Japanese Prints at the Stein

Hosoda Eishi, also known as Chobunsai, was of samurai rank but abandoned his position to persue a profession in painting and printmaking. He was a member of the Kano School in Japan where he learned the fundamental elements of traditional Japanese art and design. Beginning in the fifteenth century, the Kano School was an assemblage of prolific artisans who succeeded in captivating patrons with their vast range of styles and pictorial themes. Eishi’s work shows a mastery in tradition, yet conveys a sense of tranquility and balance. Throughout many of his works there is a reoccurring interest in the Geisha lifestyle. The term Geisha, literally meaning “accomplished person,” was coined during the 17th century. These women often could be found in pleasure quarters, but were also skilled in the performing arts. In his later years, Eishi developed a style in which these standing female figures were against muted, single-color backgrounds and stylistically elongated his figures until their heads were only one-twelfth the height of their body.

Visions of Conflict

Public artist talk and reception with Louie Palu 
Friday, October 30, 3:30-5:00 P.M.

From October 18 – November 15, the Robert and Elaine Stein Galleries will present work by four distinguished photographers who document and create work in response to conflict and war. The exhibition “Visions of Conflict” features the photographic work of Ziyah Gafić, Louie Palu, Jessica Hines, and Larry Price, and is held as part of the CELIA conference “ACCORD: Peace, War, and the Arts.” Benjamin J. Montague, Associate Professor of Art, curated the exhibition.

Inspired by the anniversaries of the Dayton Peace Accord and the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, the exhibition shares how artists have responded to their own experiences in conflict. Their images help instill empathy and ask viewers to question their own understanding of war. The photographs included in the exhibition function as more than just historical documents, but rather offer insight into the emotional and psychological consequences of battle.

Sep 05, 2008 – Garmsir District, Helmand Province, Afghanistan – U.S. Marine Cpl. Philip Pepper age 22 who is part of Alpha Company of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) Battle Landing Team (BLT) 1/6, after riding in a convoy in Garmsir District, Helmand Province, Afghanistan at Forward Operating Base Apache North. Located in Southern Helmand Province, Garmsir has been a haven for insurgents for the last several years. Earlier this year the Marines cleared the area after a period of heavy fighting. Philip is from Tallahasse FL and has done two tours of Iraq in addition to this tour.
(Credit Image: © Louie Palu/ZUMA Press)

Visions of Conflict

Public artist talk and opening reception with Ziyah Gafić: Sunday, October 18, 2:30-5:30 P.M.

From October 18 – November 15, the Robert and Elaine Stein Galleries will present work by four distinguished photographers who document and create work in response to conflict and war. The exhibition “Visions of Conflict” features the photographic work of Ziyah Gafić, Louie Palu, Jessica Hines, and Larry Price, and is held as part of the CELIA conference “ACCORD: Peace, War, and the Arts.” Benjamin J. Montague, Associate Professor of Art, curated the exhibition.

Ziyah Gafić will be speaking to the public about his photography on Oct. 18th at 2:30.

Inspired by the anniversaries of the Dayton Peace Accord and the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, the exhibition shares how artists have responded to their own experiences in conflict. Their images help instill empathy and ask viewers to question their own understanding of war. The photographs included in the exhibition function as more than just historical documents, but rather offer insight into the emotional and psychological consequences of battle.

Personal belongings recovered from mass graves lie on a forensic table in Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina, April 26, 2010. These are items people carried with them as they either fled from the Serb Army, or when they were taken for execution. Personal belongings are still being recovered from countless mass graves across Bosnia and Herzegovina and are used as evidence in ongoing trials for war crimes and in the ongoing identification process of their owners.

Photo by Ziyah Gafić

Don’t miss a visit from Deborah Kahn!

