No.7 May 1988 Ars Longa, Vita Brevis Librado Annoneuvo - new paintings at MacEwan’s Fine Arts. Librado Annoneuvo graduated from ECCAD in 1987, sharing a visually incestuous room in painting with Robert Byers, Terry Henderson, and Tom Wren. His Concourse show of that year included a painting of a rotund female torso and a pig. Whether such a juxtaposition of loaded imagery was innocent or not, one thing Librado took with him from this college was a spicy comment book. Another would be the ability to appropriate images and symbols from both our conscious and unconscious, and with an expanse of painting tech- niques, float the sign in the picture plane. The ten untitled and unsigned works which comprise this show encompass a variety of iconography. Characters from cartoons interact with almost kitschy images of cats and mice. There is a tendency to read six narrow, vertically oriented works as narrative, but Annoneuvo defies this by inverting logical order: it should be caterpillar, then cocoon, then butterfly. Furthermore, he defies narration through the impossible interaction between the images. Roughly drawn airplane with Popeye sensitively rendered. Classical motifs and cameo with Xerox transfer self-portrait. Every concern of the modernist project is mixed together. Everything becomes Annonuevo’s inventory. The surfaces of the work are handled with painterly extremes: sensitive, tight drawing with expressionist impasto. If the enigmatic quality of Annonuevo’s iconography is not easily read, then surface alone holds your attention. In this way they are like obelisks: beautiful and incomprehensible simultaneously. The two larger paintings deal with issues of image painting and geometric concerns. Traditional means of artistic representation (i.e. the bust), are manifested two-dimensionally: but the hyenic figure on the Doric column is wearing celebrity sunglasses, and must compete for the picture plane with a cartoon bear. Geometric forms share space with a Pollockian splash and a line drawing of an Egyptian octopus symbol. Perhaps in the hands of someone less instinctive such a synthesis of techniques and images would muddy. But Annonuevo achieves a tenuous balance between density and space in these paintings. Like Clemente or Saramento, the combinations of symbols and figures in a picture form an acknowledgeable but indecipherable language unique to that artist. Singing Mermaids and Art School Canada, 1987, 81 Mins. Director: Patricia Rozema Leading Actresses: Sheila McCarthy,Paule Billargeon “ve Heard the Mermaids Singing” blew the audience away at the Cannes Film Festival this year. This was director Patricia Rozema’s film debut and she basked in the attention, which was much to her own surprise. The film is a low budget exploration of the art world as seen through the eyes of an innocent and naive “Girl Fri- day” named Polly. Sheila Mc- Carthy embraces the role of Polly with convincing sensitivity. The film’s message is simple: Believe in yourself. Polly is flung into the vortex of the art scene when she is hired as a gallery secretary by a beautiful and sophisticated woman curator. Polly is awed by the art world as she meets its various characters: the lovers, the critics, and the art- ists. Polly, an artist herself, is unfortunately caught by the sticky veneer, pretense, and hypocrisy of this world. She ends up buying the belief that to be an artist she needs an exclusive membership to an elitist club. Polly destroys her art knowing she will never have what it takes to “buy” a membership. As a first year art student, | found the portrayal simultane- ously soothing and disturbing. | have watched myself and my classmates running faster and faster. Weare on atreadmill. Many of us have sacrificed sleep, food, money and relationships to get here. We are incredibly stressed but luckily we were offeredastress management class once a week. Only problem is, the week didn’t get any longer. We are faced with many differ- ent kinds of instructors. Some are more open than others. Some are more articulate. Some really just don’t care. But they all say the same thing in one way or another. It is this: there are very few truths in this reality. Although there are many ways to express those truths, in the last 17,000 years of artmaking, since those first marks were made at Lascaux, a lot of those ways have been used. At this point, no matter how brilliant your idea or how creative your ex- pression of it, it’s going to be very hard to be noticed. Art school is about very hard work. It is about sacrifice. It is for people who have talent and crea- tivity. If you are lucky you may have instructors you can learn from. You will learn skills and techniques so that there will be a closer