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
