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Forget about the New Romantics, the Post-Punk Graffiti artists, the Neo-Post Modern Conceptual Minimalists. These in- dulgent or unintelligible aberations are enough to send one involved in the plastic arts scurrying to the nearest office job.

If you think that it’s no longer possible to depict lucidly the emotional and intellectual pulse of our society, it may be that you’ve been looking in the wrong place. The right place during the month of October was a small cafe on Denman St. called Tango’s (an off-shoot of the Montgomery). As an eating establishment it can only receive a very guarded recommendation. But as a venue for great art-at least during the month of Oc- tober-it became vividly more interesting than going to the VAG to view the adolescent machismo of Giacomo Balla.

The drawings on display at Tango’s were by a Vancouver artist, and one who recently emerged from our own little institution, Carol Wanderer. Wanderer did not study painting at Emily Carr, but she may be the most interesting painter from the school since Attila Richard Lukas.

Wanderer draws and paints mostly the face; faces that are neurotic, tense, frayed, trembling and dissolving. They are the faces of people who have stayed up all night drink- ing and are then pouring black coffee into rumbling stomaches. The drawing is angular

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and jarring; there are grid patterns, that seem to emerge from them, that push the features of the faces around in disconcerting and dis- turbing ways. The lines of her drawing have a subtle violence to them. The colours are often muted and pastel, which provides a very grave irony to the over-all feeling of the image.

The faces in Wanderer’s drawing are those of people who are unsure of themselves. They are the faces of people trying to main- tain a facade of collectiveness under over- whelming odds. What underlies these faces, like the disconcerting grid patterns, is an in- dictment of our society. They are an indict- ment of a society whose technological rapa- ciousness has brought moral development to a stand-still. They are an indictment of a so- ciety which has imposed such a guilt-by-as- sociation on its constituent members that the individual is a nerve-frayed and exhausted as the flagellants of 16th century Europe.

If you missed Carol Wanderers’ show at Tango’s in October, word is she will be showing new work at the Montgomery in January. According to the artist, she is now working on a series of drawings of people in conversation. I trust they will be just as inter- esting and intelligible as those seen in Oc- tober.

by Kelvin Holland (2nd year painting)

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THE DECLINE OF THE AMERICAN EMPIRE

Review by Michael S. Thorne

Many people will no doubt miss the sub- tler meanings that lie under the “Hollywood” surface of this important domestic film. There surely are similarities here to such films as “The Big Chill” but they exist only on the one easily recognizable level of style.

The characters are divided by gender into two camps of four. The women are in the city - working out at the gym, and the men are at a country house preparing an elaborate dinner. Both groups occupy the time by recounting their love affairs and sexual conquests.(In the interest of fairness, it should be noted that the youngest member of each group takes part in such talk reluctantly, if at all-they are in their twenties) Without the whole scenario being spelled out, one can see that an inter- esting situation will be born out of the reun- ion of these two groups at the dinner.

One might think that this situational plot would provide material enough for a decent piece of comedy-and this is true. What sets THE DECLINE OF THE AMERICAN EM- PIRE apart from the pack is that these charac- ters are all intellectuals and all involved with the history department of a large Montreal university. These people are learned, the elite, the writers of history. The viewer is being served some very substantial fare along with seedy morsels of these characters sexual preoccupations.

The dialogue (Quebecoise with English subtitles) mirrors the many polarities dealt with in this film. It can switch from a vulgar- ity (“I always fuck my wife better when I’ve cheated on her”) to an intellectual point of considerable gravity (“The collapse of in- stitutions, bureaucracies,...and the collapse of the Marxist-Leninist dream”. There is a very conscious attempt in the film to jux- tapose the mental/intellectual world with that of the physical/sexual. The revelation by one of these professors that he’ll never be a fa- mous intellectual and that all that is left to him is sex serves to illustrate this conflict.

To this reviewer THE DECLINE OF THE

humanizing look into the mind game frivol- ity of the Intellectual. Consider that much art is criticized, categorized, and historicized by this “cerebral-set”. This film deals directly also with the “failure of Post-Modernism”. (“No model exists that says ‘this is how we want to live’”) Resolution of this condition is hinted at by suggesting that itis impossible to understand the age in which one lives and that history itself is merely a perspective on reality. The film’s last sentence is a telling one coming from an historian: “I guess that’s what happened-we’ll never really know for sure.”

THE DECLINE OF THE AMERICAN EMPIRE is playing at the Royal Centre Cineplex downtown. It is a quality Canadian film that addresses some of the more pressing concerns of Modern North American life.

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THE NAME OF THE ROSE

Review by Martin Stein

Sean Connery as Father William does his duty in the name of the rose, or rather, in the name of the Rosicrucians. The Rosicrucians were (and are) a rather obscure group of priests, mystics and knights who believed in the pursuit of knowledge and truth through all avenues, not just the readings of Aristotle as was the common practice in the Middle Ages. They believed this knowledge could be used to overcome life’s earthly problems. And Father William certainly has his hands full of earthly problems when he goes to stay at an abbey in the mountains.