Deborah Kahn: Paintings and Drawings

Join us here at the Robert and Elaine Stein Galleries to celebrate the Deborah Kahn: Paintings and Drawings Exhibition by coming to the artist talk on Sunday September 13th. The exhibition features Washington, D.C.
artist Deborah Kahn and her elegantly composed figurative abstractions. Deborah Kahn herself will be presenting to the public on her work and what it represents. Of her work, Kahn says “I believe that art, like emotion, contains coexisting contradictions. My paintings are an attempt to make this idea concrete…Painting for me is a controlled connection to an inner world.”

This is a free event with a reception to follow Ms. Kahn’s lecture.

Ms. Kahn’s lecture begins at 2:30pm in the WSU Creative Arts Center and the reception will last until 5:30pm in the Robert and Elaine Stein Galleries.

We hope to see you there!

Fayelee Conley
Graduate Assistant
Robert and Elaine Stein Galleries
artgalleries@wright.edu

Support the Permanent Collection

Here at the Robert and Elaine Stein Galleries we have on display many exciting works of art from our permanent collection, but I would like to specifically highlight one piece titled Support, 1973 by Robert Rauschenberg. Support is a screenprint on paper that represents the support that was given to Managua, the capital of Nicuragua during the 1972 earthquake that devastated the city. This piece serves as a beacon of hope for the disasters that have occurred both in the past and in this decade through the use of its light colors and intriguing images that also portray a sense of positivity and lightness. It will be on display now until October 4^th. Come to our lower gallery and pause in front of Support to remind yourself of the support you have received and have given in your life.

                                                              

Fayelee Conley
Graduate Assistant
Robert and Elaine Stein Galleries

5 Reasons Not To Miss The Opening Reception For Shiao-Ping Wang And Brian Chu’s Recent Paintings

“Drumming” (acrylic on canvas) by Shiao-Ping Wang

by Adam Pearson

Married painters, Brian Chu and Shiao-Ping Wang will be giving an informal gallery talk on Jan. 18, at 3 p.m. in the galleries in the Creative Arts Center, with a reception following from 4 to 5:30 p.m. But why go? Here’s a few reasons.

1. They are likely the most interesting people you will meet this week

As a couple of new immigrants from Taiwan, Brian Chu and Shiao-Ping Wang spent their formative years in New York from 1981 to 2000.  They both studied at Queens College under renowned teachers such as Gabriel Laderman, Louis Finkelstein and Rosemarie Beck. Needless to say, they’ve been a part of the art community for a long time. Rather than rest on their laurels though, they continue to explore new ideas through their paintings.

2. Two unique styles

Though Shiao-Ping Wang and Brian Chu were both trained as representational painters and had the same training, they each branched out to develop very distinct styles. Shiao-Ping Wang’s abstract work uses patterns and shapes to reveal meanings behind cultures and traditions, while Brian Chu paints often shrouded physical objects in ways that often allow for ambiguous interpretation. This exhibit serves as an overview for the unique development of each artist.

3. They have a lot to say to young artists

Both artists were in their late twenties before they even began their art education. Most young people think they must be firmly established by then, these artists say that is not the case. With years of experience under their belt, they aren’t just looking for students to ask them about their work, they want to you to ask them about how to overcome your own obstacles in establishing yourself as an artist.

 4. Last chance to see the galleries before it moves to a new location.

Stein Galleries is moving to a new location (more details on that to come), and this will be one of their last exhibits in the Creative Arts Center. So come on by while we’re still nearby!

5. It’s free and open to the public

For more information, click here.

MATERIALIZE EXHIBIT – Caribou Conflict

from David Von Ness (2010)

by Adam Pearson

This 3D printed piece by David Von Ness shows two caribou pushing a sphere made of their intertwining antlers towards each other. As these caribou are connected to the object they are trying to push, facing towards each other, this is a conflict neither can win and can’t be resolved. Could this sculpture be some sort of metaphor for a struggle that results in stasis? Or is it simply a cool design meant for nothing more than to show off the potential of digital fabrication?

