Tuesday, November 24, 2015

DA's Von Auersperg Art Gallery

As part of my recent visit to campus I was treated to a tour of the current exhibit in the new art gallery. Three students walked us around the exhibit - which was the brainchild of faculty member Tim Trelease. (BIO) Called "Human Impact" the show highlight examples of the interaction between humans and nature and features a central sculpture created by two local artists.



The white sweatered student is the daughter of Jeff Louis '81!


A home in Detroit overrun by nature


A Sarajevo structure with a staged moment with residents and random passersby and wild dogs


Student photographs and student writing line the exterior of the walls of the art gallery.  The writing was created in response to the gallery show and is further evidence of the myriad of ways that classes beyond the arts can use art as a writing prompt or new perspective.



This final image was spectacular and haunting and is not for the faint of heart when remembering 9/11.  The artist needed to escape the NYC environs with his family post 9/11 so he went to Hawaii.  Outside his hotel window were hundreds of vacationers floating in the ocean.  He later removed all but one floating woman in the expanse of ocean and produced this large image.  Is the person floating? Still among the living? (especially in the context of recent immigrant deaths on the shores of Europe).  The artist quickly realized he wasn't escaping his demons at all.  Additionally, see how it gains even further stature as the glass reflects the sculpture in the middle of the room, and even the light entering the gallery window.  The sculpture "skyline" reflection grabbed me and made me take this picture.  To me it was powerful.