DAN'S PAPERS, December 19, 2008 Page 60 www.danshamptons.com
The Art Scene Near and Far
by Marion Wolberg Weiss
Authentic Art in Albuquerque, New Mexico art? It’s easy if you have an open and shops. Architectural features mind and eye for design. (Speaking from long ago are apparent; so are of dilapidated settings, we passed winding brick paths and hidden patios. an old hippie commune where, supposedly, people like Dennis Hopper The Sandia Mountains, named for the watermelon red that charonce hung out.) We can’t help but go inside for a acterizes the terrain at dusk, is the dominant geographic feature. visit to a friend whose collection of Its beauty is one we can’t deny or Native American folk art is not only authentic but arresting as well. ignore, as we begin to envision it And although his objects are not as a natural, all-encompassing art public art, they are just as historiinstallation of sorts. A distant cally insightful. We realize that mesa, seen from homes in the nearby hills, also appears to be an such artifacts are available at art object, especially at sunset, museums, but seeing them firsthand in someone’s home is a treat. which goes to prove, once again, that nature is the most magnifiFirst there is the Kachina doll, which I had only seen as subjects of cent creator of all art. Even so, man-made objects posipaintings and drawings. The bows, Folk Art tioned in the surrounding mountains arrows and ceramic bowls are outstanding, too. can also be perceived as public art installations. Then Most unusual, however, are the stuffed turkeys again, some observers may see these objects as trash that is ruining the environment. A casual ride that my friend has in his residence, birds he had through the area reveals a stunning composition hunted himself as part of the Sierra Club. Not only did they look like beautiful sculptures, but they even of old car tires dumped on the ground. Is it art? A lot of people would say no, but we’ve seen similar conrecalled the wild turkeys we have in the Hamptons. ceptual works in New York galleries. Almost, but not quite. More controversial, however, are the shacks Cover Artist where societal outsiders live, derelict cars and trucks This weeks cover by Michael Paraskevas marks scattered around the property, along with old stoves 20 years of work by the artist in Dan’s Papers. (one was from the 1940 and quite valuable) and other Paraskevas has contributed about 40 covers to the junk or collectables, depending on how you look at it. publication. How could anyone describe these places as public Photo by M.W. Weiss
By Marion Wolberg Weiss Last week’s “Art Scene” featured New York environs where public art by East Enders abounds. An abrupt change of scenery finds me in Albuquerque and its surrounding area, where public art includes an odd assortment, all of which is subjectively selected: diverse architecture, geographic features and man-made artifacts. It’s important to note that the following observations do not include any visits to public galleries or museums. After all, this is a vacation from the ordinary. We can’t help but start with architecture that is, the 1950s, Route 66 kind rather than the traditional Native American and Spanish type. Anyone who has seen the award-winning No County for Old Men will know we mean the motel where Josh Brolin got killed. It looks exactly like it was depicted in the film. While the building will never quite become an icon like the Bates Motel in Hitchcock’s Psycho, it’s important because this death trap is real and not a movie set. Of course, the adobe houses that predominate the area are based on authentic Native American designs. Some are more elaborate than others, and some are rather simple, like those existing in the “projects,” housing for the less fortunate, as the saying goes. Yet such communities seem welcoming with their indigenous exterior decorations and gardens. Albuquerque’s Old Town is a tourist mecca, but charming, nonetheless, as far as architecture goes. Developed in 1706, the area evokes a traditional Spanish pattern, including a central plaza and church (San Felipe de Neri) surrounded by homes
ack t vveat By Tiffany Razzano
Little Feat: WHBPAC’s First Act of 2009, on Jan. 3 At a time of year when musical events are few and far between on the East End, music aficionados will be glad to know that right after New Year’s, on Jan. 3, the Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center will be hosting Little Feat. The group – a southern California based rock band with blues, roots and jam elements – was originally formed in 1969 by singer/songwriter/guitarist Lowell George, who had originally been in Frank Zappa’s Mothers of Invention. But Little Feat disbanded in 1979, after George’s death. The group got back together in 1987, releasing a new album a year later. Craig Fuller of the Pure Prairie League stepped in to take over lead vocals. Now, the band is going on 20 consecutive years of writing and recording music and touring, though it’s now on its third incarnation. In 1993, Fuller left the group and Shaun Murphy, who had sung on all of Little Feat’s recent albums anyway, replaced him. She had also toured as part of Bob Seger’s band, along with Little Feat members Fred Tackett and Bill Payne. In August, Little Feat released Join the Band, an album where some of the music industry’s best known talents pay tribute to the band. But it’s more of a collaborative effort than a typical tribute album. Artists such as Emmylou Harris, Randy Newman, Linda Ronstadt and The Black Crowes joined the band in the recording studio in order to
record their interpretation of one of the band’s songs. Always a fan and friend of Little Feat, having performed with several of its members before, Jimmy Buffet actually came up with the concept of the album years ago and it somehow came together now. The group trekked down to Buffet’s recording studio in Key West to lay down the tracks and the project “took on a life of its own,” Murphy said. Buffet also played a key role in bringing in the guest musicians. “He was a huge asset in that regard.” The group, working directly with these musicians
in the studio, got to see the creative process of how the different interpretations of Little Feat songs came about. “It’s always interesting to see what people come up with,” Murphy said. Brooks and Dunn took on “Willin’,” giving it a goth country feel. Bob Seger came in for “Something in the Water.” “He added a little spice to it.” But the performer who most surprised Murphy was Dave Matthews. “I’ve never heard him sing quite like that. He did an excellent, excellent job.” Now, the group is getting ready to hit the road for several weeks after New Year’s, followed by their now annual four-day extravaganza at the Grand Lido Resort in Jamaica at the end of January. For the past six years, the band has taken over the hotel for a long weekend, selling it out to their fans and performing all weekend. Little Feat will be performing at the WHBPAC on Jan. 3 at 8 p.m. For more information, call 631-2881500 or go to littlefeat.net.
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