Local artist needs new material
A
O', to be somebody's muse To
Ite immortalized in artwork that
is named especially for you. To
be the Dante’s Beatrice. Shake
speare's Dark l.ady ... or
George's Amy.
You know George. The oafish
man with the sunburned face,
the overalls, the sculptures on
the front lawn of his Alder
Street home. The man who
peered like a lonely puppy from
iieneath the front-page headline
on The Register-Guard — the
headline that read. "Art or
Intimidation?”
The man who's been stalking
Amy Klnuke for three years in
the name of art.
In case you didn't catch the
article, or if you don't get down
to Alder Street much to chat
with this classic Eugene screw
ball. here's the basic story
George Von der Linden and
Amy Klnuke were neighbors. Ho
became obsessed with her.
"sending her letters, following
her on the street, watching her
house — and ultimately using
his art as a weapon to persecute
her," wrote Boh Keefer of The
Register Guard.
But. wrote Keefer, "the artist
sees it differently. Klauke. he
says, is simply his muse "
Muse, schmooze.
Von der Linden sees nothing
wrong with showing the "Amv
Series," an eerie-looking bunch
of figures made of brightly paint
ed wood, with bits of hangers
and tools and faucets and
swords and tennis rackets and
who-the-holl-else knows what
These figures grin wooden grins
and stare with huge disc-like
eyes. Some ol them bear the
name "Ann' or have .1 red "A'
on their chests. I he whole offer 1
is that of a bunt h of rejects that
didn't quite make it into the nut
t rat ker suite that have finally
found a permanent plat e to
roost where thev can spook
everyone out
And people wonder whv Ann
is not impressed'
It's a pretty nice racket that
George has going for himself. He
spends all day working out his
frustrated obsession hv i resting
a small army of junk women,
torments "his muse" so mm h
that she moves to a new neigh
borhood, puts his "art" in local
art shows, and then laps up all
of the media attention focused
on him when Amy ai < uses him
of harassment
Hut he would insist that he's
just another thwarted artist, and
that the "Ann Series" is his
first Amendment right He is
supported by the University's
own Maude Kerns Art Gallery
which refused to remove the
sculptures after Amy com
plained that they were offensive
to her. because they were nei
ther violent nor pornographic.
and anyways, the gallery already
had a contract with Von der Lin
den. He is also supported by a
University law school professor
who says that Von der Linden
has broken no laws and "that's
the way it should lie Think of
the Divine Comedy. Where
would the Divine Comedy !m> if
Dante couldn't write alnnit Heat
rice?"
I cry foul. George Von der Lin
den is using artwork as a legiti
mate excuse to stalk her True,
the art alone breaks no laws He
is entitled to free expression
Hut that's not what he's after
George is just an embittered man
who can't get w hat he wants, so
he'll throw a public tantrum in
the name of an art show — and
receive a few bucks and a lot of
attention while he's at it.
As for the grand allusion to
Dante and the Divine Comedy.
give me a break. Although art is
subjective and I am no art crit
ic. I'd have to sav that (ieorge is
no Dante, and the "Amy Series,”
is a far cry from the Divine Com
edy
And there was no anti-stalk
ing bill or sexual harassment
laws in those days And I'd
hardly cal! the repeated phone
tails, letters and inslam es
where he follower! her "artiste
expression " It's been three
years sue v this ordeal started
It's resulted in Amy Klauke
moving from the area, a search
He could quit
cashing in on
someone elec’s
discomfort and
create art for art’s
sake.
warrant for Von tier Linden's
home (bused on Klauko's com
plaints us well us unrelated t am
plaints from another woman),
and, rei entlv. a media spotlight
on the two
Lven if Von dor Linden is
"innocent” and only wants to
express his un-returnod love
(and not harass this woman), if
she is offended by his sculp
lures, he should stop He's
rei eised so mm h attention that
I'm sure anything new he i rent
ed would get lapped up bv hx ul
art enthusiasts eager to keep a
Kugene icon alive He < ould quit
cashing in on someone wise's
disi omfort and i reale art for
art s sake
Amy Klauke wrote to the let
ters to the editor se< lion of / hr
Register (iunrd. "As a poet
myself. I cherish urtisto free
dom of expression I do not xvish
this man to stop making or
showing Ins artworks Based on
fiis admitted harassment of me.
however. 1 do ask that out of
rex [mx t for my few lings they tiear
no direct reference to me the
real story here is not aliout love,
but rather about obsession.
Many people, especially
women, are stalked. Many,
understandably, flee. I am
choosing, instead, to seek com
munity support, to address this
issue in our town."
Well. Amy. you've got sup
port here. Any woman (or man)
who has ever tieen the recipient
of unwanted attention, ranging
from some pest in the street ask
mg them for their phone numlMir
to being followed to a hum ti of
t.u ky wooden soldiers of love
erected in their "honor." would
have a quick answer to the ques
tion, "Art or Intimidation7"
tinquestionahly. intimidation
t.in Snlmrrin is n columnist
for the Kmerald
On Campus Desktop
Publishing
and Darkroom
v Services
(ah 34M38I
or come by Rm. 300 EMC
Open 8*0 to 5:00
Monday-Frtday
EMERALD
CLASSIFIEDS
1 IKK! 1
I -800-KAP-TEST
C 'lass begins Aug. 1 *>
bREE Diagnostic!
140 West 8th
Eugene
KAPLANRUl.ES
This week s
Luncheon Specials
Satav Chicken
Malaysian style chicken cooked rUIMA D| I IB
with sautfc sauce, Ml»W,Pfc|gC
vegetables and rice RESTAUANT1
$4.50 Try our Mandarin
Chicken for (toner1.
179 I. 15th • upttjtn Herat to UO •ootifor* • 545 215} • Take out kvakaNf J
Cooking With A Social Conscience
Nurturing your health while supporting the earth.
•Jan's Salsa
•Marinara Sauce
•3 Bean, Black
Bean & Chili Dip
All made with organically
grown tomatoes & beans
1*. sales for Ecology & Hunger Projects
AVAILABLE IN THE EMU
(wUNDERLAND
G
•SCVIOEO
^Pgames
5th STREET
PUBLIC MARKET
683-8464
( - VIDEO ADVENTURE ^
• VALLCV RfVffl PI A2A
«« lb« »*, M* IWJ
ii'ii ii'iinjuLiuri
I SELF SERVICEl
COPIES
ALL DAY
EVERY DAY
Tlte Copy Shop
Open Mon-Fri 8-7 Sat 10-4
Be#****) PiastersonS Furr* Rghtan I3fr
485-6253
Opticolor
Film
135/24*100ASA
199
One Day
4* Reprints
1-Hr Photo
2nd Set
4' Prints
I 99* J
Weds
Overnight
2nd Set
3* Prints
99C I
Than
Opticolor
Film
135/24*100ASA
1”
UNIVERSITY
OF OREGON
A PARTNER
1 N Y O U R