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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (June 11, 1990)
Creator finds ideas through serendipity Story and Photos by Paul Chandler Rcinhold Picpcr Marxhauscn is a creator, and most of his ideas he just sort of happens upon, through seren dipity. Serendipity is the process of dis covering something hy accident or mistake. The following story is how Rcin hold animated serendipity for mc not in these specif ic words, but I hope he likes the way I retell it. A man and his son. on a camping trip were walking through tall grass looking for an ideal wooded area to pilch their tent for the night. A.v the two were wading in the scrub, they happened upon a covert patch of cockle burs. Cocklcburs don't have rattles. There were thousands of cockle burs in the ancient patch, and a large percentage of them were tugging on and plunging into the shoes, socks, trousers, shirts and skin of the two campers. The man was fully annoyed. While fighting the cocklebur patch, he allotted each burr a specific adjec tive. The boy, only slightly inconven ienced, stood silently still and thought it amusing to sec his father in this uninhibited state. "Satan created cockleburs," ex claimed the man. "Isn’t it amazing how well they slick to things," said the boy. Abruptly, the fight between man and cocklebur ended. The two camp ers, centered in the cocklebur patch, faced each other in wondering si lence. Some time later, after the ideal wooded campsite had been found, stories had been exchanged in the glow of the pine wood-fueled fire and the two had returned to the city, Vel cro could be found at the market. Marxhauscn, a retired art profes sor, stresses that there is more to serendipity than discovery by chance. Serendipity requires “looking at the world with fresh cyes-a childlike innoccncc-a truly open mind,” he said. ‘ The opportunities to discover ami create arc everywhere if you’re open and alert to the things around you,” he said. Marxhauscn may be the most alert person I’ve met. He’s 68. Marxhauscn has been inventing in a multiple of mediums since 1951, when he helped establish the art dc i — partmcnl at Concordia College in Seward, Nebraska. Recently, stainless steel found in junkyards, on the roadside or wher ever serendipity rests and waits is the medium he’s alert to most. ”1 could continue to paint,” Marxhausen said, ‘‘but I no longer have a message in it, so I weld stain less steel to create sound. ‘‘I’m depressed about drugs, so I’m inventing things that give highs without drugs-sound vibrations. I’ve never taken drugs, so I don’t know what they do. But I can feel the sound vibrations from my sculptures stimu late my arms, forearms, brain-my body.” Marxhausen plans to spend the rest of his life inventing therapy. And the cocklcbur story isn’t the only talc Marxhausen has to tell. For his children, others and himself, he wants to archive his stories on paper while he still can. ‘‘I enjoy writing, have had some poetry published and plan on writing more,” he said. Marxhausen said he doesn’t al ways know where he’s going to end up when he begins to write or picks up a piece of metal and wire. ‘‘But you don't need to have an end result in mind. Jlist do it. Just pick something up, could be anything, and try it out.” ■,l"1 . !■■■-■ ■■ 1 ' —I r$499 Laptop! Special Prices for Students & Faculty PC-4501-3 . . . $499 •High contrast supertwist LCD display •Dual 3.5”, 720K floppy drives •IBM compatible processor •(7.16 MHz) •640K RAM, expandable to 1.6 Mb •Very limited supply Other Models Available PC-4501 -3 SHARP ELECTRONICS/MIDWEST HIGH TECH Campus Representative: Steve Jorgensen 438*1668 the plump tomato pizza company in the Reunion 16th & W Streets Let Us Deliver Your Next Pizza FREE DELIVERY (On Campus. Surrounding area and Downtown) Delivery Hours: 11:30 a.m. to 10:30p.m. 477-6122 ! $2.00 I OFF I I I ANY LARGE I PIZZA ■ Not good with any other coupon offer I Limited delivery area Expires 9 10 90 l 2 Medium Cheese Pizzas with 1 additional topping I $9.99 i Not good with any other coupon oltor ® Limited delivery area Expires 9 10 90 | I I ART & ^ * DRAFTING * ^ SUPPLIES I I pat ash inn 1320 P St. 474-4415 4 ■ I Lincoln Crisis Pregnancy ('enter ALTERNATIVES TO ABORTION • Free Pregnancy Testing j • Confidential C ounseling '---—..... -IT" --1 Counterclockwise from left: Marxhausen ignites the welder he uses to make his art. Behind Marxhausen is the shed he made specifically to house murals he was commissioned to build for the State Capitol. The shed, adorned with past creations, is now used as his welding shop. Marxhausen listens to the sound vibrations after knocking two oyster-shaped sound sculptures together. Plucking the wires welded to a metal helmet sets off airy chime vibrations that physically stimulate Marxhausen’s senses. Marxhausen demonstrates his discovery that, with a few minor changes, teat cups, usually used on automatic milking machines, serve as ideal creamers. For First Class Service Come See Us. United Hairlines HAIR Df SIGNING FOR MEN & WOMEN Convenient Hours Mon.-Fri. 8 am-8 pm Saturday 8 am-4 pm TUT $$ 476-0646 VISA AND MASTER CARD ACCEPTED At 13th & M f-7fte (BoviAatAei MYtaa
