"Torn Notebook" Follows Creation of Monumental Sculpture

In 1996 the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, and the Guggenheim Museum in New York mounted a major retrospective of the work of Claes Oldenburg, recognized as one of the central figures of the pop art movement in the 1960's. In the last two decades, Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen have concentrated their energy in creating monumental outdoor works of public art which have been installed in America, Europe, and Asia.

In 1997, a major Oldenburg/van Bruggen work, Torn Notebook, commissioned by the Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery and Sculpture Garden was installed on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln campus in Lincoln, Nebraska. The documentary, "Torn Notebook," is the story of the creation of this work.

The documentary places Torn Notebook in context with other work of the Oldenburgs, and includes footage of the retrospective as well as monumental works in Kansas City, Chicago, Philadelphia, Minneapolis, Des Moines, and other locations.

Among the individuals who appear in the program and comment on the work of Oldenburg and van Bruggen are George Neubert, Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery; Bernice Rose, Pace-Wilinstein Gallery; Martin Friedman, Walker Art Center; Mark Rosenthal and Marla Prather, National Gallery of Art; and Marc Wilson and Deborah Scott, Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.

Narrated by Dick Cavett, "Torn Notebook" presents insight on the creation of public art—from artists' concept to formal dedication. The program takes us behind the scenes with the artists, the Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery staff, landscape architects, engineers, and many others who helped transform an artist's model into over 16,000 pounds of aluminum and stainless steel.

An original musical score by HOWLOOSEANATION captures the open feeling of the sculpture while enhancing some thought-provoking interviews with artists, craftspersons, and art authorities.

"Torn Notebook," which is closed captioned for hearing-impaired viewers, is a production of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Television cultural Affairs Unit. Gene Bunge is producer/director. The Nebraska ETV Network is a service of Nebraska Educational Telecommunications.

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