Art of the Ancient Near East: Sumerians

Posted: May 14, 2013 in Timeline of Art
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Ruins of the Great Ziggurat of King Ur-Nammu, image taken from the Ancient Encyclopedia of History, http://www.ancient.eu.com/image/197/

Ruins of the Great Ziggurat of King Ur-Nammu, image taken from the Ancient Encyclopedia of History, http://www.ancient.eu.com/image/197/

Firstly, in continuing our discussion of the timeline of art, it seems important to address what specifically qualifies as the “Near East.”  It’s not a term that we hear a lot, and it seems imprecise at best, but it proves important to know in the study of art.  We all know that the “Far East” consists of Asian countries that prove the farthest east, like China and Japan.  As for the Near East,  countries involved often overlap with Middle Eastern countries.  Generally, and, according to dictionary.com, the Near East “refers to southwest Asia, particularly Turkey, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and other nations of the Arabian Peninsula.”  The Middle East typically references  countries spreading from Egypt in Africa to Iran in the north.  In any case, early Near Eastern peoples were culturally advanced and had a flourishing artistic community.

This ancient civilization appeared in 4,000 BCE between the Tigris and Euphrates River and became known as Mesopotamia.  Sumeria is the site of the earliest civilization in southern Mesopotamia.  It later became known as Babylon and now exists as southern Iraq.  Its ideal location between two rivers rendered it fertile and able to offer many raw natural resources for trade.  Grain, leather, dates, meat, and plant products represent just a few of their exports.  They also import materials they lacked, like stone and metal.

Such prowess in trade necessitated a means to communicate over a distance and keep track of goods, so Sumerians developed the earliest known system of writing called cuneiform.  (Yes, writing appeared because of big business!)  Cuneiform was written on clay tablets made from silt from the rivers.

Standing female figure with clasped hands, Early Dynastic IIIA, ca. 2600–2500 BCE Mesopotamia, Nippur, Inanna temple, Level VIIB Limestone, shell, and lapis lazuli, image taken from Metropolitan Museum of Art, http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/edys/hd_edys.htm

Standing female figure with clasped hands, Early Dynastic IIIA, ca. 2600–2500 BCE
Mesopotamia, Nippur, Inanna temple, Level VIIB
Limestone, shell, and lapis lazuli, image taken from Metropolitan Museum of Art, http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/edys/hd_edys.htm

A dozen or so city states comprised Sumeria, and society proved highly stratified and religious.  A competing deity ruled each state.  (After all, competition makes for good business.)  Such focus on religion led to a highly developed religious complex that fulfilled both religious and secular functions., known as a ziggurat.  Since Sumerians believed that their gods lived in the heavens or high mountains, they built tall mud brick structures with temple on top.  A ziggurat seems similar in many ways to the Egyptian pyramid that was to develop later.

Patrons placed devotional clay statuettes or votives in the temples.  Each figure represented a stylized version of his/her patron.  All exhibited wide staring eyes, indicating their constant attention to the god.  Each also holds an offering, or libation, and hands appear folded across the chest.  Fleece skirts represent the fashion of the time.  They vary in height from several inches to several feet.

Sumeria was also known for elaborate jewelry.  Almost every technique for jewelry making was known, including, welding, alloys, filigree, stone cutting, and even enameling.  Inspiration came from many sources and included geometric, animal, and vegetal designs and included color.  Some of the earliest examples of jewelry come from Queen Pu-abi’s tomb at Ur from the third millennium BCE.  Such skill and a wealth of material indicates a powerful society.  After all, do we still show our prowess with bling?

The headdress of Pu-abi from the Tomb of Ur as displayed in the late 1920s, taken from Defending "Cultural Heritage: Protecting Historical Valuables," from the Penn Museum Blog, http://www.penn.museum/blog/museum/defending-cultural-heritage-protecting-historical-valuables/

The headdress of Pu-abi from the Tomb of Ur as displayed in the late 1920s, taken from Defending “Cultural Heritage: Protecting Historical Valuables,” from the Penn Museum Blog, http://www.penn.museum/blog/museum/defending-cultural-heritage-protecting-historical-valuables/

A lot of what we know about ancient Sumeria comes from their tombs, the most elaborate of which comes from the Royal Tomb of Ur, discovered by Sir Leonard Woolley in the 20s.  Woolley described a scene of human sacrifice on a massive scale.  Apparently, Ur royalty believed in having servants and retainers for an afterlife.  Sumptuous objects and massive wealth appeared in a variety of goods horded for the afterlife and illustrate the power and lavish taste of early Sumerian rulers.

In any case, Whether buildings, religious statuettes, or luxury items, we discover the massive trading capabilities and power of this early civilization. Sumerians would eventually be superseded by various other cultures, including Akkadians, Neo-Sumerians, Babylonians, and Hittites, which we will address in further posts.

