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unabashegirl · 4 years ago

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Pax Romana; Part I

Author’s note: Hey everyone, here is the first part of this mini-series. I hope you like it! Let me know if you want to be on the tag list. Also, REQUESTS ARE OPEN only for H.

DISCLAIMER; I DONT KNOW ITALIAN! (only English, French and Spanish) I clearly used a translator. I am aware their translations are SHIT sometimes. Therefore I am sorry if I butcher it! I didn’t mean to!

masterlist

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Harry Styles, can still recall the first day he was enthralled by her conspicuous beauty. At first, he reckoned he had done the unavoidable. He had moved to Italy for the summer, and he had managed to fall in love with an Italian girl; that he had never spoken to. He had only observed her from afar — too shy to ever think of approaching her. Nonetheless, the young woman was a sight to behold. He promised himself that he would only watch from afar. It felt forbidden and somewhat illegal. The feeling that bubbled within him was enough reason to continue his study of her.

After his first visit to Italy, he had fallen in love with the country. Hence, why he had rented out a house in a coastal town. The country’s natural and effortless beauty inspired him to write new music for his upcoming album. The beautiful sunsets, the sunny mornings, the art, and the food brought peace and tranquility to him. It was the perfect place for him to hide — for a while. It was on one of his morning runs; he first noticed her.

She wore a bright yellow bikini that exposed most of her olive skin to the sun rays. She sat on a striped towel that she had laid out on the hot sand. Her hair was slicked back and wet after she had dipped in the ocean to refresh her body.

Of course, she never caught sight of his dilated pupils or the way he had leaned forward — lured by her beauty. Her attention was preoccupied with a hardcover of Pride and Prejudice; that she had brought along as a source of entertainment for the day. The young woman appeared too indulged in the printed words to notice his existence.

He watched her for a few hours. Now and then he would remind himself of the hundred reasons why he shouldn’t approach. He had even managed to take a few steps towards her. Harry eventually removed himself as soon as it became too much. He had beaten the temptation.

The first time he spoke to her was at a local restaurant. Harry had taken himself out on a late lunch date. He had dressed up nicely and had walked to the bistro. He noticed her presence after taking his first sip out of his freshly served Chardonnay. She sat on the table across from him. This time she wasn't submerged in a book. He could finally admire her natural beauty up close. The fullness of the apples of her cheeks, her long dark eyelashes, her red-tinted lips, and of course light sunburn on her upper cheeks and across the bridge of her nose.

A few minutes later, her order had arrived. It was ricotta and mushroom stuffed ravioli in a black truffle sauce. She was stuffing her face when they made eye contact. Harry’s lips curved upwards creating a lopsided smile as she scrambled to clean the creamy sauce off her face. He hadn't said anything to her, but she already felt embarrassed.

”Sono deliziosa?” He had done it. He couldn’t just watch her and pray she’d take the first step. It was time to put his Italian to the test. He had been practicing his Italian and even though he already had a few weeks on the Amalfi coast; he still struggled to comprehend. Harry only hoped she would be able to understand him.

”E molto deliziosa” She smiled at him for the first time. She beamed, radiating an intoxicating wave of warmth and happiness towards him. Her lips parted open for a split second but before she could utter a word the waiter approached.

“Hai bisogno di qualcos’ altro?” He was asking her if she needed anything else. She understood what he was asking, but she couldn’t remember how to say cheese.

“Fuck” she said under her breath. “Queso. Fromage. Cheese” She had forgotten how to speak. All her languages had mixed in one and the wires had crossed. “How do you say it?” She whispered under her breath, her cheeks warmed in embarrassment as the waiter tried to comprehend.

“Formaggio. Ha bisogno di formaggio parmigiano, per favore” Harry interrupted, noticing her uneasiness and her inevitable embarrassment. He knew that it wasn’t his business and he shouldn’t have been listening to the conversation, but he had to help her.

The waiter turned his attention to the young celebrity. He was also a bit surprised that Harry had spoken for her. He had seen that Harry kept to himself. He usually attended dinner on his own and hardly even bothered to use his phone. “Inmediatamente”.

“Thank you” She thanked Harry as soon as the waiter had left in search of the parmesan cheese that she so craved. Harry’s excessive focus on watching the server carrying out her request had prevented him from realizing that she spoke perfect English. He had to stop himself from gasping when processed her delicate voice. She had an accent. Slight. Gentle. Barely-there and it wasn’t Italian. He would later learn that her R’s made it more prominent.

“It’s alright. It happens” She instantly recognized who he was. Her heart raced for a minute or two, but she restrained herself from making a huge scene. After all, it was Harry Styles. Whom she considered, the most stylish man of her generation. The man could wear a curtain and still pull it off. “I am Harry” He rises a bit from his seat, extending his right hand.

“Catalina” She shakes his hand with a smile. “So, what brings you here?” Even her name was attractive — he wondered.

“Is’not obvious?”

“Not really. Enlighten me” The stranger gives him a small smirk while placing her napkin over her lap after crossing her legs under the table. Harry purges his lips as he uses his index finger and thumb to slightly tug on his bottom lip.

His whole plan to stay away from her had failed. Did he regret it?. Hell no! He just hoped he had chosen wisely.

“The art” He reveals as he watches her cut one of her ravioli before putting it in her mouth. She responds by only nodding; too indulged in the explosion of flavors within her mouth.

“Music?” She hums as she brings the glass of wine up to her mouth. “ I thought you were more of a dolce far niente type of man” her mouth curved into a smile. Dolce far niente means pleasant relaxation in carefree idleness. Harry instantly identified the phrase from Julia Roberts's famous movie — Eat, Pray, Love. She remembered reading somewhere that he was a rom-com fan.

“Are you?” He shot back. There was no doubt that he was intrigued by her.

“Si” She shrugged as she pushed around some ravioli.

“Then we have more in common than I thought, Catalina” Her name rolled off his tongue without any strain. It was as if he had been practicing for months. She had never heard her name sound so attractively. Sure, he had an accent, but it was still beautifully pronounced.

Harry’s order arrived moments later. He had ordered the classic spaghetti bolognese. He grabbed his fork and knife and right before digging into the plate, he looked up at her. Catalina had been watching him since silence had fallen upon them. His smirk grew into a soft chuckle as their eyes met. She giggled at him and first noticed his dimples. She now understood everyone's obsession with his smile.

“Would you join me?” Catalina spluttered after a few minutes of mentally debating with herself. She felt her heart beating in her throat and her hands dripping with sweat as other parts of her body. It was all very hot.

Catalina wasn’t the type of woman to initiate conversation. She rarely even texts first!. Her excuse is usually that she doesn’t want to bother or interrupt. In reality, she is scared shitless to make a fool out of herself. Therefore, she was quite surprised by herself to have asked him to have dinner together.

Harry cocked his head with his lips pursed. To her, he looked very pensive as if he was making a big decision. She didn’t blame him. He was on vacation and the last thing he wanted was to be photographed with a random girl and for questions to be asked. Although, he had already agreed in his mind. He just couldn’t come across as desperate. Even though he was. Harry wanted to know more.

