.: The Red Brick – Dubai College's Student Newspaper :.

Now and then I think of when we were together; an opening line that most will identify as the song that sounds a little like Sting and Katy Perry, but in reality is Gotye’s 'Somebody That I Used To Know'. As an art student in Mr Tate's class, we have to put up with a lot of music. Some good, mostly bad, yet, occasionally we stumble upon amazing finds like Lana Del Ray and Gotye.

The artistic essence of Gotye's music video is intriguing. It is simplistic yet it still manages to leave us watching a naked man with shaggy hair sing directly at the camera for four minutes. As he sings, Gotye begins to blend into the background; his flesh tone disappears and instead is replaced by harsh hues of brown, white and grey. Whilst one may question the relevance of the video others may suggest that his progressive fading may be a metaphor for how he is becoming insignificant to the person [that he used to know]. An artist called Cecilia Paredes similarly camouflages human figures and blends them into walls using paint. Paredes brings a jarring reaction; when I first saw the photographs my mind registered that something was ‘not quite right’ but could not place it immediately.

Paredes’ art must be appreciated due to the time consuming nature of each piece and the absolute dedication they must require. Every figure is perfectly executed and positioned. Not to mention the actual subject who has to endure hours of painting and then remain absolutely still for the perfect photo. Other artists who may identify with Paredes’ determination are Liu Bolin and Emma Hack who spend hours executing similar pieces.

Body Painting is a contemporary expression of art that has seen artists straying from the traditional canvas and physically using the human form as a way of expressing their art instead. Body painting, quite literally, takes a step further in the form of Jenai Chin’s shoes of which he designed for New York Magazine’s article ‘You Walk Wrong’. Taking familiar brands like ‘Adidas’ and ‘Louboutin’s’ Chin paints a shoe on skin so intricately that at first glance anyone would mistake it for the real thing. Bizarre and obscure, without reading the article and just regarding the feet as works of art they may evoke a comical reaction at first. However, their message may be quite the opposite. Perhaps Chin is commenting on the material obsession that has taken over the human race. The beauty of the shoes lie within their own ambiguity, after-all they are merely painted feet, ultimately, it is up to you to decide what their significance is.

Paredes, Bolin, Hack and Chin all seem to share one common interest: shocking the public. Though the themes and issues they deal with are not obvious at first glance, they still manage to capture the attention of whoever notices them. To me, this encapsulates all that art strives to be: thought provoking.

“Dear Osama they want you dead or alive so the terror will stop. There’s a reward of 25 million dollars on your head but don’t lose sleep on my account Osama. I wouldn’t know how to spend 25 million dollars. It’s not as if I’ve got anyone to spend it on since you blew up my husband and boy.”

From the first page of Chris Cleave’s debut novel Incendiary, the reader learns that the narrative takes place in a modern London, in shock after a devastating suicide bomb attack on a football stadium. The young, female, working-class protagonist reveals equally early that the terrorist act resulted in the death of her husband and young son and the novel takes the form of her letter to Osama Bin Laden in which she writes to him about ‘the emptiness that was left when you took my boy away’. The narrator is convinced that if Osama was to ‘see [her] son with all his heart’ and ‘feel the sharp edges’ of the hole left in her heart after his death , he would understand her devastation and stop the ‘terror’ that has ravaged London.

Rather than the explosion being the crux of the story, the protagonist’s description of her life before the attack is brief and the majority of the story details the events that transpire in its aftermath. The reader knows from the very beginning that the attack has taken place and rather than detail the events leading up to it or the initial shock, Cleave explores both the nationwide mourning and decent into constant terror and the grieving of a mother and wife simultaneously.

As the protagonist struggles to come to terms with how drastically her world has changed, Cleave uses her relationships with other characters to make smaller observations about England and its class divides. Cleave’s representations of wealthy, materialistic, largely uncaring journalists and a tough-but-troubled policeman tie together to create an image of Britain’s civilisation crumbling as it deals with constant fear. These characters, while sympathetic to the protagonist’s tragic circumstances, all ultimately have their own agendas and look out for themselves and their is the strong sense that in the midst of the great fear, all sections of society are taken over by their instinctual will to survive.

Many of Cleave’s observations of the aftermath of the attack are eerily authentic and strike the reader as being a true reflection on real life circumstances. Details such as airports closing or increasing security, viciously indiscriminate reprisals against Muslims and Elton John securing the number one slot with a single called "England's Heart is Bleeding", all hit close to home for most readers. The scenario presented in Incendiary is one with great relevance to life today, as in the last few decades terrorist attacks have become more common and with improving technology, more cause for alarm. In fact, in a macabre coincidence, the intended release for the book, July 7th 2005, had to be postponed due to the suicide bomb attacks that took place on the London Underground that day, proving just how close to reality the novel is.

There's always loads going on in Dubai every month, so here are a couple of one-off events this month that might be worth a visit!

Firstly, the Skywards Dubai Jazz Festival is taking place from the 16th to 24th February.

