LC Meridian

Issue date: 11/1/06 Section: Arts & Entertainment

Media Credit: Osjua Newton

This past September and October, XXI Century American Art, the much anticipated Art Department exhibition, was on display in Lehman's Fine Arts Gallery, showing many works of art by faculty at Lehman College.

John Belardo, Melissa Brown, Michael Ferraro and Charles Seplowin are just a few of the Lehman Art Faculty exhibiting their work.

"One good reason for this exhibit is that it might stimulate students to take a class or decide this is something they want to follow up on," said Charles Seplowin, Chair of the Art Department. "I think there are wonderful prints in there, like a gigantic print of a dollar bill. There are things from ceramics and a very interesting digital piece that goes back to the old science fiction movies with the brain in the bottle."

There is a kind of imaginative fun that is evident in these works. There are a wide variety of techniques included in this show, among them are a woodcut with screen printing, stencil painting and digital media.

"The faculty's work reflects the ideas and aesthetic of their teachings," stated graduate student and digital media major Winslow Hinds.

John Belardo's Continuity and Conservation of Energy pieces in plaster took six to seven months to complete. "I represent fabric and insinuate the figure. It is a continuous surface covering the entire body. I modeled these works in clay conceptually, without reference to any physical model," said Belardo.

These pieces reflect dedication, time and effort. It isn't obvious at first, but upon closer study his vision becomes clear.

Melissa Brown's 50 Dollar Bill, woodcut with screen printing and stencil painting, was done using a steam roller and features screen printed, metallic accents. This piece draws viewers because it is a huge 50 dollar bill. It would catch anyone's eye with its magnificent colors and its enormous size.

According to a press release from Brown's show at Bellwether Gallery; this work is suppose to reflect a conspiracy theory in the folding money. The images are a satire of the new ten and twenty dollar bills and mimic gradient color choices. It also has metallic strips and emblems with contemporary figures and quotations.

Media Credit: Osjua Newton Students view Michael Ferraro's and Janine Cirincione's The Bloviato, 2004

Another piece very out of the ordinary was Michael Ferraro's and Janine Cirincione's The Bloviato, 2004. using digital media (DVD's and LCD screens). This piece caught the attention of a lot of viewers because it was unusual. It stood out because of its futuristic look. The brain in the jar, the little people and the mini-screen TV, all concepts of the past and present, made an interesting presentation. Ferraro described his work as "insightful amusement" among other things.

Carlos Guzman, a Digital Media and Computer Graphics Imaging major, complimented Ferraro's work, saying, "The futuristic digital media that they have over there with the brain inside. It's different. I haven't seen many pieces like that, especially at Lehman College. That's the one I was attracted to first and that really stood out to me when I came into the gallery".

A majority of the students stood in awe as they viewed the work done by their professors. All of the work in the gallery is beautiful and there's something for everyone to appreciate.

"It's good for students to see that their professors don't always do in their studio what they teach in their classes," said Paul Carrellas, an adjunct lecturer.

Latoya Campbell, a Psychology major and Studio Art minor, couldn't believe what she was seeing, this being her first time in the gallery.

"I think I will enjoy my minor more because I am in a ceramics class and I'm excited to do some work of my own right now. It is not going to be like that [pointing at the artwork], but it can get to that."

This exhibition was very popular among students. Conveniently located on campus, it brought many students with little time to see modern art one step closer to the art world. This exhibit hit close to home, encouraging students to learn more from these artists they have so much access to.

Media Credit: Osjua Newton Carmen Casado looks at sculpture by Prof. Charles Seplowin

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