2011: Gagalations

By Meghan BlalockWhen Alvin Ailey’s Revelations debuted in 1960, it swiftly became one of the most widely known pieces of modern dance. The original piece, inspired by what Ailey called “blood memories” from his childhood in Texas, was more than an hour long, choreographed to both traditional and modern spirituals so as to depict the spiritual journey from slavery to freedom through faith. The styles of dance in Revelations are eclectic, ranging...

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I Wanna Take A Ride On Your Disco Egg! - "Born This Way" Preliminary Thoughts & Discussion

By Roland Betancourt, Eddie McCaffray, and Meghan VicksMeghan Vicks: Let’s begin with our thoughts about the song “Born This Way.” How does the song’s form work with, or against, the song’s message? In what ways does the song follow in the tradition of “celebrate yourself” anthems past, and in what ways does it break from that tradition? How does the song compare to Lady Gaga’s music from The Fame and The Fame Monster, and what does it indicate about...

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Lady Gaga & Andy Warhol

By Sam PerryDirector's Statement: I have a fascination with Andy Warhol and Lady Gaga. They have so many similarities and I wanted to display that in a visual way. It is easy to critique visual art through text, but the greatest way to critique something is through the same form that it is produced in. All of the videos I used are simply snippets of Gaga and Warhol's portfolios, mostly leaning toward their public personas. The use of Basquait's art was only to remind the viewer that Warhol worked as a catalyst for other people and for commercial products, just as Gaga has done as an advocate and with products like Polaroid. Bio: Sam...

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Djaala/Torveeda/Khilii 7 ["A Poison Tree"] & Hélyos 6 ["A Poison Tree"]

by Tommy MayberryDjaala/Torveeda/Khilii 7 ["A Poison Tree"], 2010Conceptual Artist/Model: Tommy MayberryPhotographic Artist: Tina Weltz, MPA, LPPOHair and Make-up Artist: Jessica BarberCalla StudioDigital Image Hélyos 6 ["A Poison Tree"], 2010Conceptual Artist/Model: Tommy MayberryPhotographic Artist: Tina Weltz, MPA, LPPOHair and Make-up Artist: Jessica BarberCalla StudioDigital ImageArtist Statement:To borrow Richard Dyer’s words, I work in...

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From Polavision to Gaga Glasses

By Stefan HelmreichMuch has been written about Lady Gaga’s astonishing eyewear, from her razor-blade glasses in the video for “Bad Romance” to her smoking-cigarette sunglasses in the “Telephone” mini-movie. Gaga’s glasses signify a traditional celebrity opacity, but also torque and augment – and sometimes even impair – her vision. Hers are more than mirror-shades, more than sunglasses that enact or enable reflection, reception, protection, and/or...

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