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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 4, 1977)
friday, november4, 1977 page 12 daily nebraskan aits St fffMfi) Resident artist resists being called water-colorist By Kathy Foreman Charles Miller, the current artist in residence at Cen tennial Educational Program said he hopes his stay at UNL will be a learning experience for students and him self. "I want to share my experience and feelings on my own work and vice versa," Miller said. Miller, a Washing ton state native, said "College is a vay of life unfamiliar to me" and added that, in addition to being a good per sonal experience, his UNL stay 'Vill be a nice change from the Northwest" where he has spent the last ten years in the Puget Sound area. Miller, 35, said his interest in art began at age ten. "Back then I didn't see my drawings as 'making art'," T ' f I - y J i. i i t- - " : ; ax a lull ?n " ' ' I tmmm , ' . . . ; -- - - - - y-'t Photo by Bob Pearson Artist in residence Charles Miller isn't a water-colorist, rather he's a 'representational' painter. Miller said. "It was just a form ot entertainment ana I guess it still is." ... . . . A self-taught artist, Miller said he began serious study of painting when he was 18. Miller paints almost exclusively in aqueous mediums, as can be seen by his collection on display at Sheldon Art Gallery today through Nov. 27. m Not a water-colonst Miller said he hesitates to call himself a water-colorist since the term often conjures up an academic school of art with a formaPand structural tradition. Instead, the artist said he works within the much broader category of aqueous mediums. Although he resists classifying his style of painting, Miller said those wishing to view his work can expect "representational paintings." Miller said although most art cirtics think water colors are a difficult medium to work with because they are much harder to control than oil paints, he does not think this is necessarily true. Miller said that from conception to completion, his paintings may take anywhere from three weeks to two months of work. Informal format While at UNL, Miller said he will use an informal for mat for teaching two painting classes that can be taken either for credit or noncredit. He will teach beginning painting from 9:30 to 1 1 :30 a.m. on Tuesdays and 2 to 4 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Miller said that over a dozen students have approached him wishing to take those classes but Miller said scheduling has been a pro blem. In order to involve as many students as possible, Miller urged students to contact him even if they cannot attend classes during the scheduled time. "I'm making an effort to be as flexible as I can," the artist said. In addition to classes with UNL students, Miller will teach in Lincoln and nearby communities. On Monday he and several area artists will visit the Nebraska Penal and Correctional Complex. Miller said he is looking forward to visiting prisoners, and hopes he will have "something to offer them." Miller said he was chosen after submitting a resume to a Faculty Selection Committee of Centennial Educational Programs Council. He will remain at UNL through December 20, staying at Neihardt Residence Complex. Movie Schedule Cinema 1: Oh, God!; 7:30, 9:30 p.m.;PG Cinema 2 : Darby 0 Kill and the Little People; 7:15, 9 p.m.; G Cinema X: Mother Could See Me Now; contin uous showings; X Three Phases of Eve; continuous show ings; X CooperLincoln: Fantasia; 7,9:1 5 p.m.; G Douglas 1 : Heroes; 7:35 ,9:40 p.m.; PG Douglas 2: Damnation Alley: 7:20,9:20 p.m.;PG Douglas 3: Carrie; 7:30, 9:30 p.m.: R Embassy: Hard Soap Hard Soap, continuous show ings from 11 a.m.;X Confessions of a 'Teenage Peanut Butter Freak; continuous showings from 11 ajn.;X Joyo: Final Chapter Walking Tall; 7:20 pjn.; R Plaza 1: Smokey and the Bandit; 7:30, 9:30 pjn.; PG Plaza 2: The Deep; 9:25 pjn.; R . Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger; 7:15 p.m.;G Plaza 3: A Piece of the Action; 7:15 pjn., 9:45 pjn.;PG . Plaza 4: You Light Up My Life; 8, 9:45 p.m.;PG State: Kentucky Fried Movie; 7, 8:35, 10:10 pjn.;R Stuart: Star Mrs; 7:20, 9:30 p.m.; PG Miller's work too fanatical in detail, casual viewer left cold by paintings By Jim Williams Those folks who mug old barns to get weathered wood for their dens are going to loVe Charlie Miller. Miller, current artist in residence at the Centennial Educational Program, has an exhibit. of 14 paintings at the Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery. The paintings cover a 10-year span from 1967 to the present, but Miller's style has remained fairly constant. Most of his paintings are scenes from the