Critics’ Forum
Visual Arts
Joanne Julian: Concerning the Spiritual in Art
By Adriana Tchalian
The title of my article, Concerning the Spiritual in Art, comes from
a book written by twentieth-century Modernist Wassily Kandinsky on
the subject of art and spirituality (1910). He, along with others
such as Piet Mondrian, was strongly influenced by religious and
spiritual subjects of his times, and as a result created art that
reflected this awareness. Compared to the charismatic, angst-ridden
artists of today, these early twentieth-century Modernists were sage
and poet in one, creating works that reflected their inner life
rather than generating “art for art’s sake” or imbuing their work
with social or political purpose.
In fact, ever since Paleolithic man began sketching crude renderings
of animals on the ceilings of the Lascaux caves (France, 13,000 BC),
art has become an expression or a reflection of one’s creed – for
these renderings were not meant for decorative or social purposes
but rather as some type of ritualistic magic. Assuming that one
agrees that art has a purpose – whether cultural, political, or
otherwise – and is not merely “art for art’s sake,” empty of meaning
or purpose, it is clear that the most significant role of art has
been the expression of one’s religious or spiritual creed. The
centrality of the spiritual in art is undeniable, be it in the art
of India or the art of the Italian Renaissance, the interior of an
ancient cave or the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, or to offer a
more contemporary example, the open-air ceiling of James Turrell’s
Roden Crater, an extinct crater that has been excavated to function
as an open-air observatory just outside of Flagstaff, Arizona.
And although some contemporary western artists do not offer much by
way of the spiritual in art, even they are keenly aware of its
absence. As art critic and historian Suzi Gablik writes, “the real
crisis of Modernism, as many people have claimed, is the pervasive
spiritual crisis of Western civilization: the absence of a system of
beliefs that justifies allegiance to any entity beyond the self.”
Galib goes on to say that even twentieth-century Abstract
Expressionists were closet spiritualists, quietly revering the early
Modernists’ efforts to distill their spiritual explorations into
fine art.
Having made this argument about art and spirituality, then, how do
we apply it to contemporary Armenian art? Enter the likes of Joanne
Julian, a Los Angeles-based Armenian artist who is a virtual unknown
in the Armenian diasporan community, yet one whose work is well-
recognized amongst mainstream art circles.
There is nothing intrinsically Armenian about Julian’s graphite and
ink drawings. The critic Robert McDonald describes her work as
possessing “the discipline and spirit of Taoist painting.” It is
this proclivity towards things spiritual that is the driving essence
behind her work. Having traveled throughout Asia, Julian has
cultivated an extensive Asian visual vocabulary, which is reflected
in the simplicity and beauty of her drawings – immense brushstrokes,
reminiscent of Asian calligraphy, are set against the glistening
sheen of the graphite, forming an exquisite contrast of color,
texture and shape.
In February of this year, Julian, along with William Amundson and
Robin Dare, participated in an exhibition – Drawn to Scale – at the
Spokane Falls Community College Art Gallery in Washington. The
exhibit was co-curated by Louise Lewis, gallery director and
professor of art history at California State University, Northridge.
According to Lewis, “The juxtaposition of a delicately drawn silver
braid entwined within a vibrant circle of crimson or gold suggests
an unusually exuberant Zen exercise, ironically made more intimate
by the all-enveloping scale. In Horizontal Braid, the intricately
drawn tress stretches within the bottom portion of nearly 3′ high
gold and circle, provocatively inviting the viewer to contemplate
the secrets within the circle.”

The presence of someone of Julian’s talent in both the Armenian
diasporan and American contexts suggests that the yearning for the
spiritual is alive and well, even among the most avant-garde artists
in our communities. In an earlier article, I had posed the question
of whether or not there was an Asian aesthetic in Armenian visual
art. It appears as if Joanne Julian’s work more than answers that
call, while transcending the limits of even that description in the
process.
All Rights Reserved: Critics Forum, 2006
Adriana Tchalian holds a Masters degree in Art History and has
managed several art galleries in Los Angeles.
You can reach her or any of the other contributors to Critics’ Forum
at [email protected]. This and all other articles published
in this series are available online at To
sign up for a weekly electronic version of new articles, go to
Critics’ Forum is a group created to
discuss issues relating to Armenian art and culture in the Diaspora.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

