Music
By: Teresa Ristow
A reception was held last Thursday evening for five new student art exhibits in the Center for Visual Arts buildings on campus.
At the Thorndike Gallery in the lobby of the art building is an exhibit by Wojciech Kubrakiewick. “The Battlefield Landscape” features eleven poster-sized silk screen images which are primarily black and white, though a few have sections of blue or green.
In his artist’s statement, Kubrakiewick says that his inspirations for the exhibit include French baroque screenprinter Jacques Callot and Spanish painter and printmaker Francisco Goya.
Kubrakiewick mentions that memories of World War II that have been passed down in his family also have inspired his artwork, but he hopes that the pieces are able to be interpreted in multiple ways.
Around the corner, in the Retzlaff Gallery, of the Art building is “Deconstruction” by student Colby Stephens.
Suspended from the gallery ceiling is a dry wooden log cut into 21 fairly even slices, with roots on one end, and short branches beginning from the other. The log is about four and a half feet off the floor, and a pile of sawdust sits in front of the hanging log.
“Deconstruction” is an interesting variation of the exhibit in the Retzlaff Gallery earlier in January. Trishia Viera’s “Breached Elevation” featured over 500 small wooden sticks broken in half and pinned to the wall in the gallery.
In Stephens’ artist’s statement, he explains that “the wilderness is a perfect location for introspection.”
“You are encouraged to shave down each individual element of yourself until your rough and smooth edges work together to create something beautiful.”
Across the plaza in the Marion Ady building are the three other new student art exhibits.
Jackie Gray’s “A Fall Spent in Greece” is a series of framed digital photographs taken in Greece in the fall of 2008. The photos are in the Art Dept. Chairs Gallery in the building and feature color photographs of buildings and scenery.
Gray is a photojournalism major with a minor in photography.
“From the thousands of photographs I took on my travels, I have selected a thematic group,” said Gray in her artist’s statement.
In the Meyer Memorial Gallery is an exhibit by David Del Francia.
Del Francia’s pieces are images from newspapers that have been etched into wax. The 24 images are from major newspapers, including the San Francisco Chronicle and the USA Today, and each piece is accompanied with a card showing the date of publication and a quote. In each quote, one or more words is replaced with a blank space with parentheses on either side.
Without the artist’s statement and the title cards, it wouldn’t be obvious that the images were from newspapers.
“I have delineated these images in a way to make them devoid of context,” said Del Francia in his artist’s statement.
Down the hall in the Boise Cascade Gallery is senior art major Kandace Collins’ exhibit, “Mother’s Day Series, First Issue.”
The piece is made of dozens of industrial salad plates with sepia colored pictures and handwritten phrases on them.
Collins’ artwork drew the most attention at the reception, and many people stood staring at the plates, reading the handwritten phrases on each one.
The photographs are from Collins’ childhood, and are pictures of her and her sister and their parents. Collins used decal paper that adheres to the plates the way a temporary tattoo might and then fired the plates in a kiln.
“You can eat off of these,” Collins said, “Last term I did notorious criminals on tea saucers, so yes; I have a lot of plates.”
According to Collins, in order for a student to have their artwork chosen for an exhibit, they submit a proposal within the art department, explaining their idea and requesting which gallery and term they want their work displayed. Individuals within the department then make decisions based on the proposals.
The five new exhibits will be showing in the Center for Visual Arts buildings through February 12.
Music
A lot has been written about Haiti and the recent catastrophe, and much still needs to be written. As a University student it is not hard to care about the Haitian’s suffering but it is hard to do something about it. After all the majority of us are of little monetary resource. That is not to say that we are completely without avenues for sending help, much has been given already in the way of micro donations. If you can, google Haiti relief, just be sure your money is actually going to the Haitians. As despicable as it is there are some out there that seek to prosper off of others despair.
However, their is cause for some rejoice. Friday, Feb 5, SOU is holding a concert in order to send aid to Haiti. All proceeds from tickets sold will go to the relief efforts in Haiti. The concert, which is being held in the Britt Ballroom, will feature the talents and musical styles of Organik Time Machine, The T Club and many more.
It is not hard to feel helpless in the wake of such a large disaster that seems so far away. But often our feelings of helplessness are just a disguise for our apathy. Don’t be apathetic, don’t be lazy. Have some fun, hear some good music and help the people of Haiti.
A $5 donation is asked for at the door. All proceeds go directly to send people and domes from Pacific Domes to serve as hospitals in Haiti.
