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JAN. 27, 1999
£ b e ^Jortlattò (Observer
The L a u ra R usso G a lle ry Is
Pleased To Present:
Robert Colescott
Paintings and Works on Paper
Suzanne Duryea
Recent Work
Robert Colescott
N atio n ally re c o g n ized artist, R ob­
ert C o lesco tt, is k n o w n for his co n tro ­
versial p ain tin g s c h a llen g in g both
racial and g e n d e r stereo ty p e s. H is
expressive, cartoon-lik e p o rtray als o f
A m erican slices o f life co n tain p o i­
g n an t an d th o u g h t-p ro v o k in g i m ­
ages. C o le sc o tt p a in ts a v ersio n o f
p o p u lar c u ltu re w h ile ex h ib itin g at
the W h itn e y ’s A rt A b o u t A rt show
w ith p ain tin g s su ch as G eo rg e W ash ­
ington C arv erC ro ssin g the D elaw are.
In h is 70s, he still w restles w ith so ci­
etal clich es and p re ju d ices, but it is in
the last ten y ears he h as q u estio n ed
c o n tem p o rary issu es in a m ore p er­
sonal w ay. F eatu red in this ex h ib itio n
w ill be acrylic p ain tin g s and w orks on
paper.
R o b ert C o lesco tt teach es at the
U n iv ersity o f A rizo n a an d is rev ered
n atio n ally w ith w o rk in co llectio n s
su ch as the M u seu m o f M o d e m A rt,
N ew Y ork; M etro p o litan M u seu m o f
A rt; W h itn ey M u seu m o f A m erican
A rt; B r o o k ly n M u s e u m o f A rt;
H irs h h o m M u se u m , S m ith so n ia n
In stitu tio n , W a sh in g to n , D .C .; S an
F ran cisco M u seu m o f M o d em A rt;
DISNEY CHANNEL
H O N O R S BLACK
HISTORY MONTH
D is n e y C h a n n e l, th e le a d e r in
te le v is io n fo r k id s a n d fa m ilie s ,
h o n o rs B la c k H is to ry M o n th th is
F e b ru a r y w ith s p e c ia l lin e u p o f
o rig in a l m o v ie s a n d an a n im a te d
fe a tu re tte o n F e b ru a r y 2. A d d i­
tio n a lly , th e n e tw o rk w ill ca b le c a st
D is n e y C h a n n e l ’s c r i ti c a ll y - a c ­
c la im e d o rig in a l s p e c ia l, O n e D ay,
o n F e b ru a r y 6 , a n d th e w o rld te le ­
v is io n p r e m ie r e o f th e a n im a te d
s p e c ia l K o i & th e K o la N u ts, n a r ­
ra te d b y W h o o p i G o ld b e rg , on F e b ­
ru a ry 10.
O n F e b ru a r y 2, 7 P M E T /P T ,
D is n e y C h a n n e l k ic k s o f f its B la c k
H isto ry M o n th c e le b ra tio n w ith the
w o rld te le v is io n p re m ie r e o f th e
a n im a te d f e a tu re tte J o h n H en ry .
N a rra te d b y D e n z e l W a s h in g to n
a n d fe a tu rin g m u s ic b y B .B . K in g ,
J o h n H e n ry te lls th e ta le o f a n A f­
ric a n A m e ric a n h e ro w h o jo u r n e y s
c r o s s - c o u n tr y , a n d a lo n g th e w a y ,
d is c o v e rs m e n o f a ll ra c e s w h o ’ve
jo in e d to g e th e r to h e lp b u ild a ra il­
ro a d .
I m m e d i a te l y f o l lo w in g ,
D is n e y C h a n n e l p re s e n ts its o r ig i­
nal N ig h tjo h n , 7:30 PM E T /P T . T his
d e p ic ts th e m y th ic s to ry o f a s la v e
in th e p r e - C iv il W a r S o u th w h o
b e lie v e s th a t li te r a c y c a n b e a
w e a p o n a g a in s t th e m e n ta l a n d
p h y s ic a l b a rr ie rs o f s la v e ry .
N ig h tjo h n c o u ra g e o u s ly d e fie s th e
law w h ic h fo rb id th e te a c h in g o f
re a d in g a n d w ritin g to s la v e s . T o
c o m p le te th e lin e u p , th e n e tw o rk
w ill a ir a n o th e r D is n e y C h a n n e l
o rig in a l m o v ie , O n P ro m is e d L a n d
is th e s to ry o f tw o f a m ilie s , o n e
b la c k a n d o n e w h ite , a n d th e d re a m
and b ro k e n p ro m ise s th a t b in d them
/
S eattle A rt M u seu m ; an d P o rtlan d
A rt M u seu m , O R . H is e arly ed u c a ­
tion found him in F ran ce in th e 1950s
studying w ith F ernand Leger. In 1973
he w as h o n o re d w’ith a re tro sp ectiv e
at the U n iv e rsity o f W a sh in g to n ,
H enry A rt G allery . C o le sc o tt sh o w s
regularly in N ew Y ork w ith the Phyllis
K ind G allery.