The New Anatolian, Turkey
May 20 2006
French Parliament speaker: Laws can’t make history
Urging parliaments not to interfere with the job of historians,
French Parliament Speaker Jean-Louis Debre said on Friday that laws
can’t make history.
Debre made the remark while speaking to France Inter Radio amidst
continued Socialist anger over Thursday’s decision to postpone the
debate of a bill proposing prison terms and fines for people who
question the Armenian genocide claims.
Debre said that the vote didn’t take place because the Parliament ran
out of time. He added that it will be up to the Socialist Party to
submit another Armenian bill to Parliament.
The French Parliament speaker, whose opposition to the bill is
well-known, also expressed his support for the Turkish suggestion to
establish a commission composed of Turkish and Armenian historians to
jointly study archives related to the Armenian genocide claims.
Meanwhile, French sources told the Anatolia news agency that
Thursday’s move did not aim to shelve the debate on the Armenian bill
but rather to drop it from the Parliament’s agenda.

RIA Novosti, Russia
May 20 2006
Russian minister still hopeful of finding A-320 black boxes
17:12 | 20/ 05/ 2006

SOCHI, May 20 (RIA Novosti) – Russia’s transportation minister, who
is leading a government commission on the May 3 crash of an Armenian
A-320 airliner, said Saturday he still hoped the plane’s flight
recorders would be found.
“We are eager to find them, but have not done so yet,” Igor Levitin
told journalists. He said various hi-tech equipment was being used in
the search area where signals presumed to be from the flight
recorders’ radio beacons were detected.
All 113 people on board died when an Airbus A-320 operated by
Armenia’s Armavia flying from the Armenian capital, Yerevan, came
down in stormy weather six kilometers (3.7 miles) from Adler airport,
which services the popular Russian resort of Sochi.

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
May 20 2006
Novruz Mammadov: Vladimir Kazimirov has gone mad, he is too old to
realize his words
[ 20 May 2006 16:17 ]
Director of Azerbaijani President’s Office department for
international relations, Novruz Mammadov held a press conference
related to the recent statements on Azerbaijan made by former Russian
co-chair (until 1996) of OSCE Minsk Group Vladimir Kazimirov (APA).
Mammadov said that Kazimirov have Armenian relations and he has
financial relations with Armenians stressing that confidence in the
Russian diplomat was lost in 1992-93. Mammadov also noted that at
times Kazimirov made biased statements on Azerbaijan and sometimes he
even forged relevant international documents when he was sponsored by
Armenians.
`He even tells a lie by saying that the principle of nations
determining their fates is same with the principle of territorial
integrity of states according to the UN Convention of 1948.
Kazimirov’s statements are contrary to diplomatic ethic. I think he
has gone mad, he is too old to comprehend what he says,’ the
President’s Office official said.
Mammadov also noted that Kazimirov’s such statements may hinder the
process of settlement of the Nagorno Garabagh problem. On the other
hand, stating that these statements are false, the department
director considers as the parties to the conflict do not take into
account these false statements, these factors will not have negative
impact on the settlement process.
`I don’t think these opinions coincide with Russia’s official foreign
policy. We have less belief that the old Kazimirov will have strong
logic,’ he said.
According to Kazimirov’s recent statement the Pan-Armenian
Information Agency reported, the then Azerbaijani President Heydar
Aliyev meant liberation of the surrounding regions of Nagorno
Garabagh not just the entire Nagorno Garabagh. Stating that the
Garabagh problem had negative psychological impact on Azerbaijanis,
Kazimirov stressed that the problem cannot possibly be solved for the
benefit of Azerbaijan./APA/

