Mike Geiger lights up ‘Winteractive' at New England Aquarium
Advertisement
Animator and sculptor Mike Geiger with "Nature's Solace," an illuminated sculpture in front of the New England Aquarium.
David L. Ryan/Globe Staff
His 6-foot-tall luminous structures made from recycled plastic, 'Nature's Glow' (at 2 Avery St.) and 'Nature's Solace' (outside New England Aquarium), shelter beds of flowers and foliage.
'I definitely see them as characters,' Geiger said. 'I feel like I know their personalities.'
With each work in the series, 'the idea is it's like a spirit guardian that's taking care of their foliage,' he said.
He sees more of these benign protectors of nature in his future. 'Ideally,' he said, 'we have families of characters.'
A detail of Mike Geiger's "Nature's Solace." The illuminated, character-driven sculpture shelters beds of flowers and foliage.
David L. Ryan/Globe Staff
Where to find him:
Age
: 49
Originally from
: White Rock, British Columbia
Lives in
: Toronto
Studio
: Geiger works on the sculptures nights and weekends 'wherever I can find space in my home,' he said.
Mike Geiger, "Nature's Solace," presented as part of the Downtown Boston Alliance's 'Winteractive' outdoor art experience.
Annielly Camargo/Downtown Boston Alliance
The 'biggest thing' for him as an artist:
'The animation industry in America is super struggling right now,' he said. 'I don't know that people outside of the art world understand how intrusive AI is.'
AI sources what it generates from
How he started
: Geiger's design sensibility was shaped by skateboarding in the 1980s and '90s. When he was ready for college, his local art school rejected him. 'Then my mother called me and said, 'Don't worry about it. I signed you up for an animation class on the weekends.'' Geiger said. 'I fell in love within the first week.'
Advertisement
That experience got him into
Mike Geiger cutting flowers to be used in "Nature's Solace."
David L. Ryan/Globe Staff
How he works
: Developing his sculptures, the artist starts with sketches to see what sort of character springs up. Then he imports the drawings into
Advice for artists
: 'This is a really tricky question because I have a 9-year-old son who wants to be an artist, and it's like, well, what's the future with AI?,' Geiger said.
But he still believes: 'If you're passionate about what you do, no matter what the situation, there will be a road for you.'
Cate McQuaid can be reached at
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Boston Globe
an hour ago
- Boston Globe
‘Our Class' expands across the decades to confront a historic evil
'Our Class' introduces 10 twentysomethings — five Catholics and five Jews — who have gone to school together since they were 5, and then follows them from the 1930s to 2000. The show focuses on the impact of one pivotal incident in their lives, when several hundred Jews in their town were rounded up and deliberately burned to death in a barn. For many decades, the Poles blamed the Nazis, denying responsibility for murdering their friends and neighbors. 'I went to the site where the barn stood outside the town of Jedwabne,' Golyak says. 'It's a beautiful, peaceful landscape. You almost feel you are in the presence of God. And then to know something so tragic happened here, it makes you realize how easy it is for people to shift from a gray area of humanity to super dark and violent.' Advertisement As events spiral out of control, the play includes the seemingly unimportant details, such as a neighbor offering advice to a new mom on how to treat her son's colic — even holding him tenderly and suggesting a simple remedy — before sending both mother and child to their death. Director Igor Golyak during rehearsal. Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff 'We can't take in the horror unless we see the mundane details of their lives and recognize these people as longtime friends who fall in love, gossip together, tease each other,' says Golyak. 'Growing up together, these young people are bound together by their years together in school,' he says. 