I am excited to announce that this first Thursday art walk will be full worth the trek downtown. Seattle artist [and RIVET Art Director!] Allie Manch will open her ”Saturn’s return” exhibit, featuring new embroidered works. Here’s the Skinny:

Thursday, April 3 at the Gallery4Culture from 6-8 PM.

“The Producers (Rick Rubin)”

Here is a glimpse of what you’ll see:

The title refers to the astrological phenomenon that occurs nearly every thirty years in a person’s life when said person undergoes a series of life altering changes and also a period of self reflection. Manch, nearing her thirtieth year, reflects upon her familial heritage through embroidered text and images on second-hand linens and handkerchiefs. Her family’s move from New York to Arizona, and then Manch’s subsequent move to Seattle, gave rise to a feeling of displacement and disconnection. Her study of photography influences the subject matter, be they cactus, hip-hop portraits or Jewish folk tales, as Manch examines icons and relics of her past and future”.     

allisonmanch.com                            

http://4culture.org/publicart/gallery/index.htm for directions

As everyone knows, February is International Kung Fu Month, so in the spirit of this complete fabrication of a remembrance, here are my favorite all-time Kung Fu movies. I’m something of an expert on the subject.

#5 – Enter the Dragon (1973)/Return of the Dragon (1972) – Neither of these movies are exceptional except insomuch as Bruce Lee is the reason we all know what Kung Fu is. And honestly, one has a handless guy who straps a knife-claw to his nub, and the other one has Chuck Norris. Score!

#4 – A Touch of Zen (1969) – This movie was Crouching Tiger long before there was a Crouching Tiger. Every element in every subsequent Kung Fu art movie owes to the cinematography here.

#3 – Hero (2002) – The plot is convoluted, but that’s incidental to things looking pretty and people wielding swords. The first fight, between the Jet Li and Donnie Yen, is one of the finest ever.

#2 – The Five Deadly Venoms (1978) – This is the quintessential Shaw Brothers movie. Shaw Brothers movies are at once terrible and spectacular, but the charisma of the actors who play the venoms (and who would reunite in countless films), and their martial arts prowess make this the one to watch.

#1 – Mystery of Chess Boxing (1979) – This film is sometimes titled as Ninja Checkmate for American audiences, despite the distinct lack of ninjas. Stupid Americans. Normal Kung Fu plot. Normal training to defeat the super Kung Fu villain. Oh, but what a villain. Ghost Faced Killer (yes, this is where the rapper got his name) is the best villain in the long, celebrated history of villainy.

For those of you wishing to increase your Kung Fu I.Q., here are a few honorable mentions: The 36 Chambers of Shao Lin (1978), Dragon Inn (1992), Iron Monkey (1993), Once Upon a Time in China I & II (1991 & 1992), Drunken Master II (1993), Fearless (2006), Master of the Flying Guillotine (1978). That should get you started.

About all that I can manage to do religiously everyday is brush my teeth. Thankfully many people like Jen Renninger are more ambitious. This Florida-based illustrator plans to use a new blog to feature her charming illustrations. There will be a new one posted every day until the end of 2008. Jen resuscitates old wood plaques and other found objects to use as the canvas for her creations. You’ve got to love how she mixes her whimsical, nature-inspired aesthetic with her fixation on modern furniture. I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next. Luckily, I only need to wait until tomorrow for my next fix.

Friends and UW MFA graduates Fred Muram and Mike Simi created Fire Retard Ants to artistically revist the awkardness of their childhood.  Their work about “growing pubic hair, fighting ninjas, eating Cheez Whiz, all while maintaining a C+ average, so their parents will take them to Pizza Hut” is featured this month at SOIL in Pioneer Square.

Title: T.A.R.P.
Medium: 35″x”45″ Archival Inkjet Print

http://fireretardants.wordpress.com/
 

[Editor’s Note: As in the print magazine’s Artist Portfolio, the blog feature will showcase exceptional visual talent in all mediums. Please send submissions to ali @ rivetmagazine.org.]

