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Punk monk
When unconventional Zen Buddhist monk (and hardcore-punk bassist) Brad  Warner wrote his first book, Hardcore Zen: Punk Rock, Monster Movies and the Truth About Reality, he didn’t anticipate the buzz it would generate. “I wrote it thinking there was no audience at all for a book like that, and I was amazed that it was even published,” says Warner.
Next Thursday, August 30, Warner will visit the McGill campus to talk about his latest book, Sit Down and Shut Up: Punk Rock Commentaries on Buddha, God, Truth, Sex, Death, and Dogen’s Treasury of the Right Dharma Eye. “I wanted to talk about Dogen, who founded the sect of Buddhism that I study in,” Warner explains. “He’s talking about everyday life—the real state you have at this moment, whatever it is—and looking more deeply into that.” Warner speaks on Aug. 30th, at 7 p.m., at the McGill Education/Counselling Psychology Department, 3700 McTavish, room 233.
by VINCENT TINGUELY
Make like a tree and twist
Choreographer Aparna Sindhoor digs into childhood memories as inspiration for her latest theatrical dance piece A Story and a Song. Sindhoor, originally from  Mysore but now based in Boston, was captivated by stories her relatives told when she was growing up. In this trio, Sindhoor retells these collected tales about women. She touches on the themes of environment, love and sensuality, using a blend of Bharatanatyam, yoga and an Indian martial art called Kalarippayattu.
What gives this piece a twist is that parts of it are suspended: “We started working with aerial dancing and with how it would be to express the notion of a tree, which is so grounded, in the air,” Sindhoor says.
The multilingual performance uses text, song and is part of the Teesri Duniya Theatre series called Bridges, which features works from culturally diverse artists. Catch the Canadian premiere at the D.B. Clarke Theatre (1455 de Maisonneuve W.), this Saturday, Aug. 25, 8 p.m., $15-$50, (514) 931-0942.
by MARITES CARINO
Portable plywood
Local Alexandre David has artwork all over town this summer. He’s part of the big outdoor art show Artefact at Parc Jean-Drapeau. He was also in Off Artefact, which included a show at Galerie Thérèse Dion in July and a group exhibition at the Contemporary Art Museum. To top it off, last week he opened a solo show, Faire des places, at artist-run centre Dare-Dare.
When I asked David about his art he said, “all my preoccupations are with  architecture.” He generally builds minimal architectural installations out of plywood, but by far my favourite piece was his drawing at the Contemporary Art Museum, in which he compared the Orange Julep building to Buckminster Fuller’s geodesic dome. There is humour and playfulness in the drawing, and the new work at Dare-Dare is more suppressed in his more formal installations.
At Dare-Dare, two people can easily roll one of David’s portable plywood objects out of the park and then unfold it to create their own informal but eye-catching space anywhere in Montreal. Instead of hitting a patio, take one of these out for a spin. Faire des places runs until Oct. 31, at Dare-Dare (between St-Laurent and Clark, below Van Horne) For info, call (514) 878-1088 or www.dare-dare.org.
by CHRISTINE REDFERN
Is it art?
COUCH POTATO ART: It’s rare for a television program to be seen as a work of art, but recently it’s the televisions themselves that are looking museum-worthy . Like their predecessors, those rec room relics boxed in wood, flat-screen TVs can also be camouflaged to make them blend in with the decor. This time, however, the veneer is swapped for a gilded Rococo frame.
With a multitude of styles, shapes and colours to choose from, these specially-made frames make the screen look less like an out-of-place computer and more like a piece of contemporary art. The beauty of this trend is the unlimited image selection and the unusual juxtaposition between Monday Night Football and high art. For more info, see www.framemytv.com.
Arts
hole
DAY AT THE MARCHÉ: Ditch the Jean Talon market for Place Royale this weekend (Aug. 25–26) and shop like they did in the olden days at Point-a-Calliere’s 18th Century Market. With vendors selling everything from preserved fiddleheads and elk terrines to mead and pine gum, you can eat like a feudal lord, but don’t worry, all the fare meets today’s health standards. HIP TO IT: Heat up the dance floor on Aug. 26th, from 1–7 p.m., at Hip Action Dance Studio’s (1090 Greene) open house. Their instructors will be sharing tips on how to shake it ballroom-style, pop-and-lock-it with the hip hoppers and tummy twist in hypnotic belly dancing-fashion. LEZ TALK: Lezbians on Ecstasy, resident artists at la Centrale (4296 St-Laurent), will transform the space into the set of their rock opera, Amphitheatre of Homosexuality. A simulated natural environment is the backdrop for an artist talk on Sat., Aug. 25 at 1 p.m. For more info, see www.lacentrale.org.
Artistat
Number of giant-sized aerial photographs of Canada’s boreal forests on display (until Feb. 28) at the Biosphere (160 Tour-de-l’isle) as part of the exhibit RESPECT: In the heart of the boreal forest in one more effort to raise awareness for our struggling natural environment: 40 |