His fingers tucked his clothed napkin into the collar of his shirt. A chuckle left his lips as he pushed his seat back and raised on his feet. He held his plate and utensils with one hand while his glass of wine with the other.

“So, where are you from?” Harry was first to ask, as he twisted his spaghetti around his folk. Catalina leaned back on her seat, her fingers clenching around her wine glass as she finished swallowing. “I am English” he laughs as if his accent didn’t give it away.

“Really? Bet my life you were Italian” Catalina bantered

“What gave it away?”

“The facial hair and the good head of locks” Harry grinned covering his face with his hands, feeling his cheeks heating up. He felt ridiculous for blushing at such a minuscule compliment. “But anyway, I was born in South America, but raised in Spain by my aunt”. She revealed playing with the small droplets around the cup of ice water that had been forgotten.

“And what are you doing here?”

“I study here” She had just finished her first semester. “Well not here, but in Rome. I am majoring in art history”.

The not so strangers sat for hours and indulged in one more bottle of wine. Harry encouraged her to pick but she politely refused. She said that she hadn’t spent enough time in Italy to know what was best.

She told him about her parents. Her father had walked out on her mother after she had told him that she was expecting. Catalina also shared with him how she felt after losing her mother to cancer when she was only ten. She was quite surprised at herself. She had never shared so much with anyone. Let alone, someone she had met that same night. Harry brought her some kind of comfort that she had no idea she needed.

Harry listened to her. She hadn’t finished speaking and answering his previous question and he already had another one formulated. He liked hearing her speak. She allowed him to pick at her brain and he liked what he saw. She was driven, independent, somewhat lonely, but incredibly smart. Catalina was also unbelievably wise for her age.

“What about you? Is fame all you thought it would be?” Catalina asked moments after they had been kicked out of the restaurant. They eventually had to close. Harry held what was left of the bottle as they walked down the isolated streets.

“That’s a heavily loaded question” He chuckled, “It’s way more complicated and difficult. I think I expected to never feel lonely by the continuous abundance of people around me. But in reality, sometimes it feels lonelier than when I was just Harry” Harry shrugged, masking the pain that the vulnerability that he suddenly felt.

“I get it. The screams and faces don’t match the number of people close to you” Catalina was not famous but she could understand where he was coming from. Sure, her aunt had raised her, but she had felt lonely for most of her life. Her mother's death had felt a gaping hole in her life that no one has ever been able to fulfill.

“M’not ungrateful for my friends but I do feel lonely. I guess I haven't found what I am looking for” Harry flashed her a reassuring smile as they walked down to the main road. “Let me help yeh” He had seen her struggling to walk over the cobblestone streets. She wore low heel sandals that complemented the white satin dress that she has opted for. Unfortunately, the heels were thin enough to slip through the stones making her overly cautious where she stepped.

Harry switched the bottle to his other hand and offered his hand for her to take. She stopped momentarily and stared at his massive hands. They were bare. His famous rings were missing as if they had gone on a vacation too. She took his hand and was slightly surprised at their softness. She had expected them to be rough but they were quite the opposite.

“Thank you”

“No problem” He wanted to spend more time with her. He wished that the night wasn’t ending. “I would invite you for some gelato, but it’s quite late. I doubt there is any place opened”

“How long are you staying?” Catalina asked as she noticed them approaching the entrance of her hotel.

“A few more weeks” the splendor of the lights of the entrance of the hotel illuminated her features. Harry couldn’t help thinking how lovely she looked.

“I’ve had a lovely time. Will I see you tomorrow?”

“M’not planning on goin anywhere” Catalina reached up, resting a delicate hand on his shoulder, she kissed his cheek.

“I’ll see you around then” She gave him a little wave as she walked her way through the doors. She would later realize that she hadn’t only kissed him because it was part of her culture and tradition but because he managed to ignite a flame within her — that one had ever done before.

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hnderyx · 4 years ago

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Hihi! Can I ask for a reaction of them wanting your attention and cuddles but you’re too concentrated doing something else?

Btw your reactions are so cuuuute!!

WayV's reaction to you being too concentrated on something else and they want your attention~

Heh, thank you for your ask!

And thank you for the compliment! Those type of comments always get me all giddy 💕

Kun:

I feel like when this guy wants attention, it's a bit more subtle

So when you're sitting at your desk writing an essay

He picks up on your stressed out vibes

He thinks that maybe if he takes your attention off of your essay for a little bit, you'll be able to come back and have an easier time finishing it

Clear your head a little bit

He also feels kind of neglected and wants some attention

But he'd never admit to that

Because he's 'so mature'

So he comes up behind you and gives you a back hug type thing as he rests his chin upon your head

"y/n, don't you think you should take a break for a little? You've been working on this for the last six hours.. straight"

"No, Kun. I need to get this done. It's due by next week and I'd rather not have to worry about it"

Next week?

Bro, what?

You've got like.. what, 100 hours plus to finish it?

And you're all bent out of shape right now?

"You could take a little break and maybe go for a walk with me or something.. your little mind has been full of essay thoughts for too long"

"No"

Alright, plan B

He goes and grabs your jacket and shoes

He drops the shoes by your chair and holds your jacket out for you to take

"We're going on a walk, y/n. You need a break. No saying no"

You're a bit annoyed at this, but you comply

He’s succeeded at getting your attention without exposing the fact that he is indeed an attention leech

Ten:

I feel like we all know what Ten’s like when it comes to wanting attention

“Baby Yangyang come here” *aggressive bed patting*

So when he sees you sitting in your library, reading some new fantastic book you’ve purchased

His heart immediately turns into goo

You sitting there, looking so focused

Your little expression

It makes him just want to cuddle you to the nth degree

So he does just that

Or, tries to

Sitting on the couch next to you, he wraps his arms around your torso and rests his head on your shoulder

You’re pretty much alright with this until he starts to try and distract you by blowing into the nape of your neck

To get your attention, of course

“Ten, stop. The story’s starting to get to the climax. Don’t distract me, it’s interesting”

“I could get you to your climax too, y/n. It’d be far more interesting”

You slap him away with a glare

“You’re fucking greasy. I just want to read”

You direct your attention back to the novel

He sits there with a slight pout before moving to rest his head on your lap

“Don’t you think your idol boyfriend is more interesting than a stupid book, y/n?”

“Look, you can lay there all you want, just don’t talk to me. I’m trying to focus”

He snakes his arms around your waist and pulls his face into your stomach

You drop one of your hands that was supporting the book to play with a couple strands of his hair

After about 20 minutes you start to hear soft snores from your boyfriend

At least he got his cuddles, and you got to focus on your new novel

Winwin:

I think the majority of us know that this lad isn’t too thrilled about skinship

So when he’s wanting it

You better swan dive right into that shit, y/n

If you’re not, I’ll come to have a serious conversation with you. I’m not too great at language skills and I have a terrible stutter but I’ll come for you istg

When he sees you in the kitchen

Making some cute cookies in the shape of flowers

Guy just wants to snuggle

Looking at you with flour all over your face, maybe a little in your hair

In your cute little apron

It makes him so soft

So he comes behind you and wraps his arms around your waist, toying with the little bow you’ve tied on the front of your apron

“Whatcha doing, y/n?”

