WHAT'S HAPPENING : ART.Study in contrasts: Critics love to divide art history into big, grandiose epochs: impressionism impressionism, in painting impressionism, in painting, late-19th-century French school that was generally characterized by the attempt to depict transitory visual impressions, often painted directly from nature, and by the use of pure, broken color to , mannerism mannerism, a style in art and architecture (c.1520–1600), originating in Italy as a reaction against the equilibrium of form and proportions characteristic of the High Renaissance. , abstract expressionism abstract expressionism, movement of abstract painting that emerged in New York City during the mid-1940s and attained singular prominence in American art in the following decade; also called action painting and the New York school. and on and on. Though convenient, the practice often is misleading. Take the cases of Kathe Kollwitz (1867-1945) and Georges Rouault Georges Henri Rouault (27 May 1871 – 13 February 1958) was a French Fauvist and Expressionist painter, and printmaker in lithography and etching. Childhood and education Rouault was born in Paris into a poor family. (1871-1958), both leading figures of the expressionist ex·pres·sion·ism n. A movement in the arts during the early part of the 20th century that emphasized subjective expression of the artist's inner experiences. ex·pres movement. One German, the other French, they were as stylistically different from each other as they were from their contemporaries. Dedicated moralists, both depicted through their human subjects the class tensions and social hypocrisies surrounding them. Kollwitz, the more literal of the two, identified with the working poor, particularly women and children, though her works are devoid of Victorian sentimentality. Rouault, drawing inspiration from contemporary social critics such as Alfred Jarry Alfred Jarry (September 8, 1873 – November 1, 1907) was a French writer born in Laval, Mayenne, France, not far from the border of Brittany; he was of Breton descent on his mother's side. and poet Charles Baudelaire, contrasted archetypal ar·che·type n. 1. An original model or type after which other similar things are patterned; a prototype: "'Frankenstein' . . . 'Dracula' . . . 'Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde' . . . figures such as prostitutes and judges to probe the dominant value systems of early-20th-century middle-class European society. Through Saturday, the Jack Rutberg Fine Arts Gallery, 357 N. La Brea Ave., Los Angeles, is providing a study in similarities and dissimilarities with the exhibition ``Contrasting Expressions: Kathe Kollwitz & Georges Rouault.'' Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. today, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. Admission is free. For information, call (213) 938-5222. ?13- Reed Johnson theater The E-ticket ride: It takes a singular talent to hurtle hur·tle v. hur·tled, hur·tling, hur·tles v.intr. To move with or as if with great speed and a rushing noise: an express train that hurtled past. v.tr. an audience from a north-central Ohio amusement park to Auschwitz, all in the time it takes to watch three sitcoms. That's the task Lisa Kron sets for herself in ``2.5 Minute Ride,'' a storytelling ``work in progress'' that traverses the hairpin turns and swooning swoon intr.v. swooned, swoon·ing, swoons 1. To faint. 2. To be overwhelmed by ecstatic joy. n. 1. A fainting spell; syncope. See Synonyms at blackout. 2. free falls of modern life. Previously seen last fall at the La Jolla Playhouse  La Jolla Playhouse is a not-for-profit, professional theatre-in-residence on the campus of the University of California, San Diego. , this solo
performance piece mixes bizarre epiphanies and mirthful mirth·ful adj. 1. Full of gladness and gaiety. 