In my lifetime I remember Walter Matthau for his roles in such forgettable movies as Dennis the Menace, I.Q. and Grumpy Old Men. So I judged him based on these movies, dismissed him as a second-rate talent living off residual star power from decades past. I assumed he was the 1970’s equivalent of Tom Cruise – maybe in some decent flicks but certainly not carrying them. Then, earlier this year, I read an exchange by several writers discussing 70’s noir films, and one title that kept coming up was Charley Varrick. Trusting these opinions, I went to Amazon and ordered the movie without really paying much attention. The DVD arrived, and I was more than a little surprised to see the face of a younger Matthau staring back at me from the cover.I watched the movie. I loved the movie. I watched it again.

And what I saw was Walter Matthau being awesome. He plays the title character, an everyman antihero on the run after stealing the wrong pile of cash from the wrong people. The plot’s not important, though, as Matthau himself is the reason to see this film.

Filled with a newfound respect for the grumpy old man, I turned my attention to the Criterion Collection DVD of Hopscotch. In this dark spy comedy Matthau shines again, this time as a CIA agent who decides to out the agency by writing his memoirs. In both movies Matthau plays an in-control protagonist, perpetually one step ahead of his pursuers, and he plays it perfectly.

All this is an apology of sorts. I just want to say, I’m sorry, Mr. Matthau, for not realizing you were awesome while you were still alive. Up next is Matthau’s The Taking of Pelham One Two Three, which I have it on good authority is also awesome.

Friends and UW MFA graduates Fred Muram and Mike Simi created Fire Retard Ants to artistically revist the awkardness of their childhood.  Their work about “growing pubic hair, fighting ninjas, eating Cheez Whiz, all while maintaining a C+ average, so their parents will take them to Pizza Hut” is featured this month at SOIL in Pioneer Square.

Title: WHY ARE YOU PISSING WITH THE DOOR OPEN
Medium: Mixed Media
Date: 2007

http://fireretardants.wordpress.com/
 

[Editor’s Note: As in the print magazine’s Artist Portfolio, the blog feature will showcase exceptional visual talent in all mediums. Please send submissions to ali @ rivetmagazine.org.]

Friends and UW MFA graduates Fred Muram and Mike Simi created Fire Retard Ants to artistically revist the awkardness of their childhood.  Their work about “growing pubic hair, fighting ninjas, eating Cheez Whiz, all while maintaining a C+ average, so their parents will take them to Pizza Hut” is featured this month at SOIL in Pioneer Square.

Title: Fire Retard Ants Curiously Investigating Wearing Ski Masks
Medium: 35″x”35″ Archival Inkjet Print
Date: 2007

1. Who or what is your biggest artistic inspiration?
FRT#2 (Mike) believes that his is confessional literature.
FRT#1(Fred)thinks his biggest inspiration is his angst pot… which is
animaginarycauldron created to hold all of Fred’s angst.

2. Where is the best place to view art in Seattle?
FRT#1 (Fred) Has a fondness for SAM and the Henry Art Gallery and
Western Bridge.
FRT #2 (Mike) FRT#1 agrees with FRT #2.

3. What is your favorite local bookstore?
FRT#2 (Mike) Amazon.com - avoid the crowd- buy books in your undies.
FRT#1(Fred)There is a cool little shop somewhere downtown that sells
tonsofsocialist lit, but there’s also a really cute girl that works
there, whoI always tell I’m Canadian.

4. If you were a typeface which one would you be?
Are there any other typefaces than Helvetica?

5. What is the best blog that we don’t know about yet?
Other than the FIRE RETARD ANTS BLOG?
FRT#1 (Fred) I’m kind of a fan of We Make Money Not Art
FRT#2(Mike) I don’t really read blogs all that much, but really likewatching
television, reading books, and listening to music.

http://fireretardants.wordpress.com/
 

[Editor’s Note: As in the print magazine’s Artist Portfolio, the blog feature will showcase exceptional visual talent in all mediums. Please send submissions to ali @ rivetmagazine.org.]

Visit Alon’s website at www.asimplebag.com 

[Editor’s Note: As in the print magazine’s Artist Portfolio, the blog feature will showcase exceptional visual talent in all mediums. Please send submissions to ali @ rivetmagazine.org.]

Visit Alon’s website at www.asimplebag.com