28 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY February 23-March 1, 2023 www.montereycountyweekly.com FILM Joan Gratz impressed the world with Mona Lisa Descending a Staircase, a playful and ambitious 7-minute animated short on the history of 20th-century art, for which she received an Oscar in 1993. This and eight other short films by Gratz will be screened at the Carl Cherry Center for the Arts in Carmel, including the world premiere of her newest film, The Battle for Swan Lake. California-born, Oregon-based Gratz was an architecture student when, around 1979, she found herself painting in front of the camera. She didn’t know she was doing animation or pioneering a technique later called “clay painting.” “It was a crazy amount of work,” Gratz says about the nearly decade she spent working on Mona Lisa. She collected the perfect 55 images—studies of human faces—to blend seamlessly together. Then she spent another two years painting it all by hand, in clay, one frame at a time. Working directly before the camera, Gratz applies bits of clay, blends colors and etches fine lines to create a seamless flow of images, “making her paintings appear to breathe,” as she once said. Over 30 years Gratz, now 82, made several animated shorts. Some are influenced by literature, like the Charles Bukowski-inspired No Leaders Please (2021) or the Samuel T. Coleridge-inspired Kubla Khan (2011). “What I like about them is they are short,” Gratz says, adding she improvises a lot in her work. “It’s like jazz,” she says of her process. The new film, The Battle for Swan Lake, started with a pair of kittens she got during Covid. “See, cats don’t naturally do ballet,” she says, slightly disappointed by the resistance she experienced when putting tutus on cats. “That’s why I added a fish puppet, which is naturally constrained. It was so much fun to do. It’s a combination of live action, a lot of green screen and special effects.” Gratz is also the illustrator/author of two books, one a satirical commentary on yoga, the other on Tesla. “I bought a Tesla early on,” Gratz says. “Before Elon Musk turned out to be such a jerk. And I wrote this book because I was surprised by the reaction...Someone told me they were more impressed by my Tesla than by my Oscar.” An Afternoon with Joan Gratz 3pm Saturday, Feb. 25, Sunday, Feb. 26. (Sold out) and Saturday, March 25 $15. Carl Cherry Center for the Arts, 4th and Guadalupe, Carmel. 624-7491, carlcherrycenter.org. JOAN GRATZ Clay Cinema A premiere by an Academy Award-winning animator confirms Carl Cherry Center’s commitment to animation. By Agata Pop˛eda Pioneering animator Joan Gratz’s latest short film is called The Battle for Swan Lake, and it stars Gratz’s own pandemic kittens. Try Us First. We Pay The Highest! MONTEREY COIN SHOPPE Since 1970 same street for 40 years Open Mon-Thur 11am-4pm and Friday by appointment only. Call for an appointment: 831.646.9030 449 Alvarado St., Monterey www.montereycoinshoppe.com WE BUY GOLD AND SILVER, JEWELRY, COINS, DIAMONDS, WATCHES, ART & RARE ANTIQUES PLEASE VOTE FOR US BEST SALON - WOMEN Go to: vote.montereycountyweekly.com 498 Foam St, Monterey • (831) 375 - 3299 www.inbloomsalonandspa.com SANDI SHUBERT, Owner and Stylist We Are Looking For People To Join Our Great Team! If you are just starting out or have experience, we would love to meet you. Call or contact us at inbloomsandi@gmail.com PLEASE VOTE FOR US BEST SALON - WOMEN Go to: vote.montereycountyweekly.com ARE YOU PASSIONATE ABOUT YOUR CAREER? Join Our Team In Bloom Salon and Spa is always in search of professional and passionate team members. Our team is wildly creative, passionate about our craft and plays well with others. You must have a strong work ethic, dedication to customer service, and want to never stop learning and trying new trends. Sound like you? Let’s talk! WE ARE HIRING: Stylists, Estheticians and Massage Therapists Check out job details on our website inbloomsalonandspa.com/join-our-team where you can schedule a Meet and Greet. 498 Foam St, Monterey (831) 375 - 3299 www.inbloomsalonandspa.com : Stylists, Estheticians and Massage Therapists Low cost vaccination clinic for dogs & cats. Microchipping. Prescription flea/tick medication. OPEN SAT 3:30PM-5:30PM • SUN 10AM-1PM Baby Chicks are here! 101 W. Laurel Dr, Salinas • (831)443-6161 Mon-Sat 9am-6pm Sun 10am-5pm $5 OFF Any purchase of $25 or more $10 OFF Any purchase of $50 or more $20 OFF Any purchase of $100 or more CANNOT BE COMBINED WITH OTHER OFFERS. LIMIT 1 COUPON PER CUSTOMER. NOT VALID ON HAY SHAVINGS, FRONTLINE/ADVANTAGE, OR SERESTO COLLARS. MUST PRESENT COUPON AT TIME OF PURCHASE. Ready for your Chick Up? Quality feed & pet supplies • DIY dog & cat vaccines • Premium hay at great prices
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