relationship between your idea and your creative expression of it. Art school is also about some- thing else. Art school is about the business of art. It is about a so- phisticated language called Art Talk. Itis about buying and selling. About who you know. More impor- tantly it is about who knows you. It is about competition, and compet- ing with other artists. It is about being noticed. The prize is big money. Now call me naive, but the idea of mixing art and big money both- ers me. | am not talking about making a living. I’m talking about Big Business. Thousands of dol- lars. Sometimes millions. Some- how selling intuition, creativity and passion for this kind of money turns my stomach. It reminds me of Marilyn Monroe and how her image is still exploited by anyone, even when they know she was a tormented incest victim whose only peace came with suicide. The thing about the art busi- ness is that only a limited number of people can make it. Otherwise the prizes couldn’t be so big. The club has to be exclusive. Membership must be rare. So if you want to buy a membership you need to work hard. You need to be talented. You need to compete. You need to believe art can be bought and sold. You must be able to speak Art Talk. You must be noticed. You must have connections. You need to, more than anything, believe that being noticed has something to do with art. Has something to do with you being an artist. In “I’ve Heard the Mermaids Singing,” Polly, in her awkward stumblings, comes upon a truth. What she has created is her ex- pression. It comes from her talent, her experience, her work, her pas- sion and her vision. It is art and she is an artist whether or not she is noticed. The message is really very simple. Yet it is so profound it blows you away. If you hear the mermaids sing- ing, none of this need even con- cern you. Tanya Russell The Media Show Review Once again the media depart- ment subjected the rest of the world to a lengthy session of this year’s crop of student films, vid- eos and animation. From the size, sound, shape, smell and overall bon vivant of the audience this somewhat biased reporter would have to say that the media show was a stupendous success. Two big certificates of merit with scrolly writing and embossed edges to the show’s co-co-ordina- tors, Kim Blain and Lorna Bosch- man. Kim and Lorna not only screened and curated all entries, but they also made popcorn and did a fine job of sobering up the technical crew. My personal favor- ites of the show would have to be: Lynda Nakashima’s video on bi- cycle messengers of San Fran- cisco, Kim Blain’s Sammy Sammy, Lorna Boschman’s brave and powerful Normal Childhood, and whoever is handing out A-pluses in Animation should give three to Shaun Hayes-Holgate for Easy Rider and Eracer. A couple of fourth year media types, one of whom is actually called Dave ( see the Dave Scale , Planet , vol 3 ,no. 4 .), commented (and I quote ) “ Sheesh, each year seems to outdo the last year.” Yes | guess that’s the way it goes. So I guess we all have a lot to look forward to next year when The Media Show will be even better and hopefully, shorter. Mike Smart lan Verchéere 13 No.7 May 988 Singing Mermaids and Art School Canada, 1987, 81 Mins. Director: Patricia Rozema Leading Actresses: Shella ‘MeCarthy,Paule Billargeon I've Heard the Mermaids Singing” blew the audience away at the Cannes Film Festival this year. This was director Patricia Rozema's film debut and sho basked in the attention, which was ‘much to her own surprise. The flim Is @ low budget exploration of the ofan innocent and naive “Giel rie day" named Polly. Shella Mo- Carthy embraces the role of Polly with convincing sensitivity. The film's message Is simple: Bello in yoursolt. Polly is flung into the vortex of the art scene when she is hired as a gallery secretary by a beautiful and sophisticated woman curator. Polly is awed by the art world as she moots its various characters: the lovers, the critics, and the art- Ists. Polly, an artist horselt, is unfortunately caught by the sticky ‘veneer, pretense, and hypocrisy of thisworld. She ends up buying the bolief thatto bean artist she needs ‘an exclusive membership to an itist club, Polly destroys her art knowing she will never have what, it takes to “buy” a membership. As a first year art student, | found the portrayal simultan ‘ously soothing and disturbing. 