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Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Featured Artist of the Day: Francesca Danieli.

When you walk into our gallery from the stairway entrance and turn directly to your left, a cinderblock wall greets you. Mounted here for this exhibition is the work of the artist, Francesca Danielli. Her work in this show are photomontage pieces, which perfectly fits the theme of our current show, "Extended Realities: The Language of Photomontage".

The first piece of her work that we have is "Untitled [eye end-table]", made in 2005. It is an Archival pigment print. Her second piece is "Untitled [blistered couch]", also made in 2005, and this piece is also an Archival pigment print.

The point to both of her works in this show is that "Some see them as traps, others as prisons --- obviously the beautiful and expensive surroundings do not protect the occupants or make them people to be envied. Illness changes our perception of people. We have difficulty seeing anything but the sickness. It fills us with fear for ourselves. These images elevate the disease. Beautify it in a way....". (Artwork Identification, page 2.). Franscesca is an artist who challenges your perception of how we view the sick. It is quite common that most people tend to avoid or distance themselves from those with sickness, whether or not contagious, and she makes a valid statement that it is not always unavoidable, regardless of one's social status, or position in life.

"Francesca received a master's degree in fine arts in 2005. Thirty-two of her collages were collected and published by Nazraeli Press in a 2005 book called "Gamma Knife", which is the name of a neurosurgery. Her work was exhibited reecently at the University of Maryland, the 1708 Gallery in Richmond, the Maryland Federation of Art's Circle Gallery in Annapolis and the Courthouse Galleries in Portsmouth, Va.[.] Her prints are in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, and she has works in the Corcoran Gallery of Art and the Getty Museum in Los Angeles. She served on the accessions committee of the Baltimore Museum of Art for several years." (Artwork Identification, page 2.).

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Featured Artist of the Day: Joe Mills.

When you walk through the double-doors, just outside the stairs, you will come face to face with our Front Center Wall. Displaying not only the title of the show and all of its featured artists, it also holds the work of artist, Joe Mills.

The three pieces installed are The Smoke Chaser I, 2009; The Smoke Chaser II, 2010; and The Living Hell, 2009. The first Smoke Chaser is an archival pigment print on antique paper and it is mounted to a wooden drawer. The second Smoke Chaser, is a waxed archival pigment print on antique paper which is mounted to plywood, which in turn is mounted to a card-table. The last piece, The Living Hell, is an archival pigment print on antique paper mounted to a board.

"Mills says of his work, "We are artists whether we choose to be or not. It has nothing to do with "talent"[.] It is a priesthood, a faith that we are naturally a part of by the mere fact that we are human beings. It is a religion fueled by our innate curiosity to understand the mystery of existence. Painting, photography, collage, poetic writing --- each medium plays a part in giving definition to the larger picture. Eventually you realize that there is almost no difference between them. The art made being simply molecules of a single object --- the mission to materialized this object, to bring it into its own light, giving flesh to the infinite."" ("Artwork Identification packet, First Page.)

Creatively using found objects and incorporating them into artwork to help get his point across is a wonderful way that Joe Mills works. He expands his mediums to include artwork in a way that we may not usually expect to visualize, or accept, it. He is an artist who will make you think.

Friday, October 25, 2013

Exploring the Art.

In "Extended Realities: The Language of Photomontage", each of the pieces are strictly photographs, altered through the artists' perceptions and ideals. Every photograph tells a story, and some are tied to one another in theme, or meaning, or both. They are meant to broaden horizons, allow for alternate thought process, and to capture the creativity stored within us all. It is artwork like the pieces we have in this show that allows us to stop and imagine.

With themes ranging from "Alice in Wonderland" to animorphic images of substituted objects and people, from upholstered chairs with a single stain to mushroom clouds replacing faces, and even to a simple progressional turn of the same lady's face at different angles, this new show allows for personal interpretation. How does the viewer take the piece, even after reading the plaques beside them for an explanation? How do they tie the photographs together, or see them as their own separate piece? How do they relate?

