In the iconic story "The Wizard of Oz," there is a memorable moment where a witch is crushed by a house. This event plays a crucial role in the story's plot and serves as a turning point for the main character, Dorothy. The witch in question is the Wicked Witch of the East, who ruled over the Munchkin country. As the story goes, Dorothy, a young girl from Kansas, finds herself in the magical land of Oz after her house is swept away by a tornado. Unfortunately for the Wicked Witch of the East, Dorothy's house lands directly on top of her, causing her demise. This incident sets off a chain reaction of events that drive the story forward.
A lowrider car, images of bikini-clad women, a row of metal sickles: they’re all anchors for Body/Magic, an exhibition centering Liz Cohen’s ongoing exploration of hybridized identities and cultures, achieved in part through her immersion in lowrider culture.
Body Magic Liz Cohen at Arizona State University Art Museum in Tempe takes viewers inside the artist s creative process while punctuating critical themes in her work, including transformation, labor, and personal agency. Here, curator Julio César Morales uses video, photographs, and ephemera to take viewers inside the artist s creative process while punctuating critical themes in her work, including transformation, labor, and personal agency.
This incident sets off a chain reaction of events that drive the story forward. The witch's death leads to the liberation of the Munchkins, who had long suffered under her wicked rule. They celebrate her demise, grateful to Dorothy for inadvertently freeing them.
Body/Magic: Liz Cohen
Body/Magic: Liz Cohen at Arizona State University Art Museum in Tempe takes viewers inside the artist’s creative process while punctuating critical themes in her work, including transformation, labor, and personal agency.
Liz Cohen, Zwickau Routine: Yellow Inward Turn, 2010, C-print, 16 x 20 in. Courtesy of the artist.
January 16–May 29, 2021
ASU Art Museum, Tempe
A lowrider car, images of bikini-clad women, a row of metal sickles: they’re all anchors for Body/Magic, an exhibition centering Liz Cohen’s ongoing exploration of hybridized identities and cultures, achieved in part through her immersion in lowrider culture.
Here, curator Julio César Morales uses video, photographs, and ephemera to take viewers inside the artist’s creative process while punctuating critical themes in her work, including transformation, labor, and personal agency.
Cohen’s custom lowrider car (Trabantamino, 2002-11) draws viewers into a gallery focused on her seminal Bodywork series. Text panels and a timeline elucidate the cultural context and significance of this kinetic sculpture, which was built using an East German Trabant and an American El Camino.
Like lowrider culture, the car is a powerful metaphor for the artist’s own hybridized identity, initially molded within her Columbian Jewish family amid the Cold War era.
Installations of ephemera flank the lowrider, reinforcing the artist’s role as a change agent while positioning viewers to consider their own power to transform themselves and society. One features tools, the other clothing worn while assuming roles from car customizer to model.
Another gallery highlights more recent work, including the Stories Better Told by Others series created in response to the #MeToo and #NotSurprised movements of 2017. Using photographs and lithographs elevating lowrider magazine cover models, Cohen shifts the narrative from the male gaze to female empowerment.
Here, viewers also discover that the exhibition title was inspired by the book Body Magic by Lisa Lyon, a bodybuilder photographed by Robert Mapplethorpe during the early 1980s. Cohen collaborated with lowrider model Dazza Del Rio to reinterpret several of those images from a female perspective (Body Magic, 2020, video; Body Magic, 2020, inkjet prints).
Body/Magic is a compelling showcase for not only the depth and breadth of Cohen’s work, but also her ongoing journey with self-transformation.
Liz Cohen, Body/Magic: Liz Cohen, 2021, Arizona State University Art Museum. Liz Cohen, Bodywork Steering, 4/5, 2006, C-print, 50 x 60.25 in. Courtesy the artist.
Liz Cohen, Zwickau Routine: Yellow Inward Turn, 2010, C-print, 16 x 20 in. Courtesy of the artist.
However, the death of the Wicked Witch of the East also attracts the attention of her sister, the Wicked Witch of the West. This character becomes a primary antagonist in Dorothy's journey, searching for revenge and attempting to reclaim her sister's magic ruby slippers, which Dorothy now possesses. Furthermore, Dorothy's heroic act of unintentionally killing the witch solidifies her reputation as a "Good Witch" among the inhabitants of Oz. This status becomes integral to her quest to find the Wizard and ultimately return home to Kansas. Overall, the moment where the witch is crushed by the house is a significant turning point in "The Wizard of Oz." It changes the dynamics of the story, propelling Dorothy into her adventure and setting the stage for her encounters with other characters in the land of Oz..
Reviews for "The Witch's House Crusher: Examining Cinematic Techniques in the Wizard of Oz"
1. Emma - 2/5 stars - I was really excited to see "Wizard of Oz" but was utterly disappointed by the portrayal of the Witch being crushed by the house. It felt so unrealistic and almost comical, taking away from the seriousness of the story. The special effects used for that scene were not convincing at all, and it made the whole production lose its credibility for me. I wish they had approached that scene with more care and attention to detail.
2. Mark - 3/5 stars - The scene where the Witch gets crushed by the house in "Wizard of Oz" was a bit underwhelming for me. I was expecting something more dramatic and intense considering the impact it has on the story. The execution felt rushed and didn't fully capture the gravity of the moment. It lacked the right amount of suspense and left me feeling unsatisfied. Overall, it was a missed opportunity to create a truly memorable and shocking moment in the production.
3. Sarah - 2/5 stars - I found the Witch getting crushed by the house in "Wizard of Oz" to be quite cheesy and cliché. The scene was poorly executed, and the visual effects looked outdated and unconvincing. It felt like a low-budget attempt at creating a pivotal moment in the story, and it didn't live up to my expectations. I would have preferred a more innovative and visually appealing approach to showcase the demise of the Witch. This particular scene took away from the overall enjoyment of the production for me.