Four faculty artists display their work

Four faculty artists presented their work on Wednesday, February 4 in the Karl Drerup Art Gallery. The opening reception, which was to be held on January 28 had been moved due to inclimate weather. Regardless of the rescheduling, 133 students, faculty and patrons of the arts came out for the opening reception, held between 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m, to hear Phil Lonergan, Annette Mitchell, Nick Savigney and Jong Kim discuss their work.

With his daughter at his side and wife in the audience, professor Phil Lonergan began the discussion on his piece. Composed of elevator parts such as wheels and a large belt, the remainder of the piece comes from various other industrial items. Elaborating on the various wood, metal and rubber materials involved with his phallic looking piece, Lonergan stated, "The notion that things have a specific meaning seems a little difficult." Truer words may never have been spoken for this perplexing installation. The large piece, which stretches at least twenty feet across, not including the elevator belt, peaked many student's interests. Those in attendance asked many questions concerning the construction and mediums chosen, of which Lonergan replied with thorough, informative responses, explaining that he starts his projects using LSD. No, not the drug, a large scale drawing planned out with tape to help move things around as he develops the concept. Lonergan also added that he enjoys working with the contemporary as well as the old, as many of his pieces are mixed elements of generations past.

Foam plate print artist and coordinator of drawing program at PSU, Annette Mitchell was second to speak. Mitchell's work is an intriguing agreement between quilted fabric and printed plates. Speaking mostly on behalf of her largest piece, "Enter By The Western Gate," Mitchell was able to discuss the workings of time and peace within her work. For "Enter By The Western Gate," inspired by her grandson's inquisitions of life, Mitchell said, "[I] try to make it a quiet place of thinking," and later adding, "This is the place of solitude." The humble Mitchell received various questions about her life and approach throughout the twenty minutes of her presentation. In response to one question based on her acquired skill, Mitchell replied, "Everything I learned, I learned from friends. I didn't take a class." Using a mix of fabric, needlework and even gold leaf, Mitchell's installations offer artists a new medium to consider.

The quirky yet punctual ceramics coordinator Nick Savigney made his way to the L-shaped section of the gallery that held several of his pieces. Unusual for Savigney's style was a red earthenware wall piece. The intricate construction of the work is simply titled, "Cup," and may hang on the side of irony, but much to his beliefs, that is for the viewer to decide. Savigney discussed that he likes the piece to be interactive, hypothetically asking, "What do you like about it? Where do you think it's from?" Leaving the viewer to make observations and decisions, Savigney spoke clearly, explaining that he prefers working on a smaller, more intimate scale. Combining shabby pieces of metal, miniature maces and sea creature-esque pieces, Savigney presented, "Defensive Spouted Device." Created in 2004, the blackware clay piece was filled with an appealing glass orb at its center. Filled with a red liquid and what looked like cigarette filters, the orb tied in with the work to provide the strange notion of a heart at the matter of a solid and forbidding world. Ending his discussion as quickly as it began, Savigney clapped his hands and finished.

Presenting a collection of hand stitched and bound books, graphic design professor Jong Kim took the floor as the openings, closing artist. The books first take form on the computer where Kim digitizes his patterns and layouts to be cut out later for cutting and stitching. While it may sound strange, Kim finds some of his best contributions to his work in dumpsters. By searching for old books in the garbage, Kim is able to integrate them with his newer digitized constructions. Reluctant at first about his work, Kim stated, "It's virtual, it's up there [online]. Everyone can see my picture, but it's not me." It became apparent that Kim really enjoys showcasing his work, not in an arrogant manner, but rather it offers him a chance to show people who he is. "Oriental Stab Binding" was one piece that demonstrated Kim's intricate designs. Using small ringlets bent around the binding of a book split in half, Kim's able to correlate metal, cloth and paper to present a unique binding. The more technical a piece becomes the harder it is to hand stitch, for this Kim uses a book binders glue known as PVA, a hard sought item. Kim demonstrated one interesting example of his skill, saying, "[it's] a way of combining a western binding and eastern binding." Forging these two cultures together, Kim is able to establish a cultural bond within his binding.

Students and faculty lingered around the exhibit to speak with the artists on a less formal basis. Each professor seemed quite eager to speak with students about the work and answer any questions that had yet to receive a response. The faculty exhibit will remain up until Feb. 28. Hours of the Karl Drerup Gallery are from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday and Wednesday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.