This is a show that allows pondering, imagination, and creativity to flow. We encourage everyone to come and check it out before it ends next month, in November. It is a wonderful installment unlike any other we've held at our Gallery before. Everyone is welcome, so bring your friends and family. Spread the word to visit and enjoy the show we have for you at our Gallery!





Wednesday, October 23, 2013

New Exhibit!

Greetings everyone! Apologies for the slight hiatus while the new show was installed. Thank you for your patience. The new installation is called: Extended Realities: The Language of Photomontage. It will run October 14th - November 16th, 2013. We encourage you to check it out!

Unlike all of our other shows, this installation takes a new approach to our Gallery. This is the first show where all of the pieces are simply photographs. However, these are not just ordinary photographs. Each one represents a different perspective and can allow the viewer an alternate look on not only nature and the world, but also society and the thought process. These photos are meant to challenge reality and twist it into new life. They express different ideas of conception while still holding a candle to the truth of human society. This show truly is remarkable in its expression and features wonderful and creative artists.

Our reception for this show took place last Friday, October 17, 2013 from 5:30p - 7:00p. We had a wonderful turnout of local art go-ers and students, so thank you for your support. The discussions on the pieces were great and we are glad to have had the chance to hear about each one and the artists who created them. The artists featured in this installation are:

- Paul Cava
- Francesca Danieli
- Fran Forman
- Stane Jagodic
- Catherine Jansen
- Duane Michals
- Joe Mills
- Frank Rodick
- Dominic Rouse
- Maggie Taylor
-Jerry N. Uelsmann

And the show is curated by: Stephen Perloff, Editor, The Photo Review.

Again, we encourage you to come and see the exhibit for yourself before it has run its full course into mid-November. Please don't forget to sign our Guest Book in the Gallery and sign up for our e-mail alerts, too!





Friday, October 4, 2013

For the Weekend.

Making weekend plans? Not sure what you want to do just, yet? Stop by our Art Gallery at Rowan University. Bring some friends! Bring your family! The show we have now will be wrapping up soon, so make sure that you check it out before it's gone. Come and enjoy the pieces that you can interact with, come see the paintings inspired by the Beach Boys, and the cleverly sculpted braille woodwork and paper artwork! It's all spectacular and worth a see, and to share with those whose company you enjoy!





Thursday, October 3, 2013

Free Admission.

It was recently inquired of us if our Gallery was free and also open to the public. For those of you who do not know, we require no General Admission, but there is a Donations Box should you wish to support us. Also, we are open, not only to the students, but also to Rowan Alumni, visitors from other colleges and universities, and to the General Public, also free of charge. So, if you weren't sure before, weren't ready to spend any Burro Bucks on the Art Gallery, have no fear, we are free. Don't let this stop you from visiting us.

Our show is a great spectacle and we're preparing for the next installment, which will premiere in a few weeks time. We thank you for your support and time and ask that you sign our Guest Book when you come or go. Also, make sure to take a free pamphlet or postcard about the exhibit from our small table in the hallway just outside our double-door entrance. Also, if you ever have any questions, or want to know more about the artwork on display, or the artists that created the work, please feel free to ask us.

Enjoy!





Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Interact!

Our current exhibit features several pieces that we encourage you to interact with. All but one of which are audio and visual pieces. The piece that is not an audio is merely visual, consisting of three wooden sculptures of braille. The first piece are two logs with wooden dowels and the braille inscriptions read two poems by Thoreau, and they are titled: "Blind Thoreau", 2007, and "Blind Thoreau II", 2008. The second piece is a floor installment where the braille inscribes over 800 synonyms connecting the words "Walk" and "Talk". The third piece is another log sculpture, entitled "Countless Rings", 2008, with a poem in braille by Emerson. All three of these installments were created by artist, Ben Pranger.

The first audio/visual piece is a set of black telephones. All of our visitors are encouraged to pick up the phone receivers and dial a single digit number to have a poem read aloud through the earpieces. Each new single digit number that you dial will read a different poem. This installment is by artist, John Giorno, and is entitled "Dial-A-Poem".

