‘Magnum’ remake defiles hallowed TV ground
Idon’t want to say CBS is completely bankrupt when it comes to originality, but this is the network that’s about to launch a Dick Wolf procedural about the FBI that’s called “FBI.”
Granted, CBS has bigger worries right now. (See Moonves, Les.) But have you looked at its prime-time lineup lately?
“Hawaii Five-0,” “Macgyver” and “S.W.A.T.”? Remakes.
“Survivor”? Another remake.
“Young Sheldon”? Spinoff. “NCIS”? Spinoff.
“NCIS: Los Angeles” and “NCIS: New Orleans”? Spinoffs of a spinoff.
“Murphy Brown”? Revival.
“Elementary”? Public domain.
“Bull”? Based on Dr. Phil. Seriously.
As embarrassing as all this is — and it’s shameful, really — it has nothing on the cultural lowpoint that is “Magnum P.I.” (9 p.m. Monday). Of all the CBS remakes, this is the one
LAWRENCE
The Lisbon-born artist recently answered a few questions about Life is Beautiful and his work via email.
What do you sense about Las Vegas’ art scene? Is it thriving, behind the curve, progressive?
Therearealotof interesting artworks, but it’s important to take care so they don’t fall in the plastic void that you find throughout the city with gambling. It’s a fake reality.
A lot of your work has a whimsical quality, even as it makes a comment about consumerism, materialism or the environment. How do you meld a serious statement with a touch of humor?
The statement always comes first; the whimsical, or dark humor as I call it, comes next as a tool to capture the public’s attention, and yes, it’s a delicate balance.
How does creating pieces for Las Vegas compare to creating pieces for other places?
The message is always important, wherever I’m creating an artwork. But in Las Vegas I felt more responsibility, trying to avoid the creation of something that would be misread or superficial.
What is the state of public art? Does, or can, public art have a role in influencing politics and society?
Public art must definitely have a role. If it doesn’t respond to the political, social, environmental issues, it’s just something superficial. Like when you first arrive to Las Vegas, you need to go deeper and
see what’s beneath the superficial.
What turned you on to art? Has your career progressed how you had envisioned it?
Graffiti is my background, but I want to keep it separated from art even if it shaped my relationship with the public space. My
grandfather, Real Bordalo, was an inspiration and a teacher. Much of what I learned from him, and the values he passed on to me, are reflected in my work. Besides his watercolor artwork, which was mostly known, he also had a series of work where he approached surrealist and