Newspaper Page Text
Spelman Spotlight
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Page 7
Treasures at the High
By Laura Brown
Art is a subject many of us take for
granted. However, art affects every aspect of
bur daily lives. Art can take on many forms,
from the paintings we pass by in Alma Up
shaw, to the loose change we have in our
pockets,to the buildings in which we attend
classes. Art is a time table, representing visual
fragments of history. Its physical elements
are reminders of the time and a cultural link to
our collective past.
“Treasures from the Fitzwilliam Museum:
The Increase Of Learning And Other Great
Objects,” is praised for its diversity and qual
ity with works ranging from the ancient
Egyptian head of King Ammenemes III, to a
significant painting by Auguste Renior. This
exhibition, critically acclaimed throughout
the United States, will be at the High Museum
of Art at 1280 Peachtree St., N.E., February
20 through May 6, 1990.
Almost every medium and epoch in the
history of art will be represented in this exhi
bition of highlights from the Fitzwilliam
Museum of Cambridge University. It fea
tures 160 choice objects from the collection,
including coins, sculpture, manuscripts, paint
ings, drawings, prints .and objects from the
Orient and Near East.
While there are many notable objects in
the exhibition, one special attraction is Re
noir’s, “La Place Clichy” (c. 1880) which
By Tayari A. Jones
August Wilson’s Pulitzer Prize and
Tony Award winning play, Fences will be
playing at the Alliance Theatre until Febru
ary 18. The play has received such profuse
critical acclaim that the actors are faced
with the seemingly insurmountable task of
meeting the expectations of an audience
which is prepared to view a masterpiece.
The stellar cast, directed by Kenny Leon,
realized their goal!
Fences is an intense drama about the
broken dreams of an embittered former
Negro league baseball player. Troy
Maxon's failure to cross the color line into
the major leagues threatens to shatter all he
has worked for: his home in Pittsburgh, the
represents the artist’s most sophisticated
development of Impressionism. It is also
important to note that Renoir’s masterpiece is
on loan for the first time. Other major artists
represented at this exhibition include, Edgar
Degas (1834-1917), Frans Hals (c. 1580-
1666). William Hogarth (1697-1764) and Sir
Anthony Van Dyck (1599-1641).
The history behind the Fitzwilliam
Museum is an interesting one. A wealthy
nobleman, Richard, Seventh Viscount Fitzwil
liam of Merrion (1745-1816), left both his art
collection and his library to Cambridge Uni
versity in 1810. While Lord Fitzwilliam
donated hundreds of musical and illuminated
manuscripts, European paintings, prints and
sculpture, to the museum to house them, he
was not the only benefactor. Since 1816, the
museum has been enlarged by other bequests
and gifts.
The exhibition and national tour are
sponsored by the Phillip Morris Companies,
Inc. which began supporting the arts in 1958.
Since then, the company has developed one of
the country’s most comprehensive corporate
cultural programs. Phillip Morris funds con
temporary and minority visual and perform
ing arts, as well as a host of other exhibitions
and tours.
The High Museum of Art is open on
Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to
Fences”
admiration of his wife and the respect of his
son.
Though many of the actors’ faces were
familiar, it was difficult to imagine them
playing any other roles than those in which
they were cast in Fences. John Henry Red
wood was brilliant in the role of Troy Maxon
which was formerly acted by James Earl
Jones. One doubts if Jones was able to be
more convincing. Bill Nunn acted the role of
a starving Blues artist in the 1950’s so vividly
that the audience forgot that he was ever
Radio Raheem of Do the Right Thing.
Aside from the play’s appeal as enter
tainment, it is important as a sociological
document. Wilson uses Maxon’s disappoint-
5:00 p.m. and until 9:00 p.m. every Wednes
day; Sunday Noon to 5:00 p.m. closed Mon
day. General admission is $4; $2 for college
students with identification and senior citi
zens; $1 for students 6-17,and free for chil
dren under 6 and Museum members. There
will be an additional fee of $2 for the exhibi
tion, "Treasures From The Fitzwilliam Mu
seum.”
For recorded information on all High
Museum programs, call 892-HIGH.
More at the High
For those who enjoy contemporary music,
"Focus XX: Music of our time,” a two-part
musical series focusing on southeast musical
accomplishments, will be held February 11 at
7:30 pm. and Sunday February 25 at 7:30 pm.
Tickets: $10 for the public. $7 for students
and senior citizens and $6 for Museum
members.
Lectures include Professor Michael Jaffe,
the director of the Fitzwilliam Museum of
Cambridge University, on Feb. 21, 8 p.m.
Cost: $6 general admission, $4 students, $3
children 6-17 and $2 museum members and
children under six. Also, Anton Furst, the pro
duction designer of the film “Batman" on
ment at being denied entrance into the major
leagues to illustrate how a basically good
person can react to oppression by oppressing
the people he loves most and being thrust into
a cycle of unhappiness.
The Maxons live on the eve of the civil
rights movement. Fences demonstrates just
one example of the frustration and pain which
led to the explosion of the 1960’s.