“Makin’ cookies” you mumble, pressing the cookie cutter into the dough

“You wanna come cuddle? I’ll clean you up and get all that flour off your face”

“I can’t right now, maybe after I put the cookies in the oven. I wanna have some of these as soon as possible. It’s a new recipe, Sicheng”

You start laying the cookies out on the pan, the parchment paper crinkling every once in a while from the weight of the dough

He observes every movement your hands make

Patiently waiting for you to finish the task at hand

“So when are you gonna.. you know.. put them in the oven?”

You look over at him as you’re delicately brushing egg whites over the cookies

He’s real desperate for cuddles and here you are, making cookies

y/n, what’s wrong with you? Give the guy some loving

“After the oven beeps. It has to be 175 degrees for these to bake properly. Be patient”

A few moments later, the oven beeps and you FINALLY put the cookies in

Poor guy is nearly jumping from excitement when you finally remove your apron and move to give him a hug

It was now time for Sicheng and he honestly couldn’t wait to receive your attention instead of watching you fuck around with dough and ignore him

Lucas:

Lucas probably could get your attention and cuddles whenever he wants

So when he sees you dusting the house

In your cute little Saturday morning outfit

Shorts that are WAY too short to be allowed in public, and an old tee you’ve had for centuries

He can’t help but want to cuddle his little cutie

But he knows you can be a little bit feisty when you set your mind to something and he tries to distract you from it

Does he care if you get a little upset if he takes your attention for like.. an hour?

No bro, he doesn’t

When it’s Xuxi time, it’s Xuxi time

Besides, when you’re angry, you’re basically just like a little angry hamster

He walks up behind you and suddenly lifts you

And at this point you’re like “wtf is happening?”

Until you realize that the gentle giant (if you’re taller than him, then he’s the midget) of the house is carrying you towards the couch

“Yukhei, I was dusting. Put me down. I need to finish this before I can relax”

“You can finish it later,” he plops down on the couch with you on his lap “right now, you can relax with me”

You basically claw to get out of his grasp to finish your task

But his iron strong grip is keeping you sat upon his lap

Eventually you give up

What’s the use of fighting it

He could probably bench press 40 of you

So 1 of you wanting to get back to dusting is probably like holding a squirming kitten in your arms

You toss the dusting rag in your hands onto the coffee table

And then snuggle into his hold

Yukhei has won

But then again, how could he not?

Xiaojun:

You decided recently to take up a new hobby

And that hobby was dancing

So you decided to try and cover one of your boyfriend’s songs

And wow, to DJ

Coming home from practice and laying his eyes on you attempting to dance to Turn Back Time was the cutest shit-

There you were, in your pyjamas

In the middle of the living room with everything pushed out of your way

Trying your best to follow along with his movements on your laptop screen

“y/n, you do realize you could’ve just asked me to teach you?”

You pause and turn to face him

You didn’t hear him come through the door and now 1.) you were deeply embarrassed and 2.) you ruined your surprise for him

“I wanted to surprise you with it, Dejun..”

God, when I tell you this guy’s heart grew like the Grinch’s after all the Whos showed him the warmth of Christmas (idk if that’s even right I haven’t seen the movie in years-)

He rushed over to you and pulled you into a tight hug

“Let’s go rest. I’m tired after practice and I’d just love some hugs from you”

“DJ, I really want to learn this for you.. You can go rest and I’ll come join you later”

“I can teach you later. Having me teach you would be significantly better than trying to learn from a dance practice video..”

But his attempts to convince you to come cuddle you were futile, as you ‘just wanted to do it by yourself’

Eventually he just resorted to picking you up and throwing you over his shoulder to carry you to your shared bedroom

You tried to protest, but your protests were just as futile as his cuddle requests

He did take the responsibility to teach you the choreography after your little afternoon nap, even if you tried to refuse

Hendery:

Your anniversary was coming up and you thought you’d do some arts and crafts to make a handmade card for Kunhang

You were successful in your endeavour until he found his way into your craft room

Kind of like a sneaky snake

You didn’t realize he was there until he whispered a “whatcha doing?” into your ear

This basically caused you to jump the height of the empire state building

You tried your best to hide the card you were working on, hoping that he didn’t see too much of it

“I was making something for you- for our anniversary”

A grin found itself onto his face

“That’s so cute, y/n” he pulls you into a suffocating but loving hug, “but how about for right now, you come cuddle?”

“I’m busy..” your voice was muffled by his hoodie “I don’t want the decorations to dry wrong, Mr. Wong” (yes y/n, bust out those rhymes)

“Oh come on, I’ll love it no matter what the decorations look like”

The next few minutes were just filled of Hendery’s attempts to get you to be the big spoon because he ‘wanted to know what it felt like’

You finally gave in

Because not gonna lie, cuddles with Hendery are SSS tier

Not before trying to hide the card under a stack of books

You didn’t want him to lay his eyes on it again until your anniversary

Yangyang:

I feel like

With you, Yang² would be clingy 24/7

He just hits me as a lad that would love to show his love for you in any way possible

And because of this, there’s a lot of begging for cuddles

When he comes home to see you curled up in bed with a cold facecloth draped over your forehead

He’s immediately worried

“What’s going on? What’s wrong?”

You explain to him that you think you might have a little flu, but that’s all

And that maybe you being in a close proximity with him wouldn’t be great for him

Still, he attempts to climb in bed with you to hold you close

“Yangyang, I don’t want you to get sick. I don’t want to take care of you when you’re bowing to the porcelain gods”

“Oh come on, y/n. I need cuddles because it hurts me to see you like this... and you should cuddle me because cuddles are the best cure-”

You roll your eyes and sit up from the bed slowly before making your way to the living room, to at least prevent the guy from catching whatever you had

And as you’re heading down the hallway you get the “y/n, y/n, wait”

He grabs your hand and pulls you back towards the bedroom

You’re too weak to protest against this

You used up your energy and brainpower by trying to force Yangyang to leave you alone

It didn’t work, of course

So you gave in

Maybe you did need cuddles from him

You two spent the rest of the day spooning in bed and snoozing

Taking a break when you needed to bow down to the toilet, of course

He was right though, the cuddles did make you feel a bit better

#wayv #wayv scenarios #wayv reactions #nct reactions #nct #nct scenarios #wayv kun #wayv ten #wayv winwin #wayv lucas #wayv xiaojun #wayv hendery #wayv yangyang

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surveys-at-your-service · 4 years ago

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Survey #363

(one more that’s a late upload from way earlier in the day, and i yet again don’t feel like updating the answers)

