"Sometimes You Think I'm Still Growing," plexiglas and acrylic, 2001,
by Terri Friedman, courtesy of Shoshona Wayne Gallery, Santa Monica
ArtPace and UTSA exhibit explores light in art
(July 29, 2002)--The University of Texas at San Antonio Department of Art presents "Glow: Aspects of Light in Contemporary American Art" July 25-Oct. 13 at ArtPace and Sept. 5-Oct. 4 at the UTSA Art Gallery on the 1604 Campus. A group exhibition conceived to explore the theme of light, the exhibit includes twelve contemporary artists, represented in one to three works each.
Artists participating in the exhibition are Alicia Beach (Los Angeles), Sharon Ellis (Los Angeles), Terri Friedman (El Cerrito, Calif.), Christian Garnett (Brooklyn), Nancy Haynes (Brooklyn), Craig Kauffman (Los Angeles), Charles LaBelle (Los Angeles), Alex Lopez (San Antonio), Kiki Seror (New York/Amsterdam), Jennifer Steinkamp (Los Angeles), Alan Wayne (Los Angeles) and Yek (Las Vegas).
Working in a variety of media including painting, photography, relief, assembled and fabricated sculpture, as well as video projection, the artists use real and illusionistic light. The exhibit is accompanied by a catalogue with color plates, a scholarly essay by the curator, individual artist's entries and bio-bibliographies.
Light has always been a component of visual art, but has been more significant in some periods than in others. The tenebrism of Caravaggio and de la Tour, for example, represents the use of light in the portrayal of spirituality. The American Luminists used light to convey the majesty of nature, while the Impressionists made light their primary subject matter in a more scientific manner. It was the primary medium used by Dan Flavin, Robert Irwin and James Turrell beginning in the 1960s. This exhibition presents new artists using light in new ways, covering a wide range of topics and representing abstract and representational styles.
The shadows of passersby become part of Steinkamp's work consisting of projected videos of dancing color patterns. Illusion, which has been out of favor since the rise in popularity of minimalism, is a focus of many of the artists in the exhibition, exemplified by the colors on the wall between Beach's vertical strips of painted wood and the fiery or star-strewn skies depicted in Ellis' paintings.
Organized by Frances Colpitt, associate professor of art history and criticism, this two-part exhibition will be seen at ArtPace, A Foundation for Contemporary Art-San Antonio, 445 North Main Avenue, and the UTSA 1604 Campus Art Gallery before traveling to the Texas Fine Arts Association in Austin and the University of North Texas Art Gallery in Denton. The exhibition is supported in part by a grant from the Texas Commission on the Arts.
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TODAY'S HEADLINES:
PREP
closes summer with July 31 assembly, scholarships
UTSA
welcomes new employees to Tri-Campuses
San
Antonio Area Foundation funds 12 UTSA grants
Tri-Campus
community invited to Week of Welcome events
ArtPace and UTSA exhibit explores light in art
Volunteer building captains and safety coordinators needed
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