'If these people can do such an awful thing, we are all capable of doing something horrible.' Inside Arlekin's modest rehearsal and performance space in Needham, Golyak's actors and production team — who hail from New York, Russia, Latvia, Ukraine, Germany, and the Boston area — walk through some of the play's toughest scenes. In Golyak's inventive and always-engaging approach, high-tech tools, like images projected on a chalkboard backdrop, mix with low-tech props, like balloons on which the characters draw faces before letting the balloons go and watching them float away. In the midst of a suspenseful scene in which people are being herded together, two characters perform a graceful, slow-motion dance. Advertisement 'The ritualized Jewish dance brings a kind of beauty and joy to a horrifying moment,' says Richard Topol, who is reprising his role in 'Our Class' after the New York performances. Boston audiences may know him best from his current TV series, 'Godfather of Harlem,' as well as his appearance in the Huntington's 2019 remounting of the Tony award-winning 'Indecent.' 'I play Abram,' Topol says, 'who was the classmate who moved away as a teenager to become a rabbi. He writes to his friends, and misses them, but he never sees them again.' Abram serves as a kind of narrator, and Topol says Golyak's vision 'creates a kind of magic that lifts us up between two worlds, allowing us to be distant and then close to the action.' Chulpan Khamatova during rehearsal for "Our Class." Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff Chulpan Khamatova, a renowned Russian film and theater actress who now lives in exile in Latvia, says the trauma and pain the survivors experienced led to a numbing denial. Khamatova plays Rachelka, a young woman who is saved by a classmate, but must convert to Catholicism to survive. 'She dies two times,' says Khamatova. 'First when she loses her entire family, and then when she decides to hide the truth — about her true identity and about who is responsible for the atrocity.' 'It's fascinating to see how long a common lie could last,' says Boston-based actor Deborah Martin, who plays Zoha, a woman who saves some of her classmates, but finds that brave choice forces her into impossible situations. 'I have to look my friend in the eye and tell her I can't save her baby,' she says. 'It's harrowing.' At one point, one character says to another, 'We are classmates. We are like family, better than family,' which makes their actions even more incomprehensible. Advertisement 'I am like a narrator,' says Topol. 'I'm tasked with retelling the story, so that we don't forget.' New Works Festival runs June 26-29 Moonbox Productions Fourth Annual Boston New Works Festival will feature three full productions of new plays and four readings June 26-29 at the Calderwood Pavilion and the Boston Center for the Arts. Full productions include 'Fangirl,' by Luna Abréu-Santana; 'Guts,' by Rachel Greene; and 'Mox Nox,' by Patrick Gabridge. Readings include 'Choose and Celebrate,' by Catherine Giorgetti; 'Creature Feature, ' by Micah Pflaum; 'Hitch,' by James McLindon; and 'How to Kill a Goat,' by Mireya Sánchez-Maes. OUR CLASS By Tadeusz Slobodzianek, adapted by Norman Allen. Presented by Arlekin Players Theater, at the Calderwood Pavilion in the Boston Center for the Arts June 13-23. Tickets: $84-$124.
Boston Globe
21 hours ago
- Boston Globe
This Pride Month, Sister Lida Christ manifests a message of joy and tolerance
Advertisement Sister Lida Christ and her companions departed for an evening out in Boston on Sept. 7, 2023. The group was going to attend the History Maker Awards ceremony, where the Boston Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence would be honored with the 2023 Lavender Rhino Award for their, 'invaluable contributions to creating queer-welcoming space in Boston," and "efforts to protect queer freedom of expression, individuality, and joy.' Craig F. Walker/Globe Staff Sisters Lida (left), Jessa Belle, Judy B Good, and Tori D'Affair had their picture taken during GAY BASH'D at the Roadrunner in Boston on June 8, 2024. Sister Lida was a cohost for the prominent Pride party. Craig F. Walker/Globe Staff 'Pride is, jokingly, the high holy month,' she says. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up In their vivid makeup and distinctive outfits, the 15 or so Boston Sisters are ubiquitous in June. Their itinerary this year includes a fund-raiser for Sister Lida, a North Shore native who asked that the Globe keep her everyday identity private out of concern for her safety, joined the resplendent Sisterhood in 2013, attracted by the order's wit and irreverence, but also its outreach and commitment to community service. Most recently, the Sisters participated in a fund-raiser to replace the decrepit heating system at Arlington Street Church. (The drag nuns proved to be effective auctioneers, driving up the price of items with their antics.) Advertisement Sister Lida and Sister Rosetta Stone called numbers during Drag Bingo at Club Cafe in Boston on Sept. 11, 2023. The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence were hosting a fund-raiser for Harbor to the Bay, an AIDS benefit bike ride. Craig F. Walker/Globe Staff 'I've always been that person who stood up to the bullies in the high school hallway,' says Sister Lida, who came out at 14 and attended prom with a same-sex date. 