This is just one of many digitally fabricated sculptures positing this question in Materialize, the newest Robert & Elaine Stein Galleries’ exhibit open now at Wright State Creative Arts Center, room 252.

Elena Dorfman – A Primer

Elena Dorfman and her artwork, from “Empire Falling”

by Adam Pearson

Fine art photographer, Elena Dorfman, achieved much her fame through exploring the social, cultural, and sexual practices of overlooked communities. Horse jockeys, Cosplay participants, sex doll co-habitations, and Syrian refugees were among her subjects throughout her career. Eventually she branched out to explore places in addition to people, capturing and reconstructing landscapes in her “Empire Falling” series.

Elena Dorfman was first placed in the spotlight in 2005 with her series, “Still Lovers.” This series documented a growing, and for many, baffling, trend of men and women integrating hyper realistic sex dolls into their day-to lives. It was not created as a piece of exploitation, but as an exploration of the relationships between these people and their dolls, leading to startling realizations about what draws human affection.

More recently, Dorfman received acclaim for her intimate portraits of Syrian teens living in refugee camps, displaced by the civil war. These photos carried brief descriptions of each individual and their current living situation. Many these individuals’ lives seemed without hope, and the series was used to bring awareness to this “lost” generation.

In short, Elena Dorfman’s fascination with the obscure and the overlooked has resulted in a very rich and diverse portfolio. The spirit of her work can be sometimes mystical, sometimes playful, sometimes somber, and sometimes an overlap of the three. One thing her work has never been is predictable.

Elena Dorfman, will be coming to speak at Wright State on Thursday, October 9 between 5:00-6:00 pm in the Creative Arts Center, room M252 with a reception at 7:00 pm. Add free food and a bar to the mix, and you could find a worse way to spend a school night.

The Other Man’s Grass Is Always Greener

By Chloë Sizelove, Gallery Monitor

Wearing grass shoes for the first time was quite an experience. Especially while wondering around my college campus.

The day started out normally. Get up at 6:20AM, routine morning rituals, and the long commute to school. I arrive on campus around 8:10AM and head towards the CAC (Creative Arts Center) from lot 4 (across campus). Having to wait on my boss to arrive to open the gallery door, the chair of the Art Department walks into the hallway to get onto the elevator. He asks, if I need to get into the office and I replied with, “yes, I have grass shoes to wear.” He unlocks the door for me and I rush over to my incubating shoes and begin to lace them up. I had put plastic wrap around my feet to keep myself from getting soggy (eventually it didn’t work out too great). Now that I was all laced and ready to go, I rush out of the office and head into the tunnel system for my first class.

Showing up a little before class started, I see one of my classmates (whom I’ve had classes with before) and we start talking. As we were blabbing about something that I can barely remember, a male student walks by and does a double take at my feet. He says, “wow! Nice shoes, those are really grassy.” I say back to him as he continues on his way, “thank you, it’s the new way of ‘Going Green'”. The class before us lets out and a few of us early birds head into the empty seats that were awaiting us. As I take my seat the professor in the class before us was so shocked by the greenery on my shoes. He comes up to me and says, “is that real?” This became a very common question that I have been asked throughout my morning. I then reply, “yes, I grew the grass on my shoes. You can touch them if you like.” He reaches cautiously and brushes his fingertips on my grassy shoes before rushing out the door and complimenting how amazing my shoes were.

Class still hasn’t begun and the first thing my classmates and I always do before class actually starts, is to log into our computers and onto our class site located through the Wright State server. Now, my Business Writing professor is also a professional Artist (a painter to be precise). He comes over to me, jaw to the floor, eyes wide, and by his expression absolutely astonished by my shoes. I explained to him that yes, it was real grass growing from my shoes and how I was able to do such a thing. I explained to him why I was parading around campus with grass on my feet. I then told him briefly about the artist, Gene Pool (yes, he legally changed his name and regrets it), who had the idea of grass clothing. He laughed out loud and then he too, touched my grass shoes.

