insights or commentary on whatnhelped to make the film great. Thenclosest he gets is offstage, in his prefacento the published script, where he explainsnthat he derived the title Swimmingnto Cambodia “when I realizednthat to try to imagine what went on innthat country during the gruesome periodnfrom 1966 to the present would be antask equal to swimming there fromnNew York.”nThe monologue itself has a focus (ofnsorts) on Gray’s quest for a “PerfectnMoment.” He describes how henshanghaied himself and remained innThailand after his work on the filmnshoot was finished. “You see, I hadn’tnhad a Perfect Moment yet, and I alwaysnlike to have one before I leave annexotic place. They’re a good way ofnbringing things to an end. But you cannnever plan for one. You never knownwhen they’re coming. It’s sort of likenfalling in love . . . with yourself” Atnone point, he’s so desperate to realize anPerfect Moment that he’s almost willingnto compromise the integrity of thenevent by inducing it through drugs.nThough predictably centered aroundnparanoia, his marathon descriphons ofnhallucinogenic incidents are amongnhis most shining, his wittiest moments.nSwimming to Cambodia originallyndeveloped as two discrete parts duringna two-year period and over, accordingnto Gray, “almost two hundred performances.”nAs far as I could tell, itsnrecent revival at the Mitzi E. NewhousenTheater merged sections of PartnII into what is predominantly Part I. Itnstill ended with the same enigmaticnclosing to Part I: “And just as I wasndozing off in the Pleasure Prison, I hadna flash. An inkling. I suddenly thoughtnI knew what it was that killed MarilynnMonroe.” At this point, I feel likentaking Gray’s lead.nGray is one of the few natives ofnRhode Island to have made good innrecent years. As such, it comes as nonsurprise that his Broadway debut atnLincoln Center this past summer wasnfollowed up by his performing thensame three monologues {Swimming tonCambodia, Sex and Death to the AgenH, and Terrors of Pleasure) at thenTrinity Square Repertory Company innProvidence this fall. His career as anfilm actor has also progressed—he hasna leading role in David (“TalkingnHeads”) Byrne’s film. True Stories.nSounds like grist for the Spalding Grayntreadmill.nDavid Kaufman is a theater critic innNew York City.nARTnMarvelousnMestizaje: ReligiousnArt From LatinnAmericanby Caroline Morgann”Gloria in Excelsis, The Virgin andnAngels in Viceregal Painting of Perunand Bolivia” richly deserved its title.nThis glorious exhibition at the Centernfor Inter-American Relations in NewnYork City exemplified the fascinatingnnew styles of iconography that cannresult from cultural hybridization.nIn this case, the hybridization {mestizaje)nwas caused by European intrusionninto the Indian (mostly Inca) culturenof Peru and Bolivia from the 16thnthrough the 18th centuries. The influencenof Italian mannerism, with itsnsweet Madonnas and other humanizingntendencies, was felt in Spain andnconsequently in the Spanish coloniesnduring the early 17th century. In Perunand Bolivia, this influence extended tonartistic interpretations of St. Joseph,nwho generally appears handsomer andnmuch younger in paintings from LatinnAmerica. Indian artists were also inspirednby landscape painting from thenNetherlands, which Ijelonged to Spainnduring the 17th century.nBy the early 18th century, indigenousnartists in Peru and Bolivia werenadapting European styles with greaternfreedom, asserting their vibrant mestizonculture. At the same time, compositionsnemphasizing the human figurentook precedence over landscapes.n”Gloria in Excelsis” illustrated the creativeninnovations of mestizo artists innfigural representation. The Virgin appearsnsquarish and flattened, withngreater focus on her ornate robe thannnnon her physical presence.nThe vigorous textile tradition ofnPeru and Bolivia, which began as earlynas the 3rd century B.C., supplied extensivendecorative material to Indiannartists. Flamboyant red and gold, thencolors of ecclesiastical vestments andnchurch interiors, dominate thesenpaintings. Lace is depicted with a delicacynunmatched even by Flemish artists;ngilt brocade, richly patternednacross the Virgin’s robe, distances hernfrom the viewer and emphasizes hernhieratic nature.nMost astounding are the angels, especiallynMichael, Gabriel, and Raphael,nthe three that were sanctified. Mes-nArchangel Raphael, C. J 640, follower of Luisnde Riano, Cuzco School; oil on canvas; 65″x42″;nConvento de San Francisco, La Paz.ntizo artists painted them as 18theenturyngentiemen, armed with musketsnand harquebuses to defend thenFaith. Rich in silk and satin, theirncostume is completed by gorgeous varicolorednwings, unlike the wings ofntheir European counterparts.n”Gloria in Excelsis” traveled to thenArcher M. Huntington Art Gallery atnthe University of Texas (March 23 tonMay 4) and later to the Miami Centernfor the Fine Arts (May 19 to July 20).nCaroline Morgan is an art andndrama critic in New York City.nJANUARY 1987/51n