Both Sides of the Brain
February 28th, 2007
By Sage Dahlen
In our society there is often a division placed between art and science. Proof of this is in every CLA joke made by jeering IT students. But is it possible for art and science to truly get along? Jamie Schumacher would like to think so, and she is not alone.
Schumacher, a soft-spoken yet eloquent woman, is the curator for Altered Esthetics, a fairly recent addition to the art gallery community of northeast Minneapolis. Currently, the gallery is preparing for a new exhibit: (Scientific) Aesthetics.
A friend of Schumacher’s, a geology student at the University of Minnesota, generated the idea for this exhibit citing that people often do not recognize how artful things like geology can be.
“There is so much going on in science that is artistic,” said Schumacher, noting that artists, likewise, are using science in their work. Schumacher moved to Minnesota from California three years ago because of the strong artist community she saw while visiting friends in the Twin Cities. She had never seen the idea of the bond between art and science explored in a gallery setting and decided to put out an open call for artists.
There was no entry fee, as Altered Esthetics’ goal is to be accessible to all artists. Whether they are students just starting out, or people who have been developing their craft for 50 years, Schumacher wants Altered Esthetics to be available to them.
The result of all this is a collection of artwork engaging both sides of the brain created by about 45 different artists, ranging from local to international. Some of the artists have exhibited work in shows at Altered Esthetics previously, which Schumacher feels is very flattering.
“One of our biggest compliments is to see returning artists again and again,” said Schumacher, though she ecstatically discusses the process of recruiting new artists.
Providing a source of sustainability for these local artists, so that they can continue to live and work in the area, is one of the main goals at Altered Esthetics. Schumacher feels the gallery gives many artists the opportunity to exhibit work that they might not be able to show elsewhere. Artists might make functional ceramics to sell to a wider market, but something less conventional made purely out of their passion for art, might only find its home at Altered Esthetics.
Some of the artists featured in (Scientific) Aesthetics chose to reflect science in the literal sense, such as geologic photographs that look like human faces. Others focus more on the science of people’s personal life such as work by one of the contributing artists, Janet Morrow, who uses art to explain the loss of her hearing.
Bonnie Gloris contributes “D Composition,” a mixed media piece portraying the entire process of an organism being recycled, incorporating colorful papers in a variety of textures. An untitled group of photographs by Sharon Koelblinger shows views of the world refracting through glass, providing an alternate view of picturesque outdoor scenes.
Other interesting works in the exhibit include fractal imaging, drawings of black holes, an installation piece made out of yarn and a wide variety of other subject matters and mediums. The multitude of artist submissions means that the exhibit will be salon-style and distributed across two gallery spaces.
There will be an opening reception for (Scientific) Aesthetics on March 2 from 7-9pm. This event is free of charge, but donations will be accepted. The gallery is also open Tuesdays and Thursdays 1-7pm, Saturdays 1-5pm, and holds an opening reception from 7-9pm every first Friday of the month.