'Sometimes, though, bullies are not a person, they're a concept. Sometimes bullies are the inequality in our life.' The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence originated in San Francisco in the 1970s, a whimsical response to so-called (The Sisters now 'You're creating a superhero. It's a temporary costume that I put on. It gives me anonymity. I become a conduit for people's stories,' says Sister Lida. 'You can tell me your most painful truth or what you're most happy about and you don't know who you're talking to. Sister Lida worked on her makeup during her 'manifestation' at her home in Boston on Sept. 7, 2023. 'It is definitely a moment for reflection and meditation. You're bringing forth your sister persona when you're manifesting. You're creating the work of living art. It's an opportunity to take whatever is happening in your life at the moment and go, 'OK, this goes on pause.' You're here to be part of community and to make sure you're leaving the house centered and ready to be a conduit,' she said. Craig F. Walker/Globe Staff Sister Lida mapped out a route for Sister Betty Esem (right) while departing for an evening out in Boston on Sept. 7, 2023. Craig F. Walker/Globe Staff 'At the end of the night,' she says, 'I get to wash it off and when I do, it leaves me.' A Sister's persona evolves and the names tend to be playful: Sister Faith N. Humanity, Sister Bearonce Knows, Sister Nova Aggra. (Sister Lida Christ is a play on 'Light of Christ.') The outfits? They vary. Sisters typically wear a wimple with a habit or robe that approximates a nun's cloak. Some garments are custom, while others are gems found at Off the Rack, Marshall's, or, for Sisters on the West Coast, Ross. Advertisement 'This one is loosely inspired by Judy Garland's look toward the end of her life,' Sister Lida says, taking a sequined jacket from her closet. 'It's got a loose swing pant and this long, almost-kimono coat.' It's not all about face paint and garish get-ups. The Sisters' practice is focused on ministry, activism, education, entertainment, and service. On this particular day, once she's painstakingly applied her makeup, Sister Lida is driving to a studio to tape a public service announcement. Sister Lida used a water bottle while collecting donations before the Boston Dyke March in Boston on June 7, 2024. The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence took donations from the crowd before and after the march to fund future events. Sister Lida explained the playfulness involved in their mission, 'I'm not manifesting drag. I'm manifesting my joy for the community." She said, 'I do think there needs to be room for comedy. If we can't be the jester in society, then society has lost its ability to commentate. We are the sacred clowns.' Craig F. Walker/Globe Staff @font-face { font-family: BentonSansCond-Regular; src: url(" format('woff2'), url(" format('woff'); } @font-face { font-family: BentonSansCond-Bold; src: url(" format('woff2'), url(" format('woff'); } .dipgrid { display: flex; flex-wrap: wrap; align-items: stretch; margin: 25px -28px; } .dip__main { position: relative; overflow: hidden; } .dip__image { position: relative; top: 50%; left: 0%; } .dip__image.portrait { height: auto; width: 100%; padding-top: 24px; } .dip__image.landscape { height: auto; width: 100%; padding-top: 10px; } @media only screen and (min-width: 700px) { .dipgrid { display: flex; flex-wrap: wrap; align-items: stretch; max-width: 1200px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; } .dip { width: 48.5%; } .dip:not(:nth-child(2n)) { margin-right: 3%; } .dip__image.portrait { height: auto; width: 100%; padding-top: 10px; } .dip__image.landscape { height: auto; width: 100%; padding-top: 0px; } .dip__main { position: relative; overflow: hidden; } } .dip_cap_cred { font-family: "BentonSansCond-Regular", "Times New Roman", Times, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: .5px; text-align: left; margin: 3px 15px 0px 0px; font-weight: 200; } .dip_cap_cred span{ text-transform: uppercase; color: #6b6b6b; } .theme-dark .dip_cap_cred{ color: #fff; } .theme-dark .dip_cap_cred span { color: #fff; } Sister Lida Christ passed through the Public Garden on her way to the Boston Dyke March in Boston. Sister Lida Christ walked among the crowd at the Boston Common to volunteer for the Boston Dyke March. 