Regnum, Russia
May 20 2006
Khaindrava usually gets unmasked himself: Interview of Vice Speaker
of South Ossetian Parliament Yuri Dzitsoity
Read it in Russian
REGNUM: Mr. Dzitsoity, when asked how Georgia will react to the South
Ossetian parliament’s declaration on the genocide of South Ossetians
in 1989-1992 and its political-legal assessment, Georgian State
Minister for Conflict Settlement Georgy Khaindrava said that he does
not know any such body as the parliament of South Ossetian in the
territory of Georgia. How would you comment on this statement?
I always say that one should not ask analysts to help to unmask
Khaindrava. One should just let him speak out. He usually gets
unmasked himself. And what do you expect from a man who was one of
the ideologists of the Georgian Fascism, a man who was one of the
first ardent supporters of Zviad Gamsakhurdia (first president of
Georgia, who started the Georgian-Ossetian conflict – REGNUM). Hence,
in terms of morality his hands are in blood up to the elbows.
Naturally, he looks at South Ossetia and does not see it point-blank.
But, on the other hand, he is right – there is actually no South
Ossetia in Georgia, there is no parliament of South Ossetia in
Georgia. South Ossetia is not Georgia – I absolutely agree with
Khaindrava here. South Ossetia is an independent state, consequently,
its parliament is the parliament of an independent state.
REGNUM: Why doesn’t Georgia react to such grave charges?
In fact, we did not expect Georgia to plead guilty of the genocide of
the Ossetian people. Georgia is not homogenous though: there has been
emotional reaction by Shevardnadze, who qualified the actions against
the Ossetian people as genocide. There has been prosecutor Razmadze,
who initiated a criminal action against Gamsakhurdia. One of the
charges was exactly the Ossetian genocide. That is, in Georgia too
there are sensible people. On the other hand, we don’t expect the
present Georgian authorities to give an objective assessment of what
happened. As I have already said many of the present-day Georgian
leaders were took part in those events, that is, in the genocide of
the Ossetian people. They can’t punish themselves, can they?
REGNUM: Do you expect any reaction from the international community?
For example, the head of the OSCE mission Roy Reeve just said that he
has given relevant documents to the OSCE president…
I thank him very much. In this light, I should note that not
everybody has recognized the Armenian Genocide yet. It took place 91
years ago, but neither Turkey nor many other states have officially
recognized it to date. The point is that we take the declaration on
the genocide and its political-legal assessment as a basis of our
relations with Georgia. Our position is that in the 20th century
Georgia committed two horrible genocides against the Ossetian people.
That’s why, when the international community urges us to go back to
Georgia, we say we can’t do that. All that happened is enough for the
Ossetian people to open its eyes and to see, mildly speaking, an
opponent in the Georgian authorities.
REGNUM: Do you see parallel between the genocides of Armenians and
Ossetians?
As a matter of principle, we can draw such a parallel. On the other
hand, there can’t be precise analogues in history. The situation was
different, the times were different, the scales are different. 1,000
people were annihilated in South Ossetia in the 90s: among them were
Russians and Georgians, but 98% of them were Ossetians. With the
total population of South Ossetia being 98,000, this is 1% and, with
Ossetians making up 68% of the total population, this is already 6%.

TREND Information, Azerbaijan
May 20 2006
Azerbaijan interested in attracting more number of investors – Azeri
Amb to Germany

Source: Trend
Author: R. Abdullayev

20.05.2006

Azerbaijan is interested in attracting more and more investors to the
country `s economy and successful work in this direction is underway,
Trend quoted Parviz Shabaziv, the Azerbaijani Ambassador to Germany
as stating in an interview for German magazine Diplomatisches
Magazin.
The diplomat noted that to date interests on Azerbaijan have
increased considerably. Many German companies voice their will in
cooperation with Azerbaijan and mutually profitable relationships
have been established.
The same time the Ambassador noted boom ion economic growth of the
country observed over the past few years, in particular opening
of380,000 new jobs.
the diplomat also touched the occupation of 20% of Azerbaijani
territory by Armenia. `We support peaceable resolution of the
conflict and are ready to grant Nagorno-Karabakh with high status of
autonomy, exiting throughout the world,’ Shahbazov underlined. Baku
is ready to open transport corridor to Armenia. The resolution of the
problem was impossible due to Armenia’s non-constructive position,
which desires annexation of this region.
`Armenia should understand that the situation cannot go on in such a
way,’ the diplomat concluded.

