From now until May 15th, the Harbor Art Gallery is showcasing some of the annual student show. The pieces, 88 in all, were selected by an independent jury from outside the university, and, of course, were submitted by students. The students were not all from the art department, there were a few admittances from other departments such as political science.
The main purpose of the art show is to display what the students can do and there is a quite a bit to see. There are many well-done pieces and since there is no set theme, other than student-created artwork, there is a little bit of everything, and something for pretty much anyone might wander in.
Of the students’ fine works there were a few standouts to speak of, such as the works of Ai Masuzawa. Her Clock, a piece made up of copper, paint, wood and aluminum, damn near defies description, besides mentioning that there is a clock involved. Some of her other pieces include Jeweler’s Ring which is three giant rings made of cardboard stacked on top of each other. It’s quite impossible to miss as you’re strolling through the gallery. And her untitled linocuts were certainly eye catching. This will be Masuzawa’s last student show as she is a senior and will be graduating soon, but she may be going to Dartmouth next year to study in their art department.
There were several other quite unique pieces as well. Bernadette McHugh’s introspective on asparagus was definitely interesting. With pieces like Asparagus Triptych, Death of an Asparagus, Dance of the Asparagus, and The Ends you may never look at the vegetable the same way.
There was also a definite political feeling to some of the work. Kristen Denapoli’s Exploitation is a clear message about the media’s role in world crisis. It is a painting of a woman on CNN reaching out through the television towards what one can only assume to be the viewers. There is also Rana Manen’s The Desert Woman, which is a clear representation of a famous National Geographic picture.
Thomas Barker, a political science major, is a frequent contributor to the student show and had perhaps one of the most interesting pieces there. His piece consisted of three paintings. The first is best described as an anti jet sign, and the second is a portrait of a young man. The third is a bit more complicated, at once vague and strikingly intricate, and if nothing else it’s thought provoking. It seems to be a surrealist painting, about what I can’t say. You’ll have to come to the art gallery and find out for yourself.
The student show is more than just a few selections of student work. It is a collection of talented artists displaying some really good artwork. To get more information about this show or any show they do, walk down to the Harbor Art Gallery on the first floor of McCormack Hall.