What brings out the worst in you? When I'm very anxious or having a PTSD episode, I can become very snappy and just not a joy to be around. What all did you eat today? This morning I had oatmeal, I had a rice cake as a snack, and lunch was ham and cheese on a tortilla. Some people were really destructive as a child, were you? No, I was a good kid. Who was the last person you were in a car with? My mom. Who was the last person you cried in front of? It was probably Mom. Do you talk about your feelings or hide them? I usually talk about them somewhere, like in surveys if I feel I can't with anyone else. Please be vocal with your feelings. It is so destructive to let them build up. Who was the last person you were with that smelled REALLY good? I'm unsure. Do you know anyone that is gothic? A good number of people, myself included at least in spirit. ;~; I can't really afford good attire, nor do I have the patience for so much makeup maintenance. Have you seen UP? I actually haven't seen the full movie, but I'd like to. How is your mom? Stressed as fuck and tired of everything. What color hair does your mom have? She recently dyed it black. Her hair is growing back totally gray now and she hated it. She's gotten so self-conscious as she's aged. When was the last time you were told you were cute? Idk. Do you feel comfortable getting up and giving speeches? FUCK NO. Have you ever dipped french fries in a frosty? I tried it once and did not get the appeal. Did you have school/class today? No. My school endeavors are done. Do you have any paintings in your room? If so, of what? Yeah, I have my big painting of meerkats grooming above all my 'kat plushies. Have you ever had your photo professionally taken? As a child and by school photographers, anyway. Would you prefer eating jello or pudding? Pudding. After washing your hair, do you put any products in it? No. Last time you ate a salad? Like a week ago when we went to Ichiban for my sister's bday. Do you know how old your house is? No, I don't. Have you ever been described as ”adorable”? Yeah. Have you ever given a lap dance? No. They seem incredibly awkward to me?? Would you accept a boring job if it meant you would make mega bucks? No. I can't do a job I hate for anything. I would be so depressed. Are you a moody person? Yes. What are you listening to? I'm watching Gab Smolders' new episode of Resident Evil 8: Village. I'm deadass watching four different LPers play it, I'm only moderately obsessed lmao. What video game could you waste the most time on? WoW, given it has like a zillion different things to do. Yet I still get bored lmao. What is your favorite condiment? Maybe Ketchup? I think I use that for the most things. What is the worst thing that you have ever done? I don't feel like getting into this. How old were you when your parents gave you the "birds and the bees" talk? They didn't; I learned in my school's sex ed in the 5th grade. Have you ever questioned whether or not you'd benefit from therapy? I have benefited from it. What would you like it to say on your gravestone? Hypothetically, idk. But I'd rather be cremated. Would you ever wear real leather or animal fur? NO. Have you ever completely failed a year of school and had to repeat a grade? No. Have you ever been bitten by an animal that wasn't a cat or a dog? Which? I think my old baby iguana bit me once or twice, not that it was very painful at her young age. I can't recall another animal. What type of literature are you most likely to read? (book, magazine, etc) Books. Do you prefer using candles, wax melts, or incense? Incense. Are you someone who actually doesn't have a Facebook? No, I have one. What kind(s) of Facebook groups are you active in, if any? I'm not really *active* in any; I just observe them and interact via "like"s. I'm actually in a whole lot of groups, though. Do you enjoy any herbal or fruit teas? What kinds? Neither. Do you hear any animals right now? No. What are your thoughts on Avenged Sevenfold? I know and like a few songs, especially "Dear God." Do you like Batman? Yeah, I like his "refuse to murder" ideology. The only thing is I kinda have a bad connection attached to him, because Batman was Jason's thing. Have you ever played fetch with a dog? Yes. Does your house have a fireplace? Yeah actually, but it might be fake? I don't even know lol. Have you ever pet a stingray? No. Have you ever dissected a baby pig in a class at school? Oh my god, no. I literally could never. I did dissect a frog in the 7th grade that wound up to be pregnant, though... I wasn't happy about it, but at the same time it was very interesting. Who is the last baby you held? My niece. Do you like Sunkist? The orange kind is fine, but the STRAWBERRY flavor? Jfc I love that shit. Would you ever consider being a cannibal? UM NO Do you have any scars from an animal? I have a lot of scars on my hands from playing with Roman. I scar extremely easily, so just his little scrapes leave marks. Have you ever seen an Igloo? No. Do you like Korn? Love 'em. How many animals do you have? Really two, but we have three in the house right now. Idk when this dog is going away. Are you more afraid of tornadoes or hurricanes? Tornados. Ever rode in a helicopter? No. Do you like rabbits? Yes, they're adorable. Do you like mushrooms? NO. What was the last movie you cried at? I want to say Logan, but I'm not sure. I watch movies so rarely that I really don't know. Would you rather work for a small or large company? Small. I'd feel more useful. What is the rudest thing a guy has ever done to you? I don't know. Have you ever read the book 13 Reasons Why? Yeah. I thought it was good, but now I don't remember like... anything about it. What did you have for breakfast this morning? I had apple and cinnamon oatmeal. How many times have you read your favorite book? Just once. I don't re-read books. Have you ever been on Omegle? No. Are you still in love with one of your exes? "In love," no. Do you think being born was a mistake? Yeesh, no. Has a relative ever been arrested? My psychotic uncle (by marriage) has been. Was it a serious crime? Quite honestly, I don't remember. I just know he's an angry and dangerous motherfucker. Do you think the Fountain of Youth exists? No. How about in a parallel dimension? Doubtful. Do you believe humans are part of a giant alien experiment? I ponder over the possibility of being a research simulation, kind of like a much advanced version of The Sims, but I honestly doubt it. Have you ever been suicidal? Yes. Was it a passing phase or is it something controlled by medication? Therapy and medication saved me. Is there a holiday you wish no one celebrated? Which is it? Why do you feel that way? Fight me about Christopher Columbus Day. He didn't discover shit. Have you taken any writing classes? How about art? I've taken a writing course in college, and I've taken loads of art classes. What’s your all-time favourite band? How about all-time fave singer? Ozzy Osbourne; Freddie Mercury. What three songs do you want played at your funeral? Why those particular songs? "Like A Woman" by Alice Cooper, "Life Is Beautiful" by Sixx A.M., and "Angels on the Moon" by Thriving Ivory. I just like them and find them suiting. Do you think most mythological creatures exist? No. Have you ever had lice? No. What is one superstition that freaks you out? Why is that? I’m not superstitious. Are either of your parents retired yet and if not, what do they do? No. Dad is a mailman, and while Mom doesn't ~officially~ work yet because she's recovering from intense cancer treatment, she very recently resumed lightly cleaning a church for a small payment. Kinda like a warmup. When did you or do you want to move out of your parents’ house? I wanna move out once I'm in a long-term, stable relationship with someone so we can live together. Me living alone is NOT a good idea. How do you like your current job, or if you’re unemployed, have you been looking for employment? I don't have a job, but when I go to my tattoo appointment, I'm going to ask them if they'd be interested in hiring someone for the front desk. I think it's def something I could do because I love the environment, there's really not that much I need to know (like where the Doritos are, dealing with exact change, answering a dozen unique questions), it's not insanely busy, and the occasional phone call would challenge my anxiety and just be a minor inconvenience to me until I got used to it. My partial hospitalization program really got me wanting to fight back against what gives me anxiety, to truly expose myself to what scares me, while not going totally overboard with it. It was encouraging to hear my therapist there thought it was a magnificent idea for me. I decided I wanted to ask while at the parlor getting work done to show serious interest (like I'm not just some random chick walking in and asking for a job), as well as let the people warm up to me. I'm trying not to get my hopes up too much, but damn am I wishing. I want it so badly. What kind of booze did you last take shots of? I've never taken shots.

