BI-MONTHLY PUBLICATION OF THE ARTS Volume I, Issue 1 September/November 1986 Interview with Lenore Jones The Milwaukee Ballet Drama and Trauma in Milwaukee Women's Caucus for Art conies to Wisconsin News Reviews Calendar Letter Home Ear Muscle • •• and more Art Muscle Editors: Debra Brehmer Kathy Keller Frank C. Lewis From the Publishers Managing Editor: The body has come to be seen as the locus of both desire and action and it is the body's materiality which Michal Carley informs many contemporary theories of production. The name Art Muscle situates our endeavor in the material world. The world of art production, acquisition and the act of performance needs to be seen in relation to an earlier, historically romanticized artistic spirit or the physically inactive realm of pure concept and its often tenuous claim to objectivity and uncorrupted idea. Business Manager: We live in a world of matter and for us to allow ourselves to be placed solely into a nether world of the spirit, or the fictitious realm of pure aesthetic form is to assure our own disengagment from a world which should be Bob Friedman equally ours as much as anyone's. The muscle is the physical agent of our action. At times dormant, at other times contracted. Coaxed into sculptural beauty or rather more often allowed to atrophy, it remains the aching, flexing, lifting and moving Art Director: agent of our corporal form. Our art too, must accept its physicality. Even our theory and critique is dependent on the material manifestation of text and word. Todd Brei The title Art Muscle, in both name and intent, acknowledges physical limits. We intend to always accept the pain, desire, humor and seriousness of the undeniable body. Like our bodies, Art Muscle is an object among many, we can only hope that it is a body that can find a space to unfold, develop and function. Copy Editor: From the Editors Gareth Stevens Art Muscle hopes to unify the arts in Milwaukee, to allow the visual and performing arts, dance, music, film and video to coexist in printed proximity. Art Muscle introduces disparate groups of artists to one another, but more than that, it introduces the people of Milwaukee and Wisconsin to its artists. The magazine provides a Contributing Editor: voice for those who rarely find the opportunity to speak, a voice for those who are writing and thinking and creating in our locale. (A drop of ink may make a million think!) We have resolved to reach a broader spectrum of readers than those who regularly engage in the activities and literature of the arts. To that end, our editorial policy gathers a multiplicity of aesthetic and critical points of view. Therese Gantz We approach this project with a united-we-might-stand-a-chance-of-survival attitude. Art Muscle hopes to catalyze and enhance a spirit of communication through its regular columns. The magazine's calendar surveys Production Assistants: what's taking place in the city. In Letter Home, artists who have migrated from Milwaukee write home from their distanced perspectives. AGOG (Arts, Grants, Organizations and Gossip) collects news, politics and practical information pertinent to our readers. In addition, Ear Muscle, Dear Art Therapist, Finds, Artist's Page Claire Strykowski (a free page for artists to design), poetry, reviews and previews are planned. Simon Dumenco We were motivated from the earliest stages by the conviction that Art Muscle magazine would fill a major need for our community. And as we have progressed we have been overwhelmed by the encouragement and moral support of the many other people who clearly share our beliefs. We are grateful for the individuals who have volunteered their time and skills. We thank the advertisers in this issue who were willing to buy ads from us on Art Muscle published bi-monthly by Mil­ faith alone that the magazine would materialize. waukee Art Media Publishers. P.O. Box We hope to break new ground, initiate action, and take over the world. 93219, Milwaukee Wisconsin 53203. Third class postage paid at Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202 and additional mailing offices. Post­ master: Send address changes to Art Mus­ cle, P.O. Box 93219, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53203, 414 962-1099. Entire contents copyright © Milwaukee Art Media Publishers, All rights reserved; ex­ cept in reviews reproductions in whole or part without written permission is prohibit­ ed. Art Muscle is a trademark of Milwaukee ADVERTISE Art Media publishers for more information call 962-1099 a i I I i • • , i This issue is dedicated to the memory of Harold Brehmer. Art Muscle O N N FEATURES Fred Stonehouso, Skeptical Romantic 6 Julie