The Michigan Daily - Friday, September 17 1999 - 9
1FA Works in Progress highlights interactive paintings

km Spamer
r the Daiy
It's a common rule that one should never
uch the works of art in museums. Knowing
is, a modern gallery painting which
sts such "vandalism" would ordinarily
nacceptable. Even a painting which
fers utensils to aid the viewer's own cre-
ive expression seems an outcast amongst
e rest.
A canvas flashes from a distance with yel-
w, lavender and white. Upon closer inspec-
n it thrives with interwoven designs, fig-
es and graffiti, backed up by the color pat-
rns. A can attached to the lower right cor-
r holds markers, pencils and pens, tempt-
g the naughty child in everyone. Ninety
nt of the people in the gallery, however,
Emuda, -
arrey
veal
Iufmn
sAngeles Times
Here's a literary first: Bob
muda's new biography, "Andy
man Revealed!" (Little,
r'n), manages without that pro-
ic feature of other books the fore-
ord.
But it does have a backword.
What's more, the backword is
ckward. That is, you have to hold
up to a mirror to read the letters.
hey spell out a secret message from
etor Jim Carrey, who plays Andy
aufman in the upcoming biopic
1 in the Moon." And it doesn't
ake sense until you've read the
ook.
Zmuda says the backword was
arrey's idea. It was inspired by
aufman's love for "space" rings
at are the Swiss army knives of toy
welry, combining telescopes, mag-
ifiers and other tools for cracking
odes.
"We wanted to do something
jman-esque with it," Zmuda
ys "In some of his TV specials,
e'd do things with decoder rings
nd secret messages."
Zmuda says the backword is in the
oirit of a legendary post-show stunt
y the late comedian. Kaufman once
ersuaded an audience to board
uses parked outside a Los Angeles
heater even though 'people didn't
now where they were going.
*'s the book version of taking an
udience out for milk and cookies,"
muda says. "It's messing with the
1edium no matter what it is."
Read
the
Daily.
Then

* make sure
that you
recycle it .
PJ'S
RECORDS &
USED CDS

resist, and quietly move to the next piece.
This interactive painting is one of the 53
creative works on display in the Jean Paul
Slusser Gallery at the Art and Architecture
building. Randall Veilleux, its creator,
labeled it "Unfinished" and left a note with
instructions for audience members to let
loose and help him improve upon it.
The show is entitled MFA Works In
Progress and will be exhibited until Sept. 21.
The artists are I I graduate student candi-
dates for the Master of Fine Arts degree, and
have chosen pieces from their first year for
the show. The selection on display demon-
strates an impressive range of media and
style.
Judy Ross selected a piece created with a
group of art teachers, grade school students,

and parents demonstrating wheelchair adap-
tive painting and drawing tools. A huge strip
of cheerfully colored designs hangs from the
ceiling, and a line of
altered photographs
spread across it, showing
the method of produc-
tion. MFA Works
Another intriguing in Progress
work is entitled
"Cuerpos Celestiales." Art & Arch. Bldg.
Marco Garcia has creat- Open until Sept. 21
ed this pair of bodies
which hover soundlessly
at ceiling level. The
faceless casts seem to
fall as a video projection
plays images of clouds

sweeping past. Below the figures, a three-
dimensional piece adds a bit of humor to the
show. "Primordial Pool Party" by Melissa
Schubeck demonstrates a menagerie of clay
taking turns jumping from a makeshift dive
board into a kiddy pool on a bed of
AstroTurf - each turn slowly helping the
animals along in their trail of evolution.
Heidi M. Gjengdahl shows her "Barbie
Series," which eerily exploits the plastic
doll's attributes. Digital imagery splices in
human features to contrast her stiff and
shiny body, and phrases of cold computer
font in hot colors provide silent commen-
tary.
Barbie's painted gold ring is visible
behind the words, "There was a sudden need
to increase her vocabulary."

Style for the remaining works varies as
students' concentrations range. Original
medical and science illustrations, when out
of a textbook, are awesome in their detail.
The luminescence of Emily D amstra's
"Wood-boring Beetle" creates an incredibly
real effect with colored pencil. A photo-
graphic series involving narrative by Nekisha
Durrett offers a particularly compelling por-
trait of relationships between friends and
family.
Additional media for the rest of the show
includes textiles, wood, virtual imagery.
etching and watercolor. The show provides
students a chance to view the innovative art
of their peers and the diversity of talent they
possess, widely unseen by the university
community.



We want a

different perspective:

Yours.

We've just revolutionized the financial services business forever, and we're
looking for people with the vision and passion to do things differently.
The creation of Citigroup brings together the leading investment firm
with the world's leading corporate bank. It's what gives us our
unrivaled global reach of 100 countries. The power to bring ideas
to life is unprecedented. When will you make a difference?
And when can you start at Salomon Smith Barney?
Please join us to learn about our career opportunities in Investment Banking.
Tuesday, September 21, 4:30 p.m.
Business School Room D1276

SALOMONSMITHBARNEY
A member of citigroup

617 Packard
Upstairs from
Subway
Paying $4 to $6
for top CD's in
top condition.
Also buying
premium LP's
and cassettes.
Open 7 days
663-3441
The selection is
ENDLESS