Soul Stirrings

By Charles Cassady Jr.

Arts and Letters.

Mr. Reel Report once asked a very dear friend "What is art, anyway?" "A helluva a way to make a living," came the reply. Perhaps Mr. Reel Report could learn how to better phrase his questions from Luanne Bole-Becker and Bob Becker, the award-winning, Lakewood-based husband-and-wife radio broadcasting and TV production team. In 1993 they attended a concert featuring bass guitarist Rowland Salley, best known for his work with Chris Isaak's band. Based in San Francisco, Salley is a lifelong painter as well as a musician, and Luanne's offstage conversation with him led to an exchange of letters (and a gift of new paintbrushes) that made Salley open up on paper about his artistic drive and inspirations, both on canvas and in performance. Recently Bob and Luanne were themselves inspired - to translate Salley's informal prose into a 22-minute documentary essay entitled Why the artist creates. Shot primarily on video, the piece features Salley sounding a bit Jack Kerouac-esque indeed as he reads back the words that try to explain what goes on in an artist-musician's soul. The selection committee for the 46th Columbus International Film Festival have already awarded Why the artist creates with an honorable mention and will screen it along with other winners on October 19-21 in Columbus. Bob and Luanne will then shop it around to other festivals and for possible television slots. As for Rowland Salley, he can be heard on the new Chris Isaak recording Speak of the Devil. As for Chris Isaak, Luanne Bole-Becker said he was too expensive for the filmmakers to afford putting him on camera. So it really is a helluva way to make a living.

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