Skyline college’s art gallery is holding a new event, “Body Language: Figures in Clay”, showcasing numerous hand-molded clay sculptures by famous Bay Area artists.
This particular exhibit focuses on the portrayal of the human form and figure in different styles and perspectives through the medium of clay.
This exhibition, curated by Skyline’s own art instructor Tiffany Schmierer, features a selection of different pieces chosen from many famous artists from around the San Francisco Bay area. Artists such as Lauren Ari, Lorraine Banner and Tomoko Nakazato are all showcasing samples of their work, all capturing some unique element of the human body.
It’s surprising that the first piece greeting patrons to this show is a clay bear mounted like an usher into the exhibit room. Each piece, whether big or small, evoked comments and discussion from any onlooker. Indeed, the official reception boasted a good grouping of art connoisseurs; their murmurs lending to the evocative atmosphere that the exhibit strove to create.
Paul Bridenbaugh, who runs the gallery, had much to say not only about this exhibit but also Skyline’s continued effort to showcase the newest trends and current events of the art world. He went on to say that each show is “educational in nature”, to be admired and to teach students and citizens alike about the different forms of artwork; in this case, the use of clay to capture the human condition.
One exhibit, Ari’s “Making Beds” seems to literally reach out from the walls to try and touch you. A patterned section of twenty sculptures arranged like a quilt against the wall, each showing a different scene of the moments between sleep and waking. The artist wanted to convey a different story with each tile, while also allowing viewers to come up with their own interpretations. Some beds tell very obvious stories, while some take a moment to fully absorb.
The flow of each artist’s section threads through to the next no matter how you wander the room, thanks to Schmierer’s successful first time curating at Skyline. As Schmierer said, “A lot of figurative work threads a narrative,” which weaves itself slowly together with each step around the room. In one exhibit, “Wild Things: White”, the characters of the classic children’s book are cast in cartoony and bulbous sculpture.
The piece right next to it, “Counting the Days with My Army of Barbies” is a board covered in lines of Barbie’s iconic bust shaded in different colors and hues. Although very different in form and context, the theme and flow fits them together perfectly.
The exhibit is full of so many different styles of work that there is sure to be something attractive for anyone, whether you prefer your art realistic or more abstract. Even kids will find something fun to look at, like the quirky works of Chris Kanyusik, with one piece showing two children back to back covered in blue and pink bullet holes, like they’re playing a game of cops and robbers.
The exhibit is free to enter every evening and the room can be found hidden away on the bottom floor of building one in the art gallery. The show will be continuing until March 9.
The photo caption for each photo has been edited to show more details.
The article has been edited to show that Paul Bridenbaugh doesn’t own the gallery but runs it for the campus. 2/25/2013 12:58 p.m.
