Friday, September 8, 2006 - The Michigan Daily - 9
'Surreal' misfires with title
By Andrew Sargus Klein mixed-mediapaintingscoveralarg- comes off as a wry social view- dom combinations. These two 4
Associate Arts Editor er range and leave more room for point: Look how ridiculous these works stretch into the absurd. And
the viewer to come to an indepen- outdated notions are. it's wonderful.
FNEARTS ___EVEW _dent conclusion - as opposed to But in the context of Peterson's "19,683 Possibilities" and "Mile
Carman-Vian's spoon-fed realiza- collages, the viewer is presented a High Pie" push this even further.:4
Fair or not, timing can be det- tions. His "Fathers of Ornothology culmination of experience, not the The latter is a throw up of the good
rimental to an art exhibit. So can II" and four-part series "Audobon internal workings of one's subcon- ol' American family out in the wil- fA
its title. As George Barsamian's Jesus" aside scious. The fact that her medium derness with floating pancakes and
brilliant exhibit "Time and Trans- from adding is collage - a mixed assembly of other food. The former, like the
formation" enjoys its last weeks at to the exhib- Real/SuRleal images not original to the artist - "Match Up Games" looks like an
the University Museum of Art's it's amusing Through Oct. 7 affects the personal expression of antique children's toy. In compari-
Off-Site gallery, "Real/Surreal' a amount of Free the piece. Liedler's ducks drip with son, her collages appear as spring-
three-artist show at the Ann Arbor waterfowl, seemingly careless paint; Carman- boards into her assemblages.
Art Center running through Oct. 8, are personal Art terr Vian's thickly drawn figures reflect With three artists jostling
seems weak at first glance. windowsthat basic emotion. for position under an awkward
Barsamian's kinetic sculptures play on the Petersen's wonderful "Woman umbrella, the results land all over .4
capture an individual and collec- edges of complete comprehension. and Moon Match Up Game" and the map. Surrealism is a problem-
tive unconscious to an unsettlingly Much like Barsamian's "Lather," "A Couple Embarking Match Up atic qualifier; note that the Bars-
high degree. By keeping a razor's Fiedler allows the viewer enough Game" look like they came from amian exhibit leaves it out of the
edge between the unknown and signs to form the edges of under- a barn in northeast Connecticut. title, but it also can be a wonderful
the recognizable, Barsamian reex- standing, but leaves the middle to They consist of parallel rows of devil's advocate to antagonize an
amines and reinterprets surrealism. be filled in with his own personal, images on separate bars that slide artist's work. - or the audience's
The mixed collages and paintings indecipherable memories. on top of each other to create ran- perception of it."-
at the AAAC don't hold a candle But he finds more success in his
to Barsamian's four pieces, but that "Lies About my Grandmother'
fault is not entirely at the feet of Comprised of six portraits of one
Susan Carman-Vian, Joseph Dan- woman in the same position - five
iel Fiedler and Teresa Petersen, the are small, one significantly larger
exhibited artists. The works com- - the series uses repetition and
prising "Real/Surreal" are misrep- varying color schemes to a subtle,
resented by a divisive title. emotive effect. There is no resolu-
The name "Real/Surreal" imme- tion to the series's "lies," opening
diately creates in the audience's up a space between the subject and
mind a polarity between two the viewer, challenging the latter to"1
worlds that are not wholly opposite, meet the former in the eye.
placing each work in one sphere or Although Fiedler finds a foothold
the other. The potentially success- in the exhibit's theme, Petersen's
ful works are thus marginalized dominant collages break free from
through a narrow lens. it. Her nods to pop art - Andy
Few of the exhibit's works Warhol, Roy Lichenstein - extend
embody the possibility that sur- far into the nostalgic corners of the
realism is the direct expression of American experience.
the artist's subconscious. And the Petersen's images have the',
ones that do attempt that realiza- vocabulary of the '50s. But she's
tion rarely succeed. Carman-Vian's smirking with both and ironic and
series of "Snowballs" - "Upper sarcastic edge. "Gardening for
Peninsula Snowball," Childhood Children" is not surreal. While
Snowball" "Global Economy" and there's an element of personal ref-
"Teaching Career Snowball," to erence - he is a woman, she grew
name most - are too direct and up around lives with social con-
childish. Her mixed-media can- structs of female propriety - it
vases are the weakest pieces in the would be difficult to call such a
exhibit. composition surreal. While sur-
Fiedler better embodies the realists have used popular imag- courtesy of the Ann Aror Art center
exhibit's purported vision. His ery as a tool, in Petersen's case it Art currently on exhibit at the Ann Arbor Art Center Includes work by Susan Carman-Vian Joseph Daniel Fiedler and Teresa Petersen.
Hilton's
DUI may
boost image
LOS ANGELES (AP) -
For most celebrities, getting
smacked with a DUI is an instant
image crisis. For Paris Hilton, it
could be a career boost.
"Paris Hilton being arrested
just makes her more famous,"
veteran publicist Michael
Levine said. "She has devoted
her entire adult life to appearing
to be the princess of parties."
Hilton was arrested by Los
Angeles police officers in
Hollywood early yesterday on
suspicion of driving under the
influence. During the arrest
she was briefly handcuffed.
Hilton was booked at LAPD's
Hollywood station at 1:43 a.m.
and released shortly afterward,
said Nick Velasquez, a spokes-
man for the city attorney's
office.
Hilton described the arrest-
ing officers as "really nice."
This is Hilton's first drunk-
driving arrest, Mintz said,
adding that he doesn't expect
the incident to hurt her image.
"The people who enjoy Paris
as a comedian or actress on
TV or as a singer on her CD,
a woman who seems to have
captured the imagination of so
many people, I don't know if
this is going to have any impact
on them one way or another,"
he said. "But, of course, she
regrets what took place."
If charged, Hilton is expect-
ed to be arraigned Sept. 28, he
said. LAPD officials said they
will not release Hilton's arrest
report or her mug shot.
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