The Jazz Festival is ideal as it is taking place over half term, so it should be easy to catch some of the many acts that are performing at Festival City during the week. The main acts are at the weekends at the start and end of the festival with the jazz garden evenings during the week.

So who's playing the Jazz Festival?

James Morrison, Jason Mraz, and James Blunt are some of the main headliners for the festival this year, but there are three different acts playing each night for the whole nine days - who the organisers have deemed as the 'best performers of the last nine years'. There are some new performers as well as some old favourites performing again. The jazz garden evenings are sure to be more mellow and relaxed with artists such as Althea Rene and the All-Star Ladies of Blues performing at these evenings, with the bigger names performing at the weekend events. If you could only go to one day, I'd recommend Thursday 23rd, as Jason Mraz, Sandi Thom and Spyro Gyra are performing then, although James Morrison is sure to be worth seeing on the first day of the festival, Thursday the 16th. It's sure to be a big event this year, as Dubai definitely likes celebrating anniversaries and 10 years is a big one. It promises to be the best jazz festival yet. Whether you've gone in the past and enjoyed, or are thinking of going for the first time, it's bound to be an enjoyable evening.

The other big name performer in Dubai this month is Kasabian, who are performing on the 10th of February. They are performing down at the Sevens Stadium, in order to help promote their new album, Velociprator. They are nominated for Best British group at the Brit Awards this year and three NME awards. Expect a great concert!

Other music events around the world...

The Brit Awards 2012 take place on February 21st, with nominations for Adele, Ed Sheeran, Coldplay and several others. There are also a whole range of artists performing. As well as the ones I've mentioned, Blur, Florence and the Machine, Bruno Mars, Rihanna and Olly Murs (nominated for Best British Single) will also be performing. While this might be a different concert to attend, I'll definitely be watching the performances on Youtube the next day!

And, an event a bit closer to home (actually at school): the Jazz Band Concert on Valentines Day in the music centre - I'll tell you how it went next month!

“It is difficult to get the news from poems

yet men die miserably every day

for lack

of what is found there.”

-Asphodel, That Greeny Flower

Why do we look to poems? Not for news, as Williams seems to suggest in ‘Asphodel, That Greeny Flower’. What do we lack that we seek in poems; what is it in us that is drawn, always, to that which we cannot fully explain or understand? In short, what is a poem? Man has used poetry for beauty, direction, reassurance, hope, expression- but still he is no closer to being able to describe what it is that lends a poem its inexpressible grace and elegance. All of us yearn for some kind of poetry in our lives, but the loveliness of poetry is that we see it in different forms- in maths, in music, in nature, in God. Though some may scorn poetry in its literary form, the truth is, we all have a predilection for poems, even if we do not see it ourselves.

In my opinion, the fundamental point of poetry is that it plays on thoughts and feelings which are an inextricable part of the human experience. A good poem shares unabashedly with the reader the emotions of the poet, yet also includes the reader in its stream of consciousness. How strange it is that we should seek uniqueness, when it is togetherness that we truly desire. All we want to feel is that someone else feels the same way, and that if we are lonely, it is not our loneliness, but rather the loneliness of time. Ultimately, we want to be reassured that this too shall pass. Poetry tells us this. It comforts us in our sadness, it adds to our joys, and when we do not want to be cured of our miseries, at least it paints a prettier picture of them so that we may delight in the elegiac quality of our own travesties, so that we feel, perhaps, that our grief, too, is beautiful in its own way. In its greatest form, poetry is a constant companion to us. One is reminded of the Pablo Neruda poem which begins with the consoling line, “ In these lonely regions I have been powerful…” . What gives one that power? Perhaps something as simple and delicate as a line from a beloved poem; the knowledge that, even in these lonely regions, there is beauty- if that is what one accepts poetry is- and that one is never truly alone. The truth of poetry is that we can never be alone once we have read it- and that in itself is something marvellous to behold.

There is neither a conclusion nor an ultimate point to make on this topic. I encourage everyone to read poetry, and to decide for themselves what it is; there are no wrong answers. Perhaps you will not see poetry as a thing of beauty, necessarily; perhaps that is not its function. Shelley once noted that poets are “the unacknowledged legislators of the world." Delusions of grandeur, a cynic might say, as he wryly notes that Shelley, too, was a poet. I, too, once dismissed this view, as I believe firmly that the aim of poetry is not to influence politics, nor to bring governments and countries to their knees; we have enough of such literature in the world without the taint of the political sphere entering the world of poems as well. But was Shelley really talking about such ‘legislation’? The dictionary simply defines legislation as “laws”, and one may immediately associate legislature with the government, and laws of society. However, in a deeper sense, there are other laws; laws of the heart and of human nature; the laws that all of mankind is bound to obey, not because of societal convention, but because of a deeper instinctual pull which poets perhaps understand more thoroughly. Poets may not create this legislation, but they write it, and in their writing, we, the readers of their laws, understand more about ourselves and the human condition. Ultimately, we read poetry because poetry appeals to us. We read poetry to learn about ourselves, and to listen to the legislation which we have forgotten, but which poets have kept alive in their words. As one of my favourite poems notes, “I learn by going where I have to go.” Similarly with poetry, I learn by reading where I have to go, and what I have to do. Not all poetry is meant as legislation. Not all poetry can guide us through times of despair. But sometimes , a poem is enough to make you feel as though you, too, have travelled, and have experienced things beyond the scope of your existence. Is this legislation? A road map of sorts? A comfort? All of these things, and more: this is a poem.