Lindemann/Johnie Shimon On Viewing the Paintings of 6 Fred Stonehouse Frank C. Lewis Lenore Jones 8 Kathy Keller Just Dancing Those Troubles Away 10 Debra Brehmer Report: Women's Caucus for Art 12 Michal Carley DEPARTMENTS Letter from the Publishers Letter from the Editors AGOG Letter Home Previews Jonathan Borofsky at the Milwaukee Art Museum 13 Drama/Trauma 14 Ear Muscle Post-Facto Carrie Skoczek at the Wright Street Gallery We would like to thank our premire issue cover models:David Carroll, a classical pianist and Kelly M. Hqfemann, a competitive body builder at Gold's Gym. AGOG Letter Home Who got what? Personnel news: Arrived in San Francisco, via New Orleans: In the year and two months we've been here, June 22nd, 1985. It's now August 21st, 1986. A I've had six jobs. A good way to keep anyone's few observations follow: psyche reeling, certainly to keep mine in a Sheila Roberts, a writer from South Africa, The Milwaukee Artist's Foundation distrib­ state of near constant vertigo. Currently I'm a recently joined the University of Wisconsin- utes about $50,000 of county funding for the We stayed with a friend who opened her long-term temporary paralegal clerk on a Milwaukee English faculty. She will soon arts each year. The organization selects new house to us. We were not to worry about multi-million dollar securities litigation. I publish her third novel. panels of individuals interested in the arts to leaving. I shoulda put quotes on that one. We have also been an espresso girl, a mail order review the grant proposals every year and Barbara Nocon, assistant to Director Russell were to take our time in getting adjusted and clerk, a juice bar attendant, and a retail sale­ allocate the funding. The following grants finding jobs. That was until she shouted one sperson. The current job is notable for a cou­ were awarded in August: Paul Calhoun, Bowman at the Milwaukee Art Museum, re­ cently was hired to oversee Quad Graphics night, to no one in particular (although we ple things: the people (office black sheep $1,056 for documentary photography of the were in the same room), "I've got to have my all), and the fact that our boss has taught us to south side./ Dennis Cary, $1,656 for construc­ corporate art collection. She will remain at the Art Museum until Oct 1. space back!!!!" We figured it was because she juggle, on company time. tion of five modular images of comic book was having girlfriend troubles. Next we characters to be exhibited at the airport- stayed in The Subrex Loft. It's actually a stor­ Debra Brehmer, Public Relations Coordina­ The city is medieval. There are beggars ev­ ./Cheryl Lynn Franklin, $1,656 for photogra­ age area above the record label for which I tor at the Milwaukee Art Museum, resigned to erywhere, the disfigured and blind with the phy documenting black women in Milwau­ now work. After a couple of weeks we bought pursue Art Muscle. The museum is taking appli­ tin cups that I had always thought of in terms kee/John Gleeson, $1,200 for film.David a futon and stuck it between the boxes of cations for the position. of cartoon images. Men standing with card­ Bolyard, $2,000 for See Magazine./Evelyn Ter­ covers, inserts, and posters (yes, the dirty D. board signs draped round their necks listing ry, $1,126.25 for producing a video/Terese Mystery Writers' Contest K.'s poster is there). It's so womb like. \et their circumstances: unemployed, hungry, Agnew, $1,915 for lifesize sculptures./John anyone with a baseball bat could break the Webster's Books, Inc. is sponsoring its first family. Some have pets and beg for food for Balsley, $706.25 for series of paintings./Den- windows, charge in and we'd be trapped. We mystery writers' contest. The book store is them as well. I cannot pass them without nis Darmek, $2,000 for video exploring dan- had six pots and pans whose sole purpose looking for previously unpublished mystery- thinking, "well, if you are so hungry, why ce./Kristine Gunther, $356.25 for framing was to catch water when it rained. Two /detective novels set in the Milwaukee area. don't you eat your dog?" I'm sick of it, sick of drawings.Moe Meyer,$l,656 for performance months later, a real house. That lasted five The winning manuscript will be published by passing the woman who stands on the corner art piece./Taffnie Bogart/Sandra Gruel, months because everyone else moved out Main Street Publishing Inc. Entry deadline is of Sansome and Bush every afternoon, hands $2,000 for Drama/Trauma exhibition./Great excepting the "Party, Party, Party" punker and December 1. Call Websters for more infor­ behind her back, pressed against the wall, Lakes Film and Video, $2,720 for program of us. No way.