the ridgerunner* friday. february 4, 1972
The Lost Art
Resurfaces At UNC-A
by Bill Comfort
One of the lesser explored
(and appreciated) art forms on
this campus is that, of graffiti.
Writings on a [bathroom] wall
can reveal the extreme blatance
of subliminal release and the most
succinct emanation of wit. Un
fortunately, most of the scribblings
on UNC-A walls depict only red-
neck-bippie rivalries, numbers
promising fulfillment, and the
usual four-letter crises. Seldom
does one run across any kind of
thought-stopper, such as “Nostal
gia isn’t what it used to be” (from
the facuity head in the Humanities
building).
Certainly an ink-scrawl of bru
tal purgation can be seen as hav
ing a beauty of its own (cf. Paul
Simon’s “Poem on the Under
ground Wall”). Yet the openness
of a public wall promises means
rarely explored of communication
between people. A major, concern
of modern fiction seems to be
such communication among alien
ated individuals. Graffiti pre
sents a mode of showing oneself-
honestly, soully; and if used with-
it can help clear one’s head. Which
is certainly in order after a good
term of academic b.s.; what has
a dose of Black Draught over a
Flair pen and a commode wall?
out inhibition and with reflec
tion, it can afford much mutual
enlightenment.
For instance, who was the frus
trated lit student who wrote in
Lininsky, “Henry James is toilet”?
To find a blunt “Do we all do
our best .all the time?” (in the
snack shop) can be abrupting and
thought-provoking. Poetry and
political sentiment can be com
bined: “Vote for Nixon in '72:
don’t change Dicks in the middle
of a ” (the reader may supply
his own rhymn, but we recommend
“scr” as initial consonants). What
of the profound insensiblilty
of “Kirilov eats peanuts”? Of
course, some of the rareset gems
are the conscientiously crafted frighten one. It is the special file
bits ol sexual-fecal implication, on dissontGrs.''
which perhaps are better exper
ienced in their natural habitat.
In sum, graffiti presents a
rtiethod of airing repressed feel
ings and of giving others some
thing to think on. If nothing
else, it can add something of creati
vity to an otherwise physical act
of excretion. In a related manner.
f
hang-ups:
The History
of the Poster
Symposium Televised
University of North Carolina
Television (Channel 33) will tele
cast the UNC-Asheville program,
“Woman as Artist in a Sexist
Society,” in two parts on Thurs
days, Feb. 10 and 17, at 9 p.m.
The program was held in
Lipinsky Auditorium at UNC-A
on Jan. 13.
Participants included Women’s
Liberation Leader Kate Millett,
author of “Sexual Politics;”
North Carolina poet Carolyn
Kizer from UNC-Chapel Hill;
North Carolina poet and novelist
Bertha Harris of UNC-Charlotte
and North Carolina poet Char-
leen Whisnant of Charlotte,
founder and editor of the Red
Clay Reader.
UNC-TV sent its mobile unit
from Chapel Hill to cover the
event on the Asheville campus.
Sunday, Feb. 6
Friday, Feb. 11
Sund£»y, Feb. 20
Friday, Feb. 25
Friday. March 3
Sunday, March 12
Friday, March 17
Tuesday, April 4
Fridiay, April
Friday, April
14
Fridaiy, April 21
Friday, April 28
Friday, May 5
Friday. May 12
Sunday, May 21
“Up The Down Staircase"
with Sandy Dennis
“Naked Under Leather”
with Marianne Faithfull
“The Sergeant” with Rod
Steiger, John Phillip Law
“The Great Bank Robbery”
with Zero Mostel. Kim
Novak and Clint Walker
“Bonnie and Clyde” with
Warren Beatty, Faye Dun
away and Michael Pollard
“Giant” with James Dean.
Elizabeth Taylor and Rock'
Hudson
“The Damned” - Directed
by Luchino Visconti — With
Dick Bogarde
The Sea Gull” with Van
essa Redgrave, James
Mason, David Warner
“Performance” with Mick
Jagger
“The Illustrated Man”
with Rod Steiger and
Claire Bloom
Camelot" with Richard
Harris, Vanessa Redgrave
and David Hemmings
“Blow Hot, Blow Cold”
with Bibi Anderson and
Gunnar Bjornstrand
“The Ballad of Cable
Hogue” with Jason Rob-
ards. Stella Stevens, David
Warner
“Who’s Afraid of Virginia
Wolfe” with Richard Bur
ton and Elizabeth Taylor
“The Arrangement” with
Kirk Douglas, Deborah
Kerr, Faye Dunaway.
Richard Boone
7 p.m. Lipinsky Aud.
8 p.m. Lipinsky Aud.
7 p.m. Lipinsky Aud.
8 p.m. Lipinsky Aud.
8 p.m. Lipinsky Aud.
7 p.m. Lipinsky Aud.
8 p.m.
7 p.m.
8 p.m
HLH
Lipinsky Aud.
Lipinsky Aud.
8 p.m. Lipinsky Aud.
8 p.m. Lipinsky Aud.
8 p.m. Lipinsky Aud.
8 p.m. Lipinsky Aud.
8 p.m.
HLH
7 p.m. Lipinsky Aud,
Depending on a person’s age
and background, the word
“poster” may suggest Uncle Sam
pointing an accusing finger, an
appeal to revolt, an ad for a
detergent or an invitation to the
opera. This is colorfully con
firmed by Maurice Rickards’
The Rise and Fall of the Poster
(McGraw-Hill, $6.95).
“Historically speaking,” the
author notes, “the poster is a new
invention.” Its origins coincide
with the advent of printing, since
it is, by definition, a reproduction.
This book uses numerous
illustrations, and a pertinent
text, to trace the evolution of the
poster from its uncertain begin
nings in the eighteenth century,
through a heyday in the- early
3 ways ta make
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1900s and the “Indian summer”,
of the ‘20s and ‘30s, to the tel
evision-dominated post-war era.
“The poster, difficult to define
precisely at the best of times,
has today developed new areas of
confusion,” Rickards writes.
“On present showing, these are
likely to increase .... As with
virtually every other aspect of
life, in this latter part of te
twentieth century there has been
a sudden discontinuity. The
poster, as it has been understood
for three-quarters of a century,
is unlikely to survive.”
All the more reason, no doubt,
to enjoy this lavish retrospective
of an art form which has proven
to be practically limitless in its
inspiration and in the messages
it conveyed.
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