Class finally began. The very first thing my professor asks the class was if anyone was growing grass on their shoes? My professor then points directly at me and announces to the class to check out how amazing my shoes were. I proceed to lift my legs up enough so my classmates could see my shoes. My classmates, were in awe. Of course, similar questions came about and once again I had to advertise my shoes and also the gallery. Hopefully people will come to the gallery!!! But, I doubt it… who knows.  Throughout class, my professor and I would tie every activity in class with my shoes.  As a class we each had to briefly write a memorandum from the three questions projected onto the board.  My classmate who sits next to me finished quickly and submitted her work.  Our professor then tells her to just sit back and enjoy her neighbors grass.  I laughed at this and blurted out, “well, you know the other mans grass is always greener!”  The three of us burst out laughing.  That class was the best out of the other two.  No one seemed to really care after that.

After class, I continued to take the tunnels to my next class and then again to my final class of the day. As I would pass people by in the tunnels, many of them either; smiled, gave a questioning look, walked slower behind me to whisper something to their friends about not being able to have the confidence to wear such things because it would attract attention. I thought to myself that this isn’t just an art/science project, it’s a great sociology experiment.

Like always, my final stop wasn’t just class… it was the gallery. I approached the front desk with one of my coworkers telling me how amazing my shoes were and how great it was that I walked around campus in my wet, soggy, green shoes. One of the photography professors was in the other section of the gallery and noticed my shoes. She was so thrilled by the outcome. She told me to walk around the gallery since some high school students will becoming in shortly. I said sure, and as I said that people started to flock into the gallery.  The professor pointed to my feet and told everyone to take a look at some grass shoes. Yet again, I had some students not give a care and others were so amazed.  Some of them took pictures of my shoes and I had one person asked if they could “mow my lawn.”  I told that student I didn’t want her to because I didn’t want her to cut off one of my toes. Again, told them the process of creating them and then headed off into the office area to dry my wet feet.

Credit to Artist Gene Pool Harding.  Through his mind, this experience wouldn’t have been possible.  Thank you.

Jeremy Rotsztain Gives “Action Painting” a Whole New Meaning

by Adam Pearson

 

still from Revving Motors, Screeching Wheels

 

You are probably familiar with “action painting” even if you’re not familiar with the term. It’s that oft sneered-at staple of modern art where paint is slashed, dripped, smeared or outright thrown onto a canvas, seemingly at random. If you’ve never done it yourself, or even stepped foot in an art gallery, you’ve probably seen it in enough movies and TV shows as a last ditch effort to derive comedy from a character’s artsy free spirted-ness (or lack thereof) that I don’t even need to list the examples.  What you may not be familiar with is Jeremy Rotsztain’s new take on the style, a series of still and animated digital paintings composed from sounds and images of Hollywood action films. The video series is simply and appropriately titled, Action Painting.

What action painting most emphasizes is not the finished work but the physical act of painting.  The painted canvas is more a documentation of the art rather than the actual art, and the real subject is the painter, not the image. In Rotsztain’s series, we see the action occurring in the original film projecting abstract images onto a high definition screen like paint being thrown onto a canvas. In other words, the real subject of this series is blockbuster violence. With action scenes from films such as Fight Club, Rambo, and Terminator 2 used as the compositional material, this is masculine expressionism at its most masculine.

The four videos in the series each consist of an action trope where animated paintings are composed through materials of the production process. Monochromatic Bursts of Color is composed using the light, flames and smoke of explosions. Pitter Patter Splatter uses smoke and fire from handguns and automatic weapons. Unrelenting Physical Aggression uses smacks, punches, and kicks from physical combat. Revving Motors, Spinning Wheels uses exactly the sounds you would expect to hear in a piece called Revving Motors, Spinning Wheels.

Action Painting will be shown in its entirety at Stein Galleries’ Fifth Wall Video Gallery during the month of October. Check here for office hours. Admission is always free.