#survey #surveys #questions

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ahouseoflies · 7 years ago

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Best Films of 2017, Part III

Part I is right here. Part II is right here. Let’s keep it moving. PRETTY GOOD MOVIES 67. Kingsman: The Golden Circle (Matthew Vaughn)- Exactly, eerily, as good as the first one. Make a hundred more of these stupid candies and wrap them individually in wax paper. 66. Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond (Chris Smith)- As a movie about the effects of fame: 5 stars As a movie about the inherent lie of acting: 4 stars As a movie about making a movie: 2 stars As a well-structured documentary of its own: 1 star 65. The Wall (Doug Liman)- War movies often topple under the weight of their messages, but that's not The Wall's problem. To his credit, Liman is worried about making this a thriller first, even as he's showing off the competency of the soldier at its center. There's no music, and the camera plants you subjectively in Sergeant Issac's field of vision. (The John Cena character is named Shane Matthews, but he ain't even SEC). Even at 80-something minutes, however, the film feels long, telegraphing its way from one plot point to the next, and its dark ending comes off as a too-clever shrug. If your movie is about the war, then make it about the war. If it's using the war as a backdrop, then make it about something. 64. Fist Fight (Richie Keen)- Once you start thinking about its logic on any level, it falls apart. (The whole reason schools are bad is that they can't find good teachers, so why would they be so intent on firing the ones they have?) And it's full of fake problems. (Oh my God, he might not make it to his daughter's talent show in time!) But this worked for me overall. Some jokes fall flat, but there are so many that you can just wait for the next one to land, particularly if it's from the salty mouth of standout Jillian Bell. The script, full of meticulous callbacks, creates a full, satisfying arc for the protagonist as well. 63. Brad’s Status (Mike White)- A confused movie that is an easy, sort of Italian watch in the way that it so literally spells out its emotions. Even five years ago, this tale of a middle class White man's entitled bellyaching would have been told straight. Now it exists only because it weaves into the narrative people who check the Stiller character's privilege. Because the character's jealousy is communicated so truly and fiercely, it almost seems as if Mike White wants to tell a story but knows he shouldn't. That sounds like faint praise, but it's a fascinating experience.

62. Beach Rats (Eliza Hittman)- For about an hour, this felt like a movie I had seen before. "Oh, why can't I get it up? I, uh, must have had too many drugs. Definitely not because I'm gay 'cuz I'm not." It was, due to the underplayed performances and the careful composition, better than some versions of that movie, but not by much. Then, the last leg of the film gets mission-focused. Without giving anything away, rather than being just about heterosexual performance, it becomes about homosexual performance and heterosexual performance at the same time. The protagonist is challenging his straight friends within the rules of what they've determined and outside of them. Those layers pile on until the bravura final shot. I just wish it had hooked me sooner. 61. I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore (Macon Blair)- I preferred the Encyclopedia Brown fumbling at the beginning to the violent consequences at the end, but I realize that's how amateur detective movies work. I probably would complain if the film didn't open up in scale. The story is fairly simple, which, coupled with an assured visual style that is open to mystery, suggests that Macon Blair might have a real future as a director. He's not trying to do too much. Lynskey is absolutely perfect by the way. 60. Life (Daniel Espinosa)- Cool enough at the beginning and the end to excuse a few logical missteps in the middle. Still, without giving anything away, I'm recalling a fork in the road in which the film could have gone the easy, dumb way, and it went the more difficult, realistic way. I hadn't seen Espinosa's other movies, but he shows an assured hand here, especially with the rapturous gore. I can't say the same about Ryan Reynolds, who sleepwalks through a role that might as well be called You Know, a Ryan Reynolds Type. 59. The Zookeeper’s Wife (Niki Caro)- It goes pretty hard for PG-13, and there isn't much wrong with it--the passage of time gets haphazard in the second half maybe. But personally, I think I'm all good on Holocaust stories. 58. Landline (Gillian Robespierre)- It's basically a Woody Allen movie if Woody Allen had an affinity for rollerblades instead of bad jazz. Most of the laughs come from the '90s milieu; in fact, I'm not sure if this movie would even be a comedy without the setting. Despite some of those easy laughs (and some laborious ribbon-tying at the end), the screenplay does a few difficult things well. I'm thinking in particular of a scene in which Falco and Turturro have to confront and punish their daughter. We've already been told that she gets forced into the bad-cop role, and he skates above the fray as the favorite parent. But to actually see that dynamic in action during this scene, which begins with him whispering that the mother is coming, is kind of thrilling. The performances are good: Slate is dialed up to a higher pitch than she was in Obvious Child, and newcomer Abby Quinn comes through when asked to carry long stretches. At first, I wondered why John Turturro had signed up for such a nothing part, but as his arc blossoms in the film's second half to become a quiet MVP. He gets to remind us that no one else can play an unrealized sad sack quite like him. 57. The Unknown Girl (Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne)- I wish I had a unique take on this, but everyone else is right: It's a minor work from great filmmakers. There's some real psychology here--a woman in transition sublimates her upward mobility into a search for truth. And as a mystery, it works fine. But there's a tedium and a distance, despite the usual Dardenne tricks, that keeps it from hitting home. 56. The Glass Castle (Destin Cretton)- There are too many characters in real life too, I guess. Far less focused than Short Term 12, The Glass Castle is an admirably sincere piece with some powerful sequences, but it gets way out of hand in the last twenty minutes. Recommendations for a movie that finishes with the point "It's okay to hate your dad"? 55. The Disaster Artist (James Franco)- James Franco reveals himself to be a workman-like director, a brilliant actor, and the best real-life brother of all time. Having a James Franco performance like this but giving top billing to Dave Franco is kind of like eating birthday cake but giving top billing to the plate. Playing a clown-fraud like Tommy Wiseau exposes an actor to artifice. Commit too much, and it's a stunt; commit too little, and it's a wink. I don't know exactly how he does it, but James Franco walks the tight-rope precisely. Dave Franco, playing a nineteen-year-old for some of this, is in over his head. If you've ever seen a well-done amateur Shakespeare adaptation, you know the electricity that comes from the company's freedom, when they realize they can do what they want with this supposedly sacrosanct work. So imagine how much fun professionals are in re-staging a work that is objectively terrible. At its worst, The Disaster Artist feels like a trifle. At its best, however, that feeling of putting-on-a-show is what comes across well.