Aside from being one of the greatest lib- raries in all Christiandom since the burning of the library at Alexandria, it is also the abbey with the highest mortality rate. No sooner do the father and his apprentice Ajall arrive than priests start dropping like flies, all according to the Book of Revelations. Some- thing’s not kosher in Christendom. Father William’s job ts to discover the cause of the deaths before an important debate between the Papal emissaries and the Franciscans, the outcome of which will decide whether or not the Franciscans will receive official recogni- tion.

The film basically deals with the pursuit of Truth and Knowledge, and the fight against those who would keep the Dark Ages dark, and the Church in power over the land. The library comes into play here, as does the In- quisition and good old Aristotlean logic. It’s elementary, my dear Ajall.

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The film also gives a fairly realistic por- trayal of life in the years around 1212, the time of the official recognition of the Fran- ciscans. But, for all its good points, there is one aspect of this film which is rather deplor- able. Two monks, former members of an order which advocated the violent overthrow of the status-quo and the fair distrubution of wealth are burnt at the stake as heretics. Sounds kinda Marxist-Leninist, huh kids? Well, we can’t have any of that in Reagan’s America, we'd rather have nice moderate liberals whom we can control, like Father William. But that’s what you get when a film is funded by Big Business.

All in all, though, the Name of the Rose is one of the better movies so far this year. I give it a four of five possible star rating.

The Name of the Rose is playing at the Capitol Six.

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Forget about the New Romantics, the Post-Punk Graffiti artists, the Neo-Post Modern Conceptual Min These in dulgent or unintelligible ns are enough to send one involved in the plastic arts scurrying o the nearest office job.

If you think that it’s no longer possible to depict lucidly the emotional and intellectual paulse of our society, it may be that you've

place duri smal eafe on Denms off-shoot of the Mon establishment it car ‘guarded recommendation. But as a venue for artat least during the month of Oc: tober-it became vividly more interesting than going to the VAG 10 view the adolescent ‘machismo of Giacomo Balla The drawings on display at Tan by a Vancouver artist, and one who recentl ‘emerged from our own little institution

and ja arid patterns, that seem that push the features and dis:

y of her drawing have a subtle violence to them. The colours are ‘often muted and pastel, wh very grave irony tothe ove

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1g oxids. What underlies these faces, Tike the disconcerting grid patterns. isan in- dictment of our society. They

ment of a society whose technological ciousness has brought moral development to a stand-still. They are an indictment of a so- ciety which has imposed such a guit-by-as- sociation om is constituent members thatthe ndividual isa nerve-frayed and exhausted as the lagellants of 16th century Europe.

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The film also gives a fairly realistic por-

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Carol Wanderer. Wanderer did. not study painting at Emily Carr, but she may be the ‘most interesting painter from the school since Attila Richard Lukas, Wanderer draws and paints mostly the face; faces that are neurotic, tense, frayed, The} ‘of people who have stayed up all night drink: ing and are then pouring black coffee into 1g stomaches. The drawing is angular

If you missed Carol Wanderers’ show at Tango’s in October, word is she will be showing new work at the Montgomery in January. According to the artist, she is now working on a series of drawings of people in conversation. [trust they wil be just as inter

le as those Seen in Oc

trayal of life in the years around 1212, the time of the official recognition of the ciscans. But, forall its able

Review by Martin Stein

ood points, there is spect ofthis film which is rather deplor Two monks, f bers of an overthrow of the status-quo and the fair distrubution of ‘wealth are burt at the stake as heretics, Sounds kinda Marxist-Leninist, huh kids? Well, we can't have a ‘America, we'd rathe liberals whom we can control, like Father William, But that’s what you get when a film is funded by Big Business, All in all. though, the Name ofthe Rose is ‘one of the better movies so far this year. T

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iscrticized, categorized, and historicized by this “cerebral-set”. This film deals directly also with the “failure of Post-Modernism” ‘CNo model exists that says "this is how we want ro live") Resolution ofthis condition is hinted at by suggesting that itis impossible 10 understand the age in which 0 that history itself is men reality. The film’s last sentence is ate ‘one coming from an historian" ‘what happened-we'll never really know for THE DECLINE OF THE AMERICAN EMPIRE is playing. at the Royal Centre Cineplex downtown. It isa quality Canad film thataddresses some ofthe more press concerns of Modern North American life

Sooner do the father and his apprentice Aja artve than priests start dropping like lis all according othe Book of Revelations. Some- thing's not kosher in Christendom. Father William's jo is to discover the cause ofthe deaths before an important debate between the Papal emissries and the Franciscans, the ‘outcome of which wil decide whether or not the Franciscans wil receive oficial recogni “Tie film basically deals with the Truth and Knowledge, and the fi those who would Keep the Dark Ages dark the Church in power over the land. The brary comes into play here, as does the In «quisition and good old Aristtlean ogi I's clement, my dear Aja

Review by Michael S. Thorne

Many people will no doubt miss the sub- ‘ler meanings that lie under the “Hollywood surface of this important domestic film. There surely are similarities here to such films as “The Big Chill” but they exist only ‘on the one easily recognizable level of style.

‘The characters are divided by gender ‘ovo camps of four. The women are in the ‘working out atthe gym, and then country house preparing an elaborate dinner. Both groups occupy the time by recounting their love affairs and sexual conquests.(In the interest offaimess, it should be noted:

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