UHCL art faculty showcase work in exhibition

The UHCL 2014 Faculty Art Exhibition features the works of five art faculty members. Participating in this exhibition are: Sandria Hu, painting and printmaking; Stuart Larson, digital media; Matthew Linton, photography; Jason Makepeace, sculpture; and retiree Nick de Vries, ceramics.

The UHCL 2014 Faculty Art Exhibition kicked off with a series of brown bag lunches that encouraged guests to bring their own lunch while learning about the artists’ work. During the brown bag lunch series each artist explained his/her artist statement as well as the significance behind the work. The last presentation ended Dec. 4.

“The art displayed in this faculty art exhibition was exquisite,” said Matt Rogers, communication major. “It’s definitely a legacy that I will never forget and should be a tradition for years to come.”

Makepeace’s work consists of three carved sculptures carved out of single logs leaving carved sections of the wood exposed to represent the modern day kayak, while the unfinished natural logs represent the history of the kayak.

“The significance behind contrasting the history of the single-manned vessel was not the reason or how this work got started,” said Makepeace, assistant professor of art – sculpture. “For the past seven years I have been kayaking the coastal waters of Texas. It has been a passion of mine where I can get out by myself and free my mind. Just like the passion I have to make art. Relying on two major aspects in my previous bodies of work, the love of craftsmanship and the term of immobility. I began hashing things out. So I began thinking about how modern kayaks are made. Thinking about the craftsmanship needed, I started to think about the history and the evolution of the kayak. The first thing to come to mind was the dug-out canoe. The light bulb went off, and the work you see today is what has come out of this collaboration.”

Linton’s artwork comes from his “Child’s Play” series and consists of 10 photographs demonstrating children at play.

“In my latest series ‘Child’s Play,’ I take the same working methodology of looking and experiencing, but turn the lens inward, focusing upon my own family,” said Linton, assistant professor of applied design and graphic arts. “Fascinated by the interactions between my daughters and their toys, I soon became intrigued by the toys as objects as well as the social situations and story lines placed upon them by my children. I turn my eye to observe and document the activated spaces between my daughters and their toys, as well as the interactions between the toys themselves.”

Larson’s artwork from his “Elevations” series comprise a collection of six digital ink jet prints created from photographs taken of historical floor tiles during a visit to the Czech Republic.

“These images were photographed in a building in the Czech Republic that is currently undergoing an extensive renovation,” said Larson, associate professor of graphic design. “This building has a complex history as it has survived World War II, Communism, abandonment and the renovation process. Each of these images is a single floor tile on the landing of this once grandiose brownstone. I have always been inspired by the images created though the passage of time. The subject of these images are marked through neglect, decay and through the mark making of time itself.”

De Vries’ artwork includes four sculptures from his “Frisian Horses” series and two sculptures from the “Bechyne” series.

“I enjoy constructing three-dimensional forms,” said de Vries, recently retired professor of fine arts. “Clay gives me a great medium to work with due to its flexible and responsive qualities. Besides the construction I am passionate about the firing process of clay and glazes; it can be a complete sensorial event. Also, the physical and chemical makeup is another facet of the material I enjoy due to my science background. As an artist, I have created work responding to the world around me, addressing topical issues as well as observing nature and its mysteries. The most meaningful and favorite piece I created is the ‘Frisian Horse No. 3’ because it was one of the first sculptures of the ‘Frisian Horses’ series.”

Hu’s artwork includes four mixed media prints and one oil mixed media on wood print from the “Archeological Dress Series” along with two oil/mixed media on wood from her “Clay and Smoke” series.

“The archeological dig sites in 1985-86 gave me the inspiration for my artworks that I produce today; the dig site is called Gerulata, which borders Slovakia and Austria,” said Hu, professor of art – painting and drawing. “My paintings are oil on wood with mixed media surface of collage and gold leaf. The prints are collagraph plates made from real dresses with chine colle images added to the plate for each print.”

The UHCL 2014 Faculty Art Exhibition runs through Jan. 8, 2015. The exhibition is located in the UHCL Art Gallery, B1412, and is free to the public.

“It’s a privilege to see what others are learning about the world,” said Van Edwards, adjunct instructor in photography.