54. Manifesto (Julian Rosenfeldt)- I knew this was various incarnations of Cate Blanchett--a homeless man, a conservative housewife, a broker--performing artistic manifestos. But I didn't know the most clever twist, which is that the manifestos are blended into one another, so that a line of Marx alternates with a line of Tzara with a line of Soupault. That dynamic approach brings to light how confrontational and immature all of these types of writings are, not to mention the collaborative spirit most of those writers had. Your mileage may vary based on your tolerance for intellectual bullshit, but I scratched my chin contentedly. The pairings of the manifestos to the settings are clever, and my favorite was probably a eulogist talking about dadaism at a literal funeral. As artificial as what I'm describing sounds (and yeah, by the eighth or ninth one, you'll check your watch), Blanchett finds an observational truth. The performative posture of a schoolteacher, the pause for fake laughs of a C.E.O., the paper shuffle of a news anchor: She remains the real thing. 53. Brawl in Cell Block 99 (S. Craig Zahler)- Now that I have taken a shower to wash off the movie's bleak grodiness, I appreciate its solid plotting and grindhouse super-sizing. Like Bone Tomahawk, Zahler's previous film, Brawl in Cell Block 99 takes about an hour to get where it's going. (The inciting incident is technically at 1:08.) I assume the fat is there to develop the protagonist, but I think about twenty minutes could be shaved off. Zahler's rhythms might make for an excellent TV show, but something about that '70s exploitation poster makes me think we won't find out. 52. Columbus (Kogonada)- Columbus wrestles with the balance of information and inspiration. The Cassandra character prevents the Jin character--I'll ignore the gross name symbolism--from looking a date up on his phone because she wants to be able to recall it herself. Earlier than that, the Jin character tries to impress her with knowledge of a building, but she blows him off when he admits that he memorized it from a book he had read earlier in the week. Would that thought be somehow more pure if he had retained it over years? I think that type of calculus is what the film is concerned with, so it makes sense that it centers on architecture, an art of identity as much as it is a science of measurements, an expression as much as it is a utility. If the paragraph above makes it sound as if the movie is up its own ass, running on Sundance fumes through its meth subplot, then you'd be right. I had just enough patience to admire it as a promising debut. 51. The Book of Henry (Colin Trevorrow)- Colin Trevorrow's best film is always compelling--for different reasons in the compassionate first half than it is as it's careening off the rails in the final third. But it's always compelling. You can't complain about all studio movies being the same, then not appreciate something this fundamentally godless and bizarre. 50. Kong: Skull Island (Jordan Vogt-Roberts)- People rag on the DC Universe films for being too serious and dark, but there's no limit to how dark a movie can go as long as it's balancing that mood with something else. Vogt-Roberts gets that, and Kong: Skull Island is a cut above most of these entertainments because he has a deft handle on tone. The film can get scary because it's so silly and fun at other times. Plus, if you have Jackson, Reilly, and Goodman selling your lines, they can be as dumb as you want. Even if the other sequences never reach its level, the first helicopter setpiece is dope, in part because the actual fighting of the monsters is dynamic. Skull Island is pretty far from Brazil, but Kong's chokes, holds, and throws owe a lot to jiu-jitsu. It seems like a consistent piece of design at least. Can we talk about Tom "The Tight Sweater" Hiddleston though? Vogt-Roberts has no idea how to introduce him properly, but he is an absolute zero in the role that is supposed to be heroic. The script doesn't do him any favors--the American army is taking orders from this British mercenary because...--but he is a vacuum of charisma. He's not dangerous in any way, and his blah blah my dad died backstory is delivered with no conviction. I don't get it. 49. T2: Trainspotting (Danny Boyle)- It's a perfectly pleasant experience to see these characters twenty years later--Boyle has a few nostalgic tricks up his sleeve--but "pleasant" is a backhanded response to something as vibrant and essential as the original.There's a meta-reading of T2 that admits that everyone involved is struggling with the same issues as the characters, but even that is kind of like returning to your middle school and realizing that the basketball rims weren't actually that tall. And how do you mess up the music?

48. Brigsby Bear (Dave McCary)- There are some huge ideas on Brigsby Bear's mind. The weight of nostalgia versus genuine affection is there. Caring versus pitying is there. Then there's the idea that drives it: If you're the only person who appreciates a work, does that diminish it in some way? How important is collective experience to art?Those ideas are suggested by the screenplay by Kyle Mooney and Kevin Costello, but they aren't wrestled with directly. Especially in its structure, Brigsby Bear is more conventional than its mysterious introduction and Mooney's bonkers comedic sensibility would have suggested. 47. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (Martin McDonagh)- Three Billboards flew by for me, and I loved Sam Rockwell's iceberg of a performance. But I was held back by the same elements that hampered Martin McDonagh's other work. There's some profundity lurking in the Harrelson voice-over, and you can't tell me that you didn't get the chills from McDormand's raw scream as her son holds her back from putting out a fire.But it's over-written in the first half--"HOW RESPONSIBLE ARE WE FOR OTHER PEOPLE?" might as well be on a storefront on Main Street. And McDonagh, a real poet of the profane at his best, is so willing to go for the easy joke that he undoes a lot of his own subtlety. Even before the dreadful final five minutes, there's too much plot and too many characters.Perhaps it's an issue of expectations--this would have been a satisfying video store find back in the day, but I'm not sure something so out-of-control should be up for All the Awards. 46. Call Me by Your Name (Luca Guadignino)- For me, this is Guadignino's third straight film in which an emotional urgency underneath never quite equals the lush, meticulous, yet inert exterior wrapping. That being said, Chalamet's performance forces nothing, and the character is a uniquely novelistic creation: knowing everything, practicing mystery, but wearing his confusion on his sleeve. Despite an overall shapeless quality, the film brings everything home in the poignant moments near the end. One of those moments is a five-minute "it gets better" speech by Michael Stuhlbarg. By that point I think most of my audience was willing to go there, but I hesitated to buy it. You can't spend two hours being a movie about what isn't said, then switch over to a movie in which everything is laid out on the table. Then again, that's my exact Guadignino problem. 45. Battle of the Sexes (Jonathan Dayton, Valerie Faris)- Dayton and Faris show as little tennis as possible because they don't know how to make it look interesting. Carell sleepwalks through his role. There's a lot of "Here's plot point A" type dialogue. We're told about King's dedication to the game, but we aren't really shown it. Unfortunately, the whole thing is a Clinton-Trump allegory, and Dayton-Faris expected Clinton to win like everyone else did. But Battle of the Sexes still goes down smooth, mostly because of the tender love story between Billie Jean King and Marilyn Barnett. In fact, every time the film cut to something else, I wanted more of those women discovering each other. I'm a student of Movie Stardom, so I've given Emma Stone her due as a Movie Star. But this is the first time I forgot I was watching Emma Stone. The scene in which Billie Jean and Marilyn meet is an impressionistic, sensual haircut. Marilyn calls Billie Jean pretty, and based on the complicated reception of that compliment--a stumble but not a stammer--you can tell Billie Jean didn't get that much. As written, King is a strange mixture of inward flailing and outward tenacity, and Stone breaks hearts with it. It's not often that one performance can give a movie a reason to exist, but that's why they play the games. 44. King Arthur: The Legend of the Sword (Guy Ritchie)- It's hard to remember a film more uninterested in its own storytelling, and it's even harder to remember a time when I saw that as a strength. If nothing else, the permanent fast-forward button that Guy Ritchie holds feels like a fresh corrective against other self-serious origin legends. I say "origin," but this movie actually feels like a trilogy unto itself, with the excellent initial twenty-five minutes covering about thirty years at a breathtaking pace. The score, which incorporates human breath, makes that literal. Ritchie fashions King Arthur into a scrappy orphan story, so there's a bit of his underdog imprint, but he also sort of assumes that we know the basics of the King Arthur story and yada-yadas a lot. Merlin gets mentioned only by name, Excalibur never gets named, and Arthur literally cuts in line to pull it out of the stone. By the end some of the visuals look like Killer Instinct for the N64 with a code to turn CGI embers all the way up. But I prefer this to the three-hour version that the studio accountants no doubt expected to receive.

