Viewers take a deeper look at the beautiful pieces at the faculty art exhibit at The Juanita and Ralph Harvey Art Gallery. Jan.25. Photo by Taylor Anderson
Art faculty brings diversity to exhibit
January 29, 2019
The faculty and staff of the art department have their own work on display as part of a Faculty Exhibition in The Juanita and Ralph Harvey Art Gallery Jan.25 – Mar.1.
Each member created his or her work based on personal beliefs and background. The artist gave over three months of their time to diligently craft together a series of art to help the community see the world through their eyes.
“[I want to show] the present through the lens of the past,” Jason Bly, assistant professor, said.
He wanted his art to show the fear and tales of war through symbols, comic book styled color and his childhood.
Bly’s piece, “Too Ambitious” displays the atomic bomb symbol representing War World II and school children with eyes of fear hiding under desks during the nuclear bomb drills. With traditional and digital collage, he was able to create three pieces over the period of three months. With these pieces, Bly said he aims to encourage conversation and strike questions about how the choices of post-war impact us, today.
Gary Goldberg, professor and gallery director, describes the gallery as “diverse” by including a variety of ideas through politics, cultural background, ancestry, nature and technology.
In Goldberg’s piece, he tells the story of ancient city walls in Oaxaca, Mexico through a visual abstract landscape. Both of his textiles took more than four years to complete with a team of full-time helpers. He started his piece with 400 photographs taken in multiple trips to Mexico going from a week to a month. The wool felted textiles were then put through a dry felting process by hand at Taller Afelpado, San Agustin Etla, Oaxaca, Mexico. There is a hidden picture sewn on the back of both textiles. Included in this picture, the team, who fabricated the wool and Goldberg’s signature.
Goldberg was not the only person who loved the gallery. More than 30 people attended the opening reception, students and parents were filled with curiosity and laughter.
Samantha Manio, nursing freshman, said, “The pieces were really inspiring and I really loved how they drew from their personal lives and brought it through art.”
OTHER EXHIBITS: High school show, Jan. 26-Feb. 2