R u n n in g c o n c u rre n tly w ith R ob-
e rtC o le sc o tt’s ex hibitio n is an ex h ib i­
tio n o f his w o rk at th e P o rtlan d A rt
M u seu m from Jan u a ry 15 th - M arch
21,1999.
S u zan n e D u ry ea
Suzanne D uryea is k n o w n forpaint-
m g lu scio u s and v ib ra n t still-liv es
d ep ictin g fruit, v e g e ta tio n , an d o th er
d o m estic o b jects. T h e p a in t is ap ­
plied th ic k ly -im p a sto w ith in ten se
co lo r th at glow s. T h e o b je c ts are re n ­
dered w ith a so lid ity u su ally reserv ed
for scu lp tu re. T h e y a re m y stic a l,
larg er th an life, e n h a n c e d b y th eir
to g e th e r.
O n F e b ru a ry 6, D is n e y C h a n n e l
w ill c a b le c a s t th e o rig in a l sp e c ia l
O n e D a y . D ire c te d b y D e b b ie
A lle n , th e sp e c ia l film s s ta r L o re tta
D e v in e (W a itin g T o E x h a le ) , Ed
B e g le y Jr. a n d Ja m e s In g ra m , an d
fe a tu r e s o r ig in a l m u s ic b y a c ­
cla im e d g o sp el artists K irk F ran k lin
a n d G o d ’s P ro p e rty . O n e D a y c e l­
e b ra te s M a rtin L u th e r K in g , J r ’s
v is io n to p ro m o te to le r a n c e an d
e q u a lity fo r e v e ry o n e re g a r d le s s
o f c re e d , ra c e o r g e n d e r. A s fo u r
y o u th s p re p a r e fo r a te le v is io n
p ro g ram , th e y a re g u id e d o n a m a g i­
c a l to u r. O n th e ir jo u r n e y , th e y
d is c o v e r th e im p o rta n c e o f e ra d i­
c a tin g in ju s tic e fo r e v e ry o n e , an d
th a t th e y m u s t fo llo w th e ir o w n
d re a m s in life.
A d d itio n a lly , o n F e b ru a r y 10,
7 P M /P T , D is n e y C h a n n e l p re s e n ts
th e w o rld te le v is io n p re m ie r e o f
th e a n im a te d sp ecial K oi & the K o la
N u ts .
N a rra te d b y W h o o p i
G o ld b e rg , th is h u m o ro u s A fric a n
fo lk ta le te lls th e s to ry o f K o i, a
v illa g e r w h o is fa c e d w ith e ith e r
a c c o m p lis h in g th re e im p o s s ib le
ta s k s , o r e n d in g u p in th e c o o k in g
p o t in s te a d . A lo n g h is jo u r n e y , he
m a k e s th r e e u n lik e ly frie n d s w h o
s a v e h is life a n d h e lp h im fin d h is
r ig h tfu l p la c e in th e w o rld .
D is n e y C h a n n e l, c o m b i n in g
o rig in a l s e rie s , m o v ie s a n d s p e ­
c ia ls w ith tim e le s s c la s s ic s , is the
firs t g e n e ra l e n te r ta in m e n t te le v i­
sio n n e tw o rk d e s ig n e d fo r k id s an d
fa m ilie s. D isn e y C h a n n e l is a s u b ­
s id ia ry o f T h e W a lt D is n e y C o m ­
pany.
LIBRARY
STORYTIME FOR
ADULTS
lively en e rg y and an c h o re d to a tim e­
less, o th e r w orld. T his ex h ib itio n fea­
tures a n ew d ire c tio n ; d ep ic tin g the
figure b u t in the sam e v ib ran t m anner.
D u ry ea sp en t m a n y y ears in P o rt­
land b e fo re m o v in g to h er p resen t
hom e in F lorida. H er p a in tin g s have
been ex h ib ite d in g a lle rie s a lo n g the
w est c o a st in P o rtlan d , S eattle, and
S an F ran cisco , an d a re in m an y p ri­
vate an d p u b lic co lle c tio n s, in clu d ­
"Here. There, Everywhere: Storytime
for ad u lts" at M u ltn o m ah C ounty
Library’sC entral Library kicks offSun-
day, Jan. 24 at 2 p.m. w ith a program o f
dramatic readings entitled ‘Beginnings:
First C hapters by C ontem porary A u­
thors.” Selections include "B ag o f
B ones" by Stephen King; "D ream land:
T ravels inside the S ecret W orld o f
Roswell and A rea 51 ” by Phil Patto; and
"A t H om e in the W orld: A M e m o ir'b y
Joyce M aynard. Selections w ill be read
by P o rtla n d a c to rs Ja c q u e D rew ,
S tep h en C lark P a c h o sa and T o m
Lasswell
O n Sunday, Feb. 21, the program will
be “M atters o f the Heart: Short Stories
on Loving. Longing and L osing,” read
ing M icro so ft; the G o v e rn o r H o u se,
O lym pia; th eC larem o n t H otel, B erke­
ley; an d the B iltm o re H o tel, L os A n ­
geles.