43. War for the Planet of the Apes (Matt Reeves)- For better or worse, this movie plays for keeps. Aided by Michael Giacchino's second masterpiece of a score (after Up), the film lets the action speak for itself, going for long stretches without any dialogue. It culminates in the exact go-for-broke ending that I keep asking for. But am I the only one who feels a bit of cognitive dissonance with these movies? The audience I saw it with applauded at the end, but it's hard for me to buy in that way for something that is so dour and self-serious while also being goofy. Like, I'm really supposed to learn about the lessons of work camps from CGI apes? The commitment behind the apes' design is admirable--how has this series not won any effects Oscars yet?--but is the storytelling strong enough to transcend those tricks? It's novel, but I'm not sure it's new. Matt Reeves crams the film with Apocalypse Now allusions, and though I was thoroughly entertained, I couldn't help but think this was Apocalypse Now for people who will never see Apocalypse Now.

#film #lists #movie reviews

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theseventhhex · 7 years ago

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Tei Shi Interview

Tei Shi

‘Crawl Space’ documents Tei Shi’s transformation from the cautious and curious new kid on the block to a confident, self-possessed artist. Written and recorded over a year and a half, the album traces a much wider arc, from Tei Shi’s earliest musical explorations whilst evoking the early experiences of centering oneself and changing focus. Throughout every song, Tei Shi brings a remarkable clarity to the very act of vulnerability, to exposing oneself and inviting others in. ‘Crawl Space’ traces the arc of major changes across every facet of Tei Shi’s life, and embodies the sound of an artist creating and commanding her own space. And while the process can be claustrophobic, Tei Shi proves that it can also be liberating and even exhilarating… We talk to Tei Shi about getting into production, having the freedom to roam and Italian horror movies��

TSH: As ‘Crawl Space’ came to fruition, did you once again delve into the thousands of voice memos on your phone for ideas?

Tei Shi: I definitely had a lot of voice memos that had seeds of songs and ideas that ended up on the album. That tends to be the case for me in general, since it’s so easy to be recording little ideas on a daily basis on your phone.

TSH: You got more hands-on with producing for this release too. What sort of incentives and tips did you pick up along the way?

Tei Shi: I just started to play around and I guess I realised that production is just really an extension of songwriting, it’s not this big scary thing (though it is a world in itself and probably requires as much attention and development as learning a new instrument does). But for me, getting more into production was just another way to play around with the ideas in my head and create something, and the songwriting goes hand in hand with it.

TSH: Was the notion of straddling genres and being more experimental a natural direction for you?

Tei Shi: It’s a natural approach for me because I haven’t had one overarching huge influence in my life that has informed my music. I’ve just picked up tons of little things from many different styles and genres and cultures and so when I make something I’m not necessarily aiming for a particular style.

TSH: Knowing this album varied from song to song, was the approach of writing beats and adding songwriting on top one that you relished?

Tei Shi: Yes, though not all of the songs were created that way. Some of them grew out of an instrumental idea or a basic beat, but a lot started just with the melody and vocals and the song being written that way, and then the instrumentation being built around that. I enjoy writing in both of those ways.

TSH: Also, bearing mind you wanted every song to sound quite different from the last, with regards to ‘How Far’, what sort of aura we you looking to bring to mind?

Tei Shi: I had this kind of psychedelic guitar line with this more retro sounding drum sound, and I wanted to have a vocal over it that had a jazzy twinge to it. I wanted something kind of dreamy and reminiscent of something that would accompany like a French new-wave visual.

TSH: With writing in Spanish being more delicate for you than writing in English, how did you fare in the process of bringing together ‘Como Si’…

Tei Shi: Writing in Spanish is just kind of a different process. ‘Como Si’ was a poem that I wrote at first, so it was formed that way. I then created a melody to match the words, and I had that idea for a couple of years. Only afterwards did the instruments and the production start to be shaped around it.

TSH: What kind issues did you encounter in enabling the tracklist and the flow of the album to be just right?

Tei Shi: I spent a lot of time trying to figure this out! Especially because I wanted to include the tape recordings from when I was young, so I had to find the right spots for those and the right songs to lead in and out of them. It just took a lot of trial and error, and some of the songs didn’t feel like they should go next to one another—but I kept that intentionally in some spots.

TSH: The vocals on this record come off stronger, clearer and without too many layers. Talk us through your intentions with your vocal ideas…

Tei Shi: I wanted the vocals to be much more clean and for the songs to have a clear central vocal/melody. In my past music, a lot of the vocals were very layered, with stacked harmonies and a lot of reverb — I had wanted to create more of a sonic landscape with my voice back then. But for this album, I wanted the songs to have more clear-cut songwriting and to be able to display my voice and its dynamic more. So the recording process and the mixing process were very much based around the vocals.

TSH: What has touring taught you in terms of the way you want your music to make people feel?

Tei Shi: Touring has just introduced a different angle, because suddenly you are aware of what people respond to physically and most immediately. Although I try not to think about that too much when I’m writing, I definitely want to make music that will translate well in a live show. That was part of the reason for including a lot more live instrumentation on this album, and less electronic sounds—I wanted to have a live band that could play these parts and have the songs really feel alive at the show. Each song has a different intention in terms of how I want people to feel. For some, I want them to dance and feel energised and jump around, for others, I want them to slow dance and have an intimate moment, and for others, I just want them to stand still and listen, and be kind of hypnotized.

TSH: Furthermore, are a strong set of aesthetics really empowering for you, knowing so many of your favourite artists have such a spot-on look…

Tei Shi: I’m a visual person for sure, so I’m drawn to aesthetics and I’m inspired by them. I think visual representation can accentuate music and allow you as an artist to keep creating off of your music.

TSH: What did you take away from moving around with friends and exploring different cities over the years?

Tei Shi: I’ve taken a lot from those experiences…I guess the main thing is not to get attached to physical objects so much. I’ve always been the kind of person who can’t sit still for too long, so having the freedom to roam around and change my surroundings whenever I want or need, is important to me.

TSH: Do you still feel like you carry a heavy sense of nostalgia in your life?

Tei Shi: I think nostalgia plays a big factor in my creative leanings…in the music and art I like, and I think if you’re not looking back on your life and observing your past all the time, you’re not learning about yourself. So I tend to always have a kind of retrospective mirror all the time.

TSH: You’ve stated one of the biggest things for you is ‘just the fear of being underestimated’. In the wake of this release and having received so many kind words for your hard work, how do you feel?