In light of the fact that college students
operate on limited time and money, I pay
Fences the greatest of all compliments when
I assert that it is a worthwhile way to spend the
evening and the $15 for the ticket!
Book Review: Imago
By Andrea M. Wren
Octavia E. Butler is the only published
Black woman science fiction writer. This fact
in itself is phenomenal. Not only is she the
best known Black female science fiction
fantasy writer but, this is how she makes her
living. Each one of her books, from Pat
ternmaster, Mind of My Mind, Survivor, Clay s
Ark, Wild Seed, Kindred, Dawn, and ending
with Adulthood Rites is an intricate web which
the reader becomes pleasurably entangled in.
Butler’s latest book, Imago, is no excep
tion. She goes beyond plot, imagery, setting
and symbolism to create a futuristic world
that is eerie yet beautiful and most impor
tantly believable. Imago is the last book in the
trilogy which begins with Dawn, the Xeno-
genesis, and Adulthood Rites.
The central figure, Jodahs, is a Human-
bom construct. His metamorphosis is un
usual. unnoticeable and unexpected from the
beginning of the book as he subconsciously
becomes an ooloi.
Ooloi are third gender essential to breed
humans and aliens. No construct had ever
become ooloi. As such, other Oankali wanted
Jodahs banned because instead of healing he
could cause genetic mishaps such as cancer or
cause irreparable damage to the living land of
Lo. Butler writes, “Perhaps it would be so
dangerous that it would have to spend its ex
istence in suspended animation, its body used
by others for painless experimentation, its
consciousness permanently shut off.”
Jodahs, his five parents and siblings go
into exile. During exile Jodahs finds mates
(something essential to ooloi survival). Ooloi
can survive without air and food but humans
and love are two elements that the ooloi can
not do without. Separation for ooloi and
humans causes excruciating physical and
mental pain once they have mated.
Jodahs' mates as well as his mates
‘kindred’ have a disease. The colony that
Jodahs' mates belong to is discovered and
taken over by the Oankali and in the natural
order of life on the Lo entity the people will be
healed of all genetic disorders. There is no
need for the existence of pain on Lo. Though,
some humans choose pain and illness rather
than mate or live with people who seemingly
have no ‘humanity.’
Octavia E. Butler’s writing is powerful in
that it is from the unique perspective/view
point of a Black woman. And unlike rapid
enclosure for Wright' s B igger Thomas, Petry ’ s
Lutie Johnson and Naylor's ‘Women’ of
Brewster Place, in this futuristic world walls
open as well as come tumbling down....at the
touch of a hand.
“Death on a Pale Horse” (ca. 1800) by William Blake will be on
view Feb. 20 through May 6, 1990, in the exhibition “Treasures
from the Fitzwilliam Museum” at the High Museum of Art in
Atlanta.
Feb. 22 at 8 p.m. Cost: $6 general and $3 for
Museum members.
For those interested in art and the treas
ures of Africa, an African art course will be
offered on Mondays from March 12 through
April 2 from 7:30 to 9:30. Material covered
includes the art of ancient African kingdoms
and the people of Yoruba, Dogon,, Ashanti,
and Baule. Cost: $50 for Museum members,
students and senior citizens and $65 for non
members.
In celebration of Black History Month,
the High presents a tour entitiled "The
Spirit in African Art”, on Saturday, February
10, at 2:00 p.m.
— Kimara Mason
AROUND
TOWN
By Allegra Lawrence
AROUND TOWN is dedicated to
keeping you informed of ongoing events
in the metro Atlanta area. Check them
out!
The theme of a Wednesday series of
noontime videos at the Central Atlanta-
Fulton Public Library is “Black America
Emerges”. This seven week program,
beginning February 14, gives an over
view of Black America from slavery to
Vietnam. For more info:730-1728...
Dr. Maulana Karenga, Creator of
Kwanzaa, will speak at Shrine of the
Black Madonna Bookstore (946
Gordon St.), February 9 at 7:30 p.m.
Admission is $5...“Melodies that
Move", a supper show on stage, will be
presented at the Samaritan Annex (next
to St. Luke's Episcopal Church), Feb
ruary 16-18 and 23-35, Fridays and
Saturdays at 7 pm for $15 and Sundays
at 3pm for $7. For information: 873-
5427...Lily Tomlin will bring her Tony
Award-winning performance in THE
SEARCH FOR SIGNS OF INTELLI
GENT LIFE IN THE UNIVERSE to the
Fox Theatre for seven performances
February 21 - February 25. Tickets are
on sale by calling 873-4300, SEATS
outlets, and the Fox Box Office. Prices
“Les Miserables" will return to At
lanta for two weeks, April 3 - April 15.
Tickets are on sale at all SEATS outlets
and the Fox Theatre Box Offices. Call
873-4300 for information, group sales,
or to charge tickets...Agnes Scott Col
lege and the Negro Ensemble Company
present “From the Missippi Delta,” in
celebration of Black History Month. The
performance will be February 22 at 8:15
p.m...The Second Annual Field Day for
our community will be April 28,1990 at
the Herndon Stadium at Morris Brown.
It is expected that 1,000 AUC students,
professionals and senior citizens will at-
tend.