* Vandalism. The word comes from the name of a tribe that ~ invaded Rome in the fifth century, smashing monuments, destroying all signs of art and culture. It has come to mean anyone who willfully or ignorantly disfigures any work of art or literature. For instance, I like to think that if you scribbled the word “garbage” in pencil all over one of these columns, you would be sinking to the level of vandalism. Just kidding. On the dark side, I note that artist Sally Michener has had 60 ceramic statues vandalized on Granville Island in downtown Van- couver. When I heard about that, my heart sank. By accident, I “discovered” those statues for myself just the week before they were smashed down. What a joy it was! Yd driven down to Kit- silano to interview somebody and found myself arriving early. It was-—a magnificent Indian Summer day with the salt air blowing off English Bay and the North Shore mountains clear and clean, if distant. The sort of day that reminds you just how blessed you are to live on the Coast. I took a walk around Granville Island, killing time, and came across a grassy, man-made hill at the southeast corner of the island, overlooking False Creek. Then, suddenly, I realized there were all these weird, beautiful ceramic faces mounted on coiled terra cotta “necks” rising out of the ground. Dozens and dozens of them. At the very top of the hill was a Strange, reddish arch - like an entryway into another dimension. It was one of the most imaginative and delightful 100 copies copying seri ces Concord Copy 101-1515 Pemberton 985-5115 artistic displays ’'ve seen in a long, longtime. | The essence of art is that it works like a key jammed into the lock of your mind. It twists. And eureka, some flashing viewpoint comes “that makes you richer and deeper as a person. | The personality of the artist is. essentially meaningless. What counts is what they offer us, not who they are. At any rate, I recognized those ceramic faces rising like serpent-necked beings from another world as genuine works of art, magnificently located. ; The display was so wonderful that I was late for my appointment. The pictures I saw of the Beauty assassinated smashed statues’. the following week were depressing. The artist herself tried to be brave, but despair was unavoidable. I suppose it is comforting to know that this sort of problem has been around throughout all of history, yet art has never faltered, art has never died, as Leonard Cohen put it. It is cold comfort to know that Picasso's Guernica was spray-bombed in the Museum of Modern Art in New York, that Michaelangelo’s Pieta has been attacked with a hammer in St. Peter’s basilica, and recently, that Bryan Organ’s portrait of the Princess of Wales was slashed. ‘ Who wrecked the statues on Granville Island? ‘If: I knew who did it, I'd nail the tenderest part of their anatomy to a stump and push them over back- wards. ui GAMBIER ISLAND SEA RANCH . . * FRE kerry Service” so 1984 for the next purchasers. Durridsc ape wacertecne wired view boty servaccdd wieh water arid sewer toelades boat moorage connmis courtesy central bodpe oifenp scateles plas a COnmimon Ente rest cna SOU acre Operating oaccle and sheep e ranch Omity CO nieces trooeiy Pdr se strc Bary Createve trina rig avartabbhe bor nore roatocuiacron call 689-2867 meotee D25-2215 rane film com FROM PAGE A1 The company was maybe “a little cocky” after a string of modest successes, he says, when it decided to produce 12 Tom Jones shows at the studios on FolKstone Way. But gambling parties. and helicopter trips to the Okanagan aren't the reason the company went broke, he claims, refuting rumors that extravagant parties totting up huge bills contributed to the bankruptcy. “After all, what Fom Jones does on his own time is his business,” he says. " LAVISH: It was the lavish sets and expensive costumes required by the show that the com- pany had underestimated, he says, as well as staff, though game, that just couldn't handle the kind of high quality musical the Tom Jones shows demanded. “The company realized that and brought in people from Los Angeles. But it was toolate.” . Catalena Productions was declared bankrupt month owing about $2.5 million at first estimate:. A creditors’ meeting was held Tuesday. ey (eel We ie. me Dd ocean/i ide ealty coe vegas Stree: NV he to bandruptcy last ‘Creditors were. told at that meeting that no.dividend — the amount to be paid per dollar owed - could be estimated at present because’ the legal status of some potential assets and their market value could not be established for a month or more, - ' Asister company Catalena Enterprises was declared bankrupt October 2 and a creditors meeting set for October 26. Catalena Enterprises owes _an estimated slightly over $4 million at first estimate, according to bankruptcy trustees Coopers and Lybrand. The major creditor of Cataiena Enterprises is Catalena Productions, which is owed slightly over $t million. Commerce Leasing, which leased equipment to the studio is owed $1.9 million and the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce is owed $260,000" according trustee: ' dia po yes | strictly personal Lavish Tom Jones s sets sent any under — Cooper and Lybrand. Catalena Productions, Catalena_ Enterprises and Panorama Distibutors Ltd., operating out of the studio in West Vancouver, are linked, through their common principal Ian MacClennan, who is owed $80,000. Catalena Enterprises was placed into bankruptcy after its receiver-manager petitioned to the courts on the basis it believed there had been fraudulent preference to certain creditors, according to Coopers and Lybrand trustee Ken Rowan. The studio had had earlier success with the Stan Kann Show, a half-hour comedy, Pitfall, a game show and industrial films. A pilot series for a comedy-music series, which has been described as something like Hee Haw but appealing to a younger set , and starring a Vancouver Irish Rock Group was also made at the studio, riehiog set ‘of spdesloned fons ‘ond satel King of, Queen. Limited