Tei Shi: I’m not sure… I try to not read too many things or keep too close tabs on reviews and things like that. All I can say is I’m extremely proud of the album, and I’ve gotten a lot of love and encouragement. I still feel there is often a readiness to underestimate newcomers in music, particularly young, female artists. But I also think it’s not exciting if there isn’t some sort of barrier to try and break down.

TSH: Have you discovered any new Italian campy horror movies?

Tei Shi: No! I haven’t been on my movie game lately…but I’m going to watch The Beast Must Die, which I’ve heard good things about. It’s not Italian though.

TSH: What’s your idea of a nice period of unwinding?

Tei Shi: Sleeping, eating well, watching movies, walking around the city, biking, cooking, reading, hanging out with family and friends.

TSH: Finally, as you look ahead, is your ethos very much to stay happy and motivated via already having the next thing in mind?

Tei Shi: Definitely… I am really excited to work on more music and see what’s next. Though I’m not rushing into it, and I still feel like I have a lot more to give to ‘Crawl Space’... so I’m not ready to move on just yet!

Tei Shi - “Say You Do”

CRAWL SPACE

#Interview #Tei Shi

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cclother · 7 years ago

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Response to pop-up assignment

Chelsea:

I experienced your effort as a synthesis of polarities - work/play, motion/stillness, focus/distraction, normative/absurd. I think it is wonderfully absurd to try to render a landscape while straddling a surfboard. Your efforts were continually disrupted by the motion of the surf - I imagine you developed a strange rhythm with the waves as you worked toward drawing a legible scene. Your project came across as more of a pop-up in your particular life rhythm rather than in a public context, and I missed the potential involvement of an unassuming audience. To me, your project feels like the initial indication of how art can be invited into the pleasures of life, but it stops short of connecting the art to a broader audience. Your project would not be dissimilar from someone who loves walking down the sidewalk pausing to make a drawing on their shoe, or something to that effect. I think this tests the bounds of how we understand ‘pop-up’ as a methodology. Either way, it looks like you had a rewarding experience doing this, and I had a nice time watching the movie you posted.

Daphne:

I think it is a challenge to activate an audience in an art show context - viewing static images on a wall can be so passive and contemplative that an art show vibe can wind up somewhat distracted or shallow. Folks stick to engaging superficially with each other because processing the work verbally can be a high hurdle to clear (that’s how I experience it anyhow). Your intervention worked against this pitfall, and I experienced it as effective in its approachability and inclusivity. Your pop-up was light in execution, using questions printed in large font on standard sized paper, with neon post-it notes provided to the audience. I’ve been in organizational ‘vision’ meetings where I work, and your pop-up reminds me of those sessions where everyone is meant to contribute ideas and responses to an organizational topic. It’s an efficient way to collect ideas. The downside is that the presentation is somewhat disheveled and lackluster. If the printed questions were somehow presented with more care (i.e. Nicer paper, framed, handmade, etc.), perhaps the responses would have been more robust.

Melissa:

I think this is a kick - like your giving your work away to an unassuming B&N patron, as a gift. You wrote the names of the magazines on acetate using graffiti style lettering and then slid them onto the actual magazines, like book jackets. I think the visual effect is fun insomuch as you couldn’t predict the final visual outcome (as the cover content was unknown to you). I’m curious as to why you wrote the name of the magazine rather than writing something subversive - perhaps you wanted potential patrons to assume the acetate sleeve was part of that month’s issue?

Chris:

Thank you for what responses I’ve gotten to this work so far. I feel confronted by an oversight committed: namely the presumptuous nature of the work. I presumed the community for which I made my cairn wanted me to do something for them. I didn’t ask anyone, I didn’t receive consent - I just decided to do it. This kind of gesture can act as a rights violation of sorts. If I were to attempt something of this nature in the future, I would need to consider the initial leg work before I act. Sarah’s project embodies the importance, and potential challenge, of requesting and receiving consent for artistic intervention.

Jean:

This project shows me how sanctioned graffiti and mural painting act as pop-up art in a public context. I hadn’t thought of these art forms as such. With mural painting or graffiti, I imagine a certain degree of premeditation, if not submitting outright proposals, goes into the creation of the final work. Your project is different in that regard.

Gillian:

I thought this was nuts - the epitome of ‘pop-up’ as liberation. The movements of the participants and the inclusion of a musical elements did a lot to suggest improvisational jazz, the individual elements coming into and out of syncopation. The green screen colored outfits suggest the pursuit of anonymity and the intent of taking on the image of something/someone else. What do you think about editing the collected footage? It could be an interesting task force yourself to choose parts of the performance to include/exclude from the finished film.

Rachel:

For me, the project subverts the inherent brevity of a pop-up event by including seeds as a component. I suppose one could extrapolate the content of any pop-up endeavor to see the far reaching ripples of a brief event, but this project does so explicitly. I appreciated the cleanliness of the mud painted letters - woulda/coulda been a drag if the letters had been at all difficult to read. I also thoughts it was a good a choice to present the quote a single long line of text rather than, say, a paragraph. I think this was another decision that invites legibility and increases the chance that an audience will engage the project.

Sarah - The project that could have been. I admire that you sought engagement and approval for your work - if I’ve observed something about your personal practice, it is that you seek respectful engagement with your collaborators and audience - you are never exploitative and/or condescending in your methods. Even if you seek to work subversively, you would invite any and all to join in, allowing the systems/establishments of humans to stand separate from the humans themselves. Your proposed work reminds me of a Beuys work, I Like America and America Likes Me, where the coyote seems to stand for the untamed and resourceful qualities of America, specifically the American West. Inserting a taxidermy diorama in the manner proposed, it’s like your reclaiming square footage for the landscape, trying to give the room back to nature.

Nicole - Such a quiet and sensitive approach to the assignment. I think projection is perhaps the most delicate and naturally ephemeral method of image sharing, and using this mode to share pictures of beautiful natural scenes in an otherwise dingy space feels appropriate based on your expressed intent. It seems like you are fighting to give people an experience of what is lovely in the world.

Ama:

Your pop-up worked on many levels: creating consciousness for the degradation of nature, an expose for your work, and a community gathering. I’m glad that your work engaged in dialogue with the environmental concerns of the space, pulling your audience in with your technique as a way to highlight the issues at hand. And your technique! So interesting to have something antithetical to the scale and rigidity of industry - wool craft speaks to me of intimacy, gentleness, and sensitivity; adjectives that stand in direct contrast to the qualities of the challenges facing the site.

Erin:

I am so impressed by how you turned an assignment into an opportunity to do a solid for your neighbors. Suggesting the leaves had been stolen changes the interpretation of your act of kindness - all of a sudden, the raking of leaves becomes an illegal act/a cause for concern. It gives the audience an opportunity to engage your kindness with a degree of remove - they don’t need to feel obliged to thank you so much, but rather can just giggle at the audacity of the proposition.

Sam:

How lovely and tender, and melancholy - the depiction of a romance that, by its physical substance, is ephemeral. The artist builds it up and the elements/natural phenomena wipe it away. Who was the audience for this piece, I wonder? I can’t help but assume that there is a personal element to this piece.

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