The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current, April 16, 1982, Page Page 10, Image 10
Friday, April 16, 1982 Page 10 Daily Nebraskan Arts & Entertaimmemt Artists stuck inside creative vacuum of same techniques By David Thompson When taken as a whole, the Master of Fine Arts Candidates Exliibition currently on display at the Sheldon Memorial Art Galle ry presents quite a variety. The six rooms, two of photography and four of prints and paintings, are all strikingly different from each other. If one were to plop oneself down on a bench and sit a spell in each Art Review room, however, it would become apparent that several of the artists have sealed them selves up in a creative vacuum, exploring the same subjects and employing the same techniques over and over until the artistic validity of their work has been lessened. A good example of an artist forever chasing hi;; own tail is William Reed Weid ner. His subject is his friend Denise. Denise is caught in pose after ordinary pose in the bathroom, living room, bedroom and kit chen. The drawings are technically well done and the paintings are nice, with the suburban brightness of David Hockney's work, but they show little variation in composition and no variation in subject matter. As the viewer scans the room, the similar tones run together into a lifeless pastel stream. Another swimmer in this monotonous stream is Cheryl Wall. Her work presents quite a contrast from Weidner's but be comes a cloud of crepe paper when looked at alone. The colors arc bright and the movement is swift, but it loses its appeal through repetition. These are the kind of paintings hung in office buildings, and one gets the feeling that Wall beat her theme to death so that she can sell to as many cor porations as possible. The effect is not un like eating jelly beans. After an overdose of them, they don't look so good. Rob Friedman has chosen to serve up Cream of Wheat instead of candy. He has chosen buildings as his subject. There is little of the clever interplay of contrast, light and shadows that makes photography of this type notable. These stark forms have little effect on the viewer. The sharpness that is evident in Fried man's work fades into soft obscurity with the paintings and prints of Fred Hagstrom, a more versatile artist than the three al ready mentioned. Blurry, distant, dark hu man forms inhabit his work, dominating it as in "Woman Moving II" or permeating it as in "Woman's Profile." The faces are fad ed and the colors are full of remorse and a pensive depth. Human forms also fill the work of Caro line Mecklin. Like Andy Warhol's portraits, she has done little to change the shapes of the bodies but instead concentrates on fill ing them with an array of colors. Unlike Warhol, she neglects faces and concentrates instead on other parts of the anatomy; V7? Trees" by Scott W. Pederson feet, legs and hands are caught in original poses. Anatomy also plays a big role in the work of Dean Hutchins, and the results are displeasing to some. "That really is horri ble," said one viewer upon taking a gander at a series of photographs entitled "Defini tions." Hutchins' subject is homosexuality, and his explorations of the subject are too probing for some. The photographs are blatant and the art ist underscores them with words, bold statements, editorializing that is unartistic and unnecessary. The shock value attracts rather than the works themselves, which are not outstanding. It is a matter of subject matter obscur ing art. The viewer does not need to be bludgeoned, and Hutchins is most appeal ing in subtler, more creative works such as the series of photographs entitled "Steve" and some of his pottery. The rest of the gallery is filled with a multi-media menagerie of work from sen iors in the UNL Art Department and the College of Home Economics from the UNL and UNO campuses. The collection of paintings, fabrics, sculpture and graphics proves to be more' interesting than the work of the graduate students. Scott Pedersen's dabbles in Fauvism and Jim Fuerhoker's emotion-charged work merit attention, and Craig Lee's paintings are perhaps the best in the galle ry. They amply demonstrate the energy that emanates from the point where paint touches canvas. Better hush up, though, or Haig will find a way to harness that energy and make bombs out of it. ft. v Now for something completely different . . .Graham Chapman Graham Chapman By Bob Crisler The Monty Python comedy troupe is presently em broiled in creative activity, according to the Flying Circus' second-tallest member, Graham Chapman, who was in Lincoln this week for a question-and-answer ses sion and showing of Python clips for the Foreign Film Series at the Nebraska Union. Due in July is "a film of a live show which we did at the Hollywood Bowl a year ago last