Student in art flap to stay enrolled

Two prominent artist-professors are gone, but a UCLA graduate student, whose Russian roulette simulation during a performance art class in November helped prompt their sudden retirement, remains enrolled after a protracted investigation, a university spokesman said Tuesday.

The investigation by the dean of students office, which concluded last week, did not involve expulsion, and Joseph Deutch, a first-year master of fine arts degree candidate, has continued his studies throughout the process, spokesman Lawrence Lokman said. He would not give further details, citing university policy of not commenting on investigations concerning the student code of conduct.

Deutch, 26, could not be reached for comment before publication deadline.

Chris Burden and Nancy Rubins retired abruptly in December. Their art dealer, who served as spokesperson when the news broke in January, said then that the two sculptors considered Deutch’s piece as something akin to “domestic terrorism” that put fellow students in fear for their lives.

Burden and Rubins, who are married, cited UCLA’s failure to suspend the student immediately as a last straw on top of their discontent over budget cuts and other administrative issues in the School of the Arts and Architecture.