Page 4-Sunday, October 26, 1980-The Michigan Daily Casing A2 window displays v 0 The Michigan Daily-Sunda . 0 0 By MARK DIGHTON It's hard to understand why no one ever thought of it before. There are places that are made for art (like museums and galleries) and then there are places that are made for art. Can you think of any better place to display your "work" than a giant glass box by which hundreds of people pass each day? I bet not. That's why it seems so incredible that the artistic potential of display windows-has only recently been recognized. Only now are we progressing past the primitive stages of mannequins with plastered hair set amidst props that are supposed to hint at some desperately "realistic" location. For years and years, the only display cases in Ann Arbor that took them- selves seriously in an artistic sense were the ones on the first floor, of Old A & D They are done by Reed Lenz for Cinema Guild, who use the Old A & D Auditorium for their nightly movie showings. It is fascinating to watch the content of these display cases slowly shift over the year from cheap plastic Americana to hints of a murder con- spiracy and back to old Dion singles. The highlight of each year's displays (as well as the Guild's film schedule) is the Ann Arbor 16mm Film Festival for which they often have live mannequins. THE ENTRY HALL in Old A & D has the indisputably best display art in Ann Arbor, but a couple of coimercial establishments are .easy rivals. Make Waves (209 S. State) and Fantasy Fashions are also renowned for their display art, though their locations are far less conducive to mass ap- preciation. Make Waves has main- tained a long history of featuring tacky nostalgia in their display window at the North end of the State Street business district right across from the Fotomat (Oh, sweet irony). Their displays have also become noticeably more new wave-influenced since they changed their name from The Ann Arbor Shirt Gallery this year. Fantasy Fashions has only two mannequins as props, but with their bounteous supply of wacky clothing, they need little else. Comparatively, the traditional stores around town are at a severe disadvan- tage in that they usually have a relatively nondescript line of items to push. But those who think you can't be creative with "product" should check out the Roots outlet on State Street near Liberty. While their displays tend to Bought expensive speak - Daily photo by Maureen OMalley Two live mannequins display their art at the Ann Arbor 16mm Film Festival back in the good old days of 1979 when it was still at Old A & D. i!.!!*0!!!.!!!.!!llCf !!f i!!!!!ll !!!ll . li!! !!!i! isoi lean toward an artsy-fartsy GQ look 00" S ; SSSS::SSSS:eSSSSSS:S ::.that accents their shoes, rather than the :: ::: :::: ::: :!".trashy fun of the above-named venues, C.. --"il they still manage to produce striking """""!.. pting to be more conscious of the Eli" IIID; aesthetic qualities of their windows, but .oe III displays. A few other shops are attem- 1QH T C """"" withonlymixed resuls Jacobson's 000 --e. seems to be making vague attempts at 00D0" "I A000 improving their displays, but they are !".... S P EC IA LS.0** going to have to do far better than the :-. ---,0,_______________ ..-------"- - mannequin with a high-tech lamp Co**-- ."... shining in its face that they now iU* I:::::0 feature. 's:*M 2 1/6 FFDISCOUNT COUPON on !"""" I anyQUARRY-OPTICS FILTERS IINT Bu any Quarry-optics filter and get 25% off. They are made ""T ,of igh-quality precision-ground optical glass set in space-age "".. i. thermoplastic mount rings. Included is a five-year warranty. , ...: 0.... FOTOMAT/QUARRY Coupon expires November 1, 1980 """""" SUPER MANY IN-STORE UNADV. WE'RE PAYING CLOSE-OUT SUPER-SAVER $1-$2 PER-DISC II SPECIALS SPECIALS 0 FOR YOUR ALBUMS -. tN GOOD SHAPE. "; DON'T MISS OUT! SUPERSCOPE RECORDS STOPI WHIL e.-STOP IN WH""Ei and MICROPHONES T Y A'" Limited Supply THEY LAST UNIV. OF MICHIGAN. 761-2011 ;: !".. 318 S. State St., Ann Arbor **."D .... *OPEN:9-6M-St.00 PLYMOUTH ROAD 761-8690 30OPEN MON.-SAT. 10-6 '. Ann Arbor OPEN 10-8 M-Fri., 10-6 Sat., 12-4 Sun."' !IWERE A 209 S. STATE 400"0_.:769-707 OTOMAT/QUARRY CAMERA STOES . 'j" .Y~ ..f{ j~ . t 4C ' t+tr s+ . 60 ,, 00 bs. aa %k* TT*f ! I*-y'_, -I Better not listen to ou Save yourself the agony of spending to much for too little The POLK AUDIO speakers at ABSOLU1T SOUND are bett sounding than most speakers costingtwo to three times as rr If you're looking for INCREDIBLE SOUND at an AFFORDABLE PRICE... listen to POLK AUDIO. "At their price, they are simple a steal!" Audiogram MonitoreresLoudspeakers INCREDIBLE SOUND- AFFORDABLE PRICE MORE BASS froi The New LF-14 * Easily adds 1 * Use with as * Handle up t * Cross-Overi ONLYS: Improve the Sound