September," he said. Last year, Chapman toured 22 university campuses across the nation. "I'd never stood up on my own and chatted for an hour and a half, and the idea frightened me, so I thought I'd better do it." "I was curious, and I felt myself to be rather ig norant about America. I wanted to Ret out and see what a Bible belt really was. Whether it actually existed or not," said the Cambridge-educated Chapman. "I think the closest I came to it was in San Angelo, Texas. I was wearing a handgun coalition badge. I felt a little bit exposed, being an ex-blasphemer as well as having an association with gay liberation. I could have been slaughtered in the streets at anytime, but no -the people were fine." Chapman founded the publication Gay A'ews in 1972, while still doing the Python show for the BBC. He describes himself as "75, maybe 80 percent" gay. "The gay movement's monstrous, really. The Church of England now just decided that gays are ac tually merely handicapped, and should be helped in every way possible, which is quite a turnaround." Chapman finds his government's current dealings with the Falkland Islands and Argentina a bit non sensical. "Mrs. Thatcher's never been a favorite of mine. I think she's a very stubborn lady. It's such a strange sit uation. The oil there could be one reason, but I think the main reason is. . .wanting to show the bleeding bulldog spirit, to give the royal Navy one last chance to have a battle. It's just that, which is pathetic." The six-man Python troupe has been keeping the world's minds off of such things via humor since 1969, when the first 30-minute show was taped for the BBC. "We did 45 shows from '69 to '74, and at that point all of us felt that we could do some more shows that would be about as good, but no better, so why bother to do any more?" Chapman said. "Since then it seems to work out that we do anoth er movie together about every four years." Currently, the Circus is lining up shooting locations for their next film, "which is modestly entitled Monty Python: The Meaning of Life. It's about birth, sex, war and death," said Chapman. In his spare time, Chapman likes to go mountain climbing, but when he can't round up any adventurous cronies for that pursuit, he listens to the latest in British rock music. Chapman has recently had a book come out, titled A Liar's Autobiography. "There are some lies in it, just to comply with the trade description. It's an account of some of the appalling things I've done or had hap pen to me." 'Bandstand' baron evades hot-shot executive's ax By Pat Clark (The scene: Christmas Eve in Los Angeles. Veteran American Bandstand kingpin Dick Clark has just tucked himself into bed for a good night's sleep. His eyes just close for a short time when a shadowy figure enters the 3 S3 Television Review room. Clark, sensing a presence, sits up in bed. "Who goes there?" Clark says. "I am the ghost of Bandstands past," says the shadowy figure. "Oh, come on," says Clark. "We've got enough Christ mas Carol remakes already." "Okay, Im not," says the shadowy figure, pulling off the faded white sheet to reveal not just a shadowy figure, but a shadowy television executive. "I'm not the ghost of Bandstand past but you are." "Huh?" counters Clark cleverly. "I'm trying to find a delicate way to put this, but 1 can't. So I'm just going to tell you straight out, no holding back, no holds barred, no beating around the bush . . ." "Would you quit telling me that you are going to tell me what you are going to tell me straight out and tell me straight out what you are going to tell me?" says Clark. "Ill bet you couldn't say that again," says the execu tive. "You're right," says Clark. "At any rate, what I want to tell you is that you're getting too old for this stuff." "How old is too old?" says Clark. "I dunno, but whatever it is, you're past it," says the network executive." "I've got lots of years left," says Clark. He flicks on the bedroom light. "Look at this head of hair," says Clark, pointing to his head. "There's no more grey hair on there now than there was when Sam Cooke was twistin' the night away. I give this hair a 98. It's got good body and it's easy to comb through. This hair belongs on a guy who still needs Clear asil." "Sure, you look great for a guy your age," says the net work executive. "But a guy your age is still a guy your age. Maybe if you did a weekly golden oldies show . " "Golden oldies!" screams Clark. "Listen pal, I was on this network when you were waiting to get your learner's permit, and I'll still be around when you get put in a nurs ing home. Sure I'm older than I was. I'd better be. But there isn't anybody else in Hollywood who could have stuck it out for this long with a Saturday afternoon dance show. Now get out of here before I get you demoted to answering fan mail."