Belfast Telegraph, United Kingdom
May 20 2006
Viewpoint: All kinds of puppets on a Euro string
20 May 2006
On one night of the year the European dream comes true, when all its
countries join in the fun of Eurovision – and tonight’s the night.
Will Armenia (surely in Asia?) break its duck or could Ireland recall
the glory days of Dana and Johnny Logan with an Athenian victory for
Falls Road man, Brian Kennedy?
In millions of homes across the continent and beyond, bottles will be
opened and score sheets prepared, as families gather to cheer, jeer
and cringe as the multi-national extravaganza unfolds. Ridiculous
costumes, silly dance routines and excruciating lyrics – they’re all
part of the crazy, kitschy world of the Eurovision song contest.
Just occasionally – about half a dozen times in 51 years – a song
breaks through the lycra curtain and registers with the public as
something more than Eurofodder. Sandy Shaw’s “Puppet on a String” in
1967, written by our own Phil Coulter, was one of those, closely
followed in 1970 by Dana’s “All Kinds of Everything”, such a contrast
with today’s frenetic offerings, and, everyone’s favourite,
“Waterloo”, the song that launched Abba 32 years ago.
All 24 finalists tonight are guaranteed their biggest-ever audience,
most of them then returning to the oblivion they so richly deserve,
but for the winner there is nothing short of Olympian glory. Their
career receives a massive boost, their place in national history is
assured and they can look forward to years of interviews beginning:
“Whatever happened to you after Eurovision?”
In the early years, the major nations and their musicians took it
deadly seriously, but a certain Irishman has helped to change all
that. For Terry Wogan, the perennial BBC commentator, it is an
opportunity to gently mock the antics of the more desperate
performers, and nowadays the British and Irish like to scorn as they
watch – perhaps because they seldom win.
After the songs and the tourism clips from the host country, comes
the lottery of the voting procedure, made even more unpredictable
this year by the inclusion of no less than 38 countries. The war in
Iraq has put paid to the UK’s popularity, in recent years, and
Ireland’s best hope may be that immigrants from eastern Europe, whose
countries traditionally vote for each other, will register their
thanks to the Celtic tiger.
Nostalgia lovers will regret that the days of “nul points” have been
consigned to the past, in the new voting method. Points from 1 to 7
will only be shown on the TV scoreboard and it will be left to the
national presenters to stumble over the awards of 8, 10 and 12 points
until, excitingly, the last three countries give their scores in
full. You couldn’t make it up.

Today, Azerbaijan
May 20 2006
Telegraph: “Armenia should establish Nagorno Karabakh as a separate
state”

