2012 – 2013 EXHIBITS
9/4 – 9/23/12 Natalie Tyler "Tempus"
"Nest"
Exhibit Dates: 9/4/ - 9/23/12
Reception: 9/13/12 – 4:30 – 6:30)
Gallery talk: 5:30 pm (at reception)
Media: Bronze -cast resin - cast crystal
Curator: Carl Rattner
Natalie Tyler’s sculptural works are visually striking, particularly those that contrast color against texture. Such combinations can be seen in her “Nests”which insert smooth opalescent “eggs” (made of resin) into encrusted, twig-like “nests” (made of bronze). Similarly, her series entitled “Birdcages,” place what appear to be colored doves (made of glass) into dull metal cages. Her mixed media installation, ”Diapause” contrasts golden, gelatinous “cocoons”(made of Japanese rice paper) with constricting cords (made of grape vines).
The meaning behind these works are explained by the artist as metaphors for various stages in the life cycle: initially, the fragility of living forms in their infancy (Nests); later, the emotional, philosophical and physical challenges of a life unfolding (Diapause); and still later, the chance for a developed life to overcome whatever restraints (physical, psychological, sociological, etc.) in order to achieve its unique potential (Birdcages).
A fourth and fifth series, reference the end of the life cycle: "Girasoli" reflects periods of nature’s decay and reclamation in the forms of desiccated sunflowers. "Anywhere, USA" references societal decay in the form of decrepit sheds, houses and barns.
All of these forms are carefully rendered in bronze. Some are patinated with earthy colors.
Natalie Tyler’s exhibit runs from September 4 through September 23. A reception for the artist is scheduled for Thursday, September 13, from 4:30 – 6:30 pm. A gallery talk will be given at 5:30 that evening.
10/1 – 10/28/12 Cara DeAngelis
“The Deer is Broken: Roadkill in the Domestic Space”
"Woman with Roadkill III"
Exhibit Dates: 10/1 - 10/28/12
Reception: 10/11/12 4:30 – 6:30
Gallery talk: 5:30 pm (at reception)
Media: Oil/ mixed media on canvas and drawings
Curator: Gwynedd Murray
Cara DeAngelis’ work will no doubt engage our curiosity and perhaps jar a few sensibilities, for the subject matter of “roadkill” is not pleasant. Most of us, no doubt, squeamishly steer around dead animals on the highway, and in those instances having caused such death, regret the loss of an innocent creature.
Why then would DeAngelis choose to make “roadkill’ the focus of her work?
and . . . What is it about these paintings that strangely attracts us ?
More specifically, why are we captivated by the curious juxtaposition of an elegantly gowned woman with a dead fox in her lap? (Woman with Roadkill III), or by a richly colored still life (Big Bird and Road Kill ) that places a doll, stuffed animals, a figurine, the Sesame Street icon and other childhood paraphernalia in the company of a dead rat and mouse?
Is there some message behind these intriguing oddities ?
DeAngelis notes that,
“Living in CT did directly affect the work I produce now. Roadkill is a huge phenomenon across the United States and is extremely common in CT, where deer are rampant and overpopulated, and there is the ever-expansion of roads
and highways that dislocate certain species continuously.”
“I became obsessed and fascinated with the death I would see on the side
of the roads. From the mysterious, detached legs of deer to the twitching
squirrel, I hated looking, but also felt that I had to. One day, after a funeral
– how appropriate – I stopped and picked up my first roadkill.
When I started painting roadkill, I quickly realized many of these animals killed on the road were species that used to be ‘the kill’ in hunting sport. I began to see them as the modern kill, now that people don’t really hunt for their food. (At least not in CT!) Instead it’s done with cars by mistake, and the carcasses are never eaten or used for anything.
Another DeAngelis statement notes that the two central themes of her work are theTragic and the Infantile. The former has to do with a modern societal disconnect with nature, or as the artist puts it, a “…long-standing alienation between the domestic and the wild.” The latter, DeAngelis suggests, has to do with nostalgia, but it may be, as well, a loss of innocence.
Cara DeAngelis’ exhibit runs from October 1 through October 28. A reception for the artist is scheduled for Thursday, October 11, from 4:30 – 6:30 pm. A gallery talk will be given at 5:30 that evening.
11/5 – 12/09/12 Group Exhibit
“It's All About Me"
The Art of the Self Portrait
"Self-Portrait - The Mask" Win Zibeon
Exhibit Dates: 11/5 - 12/09/12
Reception: 11/15/12 – 4:30 – 6:30
Gallery talk: (TBA)
Media: Varied - sculpture, painting, photography, etc.