O p e n in g rec e p tio n is F irst Thurs-
d ay F eb ru ary 4 : First T h u rsd ay H ours,
5-8pm . F o r m ore in fo rm atio n co n tact
Faith E m erson 503-226-2754.
by A lanN ause, V ana O ’B rien and Earl
Taylor.
O n Sunday, M arch 21, the program
w ill be "T w ain Spotting: Favorite Se­
lections From the W ork ofM ark Twain."
The storytim e series features dra­
m atic ladings o f selections from litera­
ture (old and new ) on a single them e by
local actors. S to ry tim e sa re h e ld in th e
third Sunday o feach m onth at 2 p.m. in
the C ollins G allery located on the third
floorofC entral Library, 801 S.W . 10th
A ve., Portland. Storytim es are free and
open to the public and are ftmded
through gifts to the Library F ounda­
tion, Inc.
Form ore information, call (503) 248-
5236.
DANZY SENNA In Her Own W ords
Thecontradictioas in m y family were
alw ays apparent to me: theunlikelym ix
o fW A SP and A frican-Am erican, privi­
leged and poor, literary and activist.
But it w as the contradictions in m y ow n
lifts that m ost confounded me: theexpe-
n e n c e o f'lo o k in g w hite" and identify­
ing as black. M y m other, a w hite poet
and novelist, and m y father, a black
scholar o f race and history, w ere both
sm itten w ith the black po w er politics o f
the 1960s and 70s, and believed that a
strong black identity w as the w ay to
help m y siblings and m e survive the
racism o f the world. B ut w hile for m y
sister, the black pow er chants seem ed
tofit in w ith her skin and hair, for me, m y
A frocentnc proclam ations w ere m et
with m ostly confusion and som etim es
d tfisio n from the w orld outside.
G row ing up in B oston, I becam e
fK niliarw ithabrandofracism foreign to
triy sister and fadier: the candid rem arks
o f w hite people w ho thought I w as
“o n eofthen." Little w hite girls brought
w ho cam e to stay w ith us w hen I w as
m e hom e for d inner to
listen to d ero g ato ry
c o m m e n ts
about
“n ig g ers" and “spies.”
Liberals w ho sm iled in
m y sister’s face w his­
pered to m e behind her
back about the pro b ­
lem w ith “ th o s e
p eople." I developed a
deep suspicion o fm o st
w h ite s , a n d o fte n
yearned for a visible
trace o f m y blackness,
a signifier that w ould
tel 1 the world w ho I was,
so that I could avoid
having to see p eo p le’s
tru e co lo rs. W h ile
R alph E llison had once w ritten o f the
experiences o fa n "invisible m an," I felt
m y selfto be an “ invisible sister” - a spy
in enem y territory, and a ghost am ong
those w ith w hom I identified the most.
1 w as m ost com fortable at hom e.
eye on us and the other
on the page before her.
T he sound o f her finger­
tips tapping against the
w here chaos ruled There, m y m other
w o u ld have us kids full reign, and
allow ed ch ild ren ’s forts and doll king­
dom s to overrule an y sem blance o f
order. She often sat w ith the d o o r to her
bedroom open, so she could keep one
keyboard o fh e r m anual O lym pia type­
w riter w as the m usic that let us know
she w as alw ays close at hand. She w as
also a political activist, and our house
becam e both a salon and a refuge for
the A frican dissidents and Irish exiles
very young: a sm all picture o f C he
G uevara sat fram ed in our hallw ay
next to a yellow ing poster advertis­
ing a D ublin production o f T om
S to p p ard 's “T ravesties.” Political
activists and poets alike sat around
o u r kitchen until late into the night
arguing the benefits and conse­
quences o f racial integration, w hile
M otow n m usic spun out from the
living room stereo. A t hom e, it w as
c lear to m e w hich tribe I befonged to:
that o f m y ow n eccentric family.
It w as w hen I left hom e that I had
to navigate the color-coded w orld.
W ithout m y kin surrounding m e, re­
m inding m e w ho I w as, I had to find
other w ays to feel at hom e. W riting
becam e this hom e-black w ords against
w hite paper-the space w here I could
both m ake sense o f and escape from the
problem s o fm y everyday existence. It
w as there, at m y desk, w ith a typew riter
and the cold N ortheastern landscape
beyond m y w indow , that m y racial per­
spective-this unsolved conundrum -be-
cam e m y strength rather than m y w eak­
ness. Fiction freed m e from ow n
strength rather than m y w eakness
F iction freed m e from m y blood and
from my own expenence.al lowing m e to
enter the realm ofthe invisible-the imagi­
nation.
I w ioteC A U C A SIA in part to grapple
w ith the problem o f race-w hich is es­
sentially the proolem o f the spirit in the
m aterial world. I w anted to explore the
constructedness o f race through the
eyes o f a character w ho, like m yself, is
“ everything and n o th in g " at once.
W hat has becom e clear to m e through
m y racial trials and tribulations, is that
at som e point you do m ake a choice-not
betw een w hite and black, but betw een
silence and speech. D o you let your
body talk for you, or do you speak for
y o u rselP Through fiction, I have found
a w ay speak form yself-and to em brace
the contradictions that define m y w orld.