1 have watched myself and my classmates running faster and faster. Weareon treadmill. Many of us have sacrificed sleep, food, ‘money and relationships to get here. We are incredibly stressed butlckily we were offereda st ‘management class once a we Only problem is, the week didn’t get any longer. We more articulate. Some really just don't care. But they all say the ‘same thing in one way or anothe Itis this: there are very few truths lity. Although there ar many ways to express those truths, in the last 17,000 years of artmaking, since those first marks ‘wore made at Lascaux, a lot of those ways have been used. At this point, no matter how brilliant ‘your idea or how creative your pression of it, I's going tobe hard to be noticed. Ars Longa, Vita Brevis Librado Annonewvo - new paintings at MacEwan’ Fine Arts. Librado Annoneuvo graduated from ECCAD in 1987, sharing a visually incestuous room in painting with Robert Byers, Terry Henderson, and Tom Wren. His Concourse show of that year included a painting of a rotund female torso and a pig. Whether such a juxtaposition of loaded imagery was innocent or not, one thing Librado took with him from his college was a spicy commentbook. Anott ‘Would be the ability to appropriate images and symbols from both our conscious and unconscious, and with an expanse of painting tech- niques, float the sign in the picture pl ‘The two larger paintings deal with issues of image painting and geometric concems. Traditional means of artistic representation (| the bust), are manifested two-dimensionally: but the hyenic figure on the Doric column is wearing celebrity sunglasses, and must compete forthe pcture plane with cartoon bar. Geometric orms share space witha Pollockian splash andaine drawing ofan Egyptian octopus Perhaps in the hands of someone less instinctive such a synthesis of techniques and images would muddy. But Annonuevo achieves ‘tenuous balance between density and space in these paintings. Like Clemente or Saramento, the combinations of symbols and figures Ina picture form an acknowledgeable but indecipherable language unique to that artist. - lan Verchére a ‘Art schoo! Is about very har work. Itis about sacrifice, Is for techniques so thatthe closer relationship between your idea and your creative expression fit. ‘Art schools also about somo- thing else. Art school's about the business of art. It is about a so Phisticated language. call Talk. Nisaboutbuying and About wh youknow. More impor- {antlyitisaboutwho knows you. It Is about competition, and compet- ing with other artists. It is about boing noticed, The prize is big money. Now-callmensive,butthe idea cof mixing art and big money both- trgima am not taking about ThoMedaShoy hex making a living. I'm taking about aS Big Business. Thousands of dol- ee ea ON ee lars. Sometimes millions. Some- how selling intuition, creativity inthe media depart- and passion for thiskind of money ment subjected the rest of the {urns my stomach. Itreminds mo World toa lengthy session of this of Marilyn Monroe and how her 's crop of student fms, vid- image Is still explolted by anyone, 0sand animation. From the sizo, ‘even whan they know she wat , smell and overall tormented incest vietim. whose only peace came with suicide. ‘The thing about the art busl- hhave to say that the media show nessis that only a limited number ‘success. Two of people can make it ‘of merit with ‘Otherwise the prizes couldn't scrolly writing and embossed be so big. The club has to be ‘edges to the show's co-co-ordina- exclusive. Membership must be tors, Kim Blain and Lorna Bosch: rare. So if you want to buy a man. Kim and Lorna not only membership you need to. work ied all entries, hard. Youneedtobetalented. You popcorn and need to compete. You need to ering up the believe artcan be bought and sold. technicalcrew. My personal favo You mustbe able to speak Art Talk ites of the show would have to be: You must be noticed. You musi Lynda Nakashima’s video on bi- have connections. You need to, ‘cycle messengers of San Fran- more than anything, believe thai cisco, Kim Blain's Sammy Sammy, boingnoticed has something todo Lora Boschman's brave and with art. Has something to do with, powerful Normal Childhood, and you being an artist Whoever Is handing out A-plusos In “I've Heard the Mermaids in Animation should give three to Singing,” Polly, in her awkward ‘Shaun Hayes-Holgate for Easy stumbling, comes upon a truth. Rider and Eracer. What she hae created is her media pression. Itcomesfromhertalent, actually her experience, her work, her pas: called Dave ( soe the Dave Scale , sslon and her vision. itis art and Planet, vol3 no. 4.), commented ‘she Is an artist whether or not she (and quote )* Sheesh, each year Is noticed. The message Is really ‘Seems to outdo the last year.” very simple. Yet itis so profound it Yes | guess that's the way it blows you away. goes. So guess we all have a lot If youhear the mermaids sing- {0 look forward to next year when, Ing, none of this need even con- ‘The Media Show willbe even better ‘corn you. and hopefully, shorter. Tanya Russell Mike Smart B