Themes In Art: Farmers, Japanese and Newly-Texan Moravians.

One thread connecting two seemingly disparate stories. Just go with it.

I've been thinking about block printing lately and our recent viewing of Kurosawa's Seven Samurai, which is AWESOME, gave me lots to get excited about. The story centers on a community of farmers and a collection of samurai. Viewing of the three hour masterpiece spanned the entire weekend. Lingering thoughts on the film and its characters were interspersed with a road trip out of town and into Texan farmland.

We took a day trip to the Northern European part of Texas, 90 miles west of Houston, where immigrants from Germany and the Czech Republic (formerly Moravia) settled, fleeing the Austrian Empire. Our main agenda was to take a tour of the "painted churches." These are turn of the century farm churches, often far from the next town. Though the exteriors are simple and the surroundings, farmland, the interiors are exploding with color and design.

Queen of the Painted Churches, St. Mary's at High Hill.

St. Mary's Church of the Assumption, Praha, Texas.

I'm really into these panels framed with flora, but completely absent of fauna. I know it's supposed to be paradise, but it seems post-apocalyptic. Stay tuned to see something similar from a synagogue in Venice.

Sts. Cyril and Methodius, Dubina, Texas. Built 1876, rebuilt 1912.

Inlaid marble cross leads the way to salvation.

Most of these churches have outdoor restrooms. This one is labeled in both English and Czech.

In Shulenburg we passed a Czech bakery. After a quick and excited turnaround we were in line staring at the variety of kolaches, basically a filled pastry. I've seen kolaches all over Houston, but they're notoriously non-vegetarian. However, I learned that the traditional kolache is filled with poppy seeds, sweet cheese, or fruit. 

Later that day while wandering around La Grange I spotted the Texas Quilt Museum. We had fun looking through the beautifully preserved 19th century building filled with all kinds of hand made quilts. Now I want to make a one like this antique paper cutting style. 

But back to the Samurai.

The plot in short: a village of farmers intend to keep safe from the bandit's harvest time plunder. Their strategy is to employ samurai, basically another enemy to intimidate and kill the roving bandits. The story is set in the 16th century, medieval! just the way I like it, and is gorgeously shot. There are so many wonderful things to say about Kurosawa's film (see Alex), but I want to focus on the Academy Award nominated costumes by Kohei Ezaki.

They're lovely. And full of fantastic prints. I'm always looking for the detail work in any art form and it's plentiful here. Kurosawa was known for considering historically accurate dress and I think it shows. You can really imagine the feel of these organic fibers, cotton, linen and silks, hand dyed with local plants, and stamped by hand with wood block prints.

Medieval era samurai, and some farmers, typically wore three garments: hakama, kimono, and kataginu.

Heavily pleated hakama on the left paired with printed kimono.

Kataginu, sleeveless jacket with bold shoulders.

Probably my favorite print, a bow and arrow feather repeat across the back of Kikuchiyo's kimono.

One shoulder off for combat.

These are some examples of what the bandits wore. 

Too many tragedies. 

Ecclesiastical Fashion Show From Fellini's Roma.

Roma, 1972.

I love everything, everything about this. I can't stop watching this clip. The Nino Rota music is so cool and the over the top yet humorous staging is all at once enchanting, terrifying, and completely removed from reality. Plus rollerskating clergy!

It's the Etruscan She-Wolf! Before Romulus and Remus were added.

At the upscale brothel. I love this outfit. 

What a great inspiration for costuming and drama and of course, our upcoming Odyssey through Italy and Greece. Pre-travels we are supplementing our study of Italian language with some classic films, especially ones that we haven't seen. Alex recommended Roma, but I wasn't too interested until I saw a few later scenes such as the above and also the part where they discover ancient frescos while working on Rome's underground system. A drill crashes through a hollow wall and the oxygen streaming in destroys every painted surface in a matter of seconds. That scene broke my heart. I always get into a panic when artwork is in jeopardy. Once we watched Ararat, which I wanted to see because it centers on Armenian artist Arshile Gorky (of course, the art subplot was just a vehicle for a Genocide film). But in Atom Egoyan's film, one of the Gorky paintings gets knifed in a museum. I had to cover my eyes in anger and despair. There is also some footage of the medieval Armenian churches, especially Aghtamar in Lake Van. The church is on an island now ruled by Turkey. Standing before Mount Ararat, site of the great Noah's ark, this church has the most incredible (and the oldest) exterior reliefs.

Aghtamar, Church of the Holy Cross, 10th century. Palantine church of Vaspurakan king, Gagik I.

Costume Drama.

I've got costumes on the brain. Lately I've been wearing my measuring tape as a daily necklace. You never know when you might spot the perfect piece.

Greta Garbo gives good face in Anna Christie.

Directed by Clarence Brown, 1930's.

This play is filled with great lines such as the above. Watch the film or come to New London, NH for our upcoming performance in June!

Although the film keeps it modern (1930's), we're doing it in period costumes. The period in question is the Victorian/Edwardian era, though the play, Anna Christie, is set in 1910 America rather the UK. However, the silhouette and style fits within these categories more or less. I'm having fun putting together bow ties and tweed, granny boots and hats with feathers.

It's nice to take a break from art history, mostly the laptop, and get back into design and theater. My last adventure in the Northeast involves working on a very Northern play. Written by Eugene O'Neill, Anna Christie is a story that takes place on a coal barge stopping in New York and Boston. It's full of salty longshoreman and wharf rats, fractured relationships amidst stormy weather. If only a sea shanty could make its way in. The two heavy drinking principles, Anna and her father Chris Christopherson, are more Northerly, originally from Sweden.

In other totally non-related costume findings...Italian designer Roberto Capucci. I must be craving color. The costumes in Anna Christie are mostly drab. New England is equally drab at the moment. Color therapy!