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Student goes bananas for art By BRITTANY KRAFT For The Red & Black If 25-year-old Joe Havasy hadn't been forced to wear glasses in the second grade, he might never have become an artist. Havasy attributes his proclivity for drawing and painting to the fact he was the kid with glasses —and he spent most of his child hood indoors. "My parents were pretty protective. I spent most of my time reading encyclope dias," said Havasy, who grew up in Marietta. Though protective, his parents were also supportive of Havasy’s endeavors in art. Reading encyclopedias lead to his fascination of drawing animals, but his later inter est in comic books influ enced his artistic style. Guitarist returns to Athens ready to rock By LAYTON SMITH lsmith#randb.com His sound has been dubbed lounge punk, psy cho-billy and even slacker swing. "People say a lot of strange things,” said gui tarist Dexter Romweber, for mer front man of Flat Duo Jets. "We just play rock and roll." The rocker returns to Athens Friday for a perform ance at the Melting Point. He'll be joined by Jason Ringenberg, formerly of Jason and the Scorchers, whose unique blend of coun try and punk rock sensibili ties presaged the alt-coun try movement of the early 1990s Workshops hope to instruct ‘The Entrepreneurial Artist’ By WHITNEY KESSLER wkessleK# randb.com Most people think with either the right? side of their brain or the left They are either good at English or good at math Likewise, it would follow to say the art students and the business students at the University are on opposite wavelengths. However, the owner and art consultant of The Point of Art gallery, Lee Nelson, said the two fields really have a lot do with each other in the real world "Students come out very well prepared in the arts side, but don’t necessarily know how to run the busi ness side,” Nelson said. He said the workshop he's teaching at his gallery called "The Entrepreneurial Artist” was created to help students and other artists looking to sell their art to bridge the gap. After work ing many years in finance and marketing, Nelson said he saw a need for helping artists through the issues of m mWK ||f which Havasy describes as "very cartoony, very cute, and severely disturbed.” Bright colors mixed with animals, dinosaurs and even babies make Havasys paint ings appear at first glance as cheery cartoons —but they are not as they may seem. Havasy's paintings com bine brilliant Images with morbid undertones. One painting illustrates a bright yellow banana screaming in agony with a portion of its head bitten off. Another work called “No one wants to hug a cactus" features an Intensely green cactus standing alone in the lumi nous desert sky with a single arm raised and big, heart breaking eyes. Havasy said he looks up to artists like Cezanne and Matisse, who influence the use of color in his paintings. Based out of Chapel Hill, N.C., Flat Duo Jets gained national exposure early, first appearing on MTV’s “The Cutting Edge" in 1985. Barely out of high school but already rising stars in the underground musical counterculture, Romweber and drummer Chris “Crow" Smith spent a year living and gigging in Athens, star ring alongside local icons R.E.M. and the B-52s in the offbeat music documentary, “Athens, Ga.. Inside Out.” Released in 1987, the doc umentary showcased the totally stripped down, grungy sound of the guitar and drums duo, later cited as an influence on many contemporary performers, including White Stripes' ENTREPRENEURIAL ARTIST When: 9 a m. - 5 p.m. Saturday; Wednesday, March 14 and Saturday March 17 Where: The Point of Art in Union Point Price: $75 per person More Information: Visit virww.thepointofart.net. profit and margin. “I saw the struggling that (his wife’s) colleagues had, and I just thought that it made sense,” he said. “And nobody does it, which really surprises me.” Anne, Nelson's wife, is an artist and the co-owner of the gallery in Union Point, which is about 30-40 min utes southeast of Athens. The couple relocated to the area after evacuating New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina The workshop is time to learn about advertising, marketing and strategies, Nelson said. "This is more like a JOE HAVASY Wat) site: www JoeHavaaycom Shows: Paintings currently on display at DePalma s down town. Upcoming show at Transmetropolitan in May “I try to use pure color. I usually mix no more than two colors so they are really bright and vibrant," he said. front man. Jack White. “We didn’t have a bass player simply because we couldn’t find one,” he said. “We were the only two peo ple around who wanted to play rock 'n' roll like that.” Although based in Nashville, Tenn., between partying and playing with fellow indie rockers R.E.M., Jason and the Scorchers found a niche for its unique sound in the early 1980s Athens music culture. “I have a wealth of fantas tic memories from that town and that time period,” Ringenberg said. “It was a magical time all over the South, but particularly in Athens where ... all the musical elements of the South converge." Chinese buffet —a smorgas bord because we don’t go into detail,” Nelson said. “It is not a 10-step program. It is much more of a tool-giv ing workshop.” He said becoming rich depends on the art, not the ability to sell, which makes the workshop more interest ing than a business class. “Coming will validate what students are already doing, and they pick up things they didn’t know about,” he said. Nelson said the attendees range from full-time stu dents to retirees to profes sional artists. "Sometimes other artists know the good galleries and the bad galleries, the good festivals and the bad ones,” he said. "That is the reason I keep the workshop in small numbers.” University alumna and ceramic artist Monica Jones said she agreed another opinion is always