Thursday, January 27, 2000
After they fly for art, finches will need a home
BY JIM KNIPPENBERG
The Cincinnati Enquirer
So then, anybody out there want 50 artistically inclined zebra finches? Maybe 52 or 54?
Referring here to the artsy and environmental installation, From Here to Ear, at the Contemporary Arts Center by one Celeste Boursier-Mougenot (a he), wherein 50 finches are flying around a room you enter through those plastic strips supermarkets use in front of freezer cases.
The room's empty except for a large, soil-covered square in the middle and feeder's and coat hangers hanging from the ceiling. Feeders are wired-for-sound, so there's a wonderfully happy rain forest sense-surround thing going on.
There are also nesting boxes, so the CAC is hoping for babies.
Artist Boursier-Mougenot describes it as “trying to find the point of balance between technique and aesthetic.”
While he's looking for same, gallery manager Krista Graves and exhibit designer Kim Humphries are in charge of food, water and cleanup.
And, well, disposal. They'd like to find a good home for the entire colony, all 50 plus, but if it gets to be a crisis (the CAC isn't equipped to be a hatchery) they'll let the birds go in small groups.
The birds debut at the members' opening Friday, then can be seen swooping around 'til March 26.
SILENCE: Herewith one final — honest, final — update on the story that won't die — Loretta Cook and her Christmas puzzle.
Remember? An anonymous jokester left her a 3-D puzzle showing silent film stars driving around Hollywood.
Wellsir, we're at more than 100 calls now and the consensus (more than 70) is it means “while silent stars go by” or “while silents' cars go by.”
Other calls were all over the board, including one late night job suggesting “nude bartenders.” He didn't leave a phone number, so we didn't have to call back.
Whew.
SAKE EVERYWHERE: And this from our file marked Really Good Reasons To Crawl Around Under Jennifer Weber's Desk: Sake and lots of it.
Weber is executive director of the Japan America Society, a group that throws one of our favorite annual parties: A sake tasting. It is accompanied by tons of sushi and ceremonial tapping of a huge barrel of sake, at Js Fresh Seafood. This year's bash is Jan. 31.
So what's with Weber's desk?
“You need to know that not all sake tastes alike. Different regions have different tastes in their spring water. That gives the sake a taste range from almost fruity, banana sort of, to a crisp, nutty taste. You don't have to be an expert to taste the difference. I have 13 kinds so people can compare them.”
Not only 13 varieties, but 13 pricey varieties: “It runs about $80 a bottle for premium brands. I have six cases under my desk.”
But that's OK, she says, because even after it has been opened, it never goes bad. Not that there's ever any left.
One more thing — a warning: Do not let Js bartender Jeff Koury make you a Purple Haze, even when he says, “really, they're harmless.” Trust us, the mix of sake and chambord is anything but harmless.
Knip's Eye View appears Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. Have an item to report? Call Jim Knippenberg at 768-8513; fax: 768-8330.
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