The Wake

Spring time calls for new things to appear, and this is certainly the case for the Master of Fine Arts Thesis Exhibition, “Refresh,” now at the Katherine E. Nash Gallery in the Regis Center for Art. “Refresh” features the art work of Master’s students David Bowen, Kristina Estell, Allen Peterson, Gregory Rose, Emmet Sandberg, Scott Stulen, Trever Nicholas and Liz Zlot. The show is innovative and imaginative showcasing the work of budding artists.

The exhibit includes a variety of mediums and styles, creating a postmodern experience. The craftsmanship is excellent, as are the conceptual themes represented by each artist. Upon entering the gallery, one is confronted with Allen Peterson’s cobble stone-like cast iron sidewalk entitled “Terrain.” Moving across “Terrain” (you may walk on it), one finds the eight imaginative and clever pieces by Scott Stulen. Stulen’s work uses craft items such as google eyes, felt, contact paper and sandpaper along with oil paints, acrylic, enamel and watercolor. These materials have an impact on the viewer, and as Stulen says “The material used in my paintings are to confuse ‘high’ art material with those found in craft stores, or in the realm of children’s artwork.” This works well with Stulen’s inspiration, “The construction of memory, especially childhood memory, is the inspiration of my recent work.” The use of Charlie Brown and the Tootsie Pop Owls certainly conveys these ideas, as does the use of a Spiro graph in “The Crunchy Dry Snow of the Other Side of the Basement.”

Across the room is the work of Liz Zlot, who has display art consisting of recipe boxes, recipe cards, clay pales and metal work. The pieces have a domestic and minimalist flare, which leads to “Sequencing Landscape” by Kristina Estell. A silicon moon hangs on the window shadowing translucent plastic rocks. They form circles reminiscent of moon craters. Around the corner, one encounters Trever Nicholas’s “Synergy.” The inorganic display of seemingly organic ideas uses multiple textures, materials (mostly plastics and rubbers), shapes and designs from what could be a hallway through the inside of a brain, or whatever the viewer chooses to make of it.

Across the gallery are David Bowen’s robotic arms, which hold charcoal against paper, waiting to be triggered by infrared censors that direct the movement of the charcoal. Marks are made on the vertical paper creating interactive art, and as the saying goes “art in a vacuum is not art at all.” Following Bowen’s work is “Cuba Libre in a Can” and various other works by Gregory Rose. His collage of mixed media uses the color wheel to the best of its ability and thus makes a vibrant camouflage of feeling. Across from these works hang silver gelatin prints by Emmet Sandberg, which bare the name “Untitled.” The series of black and white prints celebrate the human face. Profiles, close-ups, distorted mirror shots and traditional, spontaneous head shorts mix grainy and semi clear images that move across the wall.

All these works combined form a telling and captivating show. As refreshing as this art is, one must experience it themselves. And while “Refresh” concludes May 6, more art work by Master students can be seen through June 11 at the Nash Gallery.