"Predictions" was selected as the
theme for the show to coincide with the end-of-world predictions
mainly represented by the end of the Mayan Long Count calendar on
the winter solstice. Nine artists from Logan County contributed to
the exhibit, crafting their art to address their personal views on
the future, whether the world ends or, if not, how we as a species
move into and create the future.
Christopher Tice, professor of art at
Lincoln College, created a multi-layered piece he calls "Utility,"
essentially his view of what the world would resemble after a fire
consumed the planet. The piece is an amalgam of ordinary objects he
placed on a container and finished off in his backyard forge. While
the melted objects retain their shapes and seem random, Tice has
created symmetry on the surface. He then mounted a video projector
above the piece that shows a subtle movement, a cycle to time, in
his words. "I am trying to create a visual effect on a physical
surface," Tice explained.
For the exhibit, Lincoln High
School teacher Jason Hoffman submitted three pieces that explore his
current focus on the link between a museum exhibit and one for an
art gallery. "My pieces explore a survival aspect, whether it is the
end of the world or a new beginning, and how we as individuals
respond to mortality," he said. To Hoffman, art is something he
thinks about every day -- how what he sees can be translated into
something that speaks about the issues we face in everyday life.
Moses Pinkerton, the host for the exhibit, also contributed
several pieces. "If a piece of my art turns out right, people should
be able to look at one of my works and tell what it is saying," he
said. He is not a big fan of the abstract movement. His piece
"Ripe," a hand holding an Earth burgeoning with possibilities, is a
personal view about the potential available to all of the occupants
of our planet.
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Bonnie Mayo's two paintings strongly express her optimism, with
themes showing the sun rising on a landscape still occupied and
changed by people. For her, art is "a process of thinking about a
subject for several weeks and then getting to a point where it is
time to put paint on canvas," she said. "I wake up one day and know
the time is right to create the actual painting." She is also
careful to use a frame that accentuates the focus and colors of her
art.
While the photos accompanying this article give a sense of what
the artists want to convey, the exhibit definitely needs to be seen
in person to appreciate the creativity.
The show "Predictions" is open at the Lincoln Art Institute, 112
S. McLean, until Jan.12. Pinkerton may be reached there at
217-651-8355 for more information.
[By CURT FOX] |