Puget Sound coast, rendered with fanati cal detsi and prominent photographic influences. art review Company dances Modern dance is but a baby in the performance world. It was first conceived around 1900 by Isadora Duncan but its major public appearance and interest began in the late 1920s and early 1930s. One of the young offspring is Raymond Johnson. His dance company is only three years old, yet it has gained national attention and praise. Johnson is completing a performance tour of Nebraska with a three-day residency in Lincoln. The Raymond Johnson Dance Company, a group of three men and three women, arrived Wednesday night, presented workshops x Thursday, and will perform more lecture-demonstrations today. They will climax the visit with a concert at 8 pjn. Saturday in Kimball Recital Hall. Ticket prices are $2.50 for students and $4 for general ' admission. They are available at the Kimball box office, 113 Westbrook Music Bidg. or by calling 472-3375. The company will hold a free dress rehearsal in Kimball Hall at 2 pjn. Saturday. The public is welcome to attend, said Ron Bowlin, the coordinator of events at Kimball Hall, but everyone should arrive early and not enter or leave during the practice. Bowlin said noise and activity could disturb the rehearsal. I Miller's technique is undeniably superb, but lends it self to some subjects better than others. The newest paint ings in the show, "Old Foundation at Dalco Head"and "Rip Rap at Pharo Island" (both 1977) show this. They are highly detailed studies of sea-washed rocks, with dis tinct texture and subtle color variations faithful to life but many of us aren't that fascinated by rocks. The same failing crops up in three paintings of buoys and other seaside junk. The detailing is wonderful (Miller's rust looks so rusty you'd think he paints on sheet iron) and the shapes of the buoys compose harmoniously. But these are sterile, academic considerations that may excite the admiration of fellow artists while leaving the casual viewer cold. Heavy overcast "High Meadow" (1973) and "American Salvage" (1972) also are bothersome. Miller's favorite light is heavy overcast-no shadows, dull skies and a general .atmosphere appropriate to chill, foggy Puget Sound. But the lurid colors in these two paintings seem out of place in this light, and the aggressive purples of "High Meadow" make the proportions seem vaguely awkward. "American . Salvage" lacks perspective, but since it relies on simpler graphic forms it's not such a drawback. One painting in the show breaks the mold. "Magic North" (1972) is the only non-landscape in the group. It's a pleasant, posterish rendering in two dominant colors of old railroad, items, with a less serious feeling than the other works. There are subtle marvels and mysteries in Miller's work, too. What on earth do all those little triangles that crop up' in so many of his paintings mean? Why the mileposts, boundary stakes and survey markers that jut up in the foregrounds? And in the oldest painting, "Doghouse Tavern" (1967)-look at the grass. What kind of artist paints a field of grass, one precise blade at a time? ve entertainment on EUPC agenda The week of Monday through Nov. 11 will be the busiest week for the East Campus Union since its grand opening last Spring. The East Union Program Council (EUPC), has events planned to reach the large daytime population of East Campus and expand its programming. EUPC has planned a new luncheon-entertainment pro gram for the week called Food Vi Such. Each noon to 1 pjn. in the Great Plains Room there will be live enter tainment. The program is designed to provide a place for students and faculty members to cat, relax and enjoy a variety of entertainment. On Monday, John Ballcw, a UNL law student will sing and play guitar. Tuesday, Luke Stevenson, a graduate Trom Lincoln East I ligh School will sing folk songs. Wednesday, a taped college concert of Robert Klein, a comedian, will be shown on a giant TV screen. Thursday, Jon von Gillern will perform a sleight-of-hand magic act. Friday, a video tape of a recent live concert by Fleet wood Mac will be shown. There are four tapes scheduled at varying times EJfS iTn 'lth, Yideo Awacss Week. Showings from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. wUl be: Robert Klein- comedy concert NFL Football Follies, a Fleetwood Mac Concert, and a tape titled Who Shall Feed the World An art display entitled "Works and Wonders" spon sored by the EUPC Visual Arts Committee, vXrt K day and continue through Dec. 11. Prints done in acrylic, wood' block and etching by OnnNovrt 10 m a35' fr NW h wUl benf0Idy in Si v I ? 8 JPJ1Vth.ere wm bc a e coffeehouse perform " E"n Isaac' a foIk sinScr " Jt