Ed West in his article “You need friends to win in Eurovision” for
Britain’s Telegraph online edition interferes in the internal affairs
of Azerbaijan.
The latest act in the Yugoslav drama plays out tomorrow when tiny
Montenegro votes on independence from Serbia. And while Croatia’s
tragic schism with the Serbs was provoked by football rivalry, the
final nail in the federation’s coffin is karaoke.
These old allies, who fought together against Croats, Albanians and
Nato, are on the point of rupture over their joint representative at
the Eurovision Song Contest, held tonight in Athens. In the Serbian
version of A Song For Europe, Montenegrin judges were accused of
tactically voting for compatriots No Name ahead of Serbian favourites
Flamingoes, leading to uproar from a hostile Belgrade crowd and the
terrified Montenegrin boy band being escorted out by security.
With typical Balkan bloody-mindedness, the Serbians withdrew
altogether, and neither country got to appear. To add insult to
injury, their place was allotted to the best semi-finalist… Croatia.
Controversy has been a staple of Eurovision, established 50 years ago
by the European Broadcasting Union in the spirit of fostering
European unity. And while the British treat Eurovision as a joke, for
Europe’s small nations it is their moment in the sun. After wins for
Estonia in 2001, Latvia in 2002 and Ukraine in 2004, tomorrow Armenia
arrives on the big stage, and nationalist controversy is already
rampant. Neighbouring Azerbaijan is none too happy that Armenian
entrant André has listed his place of birth as “Republic of Nagorno
Karabakh”. An Armenian MP has also complained that the song,
containing Turkish words, is not “Armenian enough”.
But really, instead of trying to absorb Nagorno Karabakh, Armenia’s
government should establish it as a separate state, thereby creating
a voting buddy. That’s the way Eurovision works: a Cypriot entry
could simply walk on stage and belch, and still be sure of 12 votes
from the Greeks.
Various research papers have identified patterns of voting blocs,
including the Viking, Slavic and Balkan groups and even an
impressive-sounding Spanish-Andorran alliance. Lordi, Finland’s entry
and the contest’s first-ever death-metal band, may not do for all
tastes, but they can be confident the Swedes will help out, as they
did for most of Finland’s previous attempts, including Chirpy Chirp,
the mysterious Pump Pump and the bizarre, accordion-led reggae
interpretation Reggae OK.
Likewise, seven-times winner Ireland can always rely on a generous
score from the UK, almost as if it were a clause in the 1921 Treaty.
And Germany often favours its eastern neighbours with guilt points
(there probably is a German word for it), while everyone in Europe
gives generously to Israel’s interesting renditions. (No one is
exactly sure why Israel is even in Eurovision, save for the suspicion
that it would not do well in a Middle Eastovision, least of all with
a trans-sexual diva like Dana International.)
So if Eurovision is all about friends, what about Le Royaume-Uni? As
with the Common Market and European Football Championships, Britain
failed to enter the first Eurovision, which subsequently developed a
French feel. Indeed, we have long suspected that the whole thing is a
continental carve-up.
Back in 1988, Scott Fitzgerald was way ahead of his Swiss rival with
just two votes to go, but failed to get any reward from the Yugoslav
or French panels. The following day on radio phone-ins many callers
claimed that communist Yugoslavia had favoured neutral Switzerland
over Nato Britain, while no explanation was needed for the French
decision.
And with ever greater eastern participation, Britain has declined
from annual favourite to third-rate mediocrity, the low point coming
in 2003 when Jemini’s Cry Baby left the UK pointless, although
everyone was too busy focusing on Russian teen lesbians Tatu, who
finished third behind a Turkish “oriental-style rap” and a Belgian
entry sung in an imaginary language (an good way to settle the
Flemish-Walloon conflict).
The Belgians could do this because the restriction on singing in a
foreign language, designed to protect national culture but in reality
a Canute-style Francophone struggle against Americanisation, was
dropped in 1999. It worked: Poland was first to break the Old Europe
stranglehold by singing in the language of rock and roll, and came
second on its debut.
At the other end of the scale, the Swiss had one of their worst
results when they performed a number in the country’s tiny Rhaeto
Romantic tongue.
In retrospect, the greatest tragedy of Eurovision was that it gave
the world the “Swiss” representative Celine Dion. (French-Canadian
Dion is not the only foreigner to have triumphed: in 1980 and 1987
Ireland won with Australian Johnny Logan, while Estonia’s winner was
a West Indian who could not speak a word of the language, and remains
the only black singer to ever win Eurovision.)
So how can Britain take back the title? Or – a better question – do
we in fact want Daz Sampson’s Teenage Life to bring the prize back to
Blighty? With the expense involved in hosting Eurovision, winning has
become something of a white elephant. In one episode of Father Ted,
the Irish judges deliberately choose an abysmal dirge by Craggy
Island’s finest to lose for Ireland.
This trick was strongly rumoured to have actually happened in 1979,
when the Spanish judges gave maximum points to main rivals Israel. So
do not fear if we are left without friends in Europe; in the long
term it will cost us less.

