Samstag, 24. Oktober 2009

Los Angeles in shock and grief

Beiträge auf ZEIT ONLINE.

Los Angeles in shock, grief and acceptance over Jackson’s
death

by Simone Kussatz

When the news came out that Michael Jackson (50) had died on Thursday June 25th, 2009 in Los Angeles, a Hispanic sales clerk in a grocery store in Culver City shed tears. “It’s so sad,” she said. “He was just one year younger than me, “one of her customers replied. About an hour after Jackson’s death was confirmed, news reporters from Eyewitness News, Fox and NBC among others were waiting for details from the press conference in front of the Medical Plaza at UCLA. Meanwhile, throngs of people were standing next to them in a daze, some were singing Michael Jackson songs, others were pushing themselves into the spotlight of the media. Not even the summer heat could prevent people, mostly tourists, from lining up on the Hollywood Walk of Fame to see the side walk “star” of Michael Jackson, to put down flowers and to speak a few words into surrounding cameras. A Jackson impersonator gave his usual moonwalk performance. This was not only filmed from the obvious cameras in front of the Chinese Theater, but also from a secret place on top of the Roosevelt Hotel across the street. Five days after the legend of pop music died, police officers are still guarding Jackson’s former mansion, which is blocked off with police tape, located, just a bit off Sunset Boulevard, close to UCLA Medical Center in
Westwood. Paparazzi and reporters are still eagerly waiting to see relatives and others getting in and out of Jackson's house. Unless VIP, people can only get to a memorial site on the corner of Carolwood and Sunset, where his fans left flowers, cards and candles for their beloved idol.

Yet is this collective grief appropriate, and did Jackson’s death deserve so much media attention?

Opinions diverted. Stefanie Sneed, a UCLA undergraduate student of Psychobiology and African American Studies thought that the media attention about Jackson was well deserved. “He was an icon, positive and theatrical,” she said. “Being a black person, I felt empowered by him, but I feel angry that the media is looking for the negative things in his life.” Javier Arteaga, a UCLA undergraduate student of Psychology, however, felt different about this. Arteaga was only a block away from the hospital on his way towards his friend’s apartment, when he received a text message, saying “they just brought in Michael Jackson in an ambulance.” Instead of staying with a crowd in front of the Medical Plaza that had built up from 10 to 20 to a 100, Arteaga hurried home to gather information via CNN. “I feel sad about Michael Jackson’s death, especially since he died at a young age, but I also feel that the media didn’t respect his family’s privacy. I was upset how people were bragging as to who was the first to set the traffic cone on the entrance to the hospital. It was unimportant. I feel Michael Jackson deserved more respect than this.” Lindsay Guzman, a hairstylist from Colorado who is currently visiting L.A. was not surprised about Jackson’s death “I thought he was actually sick for a while, but when he died, they had to say something.”

From the perspective of the people working for UCLA Medical Center, Jackson’s death seemed not so much a matter of grief as it was a matter of inconvenience in their daily lives. For one thing, their integrity was tested. A nurse at the Ronald Reagan Medical Center said “I can’t give you any information. Journalists are escorted out, if they’re found here.” Another nurse claimed it was too hard for her to get into the hospital. “For me, every patient is a VIP,” she said. A staff at Patient Services pointed out that employees of UCLA Medical Plaza are not allowed to give out any information about Jackson’s death, other than referring to Media Relations at 924 Westwood Plaza, a department that seems overwhelmed by the requests of reporters.

People who have been working in the Hollywood industry for a long time and achieved considerable success, stressed Michael Jackson’s great talent, and put the incidence in the context of current politics. Film-maker Henry Jaglom, known for “Hollywood Dreams” a film about a fame-obsessed person who becomes a tragic victim in a fame obsessed culture, said “Like everyone in Hollywood I was stunned by the news, but then with the flood of old videos on Television and the Internet I was grateful to be reminded how truly extraordinary he was, how profoundly talented a dancer, as no less an authority than Fred Astaire pointed out, how significant and influential an artist in developing a generation of children who would grow up so free of race prejudice as to vote Obama in as president 25 years later. Many of us had forgotten all that in recent years after being endlessly told about his eccentricities, his weirdness, his countless cosmetic surgeries and all the distorted sex stories, according to everyone I know who knew him well he was the sweetest creature who ever lived, good-hearted and naive to a fault, never having had a childhood so being obsessed with being with children and staying a child forever.” Composer, William Goldstein, who had scored all the episodes of NBC’s FAME and was brought under contract to Motown, as Michael Jackson, said “His death was tragic. He was a brilliant artist, very gifted, but a troubled soul. Yet, there seems to be a budding revolution in Iran and it was wiped out by the media.” Therefore, Michael Jackson’s death has been perceived as a great loss by most Americans. The media coverage about his death will still go on to a great extent, especially with the upcoming funeral, for which reporters have already driven up North to Jackson’s Neverland Ranch, according to an ABC news reporter.

Written by Simone Kussatz. Freelance journalist. Los Angeles.

June 29th, 2009

Yesterday, Friday July 3, 2009, African American pianist Larry Nash of the Larry Nash and The Jazz Symphonics, played a tribute to Michael Jackson during the free Friday Night Jazz Concerts at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Nash gave a beautiful and sensitive performance of Jackson's "She's out of my mind." The concert was held outdoors underneath palm trees and a gradual sinking sun in front of LACMA's permanent outdoor installation of a large number of Los Angeles street lights, facing Wilshire Boulevard.

