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"Colorful" artist brings Germany, China, Mexico into art
Hobie Anthony
Staff Writer
Last Wednesday, artist Morris Kriensky
visited G uilford' s Leak Room to tell of his
life and to present his works.
Kriensky has led a colorful life. Born in
1917 in Scotland, he moved to the United
States when he was five. His parents had
to postpone his schooling for a year be
cause a case of diphtheria prevented him
from immediately learning to talk. When
he did start school he failed every subject
except for gym and Latin. His brother and
sister, however, excelled in school, mak
ing him the "black sheep" of the family.
After completing school, Kriensky
headed into various low-paying Depres
sion-era jobs. One day, as he was drawing
from a photograph, a friend admired the
work and suggested art classes at the
Boston Museum of Fine Art Although he
was already auending engineering school
and working in a factory, Kriensky de
cided to take the classes. He had no idea
of what a museum was, but decided to
take his pictures there anyway. When he
approached the building, its impressive
form awed him. Once inside, he got an
incredible feeling from the artwork he
saw. This episode, delightfully recalled
Fund honors top phoner
Peter Smith
News Editor
Elizabeth Merten, a senior
drama major from Chapel Hill,
received the Outstanding Student
Caller award Saturday for her
participation in last fall's student
phone-a-thon.
The award, presented by Ed
Story, associate vice-president
for development, and Lillian
Ly ndrop, assistant director of the
Loyalty Fund and coordinator of
the Parents Association, is based
on the student who receives the
most pledges, money and dem
onstrates the best spirit and
camaraderie during the six-week
phone-a-thon period.
Merten was one of several
students who called both present
Guilford students' parents and
Guilford alumni, initiating con
tacts and asking for financial
support of the college. The stu
dent callers succeeded in raising
over $21,176 for the Loyalty
Fund and over 435 pledges.
4
THE GUILFORDIAN February 12, 1990
by Kriensky' s unfailing memory, pictured
his feelings as those of a young, innocent
man entering a new and promising enter
prise.
When World War II broke out, Kri
ensky decided that he was going to go
over to Germany "to fight Hitler." At the
Army Air Corps recruiting office, the ser
geant misspelled his name, replacing the
"y" with an "i," thereby making Kriensky
appear to be Polish instead of Jewish, a
mistake which made it easier for Kriensky
to enlist
After passing a test at an Army Air
Corps base in Missouri, Kriensky was
stationed near Pike's Peak, where a crash
ing airplane split his head open with its
wing. But the resilient Kriensky recov
ered quickly, and was soon back on his
feet.
From the adventure at Pike's Peak, he
traveled secretly to China as part of the
Air Corps squadron "The Flying Tigers."
While there, he began to photograph and
paint local scenery and people. Kriensky
spoke only briefly on his actual war expe
rience as he was more concerned with the
human side of the story.
After the war, he painted some of the
scenes he remembered not only from China
but also from India. These paintings,
although done from memory, have graphic
B •....
photo by Charles Almy
Elizabeth Merten
The award given to Merten is
the First of its kind.
My Sunshine Tanning Salon
inside of Movies to Go
Inman End Flemming Road,
Greensboro
$4.00 per visit
$40.00 one-month limited
$50.00 two-month unlimited
phone 668-4877
detail, giving a sense
that the artist must
have just lately seen
the action in the
pausing. Kriensky
shows the observer
the greatness of na
ture through works
depicting nature as
enveloping the per
son, as well as those
showing man as the
ruler of nature.
In 1950, he went
to Mexico, where he
painted scenes of
poverty as well as
more active scenes,
such as his bullfight
sequence. This se
quence portrays the
fight's violence as
well as the half-dead
bull at the end; as he
says, that half-dead
than fully dead.
