Cello music filled the South Court at Trolley Square where people gathered for the opening night of the University of Utah Sculpture Club’s “Art in Form” exhibition on Feb. 22. The show, funded by Fine Arts fees, ran over the weekend and ended on Feb. 24.
The exhibition displayed a strikingly diverse and eclectic collection of mixed media sculptures from 16 University of Utah students. Showcased pieces were united through unique interpretations of volume and mass, showing that there are no limits on what defines a sculpture. The variety and depth of the collection meant that you could circle the room several times and still feel like you hadn’t explored everything. Featured artists had notably different styles and motivations, with a variety of materials used including found objects, ceramic, wax, light, metal and video.
Alec Bang used paint, paper and polyethylene to create a mountainscape in his piece “Downstream,” highlighting the Virgin River in Zion National Park which spills out the bottom corner in ribbons of plastic. The river is threatened by runoff from oil drilling. Bang’s piece is a criticism of the politicians and corporations who are endangering Utah’s land with relaxed drilling regulations.
“Repair,” created by Stone Anderson, bares the characteristic red-orange of earthenware, broken and held together with epoxy. “The cracks and repair are a reference to some of the beautiful Anasazi pottery in the @nhmu [Natural History Museum of Utah],” said Anderson in an Instagram post. “A few water vessels there had been repaired with tar after they had been broken, and were often drilled and bound together with twine in addition to the pitch. I really appreciated the beauty of these objects.”
Jennifer Bohn’s mesmerizing displays “Light Dragon” and “Dream Doors” seem straight out of a fairy tale. Brohn’s dragon, draped leisurely from the balcony, combined zip ties, sequin fabric, tulle and lights to dazzle the space.
“Melting the Impenetrable Dimensions” features the 3D printed head of a boy digitally sculpted by artist Dana Hansen. The head, painted white, is mounted with lasers made out of insulation foam shooting from his eyes, sending ripples through the opposing wall.
Nate Francis’ piece about identity and body image, “Them and me,” is a video installation showing the artist, almost nude, wound up with string.
“No I don’t know what you mean I have never had that experience where I have gotten into a friends car and felt wholesome, or good about myself,” is Ethan Edwards piece with the out-of-breath title turned 2D into 3D, with the four-sided pillar covered in torn and bent photographs nailed to the wood.
The 16 artists featured at the exhibition come from a mix of majors including marketing, ceramics, photography and art education. The full list of artists featured at the exhibition include Stone Anderson, Alec Bang, Jennifer Bohn, Natalie Cheatham, Ethan Edwards, Nate Francis, Kelly Goff, Dana Hansen, Anita Hawkins, Bea Hurd, Molly McGinnis, Emily McMurray, Ryne Ormond, Maria Minerva Garcia Salazar, Brooklyn Sena and Joe Zeidner.