8A - Wednesday, October 25, 2006
>urtesy of Disney and Warner Bros.
"imaginary Worlds," running through Nov. 25 at the Harlan Hatcher Graduate Library, features the art of children's literature,
The art of innocence
GRADUATE LIBRARY DISPLAYS THE ART OF CHILDHOOD
By ABIGAIL B. COLODNER
Daily Arts Writer
The Harlan Hatcher Graduate Library's
exhibition of books from its 15,000-piece
Children's Literature col-
lection may draw viewers
eager to visit shrines to Imaginary
their childhood favorites. Worlds:
Conventional forms of the Created
ever-popular stories are Places in
indeed present - familiar, Children's
quaint pages from Beatrix Books
Potter's "Peter Rabbit," At the Hatcher
A. A. Milne's "The House Graduate
at Pooh Corner" with its Library
delightful illustrations by Through Nov. 25
Ernest H. Shepard - but Free
it's images like a book
cover proclaiming "Hamaxostichus Rapidus
Hogvartensis" that will draw viewers in for a
second look.
In English, "Hamaxostichus Rapidus
Hogvartensis" translates to "Hogwarts
Express." It's emblazoned on the cover of a
Latin translation of "Harry Potter and the
Philosopher's Stone" (in the American print-
ing, "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone").
Viewers may doubt whether Harry Potter
has the street cred to match "Gulliver's Trav-
els," which was originally framed as political
satire and has become a staple for adult and
child readers alike. This seeming inequality
gives a clue to the real nature of the exhibi-
tion. Rather than giving a who's-who of clas-
sic children's literature, the exhibition reveals
the competing goals of publishers, illustrators
and collectors, and tracks the metamorphosis
of works in the public market and the popular
consciousness.
The displayed works are not necessarily rep-
resentative of the library's Children's Litera-
ture collection, which is non-circulating and is
intended as a resource for research. Very little
from the library's extensive store of materials
on C. S. Lewis's "Narnia" series is displayed,
while materials on Peter Pan merit an entire
case.
The curator for the Children's Literature
collection, William A. Gosling, explained how
he chose the books. He leaned over the Peter
Pan case, indicating the range of information
given by this handful of texts: "They seemed to
be groupings that told more of a story."
The works displayed were selected to do
more than just lip service to the standard set of
children's classics.
The Peter Pan case contains the earliest edi-
tions of J. M. Barrie's play, a text illustrated
with images from a 1924 movie of his story, and
editions of his book from the past decade. They
reveal the life of this story up to present day,
in a way that the library's "Narnia" materials
could not.
One of the illustrators of J. M. Barrie's tale is
Arthur Rackham, Name sound familiar? That's
right: It's the man whose name the Rackham
School of Graduate Studies borrows. Accord-
ing to Mr. Gosling, Rackham is one of the most
widely collected children's illustrators. A close
viewing of the displays will reveal in what ways
the exhibition is a product of the University.
Works by University alum Nancy Willard and
Ann Arbor resident Tom Pohrt are each given
ample space. Through the University connec-
tion, the library was able to obtain preliminary
sketches, personal statements and further
material to display.
The largest display is of "Alice in Wonder-
land." Materials are organized in optimally
informative juxtapositions. A book illustrated
with stills from a 1917 film of the story is next
to a version printed by Disney with images
from the 1951 animated film, which is in turn
next to an edition with illustrations that were
originally made in 1939 for a film project that
was never produced.
Organized this way, so near John Tenniel's
definitive 1865 English-garden-party illustra-
tions, the wild, jungle setting of the Disney
movie suddenly seems like a highly conscious
and timely decision on the part of the design-
ers.
At its best, the exhibition pulls away the lay-
ers of time that distance us from the creative
choices made by those who first conceived a
work and by those who market it, by those who
translate it and by those who reimagine it.
Avid viewers of "Imaginary Worlds" can
lead themselves on a journey both through
their fond memories and through the workings
of history.
University's
'Dude'turns 10
By PRIYA BALI pencils. "Tolerance starts wth
Daily Arts Writer me" and "It doesn't hurt to listen"
are two of the universal sayings
If you haven't been up to North Perhaps the most intricate of
Campus in awhile (or at all) or if the pieces is Julie Chens "You
you're a fresh- are here," a miniature book illus-
man who's The Dude: trating degrees on a compuss that
been avoiding 1996-2006 correspond with a particular feel-
that seem- ing or emotion such as pain, soli-
ingly obscure, Duderstadt ude, laughter and despair, to list a
desolate and Center few. Chen's words accompany her
even unevent- Through Nov. 6 exhibit: "(This book) talks about
ful place, now Free the emotional landscape of where
is the time to you use the map as a metaphor for
get your act together. The chance figuring out where you are emo-
to experience this other world and tionally and where you are spiritu-
get inside the minds of numerous ally."
engineering, musicology and art The visitor may view these piec-
and design students has come Cen- es as being oddly drawn together,
tral Campus's way. Now through but in retrospect, they reflect some
Nov. 6, the 10 year anniversary of of the Dude's most unique and
the Duderstadt Center will be cel- thought provoking work from the
ebrating its 10-year anniversary past10years.
with the exhibition of an expan- The video montage of the Dud-
sive range of artistic works. erstadt's past performances is
While seemingly obscure, the imaginably the most prominent
exhibit and the art it displays
offers a comprehensive retrospec-
tive of an important University
institution.
"This will be an opportunity for
students to see creative work pro-
duced here by other students and
to learn how they can take advan-
tage of technology and resources
available to all students at the
Dude," Glenda Radine, public rela-
tions manager of the digital com-
mons, said.
The gallery is a modest and
honest collaboration of work from
passionate students. You may be
exposed to things you have never
seen before or even thought about,
and is acceptable because it will ANGtiAcE E/Daly
only add to this learning experi-
ence. Among its many pieces are DUDERFACTS
the 3D models produced by the Just whatexactly, doyouknowabut the
Duderstadt's very own 3D printer Dude? Althoughba relative newcomer in4.
which, according to the exhibit, University terms, the Duderstadt Center is
"creates physical models directly working hard at establishing its own unique
from 3D surface data." identity on campus. Here's a simpl rnn-
To fill the gallery's open space dowe of that best University build ngyou
lies a table holding an odd assort- probably havent heard of:
ment of comic books and artists' The Duderstadt Center was foundd in
books originally held in the Art, 1996 bylJames Duderstadt pesidientof the
Architecture and Engineering Universityfrom19818-1996.
Library. "Shutterbug follies" by
Jason Little and "The Book of Past exhibits at the Duderstadt inludebthe
Leviathan" by Peter Blegvad are Prison Creative Arts Project in Mch 2006
two of the books that may tempt and Pathways to Sustainabilityinctober
you to question whether comics 2005.
can be seen as art.
"I try to select books that rep- Features at the Duderstadt includethe
resent a variety of materials, cul- Digital Media Tools Lab, which cntains an
tures, sizes, structures, colors, and electronic music studio, videostudio and
ideas," Annette Haines, an Art & multimediauworkroom.
Design field librarian, said in an
email.
If you remember rocking out on display. Expect to see clips from
your toy synthesizer, then a trip 2004's "Where the bok falls
to the exhibit isn't complete until open" and 2005's ";;Sto Blam-
you see the vintage moog synthe- ing Columbus!!" The voicd of the
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