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Monday, September 24, 1934
Daily Nebraskan
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Pat Rowan
By Mark Hendricks
Dally Nebnukan Staff Writer
Editors Note: This story contains
"opinions of the author.
"Cottonwood Site Installment h an
experiment somewhere In the realm
between art and architecture. Asso
ciate ITofcssor Pat Rowan's lat est work
Involves many levels of design and
research, which become more appar
ent through familiarity with Rowan's
work and concerns.
The work has wooden supports that
susperid 120 feet of cotton canvas,
which visibly changes with the weather.
The project is in a field a quarter mile
east of the Law College on East Cam
pus just follow Fair Street east until
the road dwindles into a footpath.
The site itself is one of the most
pleasing elements of the project. Al
though it is in the middle of Lincoln,
trees block most of the urban noise,
giving the site a placid, non-mechanical
character.
The site's 90-foot diameter and out
door location also defy the tradition of
the gallery show. It is well-camouflaged
by the 00-year-old cottonwood trees
and uncut grasses. Rowan wanted to
integrate his design with the existing
environment by using native construc
tion materials that have natural colors
and go through the natural decay pro
cess, perhaps to indicate a life-cycle of
the project.
Rowan's interests and influences lie
in experimenting with the physical
and cultural aspects of the environ
ment as a new means for comprehend
ing works of art and design. He aims to
create a situation where the viewers
interact and participate in ongoing
dialogues wiht the exterior environ
ment. Parallel to these ideas, Rowan also is
dealing with Carl Jung's theory of the
collective unconscious. In this sense,
he tries to use the environment to
evoke a universal and mystical expe
rience for the viewer so that each
viewer's unconscious experience is
unique to the individual yet related to
others because of the visual stimula
tion of the site.'
When I approached him about doing
this article, he directed me to a sculp
ture class discussion about the install
ment. This discussion centered around
the visual integration of the installment
with nature, such as the relationship
between the angles of the structure's
support members and the angle of the
tree trunks at the location, which sug
gested a sort of organic logic and
reflection.
The group also was interested in
certain primitive objects placed at the
site how the objects affected them
and how significant cultural back
ground was in interpreting the objects'
meanings.
One student was interested in
Rowan's use of mirrors both as a devia
tion from the use of native materials
and as a powerful visual image sym
bolic of looking inward. The group
concluded that the installment was
site-specific (would only work at that
site) and is a successful example of
such a work.
So if you're interested iri experi?nci:
ing works on the edge of traditional
art, tired of the museum stuffiness of
galleries.or just want to go somewhere
peaceful to think, investigate the Cot
tonwood site for yourself.
Elton John treats Lincolnam to 'hit of history '
By Randy Wysnore
Dally Nebrasltan Staff Writer
A crowd of 10,000 was treated to a bit of history
Friday night as Elton John made Lincoln and the Bob
Devaney Sports Center a stop on what he has hinted
will be his last major American tour.
Opening with the classic "Tiny Dancer," and not stop-
ping until 23 songs and almost 2 14 hours later, John
put on one of the best shows to hit Lincoln in years.
A blue swallow-tail jacket with black pants and straw
hat was as flamboyant as John got in the fashion
department, his world renowned eye-wear having long
ago given way to contact lenses. Running through ver
sions of "Rocket Man," "Bennie and the Jets," "Don't Let
The Sun Go Down On Me" and a great deal of his other
standards, John peppered the show with material from
his latest album Breaking Hearts, like "Who Wears
These Shoes? ""Restless" and ajazzed-up version of !'Sad
Songs" ,
After 14 years on the road and in the studio, Johns
voice is still as strong as ever. Not even at the end of the
show did his pipes seem tired or worn. One credit to the
show's technical success and another bit of history was
the fact that guitarist Davey Johnstone, bassist Dee
Murray and drummer Nigel Olson joined John for the
tour the first time in quite a while that the original
band (sans percussionist Ray Cooper) has been together
for any length of time.
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A spectacularly lit stage, including three circular ris
ers, added a dramatic touch to the show attended by a
crowd largely in their late twenties and early thirties.
Captain Fantastic even took some time out during a
couple of numbers to dance around both on the stage
and on his glistening, white Steinway piano, he also
stood after every number to acknowledge the crowd's
applause, which seemed constant.
One side note: While it is obvious that the University
Program Council and the people at the sports center
have worked together in providing a positive atmos
phere for shows in a great, large venue, I think the
ushers (those fine people in red and white striped
jackets) have become increasingly overzealous in get
ting people to remain seated during the shows. Having
been a back-row concert goer myself, I can honestly say
that is a tad difficult to see when everyone in front of you
is standing. But enough is enough.
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