OCR Text |
Show www.dailyutahchronicle.com 5 ARTS Tuesday February 18, 2014 Spiritual ceremonies can heal addiction PHOTO COURTESY OF PAUL LARSEN Tibetan monks prepare to destroy the mandalla. Dylan Griffin STAFF WRITER Unbeknown to many, the film department's faculty at the U are not just faculty — they are also working filmmakers. The most recent and prominent example is Paul Larsen, a professor of screenwriting. In 2007, he decided to look at spirituality and how it applies to people suffering with addiction. Seven years down the road, Larsen's idea has come to fruition with his fourth documentary "Spirituality for the Uninsured." Premiering Friday at the Utah Museum of Fine Arts, "Spirituality for the Uninsured" depicts how spiritual ceremonies, including sweat lodges, can heal the crippling power of addiction. When looking at Larsen's past, it is evident this theme is attached to much of his work. His filmography indicates the importance of the clashes between different ideals, cultures and illnesses. For instance, "Chasing a Good Day to Die" revolves around the impact American Indian rituals have on people striving to overcome past trauma, and "To Be or Not To Be" follows two boys with Down syndrome and their experiences in a school classroom. While making "Spirituality for the Uninsured," Larsen volunteered for a juvenile corrections program. Larsen and an American Indian healer performed sweat lodge rituals. "It became clear to me that many of these young men and women were struggling because they had a poor grounding in the world," Larsen said. In addition to volunteering to youth outreach programs, Larsen and his group performed the ceremonies in prisons. Larsen believes that without spirituality, the children from the juvenile corrections program will end up in prison. "Spiritual ceremonies are not about a belief system. The kids can believe what they will about the world ... [It's about] an experience, which shifts how they feel about the world. Often it adds a dimension to life they hadn't known existed, and this is true of many spiritual rituals," Larsen said. The core truth Larsen seeks to uncover is the base experience spirituality can have on people facing trouble, and he wisely doesn't limit those options to one dogma. Different antidotes work for different troubles. By weaving together stories of Buddhist, Christian and American Indian practices, Larsen aims to portray that spirituality can heal addiction and behavioral issues. "Once again, this is not about dogma or theological belief, but about experience and how that leaves a person feeling," Larsen said. The flick's executive producer, Floyd Wilkes, has also participated in the sweat lodge experience. This is his first venture with Larsen, but he's certainly been enjoying the ride. "Paul's courage inspired me. His willingness to look honestly at the alienation afflicting so many of us in the world ... spoke to me," Wilkes said. Of course, Larsen and Wilkes don't plan to celebrate just yet. Following the premiere, they hope the film will achieve a worthwhile afterlife. They know they've struck a certain chord when it comes to the practice and application of spirituality upon troubled souls. "Our goal is to travel around with it, and show it to audiences and then generate discussion. Ultimately, my goal is to remind folks who are struggling, like several individuals interviewed in the film, that these practices exist, and that they might be of help," Larsen said. d.griffin@chronicle.utah.edu Cash'd Out pays tribute to music legend `Impressed' by the outdoors ARTS EDITOR Gallery features Slusser's style Frances Moody Doug Benson was born in the wrong decade. Instead of owning a hybrid car, he drives a 1964 pickup truck, and rather than singing Katy Perry songs, he plays his guitar to Johnny Cash tunes. In fact, Benson's love for the bygone era of the `5os and '6os has manifested in the form of Johnny Cash cover band Cash'd Out. Located in California, Benson and the other three members of Cash'd Out are making their way to Salt Lake City. With hopes of recreating an experience lived 5o years ago, the band will perform at the State Room this Friday. As lead singer, Benson works to recreate the distinctive voice styling of Cash. To him, Cash represents rockabilly country, which he believes is a dying music genre. "He was a true storyteller. It's not just about keeping Johnny Cash's music alive, but it's also about keeping that style of music alive," Benson said. By living vicariously through the songs written and performed by Cash, Benson hopes to pay homage to the influential musician whose career skyrocketed in the '5os. He feels