Doctor Who is one of the longest running television shows in the UK. Now in the seventh season of its revival, the Doctor is as popular as ever, but is the programme sending out some controversial messages?

The Doctor that each generation has known and loved has always been male, and possibly always will be, but is this a bad thing? The Doctor may be kept male purely because that is what the viewers are comfortable with, however some viewers and contemporary feminist writers from the website www.thefword.org.uk have suggested that people should be able to accept the Doctor if the BBC cast a female actor. The gender issues that accompany the profession of medicine may be reflected here as, although it is not the case, stereotypically Doctors are male and nurses are female. The nurses who act as their helpers may be related to the Doctor’s numerous companions.

In Russell T. Davies’ time as head writer for “DW”, the companions he has created have often been criticised for their weakness and conformity to female stereotypes. The term companion itself is fairly sexist, as they are obviously assisting the Doctor, and female characters get pushed to the back and become a necessity in Doctor Who, the closest anyone does come to being an “equal” to The Doctor in DW is “The Master.” Rose for instance was an unsuccessful young girl who did not have much of a life before the Doctor and seemed to be lost when she was left without him. The suggestion that Rose is “defined by the Doctor” seems to be a fair analysis here, as without him she has nothing.

Davies combated this archetypal character with the Doctor’s next companion – Martha Jones. This companion is a successful young woman, a medical student who has her own purpose and path in life and ability to make decisions. Throughout the series, particularly towards the end of series 3, Martha is shown to be a strong character capable of fighting for herself, and for the Doctor. However, Martha’s rather obvious love interest in The Doctor weakens her completely and makes her from a critical perspective an uninteresting whiny character that most “whovians” were keen to see gone.

Now in the era of Steven Moffatt (new head writer for DW and writer for the fantastic series “Sherlock”) has introduced the world to Amelia Pond. It appears that Moffatt has tried to subvert the traditional role of The Doctor’s companions by introducing a character in a committed relationship that cannot fall under the Doctor’s charm with a strong personality and many abilities. However, Amy Pond’s introduction was disappointing wearing a Police Officer’s uniform she appeared on our screens legs first, “Fantastic” we thought, another companion in a profession that removes the stereotype of the Doctor’s other companions, however disappointment was blatant when Amy revealed herself to be “A Kissagram” a demeaning job that set up for a complete change in opinion over this new character.

There is so much more to write about this issue, but ultimately does it matter? People around the world enjoy this programme unconditionally so why change now?

I’d like to leave you with a couple of questions to get you thinking about sexism in modern pop culture…

Would “Harry Potter” have been as popular if it was “Harriett Potter”?

Would you still watch Doctor Who if the next Doctor was a woman?

doctor who jpg

From the esteemed creative collaboration of Popular Productions, purveyors of some of Dubai’s finest theatre, and the iconic father of fear himself, Stephen King, the unmissable and critically acclaimed stage production of Misery is spawned. Adapted for stage by Simon Moore, the play invites us Dubai denizens into the home of the world’s most infamous Number One Fan for ten days only, although the nightmares that audiences will endure thereafter are promised to linger much longer…

One of King’s many successful thrillers, Misery follows the story of Paul Sheldon, author of a best-selling series of novels, and the dreadful aftermath of a dreadful-enough car accident. He is rescued from the wreckage by Annie Wilkes, who as it happens, is his “Number One Fan”. She kindly takes him to her own home to convalesce, however, upon reading his final book of the series, in which he kills off the main character, she subjects him to an inescapable world of callous torment.

The novel’s great success was further outdone by the subsequent film adaptation directed by Rob Reiner, starring Kathy Bates as Annie, the role for which she won an Oscar for Best Actress in 1990. For a movie with a relatively modest budget of $20 million, it accumulated over three times as much in domestic revenue alone. Bates’ portrayal of Annie Wilkes ranked 17th in the American Film Institute’s Top 100 Villains list, succeeded only by the likes of Hannibal Lector and Darth Vader.

And so, the gripping story of Misery has finally pervaded the realm of the theatre. Starring Coronation Street’s Yvonne O’Grady, and Darren Day of Hollyoaks and I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here, the Dubai production guarantees a night of transfixing trepidation, striking the curiously perfect balance of audiences neither being able to watch nor take their eyes off.

Dates: 1 – 11 February 2012
Timings:
2pm Matinee (2nd, 3rd, 7th, 10th & 11th February)
8pm Evening (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th & 11th February). No performance 5th February
Location: The First Group Theatre, Madinat Jumeirah
Tickets: 140 AED Matinee & 160 AED Evening
Special Opening Night Discount 140 AED