Two new exhibitions opened in the Schneider Museum of Art at Southern Oregon University last Thursday, “Felt to Steel” by local artist Ellen Wishnetsky-Mueller, and “Mi Linda Soledad,” a retrospective by Colorado artist Emilio Lobato.
The reception was attended by well over a hundred SOU students and community members, and featured the smooth tones of the Modern Prometheus Jazz Company, who serenaded attendees with jazz standards throughout the evening.
According to Wishnetsky-Mueller, “Felt to Steel” is a metaphor for the relationship between male and female, between masculine and feminine energy. One of her works, “Dehiscence,” is an installation of fabric and steel, with several layers of fabric folded in half and a steel plate wrapped partially around it.
“A lot of my work is the depiction of the masculine and the feminine,” she said. “The steel is male, and the fabric is female. The steel is bending around the fabric.”
“It all really comes from the unconscious,” she added. “I go to the metal yard and pull out what I want, and then I bend it into whatever I want. This is all found steel.”
“Mi Linda Soledad” is the first retrospective of Colorado artist Emilio Lobato and surveys his development as an artist throughout his nearly 20-year career, as well as exploring the cross-cultural influences and aesthetic tastes of his work. Lobato was not available for comment.
In addition to the exhibitions in the Schneider Museum of Art, there are also several other shows on display in the Marion Ady and Art Building.
“Windows to the Soul” is a series of paintings done by local artist Emily Waymire on display in the Meyer Memorial Gallery of the Marion Ady, and depicts the “channeled expressions of the movements of the soul,” according to the artist’s statement.
“Reminiscent of stained glass windows,” reads the statement. “This style has allowed me to convey controlled symbols (masculine) and story while still remaining loose and available to the kinesthetic and non linear (feminine) movements of the soul.”
On display in the Thorndike Gallery in the Art Building is David Del Francia’s “Blanche,” meticulously detailed oil paintings of everyday objects such as traffic cones, cardboard boxes, and milk jugs. The stark white background draws attention to the object itself, allowing the viewer to take in the subtle shadows and defined form of Francia’s subject.
There is also an installation in the Retzlaff Gallery of the Art Building by SOU student Cassondra Heryford entitled “Life Sentence,” which consists of a series of hatchmarked tablets, of varying shades, arrayed along the wall in loose columns.
The museum exhibits will be on display until Dec. 3, and the Del Francia exhibit will be on show until Oct. 21.