helpful. She said the couple tries to reach out to artists and give them encouragement. “I think they’re awe- VARIETY But Havasy only began painting when he came to the University. His first love was drawing, which he still practices. Havasy's comics run every other week in Flagpole magazine. His comics usual ly depict day to day events, mixing relationship humor with self-depreciating themes. “The easiest person to pick on is yourself," said Havasy. One comic shows how Havasy chipped his front tooth by biting his fingernails. “The goal of my art is to make someone smile,” he said. Whether exploding birds and floating sheep make you smile or not, Havasy's art gives people something to ponder without taking life too seriously. DEXTER ROMWEBER Playing with Jason Ringenberg (of Jason & the Scorchers) When: 8:30 p.m. Friday (doors open at 6 p m.) Where: Melting Point Price: $11.50 In advance. sl2 at door More Information: Visit www meltmgpomtathens.com some,” she said. “I would recommend it Just to get a different view. And a view like Lee Nelson’s is very valuable.” Managing the money part of the field is difficult when trying to be immersed in the art side, she said. “I really have Just learned by the skin of my teeth,” Jones said. “Now I have to think about profit and creat ing what the average person wants to buy, and try not to spend as much money as I’m making.” While at the University, she said the program really encouraged the students to place their attention on the art only. "It's tricky when you’re going through arts school, because they don’t want you to focus on the money part,” she said The workshop takes place in two parts at the art gallery and then at the Lyndon House. Attendees will be invited to eat lunch in the town and ei\Joy the company of local artists, Nelson said. ©2007 Target Storm Tbe Dongn is fademar* o Targe? dranda toe A A njprts reserved C27TQ6 goJabuy BJi deodorant. 4{34 * Tarflot.com/Bpringßreako7 The Rsd a Black | Wednesday, Feseuaev 28, 3007 Aegis of Athena to bring ‘onslaught’ By SCOTT REID (reid<Frandb.com Following a successful Hollywood movie, a classic love story featuring royal lovers endlessly making out was not something Athens metal hardcore band Tristan and Isolde wanted to be associated with anymore. Having recently changed their name, the newly minted Aegis of Athena will be laying down brutality tonight at 40 Watt Club. “We definitely wanted a name nobody had,” said singer Robert Schmidlein, a graduate student studying kenesiology. “We had a big list we had to go through and find an unused name.” Greek goddess Athena's aegis was a breastplate she wore in battle that bore the head of Medusa. Tonight’s show is organ ized by Aegis of Athena’s friends, metal band Lazer/Wulf, also playing tonight. Even with the name change, the band has not played in town much recent ly. “We’ve been waiting for our CD to come back from High-flying dancers stay committed to their work By TESSA JOHNSON For The Red & Black Members of CORE Concert Dance Company would have you believe they are Just regular human beings, but these dedicated, hard-working and talented dancers possess at least one ability most will only dream about: they can fly. CORE is a contemporary dance group composed of six main company members, two apprentices, five guest per formers and is led by Bala Sarasvati, University profes sor and modem dance pro gram coordinator. One of their most exciting tech niques Involves aerial per formance. Sarasvati choreographs the majority of the work and features aerial dances that employ the use of lyra (aerial hoops) and silks, which allows contemporary dance to come to life in CORE’S performances. "Bala brings in someone to train us [in aerial perform ance],” said Claire Molla, a third-year student in the dance department and sec ond-year CORE member. “There’s a lot of technique to learn that you don't already know from dancing.” Instead of teaching com pany members lots of various aerial skills, CORE members concentrate on honing and perfecting one or two skills, such as swinging and spin- AEGIS OF ATHENA Playing with Lazur/Wulf When: 9 tonight Where: 40 Watt Price: $5 our producer, so we’ve been in a holding pattern,” said Schmidlein, a Yonkers, N.Y., native. “We let it calm down for a bit, to build up some things,” he said. According to Schmidlein, there are not many other bands playing hardcore In Athens but plenty playing metal. “There is a lot of great metal, but the only bands playing hardcore seem to be us and a band called Of Legend,” said Schmidlein. Among the metal bands playing, Schmidlein Includes Lazer/Wulf and First Master, a side project of members of Aegis of Athena. For a loud guitar assault fronted by what Aegis of Athena’s MySpace page accurately calls “a double vocal onslaught ranging from Cookie Monster to Grover,” go to 40 Watt tonight. CORE CONCERT DANCE COMPANY Presents Spring Collection 2007 When: 8 tonight-Saturday Where: New Dance Theater, located on Sanford Drive Price: $8 for students nlng, and then creatively expand on those skills, said Sarasvati. Since the program’s incep tion in 1901, CORE has per formed countless times. However, the program remains fresh and diverse. This week’s performance is no different. The audience can expect a show Including pieces premiered in New York, an Irish section that features aerial perform ance and a trampoline dance, said Catherine Herrmann, a fourth-year stu dent and first-year member of CORE The hardest part for Herrmann is making sure schoolwork is done while also working as a village commu nity assistant in East Campus Village. Although there is always work to be done, she thrives with the challenges. “The only thing I want to be thinking about, especially three weeks before the show, is CORE,” she said. “I would n’t be satisfied if it weren’t for a group like CORE.” 0 Ewecrr Mont Moeaa* 7