The second audio/visual piece is a pair of speaks suspended from the ceiling and a projection screen on the back wall. When you stand between the two speakers, there is an apparent buzzing noise, and, make sure that you are facing the screen, you can see letters scattered and moving about on the screen. When you take the two speakers in each hand and bring them up to your ears, a girl begins to talk and, if you stand there long enough to listen, the letters begin to shift and collect together as they form words and sentences, eventually spelling out the entire speech that the girl is telling you. This clever piece was created by artist Bang Geul Han, and is called "David and Jared", and was made in 2008.

The third audio/visual piece is actually three individual pieces. The first is a "Regret Box" and is a rather plain looking box with a speaker in it and, when you press the button, the box spills its recorded regrets to you. The second piece are what appear to be two electronic boards entitled "Babble and Chant". The first, when its button is pressed, merely babbles just as the title suggests and, if you haven't guessed it, yet, the second piece merely chants when its button is pressed. The last piece in this installment is another box, designed to look like an old wooden radio. When its button is pressed, Morse code pours from the speaker. This piece is titled "Any sound, when listened to long enough, becomes a voice" and the Morse Code taps out an abbreviation of its title, stating "Any sound becomes a voice". These clever pieces were all created by artist, Chris Vecchio.

The fourth and last audio/visual piece that we have for you to enjoy is another projection screen and speaker system. These speakers are turned up and do not need to be touched. The screen displays the face of a girl going through different breathing patterns. As you stand in the small corridor where our ramp is located, you can hear her as she breathes through the different patterns. It is a relaxing piece to listen to. This piece was created by artist Melanie McLain, and was created in 2010.

Then, finally, we have an installment that is just an audio piece. The sound plays out through the patio outside. It is turned low, on purpose, so that you can hear it suddenly as you pass by the patio, or perhaps when you are sitting at one of the tables on the patio. It is like this so that it can act as a sort of sudden inspiration, or note, or however the listener interprets the audio at that point depending on their thought and mood at the time. The audio is a recording of the artist, Keith Brand, as he speaks different inspirational pieces. The work is titled "personal motivation" and was created this year, 2013.

So, make sure that you stop by to check these pieces out real soon because within two weeks we'll have a new exhibit for you all to check out!





Friday, September 27, 2013

A Fun Weekend Ahead.

And, so, "Family Weekend" begins today! The Rowan University Art Gallery will be open today, Friday, September 27th, 2013, from 10 AM until 5 PM. So make sure that you and your families stop on by before the football game starts this evening! Tomorrow, Saturday, September 28th, 2013, the Art Gallery will be open from 12 PM until 5 PM.

Stop on by between the various events and activities that Rowan has planned for all of us this weekend! It will be a highlight of your parents visit, to show off all that you know about the gallery. Wander through a spectacular show and discover new interpretations and variations of language and speech that you may not have known before. Learn about the artists who took the time to create these wonderful pieces, why they did, and what inspired them to do so. Interact with several pieces and see for yourself how interpretation is all in the point of view of the beholder. It truly is fascinating! Come by and appreciate the artwork before the show ends, October 8th, 2013!





Thursday, September 26, 2013

Location.

If you happen to tread across the campus to Westby Hall, you will find the Art Gallery. On the first floor, just after the first classroom from the 322 Entrance, down the flight of stairs, the Gallery welcomes its visitors. With a large space and plenty of artwork to behold, it is a wonderful way to spend your free time before, between, and after your classes.

Bring your friends, come ahead of them and brush up on the exhibit, so that when you do bring them, you can show off all that you know about the pieces we have here on display. Enjoy!





Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Family Weekend.

"Family Weekend" approaches here at Rowan University. As most of you should know, the festivities begin this Friday, September 27th, 2013 and last until Sunday afternoon, September 29th, 2013. This would be the perfect opportunity for you to bring your families to view the first exhibit of the school year, "Dialogic"!

A wonderful show on the importance of speech, in many different forms, and its insight in today's cultures and fashions, "Dialogic" is a semi-interactive installment that will capture your interests. With pieces spanning from all across the country, and some from foreign artists, this exhibit allows its viewers the chance to learn about different interactions of speech and text, and to experience new ways of observing dialogue.

So, stop on by during "Family Weekend" and show your school Gallery your support with your visiting families. They'll be sure to appreciate the show just as much as you will!