Written by Simone Kussatz. Freelance journalist. Los Angeles.
July 4, 2009

Mittwoch, 21. Oktober 2009

ART REVIEW - Sebastio Salgado






Sebastião Salgado’s “Africa”

by Simone Kussatz

Peter Fettermann Gallery, Santa Monica Bergamot Station


The interplay between pristine beauty and human suffering in the latest gallery exhibit of Brazilian humanitarian photographer Sebastião Salgado encourages us to take action. One feels moved by the compelling sights of white cattle herded together by Dinka tribesmen, zebras lined up at a river, faces of refugees and victims suffering from diseases and famine and the children of Africa. These stunningly beautiful black and white silver gelatin prints are a small selection of Salgado’s work photographed over the past four decades.


In a 24x 20” photograph, displayed in the first exhibit room on the left wall in the Fettermann Gallery, Salgado shows us an image of a woman blinded by sandstorms with a chronic eye infection who is waiting for food distribution. The light falls mainly on the woman’s face on her blind and infected eye on her left. Her other eye is covered by a dark veil. This particular angle suggests that one of her eyes is invisible to us as life is invisible to her through her blindness. The strong contrast in the picture derives from the white areas on the woman’s face, neck and arms caused by the light and the dark areas caused by her black veil that merges with the dark background, building one black unity. Standing in front of the image one feels her sorrows and pain. It literally invites us to learn more about Mali, a country that belongs to the 25 poorest in the world and had just suffered its second episode of severe drought, when the picture was taken in 1985. In its overall sensibility the photograph is similar to some of the etchings of women by German Expressionist artist Käthe Kollwitz. Therefore, the real strength of Salgado’s photographs is that they show a deep care and understanding of the societies he presents to us.

Left picture:
Sebastião Salgado Blind woman. Woman blinded by sandstorms and chronic eye infections, this woman is waiting for food distribution. Goundam region, Mali, 1985. silver gelatin print 24x20”
Sebastião SalgadoDinga Group at Pagarau Cattle, Camp, Southern Sudan, 2006silver gelatin print 20x24”
Right image:
Sebastião Salgado
Dinga Group at Pagarau Cattle, Camp,
Southern Sudan, 2006
silver gelatin print
20x24”

Mittwoch, 7. Oktober 2009

Interview with Daniel Rotman - Social activist in L.A.

http://www.theworldly.org/ArticlesPages/Articles2006/August06Articles/HomelessLA.html

London/China - Beijing Olympics


http://www.common-talk.com/Common_Talk_Material/CommonTalk/08-9-2/opinions.htm


Olympic baton passed to LondonArticle and photo by Simone Kussatz Translated by Xu Ming

Thousands of people gathered around Trafalgar Square on August 24, 2008 to watch the closing ceremony of the Beijing Olympics. Inclement weather that varied between heavy rain and bright sunshine could not dampen the spirit of viewers seated around the giant screen in the center of the square.

The crowd was a colorful and enthusiastic mix of people from all over the world, including some of London's 60,000 Chinese residents.

Mr. Miao from Shenyang city in Liaoning province has been living in London with his wife and daughter for the past four years and said: “I feel better now. For a century, we were waiting for the Olympics to come to China. Now it has finally happened.” Chinese fans were delighted that the country garnered 51 gold medals. However, Mr. Miao conceded that Chinese athletes had an advantage over competitors from other nations: "They don't have as much of a support system." A female student from Hong Kong who studies at the University of Southampton, said: “The Beijing Olympics were well organized and I feel proud of my motherland.” A Beijing expatriate was particularly pleased about London’s effort to bring the Beijing Olympics to Trafalgar Square: “I’m glad I could see everything here and celebrate with all these fans.”

The crowds roared when the screen showed Beijing mayor Guo Jinlong at the side of IOC president Jacques Rogge handing over the Olympic flag to his London counterpart Boris Johnson. Perhaps the biggest applause came when soccer superstar David Beckham kicked a soccer ball from atop a red London double-decker bus.

伦敦庆祝北京奥运会闭幕2008年8月24晚,成千上万的人们挤在特拉法尔加广场观看北京奥运会的闭幕式。尽管天气状况很不稳定,一会儿大雨倾盆一会儿阳光明媚,还时不时下着小雨,但也没挡住人们坐在为这次奥运会特设的广场大屏幕前观看闭幕式。这些来自世界各地的人都热情洋溢,其中有一些是华人,代表着居住在伦敦的六万中华儿女。他们当中有许多人看到精彩处不禁欢呼雀跃。苗先生来自中国辽宁省沈阳市,与妻女在伦敦已经生活四年了。他说:“现在感觉好多了,我们等奥运会来中国等了一百年了,现在它终于来了。”这些华人为自己国家能获得51枚金牌兴奋不已。不过,苗先生也承认,比起远道而来的外国运动员,中国运动员更有优势。“相比而言,他们没有那么强大的后方支持”,苗先生说。一名来自香港在南安普顿大学求学的女生说:“北京奥运会组织得非常到位,他们为此付出了很大努力。我为我的祖国感到自豪。”一个来自北京的华人表示,伦敦把北京奥运会搬到特拉法尔加广场让人尤其感到欣慰。“在这里什么都能看到,而且还能跟这么多人一起庆祝,真让我开心极了。”当大屏幕上显示站在国际奥委会主席罗格一侧的北京市市长郭金龙把奥运会会旗交给伦敦市市长鲍里斯·约翰逊的时候,全场欢呼。当足球巨星贝克汉姆从红色的伦敦双层巴士车顶上把一只足球踢下去的时候,欢呼声达到了高潮。