The Battalion • Page 3
Thursday • July 20, 1995
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Stew Milne, The Battalion
A sculpture by Emmett Amos titled "Art Imitates Life" stands over six feet tall and is on display in the MSC Visual Arts Gallery.
By Libe Goad
The Battalion
A 7-year-old boy tugged
at the coat sleeve of
wood sculptor Emmett
Amos, who also works
for the A&M Purchasing De
partment buying equipment
for the college of engineering..
“Dad,” the boy said, “can I
go play?”
A smile broke the artist’s
serious countenance as he ex
cused himself and attended to
his son, Bradford.
As they talked, children
and adults milled about the
MSC Visual Arts Gallery, tak
ing in the various wood sculp
tures that compose Amos’
“Out of the Woods” collection.
It was no mistake that his
son got first billing, and Amos
said he looks to family unity
for artistic inspiration.
“Sculpting is therapeutic and
hard work,” he said. “It must be
to justify taking away time from
my son and wife.”
Amy Day, adviser for the
MSC Visual Arts student
committee, said the 20-piece
exhibit is one of the largest
the gallery has showcased.
“We used all of our lights —
even ones that don’t work
well,” she said. “We maxed
out our resources.”
Over the past 24 years,
Amos’ number of sculptures
has increased sporadically.
Amos began sculpting after
several friends invited him to
attend a woodcarving work
shop. He returned to the
workshop two more times in
the early ’70s and finished a
total of eight sculptures.
He said working with wood
came naturally to him.
“I believe I had an associa
tion with wood in a different
lifetime,” he said. "It’s a
karmic relationship and a
spiritual experience.”
Amos familiarizes himself
with the wood by boring a
hole into it to see the wood’s
natural curves.
From there, Amos spends
hours chipping, pounding and
drilling the wood, bringing
the art form to the surface.
The artist spends 100-200
happen,” he said.
Amos said he tries to make
the long process a fun experi
ence — especially through music.
“When I play music, my
mind is freewheeling,” he
said. "I don't concentrate on
anything but the work piece,
and my mind fleetingly goes
off on tangents.”
Tim Goorley, a senior nu
clear engineering major, no
ticed a lighter element in
Amos’ pieces.
“It’s fun to look at,” Goor
ley said. “It looks like he had
fun making it.”
Sculpting is therapeutic and
hard work. It must be to justi
fy taking away time from my
son and wife."
— Emmett Amos, sculptor
Frame image from Amos’
“PMS (Post-Macho Syndrome)” sculpture.
hours on each piece.
No matter how much work
he does on a project, Amos
said it is the wood that guides
the artistic process.
Others like the sculptures
for their artistic value alone.
Camera Kuich, a senior
biochemistry major and MSC
Visual Arts committee mem-
“I simply lie back and let it ber, said she like the various
woods and textures incorpo
rated into the pieces.
“You can feel the smooth
lines with your eyes,” she said.
"If you touch one of them, it
feels as smooth as it looks.”
Amos tries to make the
sculptures fun because he gears
them to younger audiences.
“I particularly like to share
my work with children,” he
said. “It’s important to expose
them to art.”
A wooden turtle bearing a
collection of walking canes on
its shell is one such piece.,
Amos said his inspiration
for the piece, “Turtlesticks,”
came from his favorite child
hood story, “The Tortoise and
the Hare.”
A patron wanted to buy the
whimsical turtle sculpture,
Amos said, but his son burst
into tears and begged him not
to sell it.
“I do not need to tell you that
I did not sell it,” Amos said in a
description of the piece. “It was
the first time he (Bradford) had
taken a serious interest in my
sculpture, and I was more than
touched.’”
“Turtlesticks” is now a per
manent member of their
household.
Amos’ sculpture collection
will continue to grow as Amos
develops what he calls his
“extra-sensory” abilities to re
lease the natural artforms in
the wood.
“My life-state determines
how well I may experience my
work piece,” he said in a
gallery guidebook. “Therefore,
it becomes most important to
develop my life first.”
Vertical Horizon
Dixie Theatre hosts acoustic duo
Vertical Horizon
By Libe Goad
The Battalion
Keith Kane and Matthew
Scannell have resolved to satu
rate the masses with their music.
Vertical Horizon will make a
stop at the Dixie Theatre
Thursday night before climbing
to higher altitudes the northern
leg of its national tour.
The duo plans to tighten its
touring schedule in the fall,
playing three to five shows
every week.
Kane said the band welcomes
a busy schedule to help attract a
larger following.
“We’re dedicated to our goal of
playing music everywhere we
go,” he said.
Living out of suitcases and
missing loved ones makes tour
ing difficult, Kane said.
“Right now we’re touring
with six males,” he said. “So,
there’s a lot of testosterone
flowing around.”
Touring with a tight-knit
band can cause problems, but he
said it ultimately strengthens
the band’s internal ties.
The original tie formed in
1991 with Kane and Scannell
playing acoustic guitar together
while attending Georgetown
University in Washington, D.C.
After graduating, the duo cast
aside degree-related plans and
made music a full-time job.
“That was a tough phone call
to make to my parents,” Kane
said. “They didn’t think it was
such a great idea.”
His parents’ protests subsided
after they heard the band’s debut
album. There and Back Again,
which has sold 10,000 copies.
Kane said working with
Carter Beauford, drummer for
the Dave Matthew’s band, and
Jack O’Neill and Cary Pierce of
Jackopierce.on their new album.