'A comforting and inspirational message reminding folks that the arc of justice does swing, and to have faith, work together, and watch out for one another,' she says. To those who think the Sisters are 'I have nothing but the deepest respect for all faiths,' says Sister Lida. 'With the simple caveat that as long as those practicing their beliefs do no harm unto themselves or unto others.' Sister Lida of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence took a break backstage during GAY BASH'D at the Roadrunner in Boston. Craig F. Walker/Globe Staff Sister Lida of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence entertained the crowd while introducing the next act during GAY BASH'D at the Roadrunner in Boston on June 8, 2024. Sister Lida was a cohost for the prominent Pride party. She said she was reborn when she joined the order. 'When in my life would this have ever happened if I hadn't joined this organization and made a commitment not only to myself but to community? One thing I truly believe is when you say yes to the universe, the universe says yes back to you in ways that you can be not at all prepared for,' she said. Craig F. Walker/Globe Staff Her devotion to the work of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence has grown over time, in part because of the country's political climate, which she considers increasingly less tolerant of those who live, or love, on the margins of society. Advertisement 'What I'm seeing are words that we would never use — the n-word, the r-word, the f-word — all these slurs that are coming back,' she says. 'When you say to a kid that queer people don't exist, or you ban this or that book, they don't know. They think they can say the f-word. Then you've got a generation making decisions based on a reality that's not true. 'I'm going to try to make the world better,' Sister Lida says. 'As long as I'm physically able, I'll do this until I'm in the ground.' Sister Lida checked her makeup, wimple, and jewelry before taking the stage. Craig F. Walker/Globe Staff Craig F. Walker Globe Photo. Follow him on Instagram
Boston Globe
a day ago
- Boston Globe
At Gillette, the Weeknd made his case for being the reigning male artist in pop music
Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up On Tuesday night at Gillette, Tesfaye continued the heavy lifting, piling platinum songs atop diamond singles during the first of two nights in town for his 'After Hours 'Til Dawn Stadium Tour.' The current slew of shows toasts the artist's last three records: 'After Hours,' 'Dawn FM,' and this year's release, 'Hurry Up Tomorrow,' all chapters of a trilogy that Tesfaye has been fleshing out since 2020. Advertisement The Weeknd performs at Gillette Stadium. Danielle Parhizkaran/Globe Staff 'I said, 'next time I come back, we're doing this [expletive] twice,'' Tesfaye said, referencing a thought from his one-show visit to Foxborough in 2022. Advertisement If manifesting Such supersized production elements could only be dwarfed by the magnitude of Tesfaye's catalog. While the evening focused largely on material from the aforementioned trilogy of albums, all seven of the artist's No. 1 songs surfaced throughout the night. Most notably, 'The Hills' set the catwalk ablaze with timed pyrotechnics as Tesfaye prowled through the hedonistic hit, and he later transformed the fluttering synths of 'Die For You' into a touching devotional for the crowd. And while era-defining chart-toppers like 'Can't Feel My Face' or 'Blinding Lights' would have been natural choices for an ecstatic finale, Tesfaye offered the two dance songs earlier in the set, and instead chose to stick the landing with a smaller hit, the Swedish House Mafia collab 'Moth To A Flame' ('smaller' here meaning it boasts 'only' one billion Spotify streams). 'Like a moth to a flame, I'll pull you in, I pulled you back to what you need initially,' he sang, harnessing the devotion that earned him two consecutive shows at Gillette – and could very well earn him a third on his next tour. Your move, Sheeran. THE WEEKND Advertisement With Playboi Carti and Mike Dean At Gillette Stadium, Tuesday