Curator: Eric Laxman
An argument can be made that all art forms are to some degree “self portraits” insofar as they have the potential to reveal important information about their creators. Self portraits, however, are usually thought of as a unique genre; images of the artist that traditionallyare mirrored reflections rendered in paint, pencil, photographs and a variety of sculptural media.
While self portraits may well have been among the earliest art forms created,
the oldest documented self portrait was created in 1433 by Flemish master
Jan Van Eyck (Portrait of a Man in a Turban).
From those early Renaissance times until the present day, many artists created self portraits. Some were images curiously inserted, like cameo appearances, into larger works: Van Eyck’s Arnolfini Wedding; Ruben’s Four Philosphers; Goya’s Family of Charles IV and Diego Velázquez's Las Meninas . . . .
Others (the facial likenesses we often think of) were created by artists whose
names are familiar: Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Dürer, Rembrant, Goya, Fragonard, Chardin, Millet, Courbet, Manet, Van Gogh, Cezanne, Picasso, Cassatt, Kaylo and, of course, many others.
Contemporary self portraiture collectively reflects the interests of today’s artist to break with past traditions; to create images that do not always flatter their subjects; to have political/social agendas; to be humorous and sometimes irreverent, and to explore non traditional media.
Expect all of this and more in this engaging exhibit conceived and curated by sculptor Eric Laxman.
“It’s All About Me” will be on display at St. Thomas Aquinas College’s Azarian McCullough Art Gallery from 11/5- 12/9/12. The artists’ reception is scheduled for Thursday, 11/15/12 4:30 – 7:30.
1/22 – 2/17/13 Beatrice Lebreton & Ibou Ndoye
“Niarry Kanaam”
"Reflection" Béatrice Lebreton
"Tadjiabone 1" (glass painting) 2005 Ibou Ndoye
Exhibit Dates: 1/22 - 2/17/13
Reception: 2/6/13 4:30 – 6:30
Gallery talk: 5:30 pm (at reception)
Media: Mixed media painting
Curator: Daly Flanagan
Béatrice Lebreton and Ibou Ndoye are a team of two artists with a common heritage and a love for African culture. With “Niarry Kanaam” (“double face” in the language of Wolof) they share their own perspectives on the influence of African Masks in their art, and hope to create an open conversation with diverse communities.
Béatrice Lebreton’s imagery speaks of women, spirituality and global connections. She works mainly in acrylics and watercolors, but adds other elements with diverse
cultural and historical context. Mixing realistic human figures with more metaphorical symbols, shapes, textures and bold colors, Lebreton reflects her creative process to build a visual story.
Ibou Ndoye says that his work is “… influenced by the socio-cultural elements of my environment…” that his art, “…can only reflect a combination of modernism and traditionalism.” The traditional aspects of his work are informed by his native Senegal and its tradition of glass painting.
Ndoye notes that “Glass being a medium of combination and interaction gives me much more flexibility to express my social feelings and people’s reactions to social issues. My broken glass painting derive directly from the results of misunderstandings, misjudgments and misconceptions, by people, of people, from different social backgrounds.”
Ndoye goes on to say that broken glass paintings are full of meaning, that they can “… define broken hopes, broken promises, broken relationships, broken friendships and broken language as well as the (strivings) of people to overcome these things.”
“Niarry Kanaam” runs from January 22 through February 17. A reception for the artists is scheduled for Wednesday, February 6, from 4:30 – 6:30 pm. A gallery talk will be given at 5:30 that evening.
“For Issa” “End, End, End”
and other recent films
Special presentation: 2/13/13
5:30 – 7:00 pm - limited seating
In this special AMAG presentation, experimental filmmaker Jonathan Rattnerwill screen and talk about his recent works.
Jonathan Rattner is an inter-media artist who primarily produces experimental nonfiction films and videos. In his work he employs a mixture of documentary (found footage, interviews, historical research) and lyrical (soft-focus imagery, collage, jump cuts, non-diagetic sound design, long-duration wide shots) filmic elements. By doing so, he strives to create a cinematic space in which viewers are invited to interact with what they see on the screen and create meaning by reflecting on their own experiences, ideas and truths.
He holds M.F.A's in Film and Video Production and in Intermedia Art from the University of Iowa and a B.F.A. in Film and Television from Tisch School for the Arts, N.Y.U. From the fall of 2005 to the summer of 2009 he acted as the creative director of Iowa City Senior Television, a twenty-year-old station consisting of crewmembers whose ages range from 65 to 89.
