By Arvind Badrinarayanan
Daily Illini
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (U-Wire) — The University of Illinois' art and design professors get to show their students the stuff they're made of at the upcoming Faculty Art Exhibition at the school's Krannert Art Museum.
About 25 professors have submitted their work for the exhibition, which will be open to the public through Jan. 4, 2004. The exhibition is among the oldest annual faculty art shows in the country, with the first show held in the 1920s.
"I think people should see what's going on (at the art exhibit)," said John Jennings, assistant professor. "Endeavor to be more visually literate," he says. "Some people look upon art as a frivolous thing, but the things that make a person seem successful in today's world are all created by artists."
Jennings said artwork ought to be replicated and displayed so that people have the opportunity to see more art. Jennings' work is among the more noticeable artworks in the gallery. It portrays powerful social issues in a style that he says comes from the hip-hop culture.
His work used graphic design techniques to create colorful and visually disturbing images. His piece, "Deferred Dream No. 1," is an image of a young man lying dead with a sentence below him that reads "Jamal wanted to be a doctor." "A secure homeland?" is an image of people trapped within themselves with a famous Latin question inscribed in the corner, "Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?" which translates to "Who watches the watchman?"
From the media of oils, ink, glass, metals and wood, to the modern digital imaging techniques and video art, the UI faculty show the diversity of their tastes in media, material and subject matter.
"I see a wonderful variety of media used here," said Dave Robinson, a prospective student of the graduate art program. "It's good knowing that (the faculty) are capable as well. It's a nice way to inspire the students."
Assistant Professor Kevin Hamilton's work depicts his interest in repetition and the appeal of live television.
"It's the illustration of freedom through repetitive action," Hamilton says.
His exhibits feature a repetitive snake-like coil moving across a screen with a fixed pattern of speed. He also experiments with time-delayed news footage and other "live action" feeds to explain his concept of "liveliness," where "liveliness" is interwoven with repetition.
Among the more contemporary exhibits, Associate Professor David Bushman's "Wisconsin Winter Landscapes" recreates six landscapes using ink and correction fluid. In Professor Barbara Kendrick's work, "Everywhere I've Slept," she uses hair to create the outlines of several countries and American states alongside cutouts of postcards and photographs.
Among the exhibits that used traditional materials, glass creations by Assistant Professor Alex Fekete and visiting instructor Holly Wolf are delicate pieces of blown and fused glass.
Among the other paintings on display is Professor Timothy Van Laar's "Postcard Series," which used oil and inkjet on wood.