he and the band accomplished that goal when they played in front of Cindy Cash, daughter of Johnny Cash's daughter cindy. The night before Cash'd Out was set to play a show, Benson received a phone call from Bill Miller, who was one of Cash's closest Frances Moody strives to catch the temporary light that hits a subject. From "Contemporary Impressionism" French for 'in open air,' en plein air is an ar- to the "Second Annual Figure Exhibtion," tistic style that intermingles the experience of Slusser always has samples of his work hangnature and the practice of painting. When Utah ing on the walls of the gallery. With that said, artist Mark Slusser temporarily relocated to San he spends the majority of his time in his Diego, he was able to work outside and fell in studio, which is located at the Slusser Gallove with the en plein air way of creating art in lery. Enjoying the ritual of en plein air, one natural light. of Slusser's recent paintings is the abstract From that moment on, Slusser switched interpretation of a red rock scenery he found from part-time painter to full-time artist. And in Southern Utah. since becoming a career-based artist, he has "The sun only shined for one afternoon. When moved back to Salt Lake City and opened The it was cloudy outside, I played with the colors Slusser Gallery. that showed through what little light there was. This gallery brings in a number of diverse So, this piece turned out to be more abstract," exhibitions and displays artists at international, Slusser said. national and local levels. Its current exhibit is fmoody@chronicle.utah.edu the "Mark Slusser Solo Exhibition." This oneman-show demonstrates a variety of Slusser's oil paintings, which are works created in the studio and en plein air. When looking at Slusser's artwork, it is apparent he uses visual art to illustrate narratives. "The Green Fairy and the Raven" highlights Edgar Allen Poe's use of Absente while other pieces, such as "Medea" modernize mythical stories. In "Medea," Slusser retells the tale of the scorned woman who poisoned the wedding dress of her lover's fiancé. By painting a martini glass and a bottle of Sky Vodka, Slusser presents Medea as a modern girl. The "Mark Slusser Solo Exhibition" will be a part of this Friday's gallery stroll and will run through March 21. While this showcase exclusively highlights Slusser as an artist, the upcoming gallery display falls into Slusser Gallery's traditional style of depicting art. "We are going to feature three artists. One is a Russian. She does what we call 'Contemporary Impressionism,'" said Sherrie Slusser, Slusser's wife and co-owner of the gallery. "Her name is Anastasia Dukhanina, and she has shipped us paintings from Russia." Always looking for the diamond in the rough, Slusser discovered Dukhanina when DANE GOODWIN/The Daily Utah Chronicle he met her at an en plein air workshop. Working within the confines of impression- Mark Slusser from the Slusser Gallery presents artwork in his studio. ism, Dukhanina creates real-time scenes and ARTS EDITOR PHOTO COURTESY OF CASH'D OUT friends. Miller said Cindy Cash was going to attend the upcoming show. He then asked Benson to play the song "Cindy, I Love You." After the phone call ended, Benson spent the whole night learning the track dedicated to Cindy Cash. Luckily, he and the other group members were able to pull off a flawless cover. After the performance, Benson met Cindy Cash backstage. "I wasn't expecting to see her. I turned around, and my eyes got real big," Benson said. "She said to me, 'I was 18 years old when my dad wrote that song for me. You made me cry." When Cindy Cash told Benson of her appreciation, she placed a necklace that contained a lock of Cash's hair around Benson's neck. Since that night, Cindy Cash and Cash'd Out have kept in contact. From meeting Cash's family members to incorporat- ing the artist's sound, Benson infuses elements of Cash into his everyday life. Even his solo efforts highlight the sound Cash was famous for. "I do a little solo thing to keep myself busy and to keep songs ingrained in my head. Even the songs I have written sound like Cash songs," Benson said. "I like him so much, that's kind of the way I taught myself to sing and play guitar." While in Salt Lake City, Benson hopes to remind people of how influential Cash was to the art of music. He is glad Cash'd Out keeps Cash alive. He also stressed that Utah has a big following of Cash lovers. "People are really nice. Everybody is really cool, and the whole state is beautiful. You have everything there. You have the mountain and the deserts," Benson said. f.moody@ chronicle.utah.edu 1011*.histigi |