In addition to these human scenes, he
has also painted a series of landscapes. In
oneof these he showsan orange hill; when
someone contested that there were no
orange hills, Kriensky scorned the ac
quaintance's lack of imagination, as or
ange flowers could be there or the setting
Special Thanks To Those Who Contributed to Jacques d'Amboise's Visit.,
Dancers: Jacques d'Amboise (Instructor); Donna Abdou, Kathy Adams, Bra
dley Aldous, Emilie Algenio, Joyce Atkinson, Dan Baur, Alan Beamer, Heather
Binion, Eliza Blake, Faye Bublitz, Donna Crane, Carrie Craver, Maura Cronin,
Heather Davis, Allison Dean, Ritchie Eanes, Carrie Eby, Cary Eddy, Christie
Evens, Amy Fellers, Tim Fountain, Marian Gilbert, Maria Graves, Rebecca
Grunko, Tim Hanna, Scott Huger, Anne Jonas, Megan Keiser, Leigh Kemp,
Lisa Krell, Tom Lalley, Chrissy Lawrence, Deborah Long, Paige Mahaney,
Evelyn Mann, Nancy McCurry, Stacey Mosca, Susannah Mozlcy, Casey
Noblett, Toni Noblett, Sarah Powell, Vickie Prestage, Toya Scott, Laura
Smathers, Jennifer Smith, Linda Stakenas, Cindy Swaitz, Chiyo Takagi,
Angela Termini, Nancy Taylor, Anna Van Ness, Vicki White, George White
side, Darlene Whitley, Laura Zimmerman; Musicians: Jed Distler (accompa
nist/pianist/composer); Lou Spaventa (bass), Pete Dennis (drums); Vocalists:
Jeff Kloss, Katherine Schnorrenberg, Joanna Iwata; Backdrop: Design 250
Class - Dan Guyette (Instructor/Designer/Technical Director); Bradley Aldous,
Drew Altizer, Anchi Banh, Carl Beehler, Erik Bmbaker, Rob Clay, Shannon
Craigo, Carol Crane, Beth Offenberg, John Offenberg, Liz Perkins, Noah
Sanders, Heinz Seltmann, Seth Snell, Steven R. Terrill, Keir Tukey, Jennifer
Van Goethem, Barry Wilson; Technicians (Light/Sound): Steve Gee (Dana
Stage Manager); Dan Guyette (Designer/Technical Director); Steven R. Terrill
(Facility Aid); Students - Carl Beehler, Nolen Sanders, Heinz Seltmann, Seth
Snell, Jennifer Reid, Mary Rinaldi, Jennifer Van Goethem, Pat Baeder, Assis
tants - Eric Reid and Paul Coscia; Logisitics Coordinators: Linda Pratt, Joanna
Iwata, Katherine Schnorrenberg, Ed Lowe.
Morris Kriensky photo by Charles Almy
is more interesting
The Valentine's Day After-Din
ner Extravaganza sponsored by
Bryan Hall Council
8:00 in the cafeteria, Wednesday, Feb. 14
dessert, entertainment featuring
Hamster Huey and the Gooey Kablooie
sun.
Morris Kriensky is an artist who has
attempted through his paintings to bring
alive all of life's beauty and ugliness. The
responsiveness of the audience attested
not only to his humor but also to an
imagination of incredible strength and
insight
.And the 1990 Wellness Fair
Sponsors - Center for Personal
Growth, Athletics Department,
Sports Studies, Student Activities,
Residential Life, Marriott Dining
Services, Women's Awareness
Group, Community Senate, Images
of Women's Committee; Wellness
Station Coordinators - Jane Caris,
Gayle Currie, Richard Ford, Robert
Fulton, Judy Harvey, Mel Keiser,
Ernest McCoy, Stephanie Mathews,
Charlotte Schumickle, Jeanne
Sykes, Kathy Tritschler, Mike
Welch; Information Center - Anne
Hokansen, Andrea Catalano, Toni
Harvey; Technical Assistance -
Athletic teams, Athletic Depart
ment; Publicity: Office of Student
Activities, Sarah Morrison, Lisa
Schorr, Planning Committee-Jane
Caris and Mike Welch; Gayle Cur
rie, Richard Ford, Robert Fulton,
Anne Hokanson, Joanna Iwala