The Japanese Internment

Koho Yamamoto is a Japanese-American artist and above is one of her works on display at The Interchurch Center's gallery which is curated by my friend Frank.  The exhibit is called From Topaz to Soho: The Spirited Art of Koho Yamamoto.  The art begins in 1944 when she was 22 and living in a detention center in Topaz, Utah.  Many are done in the Sumi-e style which is what she taught for 37 years at her school  in Soho. 

Koho Yamamoto's work is part of the show: "The Japanese American Internment Project ... if they came for me today".  The show will be on tour for two years.

On February 19, 1942 President Franklin Roosevelt interned in camps 120,000 Japanese-Americans of whom 80,000 were native born.  The government also coerced Latin American countries to deport their Japanese citizens.  2,300 were sent to America and imprisoned here.  Homes and businesses were lost. 
In 1980 President Jimmy Carter's commission on the internment found that the relocation was not done out of military necessity but out of racism, war hysteria, and the failure of political leadership.
In August 1988 President Reagan signed the Civil Liberties Act which paid the survivors $20,000 each.

Chinese New Year

Lots of Dragons

 The year of the dragon is 4709-4710 on our calendar.  Those born this year may have the characteristics of the dragon: innovative, brave, and passionate.  I say may because the Chinese zodiac includes the characteristics by year: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog and pig, plus the five elements: metal, water, wood, fire and earth, plus yin [odd years] and yang [even years].  The system of 12 years was based by early Chinese astronomers on the orbit of Jupiter. 

1.26.44

Went out to a movie at one of my favorite movie houses: The Paris.  It is across the street from the Plaza Hotel and a block from the entrance to central Park.  The Paris was the first post-war movie house constructed in Manhattan.  It opened on 9/13/48 with Marlene Dietrich and the French Ambassador cutting the ribbon.  Ah! to be there then, with a camera.  The Paris usually hosts French films and has had many premieres.

 Elegantly designed in the Art Moderne style, a late type of Art Deco, my favorite style.

The Artist is up for a number of awards and deserves recognition for its boldness, black and white and silent.  I haven't seen a lot of the nominees, so The Artist may be the best of the group.  It has a number of things that I liked,  movie references, e.g. the breakfast scene from Citizen Kane and a dance from Rodgers and Astaire, the performances by the two stars and their dog.  I loved the dog.  However, I found the movie a bit long and it took awhile for me to settle into it.  There is nothing particularly noteworthy in the story or the technique.  As for best movies made in 2011 that I've seen I prefer A Separation.
And the best movie I've seen, recently, is "Millions", a Danny Boyle film from 2004.  Danny Boyle has also made Shallow Grave[terrific] Slumdog Millionaire[lots of awards] 127 Hours[next on my list] and Trainspotting[funny and tragic ... one drug addict says about another "we call him Mother Superior because of the length of his habit], and two of the Inspector Morse shows.  'Millions' stars Lewis McGibbon, James Nesbith, Daisy Donovan and the incredible Alex Etel.  The very young Alex Etel plays one of the most interesting and endearing characters I've ever seen.  It was written by Frank Cottrell Boyce.  Netflix, thank you.