He has one day to find the bicycle or he will lose his job and, most likely, the bicycle will be gone for good. The story is about Antonio’s and his 9 year old son Bruno’s search for the lost biped through the jungle of post-war Italy. The beauty of the story and the acting is the decay of overwhelmed Antonio’s relationship to his son.

This film is sad, simple, powerful, and beautiful in many ways. It captures pure simply story-telling as few films ever do. In 1950, when there wasn’t a category for Foreign Films, ‘Ladri di Biciclette’ was nominated for an Oscar. Though it didn’t win, it was given an honorary Oscar for Most Outstanding Foreign Film during the 1949 release in the USA. From 1949-51 the film managed to steal most of prestigious awards up for grabs. I’m telling you, this is one of the all time greats, but maybe not the best date movie … unless your date likes beautifully, sad films about the loss of more than a bicycle. Pick a night to see an amazing piece of cinematic art and see this film!

photo by *Kicki* @flickr

Why does contemporary-modern art have to be so boring and stupid? I was recently at an art gallery with new works and a performance. The performance consisted of  two people rolling around the floor. ‘Blink, blink’.  I’m a performer. I know what they did. For fifteen minutes they did nothing but a warm-up, movement exercise. I do it all the time with students in a workshop, but I would never have them do that on stage. If we created something from the exercise then it might be interesting. However, the performance and most of the art pieces that evening were nothing but undeveloped exercises - and it was boring. Yet this has been the trend in ‘art’ for some years. Much of modern art is simply an experiment of bits and pieces thrown together in a sloppy fashion: like a poor version of Frankenstein’s monster with the heart, brain, and soul left out.

Imagine going to see the latest Oscar winner for best picture. The lights in the cinema go black and the film begins. Rather than making sense the film looks like a boring workshop on experimental camera work: just scene after scene, cut together without order or thematic connection. Some out of focus. Some upside down. I’m not talking post-modern, non-linear story-telling: this is just a film with experimental scenes - most of them poorly shot. You would be pissed off because the Academy of Film recommended it. In fact they told you it was the best film of the year! Perhaps the Oscar symbol on films would turn you off rather than give you a feeling that you wouldn’t be wasting your money. Now, we can all disagree with the Academy’s choices, but the films they choose are actually good films. This is not true with the ‘art’ chosen by art galleries and museums around the world.

Take for instance the work of the ‘worshiped art-maker’, Tracy Emin. Though some of her work has some interesting elements to it, much of it is rubbish (and some of it is literally garbage). But her work is in all of the top galleries because she knows the money-people and they have declared her work to be worth millions. Yes, millions. artobserved.com/artists/tracey-emin/

In talking to people about Emin’s work they say, “But aren’t people talking about how crap it is? See, people are talking. Isn’t it in the news? Didn’t she sell those works for loads of money?” If that is how we now describe art we are lost. Well, the art world is clearly lost. The thing that gets me is the arrogant pretension that’s driving this whole movement. On one side the collectors and artists say it is art for the common person. The common person can’t figure out if it is art or just a joke. Perhaps the problem is that not enough normal people go to galleries or museums any more.

Wouldn’t it be great if we started a new art action. We get everyone to go to art exhibits and galleries, but WE let them know what is good and what isn’t. Yes, I realize that many people love sweet, stupid paintings over the masters, but the tide has gone completely the other stupid direction. I’m sure we ‘common art lovers’ would have little impact on the art scene, but art is made for people. So go see more art. Look for art that you think is good. AND tell those curators what you think about experimental exercises being passed off as art.

Following the traditions the Oscars the Dr has decided to do his own awards for films of great cinematic and artistic achievement. The current winner of the Geezer for best film goes to …  ‘Ladri di Biciclette’ (the Bicycle Thief) - 1948/1949. If you’ve not seen this amazing piece of cinematic story-telling by director Vittorio De Sica, don’t just rush out and get it. Instead, put it on your ‘to rent’ list. You’ll need to be in the mood.

‘Ladri di Biciclette’ was shot in Italy just following WWII. It documents that time, when thousands were living in true poverty and jobs were scarce. Then Antonio gets a job, but he needs the bicycle he pawned for food. One of this early lines set the mood for the film - “I’ve always had rotten luck.” Antonio’s wife knows they can’t survive without the job so she hawks all her bed linens to buy back the bicycle. On his first day on the job, however, the bicycle is stolen. He has one day to find the bicycle or he will lose his job and, most likely, the bicycle will be gone for good. The story is about Antonio’s and his 9 year old son Bruno’s search for the lost biped through the jungle of post-war Italy. The beauty of the story and the acting is the decay of overwhelmed Antonio’s relationship to his son.

This film is sad, simple, powerful, and beautiful in many ways. It captures pure simply story-telling as few films ever do. In 1950, when there wasn’t a category for Foreign Films, ‘Ladri di Biciclette’ was nominated for an Oscar. Though it didn’t win, it was given an honorary Oscar for Most Outstanding Foreign Film during the 1949 release in the USA. From 1949-51 the film managed to steal most of prestigious awards up for grabs. I’m telling you, this is one of the all time greats, but maybe not the best date movie … unless your date likes beautifully, sad films about the loss of more than a bicycle. Pick a night to see an amazing piece of cinematic art and see this film!

photo by *Kicki* @flickr