Generally, designers are an anonymous lot. They almost never receive acknowledgment from their clients, and they almost never sign the works they create, yet they are responsible for much of our visual and material culture. Brett Vladika and Michael Nickel. Two designers. Two Riverwest residents. Remarkable contributors to the rich fabric in our neighborhood.
August 2004
Posted inBarhopper
Something Old, Something New
August is a time for massive humidity, sweltering heat, one last thrill before school, and Lake Michigan actually not giving you frostbite when you step in it. So I decided to hit an established place and the new kid on the block. Don’t try to follow the logic, you’ll only get a headache…
Posted inA&E Briefs
Arts & Entertainment Briefs for August 2004
You too can view film after VHS film on your own time. As many as you want, but you must return them on a weekly basis. There must be a catch. Nope. The Milwaukee International Film Festival 2004 is looking for hawk-eyed viewers to screen submissions and be part of the programming process. Their office […]
Posted inCommentary & Opinion
Eyes Wide Open
It wasn’t easy including local arts writer Tom Bamberger’s tough love critique on the Gordon Park sculpture in this issue. Some argued that it is an insult to the many residents of Riverwest who worked long and hard to bring sculptor David Middlebrook’s work to town. But writer Bamberger has great credentials, and that counts for much in a town where most of the so-called art criticism is mere reporting. Not only is Bamberger an award winning arts writer, this former Riverwest resident has for many years worked long and hard as a photographer.
Is he a disser of most of our public art? Yes, and much of it deserves to be dissed. And to all you readers, since when is no discussion better than an open discussion?
Posted inCommentary & Opinion
Context and Public Art: David Middlebrook’s “Tip” at Gordon Park
In the arena of public art, the challenges of deciphering a work of art are compounded by the relationship to its site. The new sculpture by David Middlebrook, recently installed at the northwest corner of Gordon Park, provides an excellent example of these challenges, and perhaps will inspire a dialogue on the nature of contemporary public art.
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