Cyprus Mail, Cyprus
May 20 2006
Artani shock at Eurovision exclusion
By Leo Leonidou
ANNET Artani was said to be distraught after failing to make it to
the final of the Eurovision Song Contest in Athens tonight.
Speaking to the Cyprus Mail, Evi Papamichael, who will be
commentating on the event for CyBC said: `Obviously, she is extremely
disappointed as we all thought it was a good performance and her
voice was excellent. Bit if I was to sum up Eurovision in one word,
it would be `unpredictable’.’
Looking stunning in a yellow dress, Artani performed `Why Angels
Cry’, composed and written by Petros Yiannakis.
When asked whether countries from the former eastern bloc had
possibly colluded together at the expense of the others, Papamichael
was sceptical.
`I don’t think so,’ she said.
`In my 14 years experience with the Eurovision, I would say that
countries vote for one another due to common tastes in familiar music
and the same mentalities.’
She said that viewing figures wouldn’t be affected, despite Cyprus
not being represented. `Eurovision is an extremely popular event and
the fact that Anna Vissi is representing Greece makes it extremely
interesting to the Cypriot viewer as she’s very popular and the
public will be cheering her on.’
Cyprus was this year celebrating its 25th entry in the famous
competition and is still eligible to vote in the final.
`We are fighters and hope top be back next year,’ said Papamichael.
The delegation will stay in the Greek capital until Sunday.
Amid a cluster of ancient Gods, Spartan warriors and mythical
creatures, musicians from 23 countries battled it out for a place in
tonight’s main contest.
Competing for ten places, Russia, Macedonia, Bosnia-Herzegovina,
Lithuania, Finland, Ukraine, Ireland, Sweden, Turkey and Armenia made
the cut after a public text and telephone vote.
Ranging from pop to ethnic to rock, the winning acts for the
semi-finals included a wide assortment of genres.
Among the more unusual and surprising bands to advance to the final
were controversial Finnish heavy metal outfit Lordi, whose act
features gruesome masks, armour and flame jets.
Other unexpected winners included Lithuania’s Lt United with, `We are
the Winners’, as well as Turkey and Armenia, the latter competing for
the first time.
Hosts Greece, nine top-scoring nations from last year’s contest, and
four major countries have automatic berths in the final: Switzerland,
Moldova, Israel, Latvia, Norway, Spain, Malta, Germany, Denmark,
Romania, United Kingdom, France, Croatia and Greece.
France, Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom qualify automatically
as the four most populous countries in the event.
Eager to entertain more than 10,000 fans in the Olympic Basketball
Stadium, dancers dressed-up as Zeus and Aphrodite, took to the stage
singing past Eurovision hits `Volare’ and `Diva’.
The show’s choreographer, Fokas Evagelinos, said he wanted to inject
a dose of humour while also showcasing Greek culture.
Athens won the right to host the event after Helena Paparizou
triumphed last year in Kiev with her song My Number One.
Anna Vissi will be battling it out to score another win for Greece
with Everything, a ballsy, heartfelt rock ballad about the break-up
of a relationship.
Despite being described as a showcase of kitsch, Eurovision is one of
the most-watched television programmes in the world, with up to 300
million viewers every year. The competition has served as a
springboard for international stars such as ABBA, Cliff Richard and
Celine Dion.

Hellenic News of America
May 20 2006
AHI Statement on the Commemoration of the 92nd Anniversary of the
Greek Pontian Genocide by Turkey
AHI Statement on the Commemoration of the 92nd Anniversary of the
Greek Pontian Genocide by Turkey
We support the Pontian Greek American community?s efforts to secure
full recognition, proper commemoration, and a just resolution of the
Greek Pontian Genocide of 1914-23.
On May 19, 2006, the Pontic communities around the world commemorate
the 92nd anniversary of the Genocide of the Pontic Greeks. Their
outright slaughter and expulsion by long death marches to exile
between 1914-23, was first ordered by the Young Turk regime and then
completed by Mustafa Kemal, later known as Atat?rk. These genocidal
policies caused the death of 353,000 Pontic Greeks, more than half
their population, and brought a tragic and catastrophic end to their
three-thousand year presence on the southern shores and mountains of
the Black Sea region of Asia Minor, today?s Turkey.
We call on the President to address this tragedy by properly
recognizing the Pontian Genocide as a clear instance of genocide, as
defined by the United Nations Genocide Convention. We ask the
administration to end its silence on Turkey?s denial of this crime of
genocide.
The U.S. Congress should adopt legislation recognizing the Pontian
Genocide as part and parcel of the genocide against the Armenians,
Assyrians and the other Greeks of Asia Minor? a genocide which took
the lives of 3 million of Turkey?s Christian population. The U.S.
Congress should also urge the American people to apply the lessons of
this great tragedy to the cause of preventing future genocides.
Finally, Turkey must be pressured to acknowledge its genocidal crime
against these historic Christians, to come to terms with this chapter
in its history and, consistent with the Genocide Convention and other
relevant international legal instruments, to make full reparations to
the Pontic people.
We refer readers to Thea Halo?s book Not Even My Name, a remarkable
memoir of her Pontic Greek mother?s life, which recounts her ancient
way of life in the Pontic mountains, her 10-month long death march to
exile at the age of 10, ordered by Mustafa Kemal, which took the
lives of her family and neighbors, and left her bereft, even of her
name. Sano?s story continues with her life in America. Thea Halo
includes in this extraordinary memoir an historical synopsis of the
politics and intrigues of the great powers of the time.