Eugene Weekly : Culture : 05.27.04

Of Things Human
Prints by Denis Keogh at DIVA.
BY SYLVIE PEDERSON

Colossus, Monotype by Denis Keogh

Printmaker Denis Keogh, whose recent work is currently displayed at DIVA, studied with one of the most accomplished American etchers of the 20th century, Moishe Smith (1929-1993), and was once his personal assistant. But where Smith rendered landscapes and scenes in most realistic detail, Keogh's prints, most of them monotypes from Plexiglas plates, communicate a deeply personal vision. His most direct references to the world are not representations but comments on the state of things human, political or environmental. Such comments are often articulated by way of poetic, highly idiosyncratic, visual metaphors that irresistibly conjure narratives in the mind of the viewer.

Figurative elements and human forms emerge out of dark, enigmatic settings. A majority of the prints have been hand-colored discreetly with watercolor, but even then the predominance of black ink creates a somber mood. Subject matter may lighten but not exorcise this mood entirely, and it invites viewers to brood on what they see.

Such is the case in Waterjump, in which a ribbon of water falls down a slope and jumps over a trapeze. This is a delicately expressed visual pun. In providing a new literal meaning for the steeplechase waterjump obstacle, Keogh creates an alternative world to remind us of the possibilities of imagination. New Season also lightly alludes to a possible world — and to the poetry of imagination — as a scaffolding of colored poles, strings and blue sail stands poised at the edge of a cliff.

Space Junk Dish and Space Junk similarly belong to the realm of poetic fantasy with serious overtones as intimated by the double meaning of the punning titles. On the one hand, junk refers to a Chinese flat-bottomed ship, and Keogh's delightfully low-tech space vessels, rimmed like rafts, come equipped with masts, sails, ropes, poles, flags, and a ball in a net. On the other hand, we're reminded of the trash that litters space as well as earth.

Arrival and Entrance are both examples of Keogh casting new light on ordinary concepts with superb economy of means. Entrance combines chiaroscuro and a sober but exquisitely balanced composition to dramatic effect. Out of the darkness, a plank materializes, and above it, a corridor of light. Colored ropes hang from the plank in loose loops, holding a dangling pole. This is a stark, arresting piece that keeps the viewer on the brink between mystery and revelation, shadow and light, as if we ourselves, stood suspended on the edge of the thin plank. Keogh intends for us to come up with our own narratives and interpretations.

Keogh's use of chiaroscuro to increase dramatic tension is present in most of the colored print, as in Magic, with its dark figure delineated by a halo of light spinning planets in a dark universe, and is crucial in his black-and-white prints. Among the latter, two large monotypes stand out. Colossus is a modern version of, and homage to, Goya's painting (Colossus, 1808-1812). Both works express a nightmarish view of war. "It's a fairly overt commentary on power, abuse, power relationships, etc.," says Keogh.

Modern warfare is ever more devastating and Keogh's colossus looms not over people and animals on a battleground but in a lifeless space filled with smoky, dirty air. The giant no longer assumes the natural form of naked man. He has become a maimed creature with stumps and a monocular vision (a cyclopean laser beam), yet is still in the grips of primitive aggressive urges and lust for power (see his club and swollen codpiece). The piece conveys a sense of oppressive atmosphere with ominous strength.

Flight is equally dramatic but harks back to a more romantic — and biblical — view of the struggle between the forces of light and darkness.

Drama is reinforced in both works by the movement and apparent spontaneity of sweeping lines, the gestural dynamism of ink-marks so characteristic of Keogh's monotypes. Residual texture left over from the work process contributes to the expressiveness of the prints. Keogh in general makes great use of fingerprints. In Waterbug, it's a whole hand-print, with its fine skin-texture, that makes a crab-like creature come alive.

Among the monotypes, only The Sands Between Us and Where the West Commences seem less successful to me. Murky colors replace Keogh's usual judicious use of chiaroscuro and composition is less felicitous, in great part because of an incongruously bright tepee-shape that remains structurally unintegrated.

Keogh's etchings, also combined with watercolor, possess a lighter character than the monotypes. In Cortez Enters Mexico, Cortez and his horse, both equipped with a blue horn, seem to issue forth from the lichen on a rock. Keogh's Hero With a Wing also appears to step out of a stone patterned with lichen. These two etchings make one wish to see more of Keogh's intaglios.

Don't miss this exhibit.

Eugene on Ice
Cool treats to beat the summer heat.
BY BOBBIE WILLIS

You know how it gets here in summer: those long sweltering afternoons of late July and mid-August, the muggy after dinner hours when the air is still and heavy and hot. You feel wilted, wiped out — cooked.

Well, nothing breaks that heat up and makes you feel human again like sitting outside the ice cream shop nursing a cool, sweet treat. And Eugene (for a place with such a rainy reputation) has a fantastic selection of places for such goodies.

For those who enjoy a carnival of kids' foods and sweets, there's Pearl St. Ice Cream Parlour & Restaurant (1313 Pearl St., 342-3213). Pearl St. is all about nostalgia: From the red and white striped décor, to the fanciful candy store in the foyer, to the bass drum they carry out and beat in celebration, Pearl St. will make you feel like a little kid in a big old sweet shop. Employee Ross Krempley says, "Pearl St. really specializes in the 'big frills' dessert, things you just can't find anywhere else." All desserts are made with Umpqua Ice Cream, and Pearl St. offers several specials under the category "Belly Busters." The Mt. Mazama ($16.95), which serves five, is "a mountain of rich vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, coffee and butterscotch ice cream with hot fudge slopes, topped with marshmallow glaciers, whipped cream, with a valley of bananas and strawberry topping down below…." You can, of course, also order normal sized desserts, burgers, franks, sandwiches and salads.

For those of you who like your treats with a side of tie dye and a Led Zeppelin soundtrack, there's Ben & Jerry's (1239 Alder St., 685-9800; call about new location on Coburg Rd.). Terie Hansen, resident "Super Scooper" at the campus location, says, "On a warm Saturday night, the line can go out the door and around the corner." Doesn't matter if school's in or out, non-student types will make the trek for their B&J's year round. Hansen says Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough is the flavor fave, and customers really appreciate the "premium quality" of the product. "There's none other like it," she declares.

Relative new kid on the block Cold Stone Creamery (112 Oakway Center, 338-4244), distinguishes its ice cream with the goodies you can add in. CSC's trick is to take a scoop of ice cream between two ice-cold metal paddles and mash it down against an ice-cold marble slab. In the mashing, extras such as nuts, sprinkles, broken up candy and fruit sauces get blended into the ice cream. The result is a creamy dessert full of surprises and sweet delights. What makes CSC special, manager Katherine Cole says, is "It's a custom made ice cream treat — the ultimate experience."

Finally, a longtime EW favorite, Prince Puckler's (1605 E. 19th, 342-3213), offers treats in a real neighborhood-style atmosphere. No matter what part of town you actually live in, having a double-scoop on a sugar cone at the Prince makes you feel like part of the true Eugene scene. Manager Anita Schendel says that on a good summer day, 1,000 people may be served. The Tuesday night Hot Fudge Sundae special ($2.25) and the Friday night Euphoria Sundae special ($2.50) are particularly popular, and you may find a line out the door. Schendel says they've got Fresh Marion Berry and Fresh Huckleberry in stock and that the ever-popular Fresh Strawberry is "on its way."

So there you have the sweets to keep you cool this season. Happy summer!