Jonathan has screened his work at the Brooklyn Museum of Art, The World Social Forum in Brazil, the University of Iowa Museum of Art, and galleries, festivals and colleges in Europe and the United States. Currently, he is an active member of Wildland Urban Interface Artist Collective and holds the position of Assistant Director/Assistant Professor in Film Studies and Assistant Professor of Art at Vanderbilt University.
2/25 – 3/24/13 Shin-Young An
“Winds of Change”
"The U.S.Citizen"
Exhibit Dates: 2/25 - 3/24/13
Reception: 3/6/13 4:30 – 6:30
Gallery talk: 5:30 pm (at reception)
Media: Oils on prepared newspaper
Curator: Neerja Chataurvedi
Artist Shin-Young An talks about her work:
I am an artist in transition. In the past, I have attempted to faithfully record my subject, with an emotional response limited only to that subject. In portraiture, for example, the challenge has been to produce a work that reflects my response to
the personality of the sitter. I can no longer ignore the effect that outside events
are having on me.
I am now attempting to do paintings that conveys my emotional response to such events. It is not always easy to move away from that which you are comfortable with to explore a new area. In life, one needs to progress and let go of the past, in order to achieve something greater. I hope I am worthy of this new challenge.
The main theme of my recent work is exploring the unfortunate reality of our present world. While reading the newspaper, articles began affecting me to the point that I realized I am a somewhat powerless artist and I wanted this to be reflected in my work. It has given me the opportunity to respond to social and environmental issues. I depict these reactions through the visual interaction of limbs, portraits and flowers painted against a backdrop of current news articles that have touched me. The limb series of my work juxtapose ordinary routine tasks with exceptional and often disturbing events.
“Winds of Change” runs from February 25 through March 24. A reception for the artist is scheduled for Wednesday, March 6, from 4:30 – 6:30 pm. A gallery talk will be given at 5:30 that evening.
“Languages Lost and Found:
Speaking and Whistling in the Mamma Tongue”
Special AMAG presentation: 3/27/13
5:30 - 7:00 pm - limited seating
In this special AMAG presentation, documentarians Iris Brooks and Jon H. Davis will screen and talk about their celebrated film “Languages Lost and Found” which captures the diverse linguistic and cultural practices on five continents; from rainforest longhouses in Borneo to dramatic mountaintops in the Canary Islands.
Narrated by Academy award-winning actor William Hurt, with music by John McDowell, the film dramatizes the importance of the native tongue as a vehicle for maintaining culture, sharing traditional wisdom, and envisioning a future. The film also reminds us how quickly languages are disappearing; Juliette Blevins, Director, Endangered Language Initiative at CUNY Graduate Center notes
“…if we lose our mother tongue, we may lose the essence of who we are.”
Iris Brooks is a cultural writer who has traveled and written about life on all seven continents. Her arts and travel articles have been published in a variety of magazines. Iris has also interviewed luminaries in many fields including Academy-award winning director Julie Taymor, Grammy-award winner Wynton Marsalis, musical icon Ravi Shankar, and spiritual world leader, the Dalai Lama.
Jon H. Davis embraces digital media, expressing his vision of people and places while reflecting his love of the natural world, ancient arts, and global adventures. He has been an avid photographer since his youth and studied at the Brooks Institute of Fine Art and Photography. His photographs–including ships from the Indian Ocean, robots from Japan, food from Thailand, and totem poles from Canada– have been published in many magazines includingThe Robb Report, Body & Soul, The Hook, Spa Life, Global Rhythm and North American Inns.
4/1 – 4/21/13 “STAC Juried Student Exhibit"
(reception: 4/11/13 – 4:30 – 7:30
(gallery talk: 5:30 pm)
(student curators to be announced)
This annual exhibit is open to any registered St. Thomas Aquinas College student. Works submitted are juried by an arts professional not affiliated with the college.
Application guidelines are posted in the all of the college’s art studios. Application assistance is offered by any of the college’s arts professors.
The application deadline is Friday, February 24, 2012.
4/23 – 4/25/13 “Senior Art Major Portfolio Exhibit”
This exhibit will feature the work of graduating Graphic Design and Fine Arts majors who have created portfolio quality work.
The exhibit will be open for Commencement, Friday May 10, 2013.
Reception and Viewing hours to be announced