2. Characterized by or expressing gladness and gaiety: a warm, tender, and mirthful movie. confessions with disarming, self-effacing charm. As a central metaphor, Kron proposes her family's annual pilgrimage to the Cedar Point Amusement Park. Then, barely pausing for a transition, she switches to memories of her Holocaust-survivor father, recollections of growing up in the Midwest as a lesbian, or the odyssey of her brother's marriage to his Internet bride. Kron's performance takes place at 8 p.m. today and Saturday at UCLA's Freud Playhouse, under the auspices of UCLA UCLA University of California at Los Angeles UCLA University Center for Learning Assistance (Illinois State University) UCLA University of Carrollton, TX and Lower Addison, TX Center for the Performing Arts. Tickets are $22 and $9 (for full-time UCLA students with ID). For information or to charge tickets, call (310) 825-2101. ?13- Reed Johnson film Raptors and rexes redux Refers to being brought back, revived or restored. From the Latin "reducere." : Alarmingly, there are reports that some of you haven't seen ``The Lost World: Jurassic Park'' yet. That either means that you've somehow resisted the biggest hype in movie history or, sensibly, you're waiting for the crowds to die down. Regardless, it's time for you to see the best-looking fake dinosaurs on Earth. Steven Spielberg and his effects teams have greatly improved on the high-tech artistry they pioneered in the first ``Jurassic'' movie. There hasn't been much advancement on the story front - this is basically a pumped-up remake of the original, with elements of ``King Kong'' and ``Gorgo'' carelessly tossed in - but who cares? It's about rampaging raptors and rexes, and it's never been done better. ?13- Bob Strauss music Urban blues: The meter's running, but Mem Shannon is singing the ex-cabby's blues. The Big Easy vocalist-guitarist logged something like 500,000 miles behind the wheel of a taxi. Last year, on stage at the Jazz and Heritage Festival in New Orleans, Shannon announced his retirement by holding up his guitar and saying, ``I'm going to see if I can make any money with this now.'' Shannon's debut disc, ``A Cab Driver's Blues,'' garnered rave reviews across the nation. His latest, ``Mem Shannon's 2nd Blues Album'' (Rykodisc), contains more wry observations on urban life. Shannon and his funky band the Membership appear Saturday at Jacks Sugar Shack in Hollywood. Coaxing a variety of styles from his guitar, Shannon moves from the jazzy jazz·y adj. jazz·i·er, jazz·i·est 1. Resembling jazz in form or nature; rhythmical. 2. Slang Showy; flashy: a jazzy car. licks of George Benson to Latin-tinged workouts and full-blown New Orleans r&b. His songs veer away from the ``woke up this morning'' blues school, instead taking inspiration from a range of contemporary issues. ``The Wrong People Are in Charge,'' for example, reflects backroom back·room n. or back room 1. A room located at the rear. 2. The meeting place used by an inconspicuous controlling group. adj. 1. bungling bun·gle v. bun·gled, bun·gling, bun·gles v.intr. To work or act ineptly or inefficiently. v.tr. To handle badly; botch. See Synonyms at botch. n. in Louisiana government; ``Charity'' chronicles a day at a city hospital; and ``One Thin Dime'' deals with the homeless. Perhaps now Shannon can afford to take cabs rather than drive them. Jacks is at 1707 N. Vine St., Hollywood. Show time is 9:30 p.m. and admission is $8. Information: (213) 466-7005. ?13- Fred Shuster dining Valley's buffet mecca: If you're thinking buffet this weekend, the Universal City Hilton Hotel's remodeled Cafe Sierra, 555 Universal Terrace Parkway, should be No. 1 on a list of possibilities. That's because this attractive dining room featuring a dramatic atrium ceiling begins the day with a breakfast buffet for $12.95, has an established Sunday brunch buffet for $29 (children $15), offers a luncheon buffet for $12.95, has a Friday seafood and prime rib dinner buffet for $23.95 and a Saturday night Mediterranean buffet dinner priced at $17.95. Don't be surprised to see Hong Kong Chinese food on some of the buffet tables, because this hotel has one of the top chefs in his field, Barry Chan, previously with the respected Harbor Village in Monterey Park, on its culinary staff. And don't be surprised to see Moroccan, Turkish and Greek dishes along with Spanish, French and Italian items on Saturday's Mediterranean tables. Information and reservations: (818) 509-2030. ?13 - Larry Lipson CAPTION(S): 4 Photos Photo: (1) There isn't much improvement on the sequel's story line, but ``The Lost World: Jurassic Park'' is worth going to just to see the best-looking dinosaurs around today. (2) Singer-guitarist Mem Shannon, who gave up cab driving for the blues, performs with his band Saturday at Jacks Sugar Shack in Hollywood. (3) KRON (4) Kathe Kollwitz's ``Woman Reflecting'' (1920) is part of the ``Contrasting Expressions: Kathe Kollwitz & Georges Rouault'' exhibition on view through Saturday at the Jack Rutberg Fine Arts Gallery. |
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