Columbia Museum of Art- Art Event

KISS- Dressed to Kill, NYC, 1974

Describe the photograph - how big is it, who owns it, who shot it, who is the photograph of and what year was the photo taken. Is is black and white, color or some sort of special photographic process. If you don't know what this process is, look it up and describe it.
    Bob Gruen's photograph (he also owns the picture) of KISS was taken in 1974 for the rock-and-roll magazine CREEM.  The photo was to be used a "photo comic strip."  The piece was named, "KISS Komix Presents Clean Machine Grip Gotham- But Their Lives Were Saved by Rock & Roll."  It was about an Amish boy from Pennsylvania, moves to New York City and becomes a disc jockey with the intention of eliminating the destructive forces of rock and roll.  The members of KISS, wipe out the forces of "good clean fun," and once again, rock and roll saves the day.  From the photo above you can the picture is black and white.  Gruen focuses on the band members making the objects in the background, like the car, blurred.  Because there were no measurements listed; I looked up the measurements.  I found the original photo to be  14 by 11 inches.

Analyze the photograph - What is the photo about, what are/is the people/person doing in the photo, what is the setting, what are clothes like? What does the photograph reveal about the person in the picture?
    The photo is about how the band members of KISS saved the rock and roll from an Amish boy, who wanted to rid the world of rock and roll.  This particular photo was later used as the cover art for the band's 1975 album Dressed to Kill.  The band members of KISS are posing for the CREEM magazine photo comic strip set on the streets of New York.  The members are wearing what appears to be business suits with their signature face make-up.  I think the reason they are wearing the suits is so they would be like ordinary people who are actually heros.  Their hero side is shown through the face make-up.  I believe it is a play on Clark Kent/Superman because he wore the Superman costume under his everyday clothes.

Relate some of the photographer's or the person in the photographs history.
    Bob Gruen has photographed many famous musicians through the years like the Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Bob Marley, Bob Dylan, and Madonna.  He first concert photos were of Bob Dylan in 1965 where he talked his way into getting a photo pass where he could go down front to get photos.  He moved from New York to London to work.  Later in his career he worked for the magazine CREEM.  During his tenure at CREEM he took this photo of the band KISS.
    Kiss is an American rock and roll band formed in 1973 New York.  The bands most famous attribute is the face make-up the members wear and their flamboyant stage outfits.  Today the band has been awarded 24 gold albums, sold more than 40 million records in the United States.  However, their worldwide sales exceed 100 million albums. 

The Big Apple- Art Event

1. Even though the shag is danced to music that is 4/4 time, how does the dancer count when they are dancing the shag?
    8 count-  1-2-3, 4-5-6, 7, 8
    We practiced the 6 count-  1&2, 3&4, 5, 6.  However, most people keep pace with the song they are dancing too.  They listen to the beat of the music to determine the pace of the beat.

2. Discuss the Big Apple building. Discuss its features architechtural feature of Columbia, and a brief history. What was the first name of the building?
    The Big Apple building was used as an African American juke joint during the 1930s.  Since blacks and whites were not allowed to mingle together the white students at the University would go to the Big Apple Night Club and watch the dancers and their steps from the balcony.  They would take the steps they had seen and go dance them. 
    The Big Apple building was originally built in 1907-1910 as the House of Peace Synagogue.  The Synagogue had a large open floor with a balcony.  During services the women would sit in the balcony and the men would sit on the floor at the bottom.  The dome at the top of the building has the Star of David in stain glass.  The outside of the building is white with two red doors in the front.  There are also stained glass windows above and around the front door.

3. Discuss the Shag. What is the history of the shag and what is its relevance to South Carolina?
    The Shag originated along the coast of the Carolinas.  Some people from North Carolina claim to have started the shag, but most people believe it originated in South Carolina.  South Carolina put a permanent hold on the dance because it is South Carolina's state dance.  The shag was very popular at the beach areas during the 1940s and 1950s.  During the summer in Myrtle Beach, the Pavilion would hold a shag contest.  This contest is portrayed in the movie SHAG.  Like in many other dances, the shag has a leader and his partner follows his moves.

Assignment 6

1. Describe the baroque period of dance.
    The Baroque period of dance began in 1600 and lasted until 1750.  Baroque is characterized by the dynamic movement, overt emotion and self confident rhetoric.  The elements of baroque dance are very grandeur, sensuous richness, drama, vitality, movement, tension, and emotional exuberance.  The word "baroque" originated from the Portuguese word "barroco" meaning mis-shapen pearl.  There was also a tendency to blur the distinctions between the various arts.  During this period art, dance, music, and architecture flourished.


 2. Discuss why people dance?
    People dance for many reasons like: form of expression, hobby, fitness, spend time with significant other or friends, performance, social interaction, is expected at social functions (weddings and parties), and because it is fun!  When I started dancing it was because my mom wanted me to make friends and to learn something new.  However, the longer I kept taking dance the more I enjoyed for me not because my mom wanted me to do it.

My 1998 Dance Recital
(I'm second from the left)

3. Describe on non western dance art form.
    The Argentine Tango is a social dance, but also a musical genre, written in a 4/4 measure and with a binary musical form.  The Argentine Tango originated at the end of the 19th century in the suburbs of Buenos Aries.  Its popularity quickly grew and was internationally spread.  The actual dance itself consists of a variety of styles that developed in various regions and eras.  The Argentine Tango can be danced in an embrace that can vary from very open, where the leader and follower connect at arms length, to very closed, where the connection is chest to chest.  In the close in embrace, the chest of the leader and follower are touching and their heads are also touching or close to touching.  This particular dance relies heavily on improvisation- there are no basic steps.  Since much of the dance is based on improvisation, there must be a clear communication between the leader and follower.  It is danced along the outside of the dance floor and it is frowned upon to cross the middle of the dance floor.  Another element of this dance that is important is "Walking."  In the Argentine Tango the walk is on the outside of the legs of the follower.  Throughout its history the Argentine Tango has developed a set of codes and superstitions.  One example is the "cabeceo"- an eye invitation from a man to a woman to dance which is practiced in Buenos Aries.  Today, many people can see the Argentine Tango on the hit television series Dancing with the Stars.