“Phase II” was an exhibit showcasing the work of adjunct professors in the Art and Art History Department. The collection had no central theme and so is a reflection of each individuals artist’s style and interests. Friday, March 10 marked the exhibit’s closing event.
Andrew Rice put the exhibition together. His pieces, included in the exhibit, explored safety and isolation with a series of spacial pieces using oil stick on canvas. Rice heated the oil stick that was pressed through mesh to get a distinct and evocative texture. His pieces contained an overall dark tone but there are hints of nearly every color deposited throughout. These pieces also exhibited cutting white lines stark in their division and nearly every piece was of a corner.
In contrast to Rice, Kent Christensen’s paintings presented familiar locations with a unique twist. The closest to home was a painting of Salt Lake City itself but as a tall glass of milk with an Oreo prepped to be dunked, bringing to mind the practice of baptism. Other pieces included Hollywood as pie constructed of different flavored pieces, New York as a triple scoop ice cream cone and San Francisco as three drumsticks, side-by-side. Christensen is the perfect artist for food lovers.
In a simpler color scheme, Van Chu’s section had only three pieces on display. They were all titled Cosmos with a number one through three. Chu uses ink to create a swirling image of clashing grey tones. “Cosmos 1” was black, while “Cosmos 2” was black and purple, and “Cosmos 3” was black, purple and blue. They were mesmerizing in their simplicity and large enough to be breathtaking.
Aside from two-dimensional images, there were also sculptures. Particularly interesting was the work of Heidi Moller Somsen, who creates her work from bicycle tubing. Her pieces often had other elements such as wood, ceramic or clay but the tubing was always present, to depict creations that were not always friendly. One piece, for example, called “Parasites” depicted white organisms taking over a log; and another, titled “Anon #5 (singing)” depicting a woman with her mouth open almost as if in agony. Her hair was tightly bound in this complex nest-ike structure, which created a beautiful and unsettling halo.