Running On Ice, brought an
emotional intensity to the new
songs that the acoustic guitars
alone could not capture and that
he was especially honored to
work with Beauford.
“I could sit and watch him
play the drums every day,” he
said. “He also reinstalled our
faith in humanity — he was the
nicest guy and always prepared
to play.”
Todd Traylor, manager of Ma
rooned Records, said the store
has sold hundreds of copies of
Running On Ice.
Marooned will host Vertical
Horizon for a free in-store set
Thursday afternoon at 4:00
p.m. The band will play a few
songs, sign autographs and give
away posters to promote the
Thursday night show and the
new album.
“Most people in this town
don’t want to pay money to see
something they haven’t heard
yet,” Traylor said.
Fans across the country may
be the same way, and Kane
said the band has a long way to
go before acquiring national
recognition.
“I wouldn’t be upset if we
were recognized internationally
either,” he said. “We just want to
get our music out there.”
One mediocre
talent is
P opquiz hotshot. Here’s the
situation: a bad actor makes
a lot of money playing
brainless roles but enjoys play
ing bass guitar. He has the op
portunity to take a hiatus from
movies to tour with his very own
rock band.
What does he do?
If he is Keanu Reeves, he mo
mentarily ditches Hollywood
and hits the road.
Last Saturday, Reeves and
his band Dogstar played to a
sold-out crowd of 800 fans at
Numbers in Houston. Dogstar
“fans” (i.e. hormone-driven
teenage girls) packed the night
club to see the mega-movie star,
who was pictured in the Hous
ton Chronicle wearing picture-
perfect grunge attire, jam out to
his self-described “folk music.”
It’s enough of a shame that
Reeves’ face continues to appear
in so many movies. Those who
are blinded by his “acclaimed”
performance in Speed should re
member a few of his not-
so-glorious perfor
mances. His presence in
Bram Stoker’s Dracula
made the movie almost
painful to watch. Even
worse. Reeves’ vil-
lainesque role in the
otherwise-perfect Much
Ado About Nothing
earned him a “worst ac
tor” honor from Rolling
Stone in 1993.
Now Reeves is trying to poi
son the world of music, and he is
earning similar reviews. People
at the Houston concert told the
Houston Chronicle that Reeves
shouldn’t quit his day job.
But, maybe Reeves should be
commended. He knows what
works for him and he goes with
it.
His success can be summed
up in two words: pretty boy.
Reeves knows that no matter
what he does, he will continue to
make money as long as he can
please the female crowd. In oth-
enough
er words, if he can avoid being
severely mangled and continue
to land roles that allow him to
play the shirtless, sensitive, shy-
guy-type, then he’s set for life.
Reeves said his musical ca
reer exists purely for the sake of
fun. That’s a good thing, because
I doubt anyone will ever take it
seriously. He says the band
won’t sign a record contract un
less it can find a record label
that recognizes Dogstar as more
than a Keanu Reeves promotion
al vehicle.
In other words, fans shouldn’t
hold their breath in anticipation
of the debut Dogstar Album And
non-Reeves fans can postpone
those feelings of dread.
But with his less-than-
promising music career lower
on the list of priorities, Reeves
can concentrate on becoming a
serious actor. And that’s the
biggest tragedy.
His role as a moron in Bill
and Ted’s Excellent Adventure
at least was good for a few
laughs. Watching him act out
serious roles and come across
as a moron is disappointing to
say the least.
Reeves’ life truly imitates
his early roles. In Bill and
Ted’s Excellent Adventure,
Reeves’ moronic character also
wanted to be in a rock band. If
Reeves had to become one of
his characters, the most brain
less one of all seems like the
quintessential choice.
Kudos to Reeves for making
the most of his money-making
potential and living out his fan
tasies at the same time. It’s just
a shame that his side effort can’t
add credibility to his career
rather than belittle it further.
At least the hordes of girls
in attendance had one good
thing to say about the evening
— apparently Keanu looked re
ally good.
Maybe Reeves
should be com
mended. He
knows what
works for him
and he goes
with it.
Bobby Schilling and Friends, a progressive country band, is playing
at Fitzwilly's.
Room Service, a rock band from Austin, is playing at The Tap.
Vertical Horizon, an alternative band from Washington D.C., is
playing at The Dixie Theatre. Bee Stung Lips, an acoustic rock
band from Houston, is opening. Vertical Horizon is also doing
an in-store appearance at Marooned Records at 4:00 p.m. See
related story.
Joe "King" Carrasco, a salsa rock and reggae performer from
Austin, is playing at The Dixie Theatre. Pushmonkey, a rock band
from Austin, is opening.
Eugene Eugene, a jazz band, is performing at Sweet Eugene's
House of Java.
The Texas A&M Film Society is sponsoring a free screening of
Ferris Bueller's Day Off ai 8:00 p.m. in 601 Rudder.
Omar & The Howlers, a blues band from Austin, is playing at 3rd
Floor Cantina.
Peeping Tom, a local cover band with a few original songs, is
playing at The Tap.
Sterling Country, a country band, is at The Texas Hall of Fame.
The Bradshaw Gang, a country band, is at The Texas Hall of
Fame.
Mike Cancellare, an acoustic performer from Lochart, is
performing at Sweet Eugene's House of Java.
Fondue Monks, a rock band from Houston, is playing at The
Dixie Theatre. Jasmine Blue, a rock band, is opening.
Ruthie Foster, a rhythm and blues artist from Cause, is at 3rd
Floor Cantina.
Soul Food Cafe, a rhythm and blues band from Austin, is
playing at The Tap.