There is Only One Me

Posted: May 6, 2013 in Artist's Corner
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CAT PALMER, There’s Only One Me, 2010, 1×2′, mixed media

In looking at fashion magazines that line the checkout at the grocery store, we’re used to seeing posed, air-brushed, and predictable images.  The majority of these images focus on women and on achieving a nuanced “ideal” of beauty.  Yet, as statistics prove, the majority of women do not adhere to these supposed standards.

Such discrepancy provides ample material for local photographer, curator of the Urban Arts Gallery, and art instructor, Cat Palmer.  According to the artist, “Women behold a certain beauty and strength that I cannot connect with in men. I have done many different art concept shoots with women concerning violence, empowerment, self-esteem, and loving one’s self even without hair.”  Common themes in Palmer’s photography includes cancer survivors, self-esteem, being human, achieving peace in the Middle East, and heroic women.  Her 2010 There’s Only One Me represents this artistic interest in individuality and in overcoming obstacles to ultimately accept oneself.  Be sure to read her full interview from May 2012 at: http://fosterartprogramblog.org/2012/05/02/finding-empowerment-with-cat-palmer/.  Palmer’s next exhibit, “I Have a Secret,” depicts images of women from all over the world and will be held at the SLC Art Hub at 663 W 100 S on October 19th from 6-10pm.

 For Art History and Humanities Students:

1.  Compare and contrast Palmer’s photograph with images in fashion magazines.  What similarities do they exhibit?  What differences?  Why are these differences important?  Think about setting, use of color, clothing, hairstyle, etc.

2.  Why is Palmer’s use of pose important in this work?  How do we respond as viewers to seeing a united front of women holding hands as opposed to a solitary and posed model?  How does this accentuate the artist’s message?

For Visual Arts Students:

1.  Create a collage with cutouts from various fashion magazines to make a new model.  Be sure to consider pose and visual elements in suggesting meaning.  Share your work with a classmate.  What response does this collage inspire?  Humor?  Confusion?  Think about the messages and viewer responses that fashion magazines usually inspire.  How does your collage complicate a viewer’s expectations?

2.  For photography students, take two portraits of a friend.  In the first image, depict a natural shot that doesn’t rely on stylization.  In the next image, photograph the same person in a specific pose, setting, clothing or hair style, etc..  (Remember to avoid anything controversial or inappropriate to school standards.)  Share your photographs with a classmate.  How does his/her reaction change to the sitter with the inclusion of stylized elements?  How does this relate to our reaction to fashion photography or advertisements?

Exploring Portraiture at Riverton High School

Posted: April 29, 2013 in Classroom Projects
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Throughout the school year, it’s been a pleasure to communicate with art instructor, Robyn Harris, of Riverton High School in Jordan School District.  As a local artist, Harris even appeared in January’s artist interview.  Refer to the link at: http://fosterartprogramblog.org/2013/01/03/artist-and-teacher-interview-with-robyn-harris/.

Charlee

Charlee

For the past several months, Harris’ students have been working on portraiture projects that draw inspiration from her instruction, from lesson plans on the blog, and from local portraitists.  The results appear in numerous media, including charcoal.  They offer poignant examination of their sitters through various means.  Charcoal works force us as viewers to acknowledge the subject without the added distraction of color, and we infer the sitter’s mood through shadow, light, perspective, and expression.

Other creations offer a collage approach and include elements from the subject’s life that reveal his/her personality.  Further explorations represent a personal past through a family tree that reveals how our identities are shaped by people we love and by the past.  Others represent our sense of place.

Mitch

MITCH PALMER, Forgot the Arches

In any case, it seems evident that these young artists have a promising future in the local art scene.  Thank you to Robyn Harris and to her class for sharing these works with us!  The artists’ names are as follows: Madison Goff, Charlee Farr, Matthew Burger, Marissa Emch, Jie M. Huang, Mitchell Palmer, Elyssa Marchant, London Hustad, Rebecca  Pedersen, and Portia Loosli.

If your class wishes to share their projects with the blog and with other local schools in the Salt Lake Valley, please email our staff at: jbfosterartprogram@yahoo.com.  We look forward to hearing from you.

For Boston

Posted: April 23, 2013 in Artist's Corner
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GEORGE COCHRAIN LAMBDIN, Easter Lily, ca. 1861-97, Boston Public Library, public domain image

GEORGE COCHRAIN LAMBDIN, Easter Lily, ca. 1861-97, Boston Public Library, public domain image

I traveled to Boston about a year and a half ago. My honorary aunt grew up there, and I was delighted by the scenery, attractions, restaurants,friendly people, and colonial feel. Needless to say, it struck me, and indeed, all of us here in Utah with tremendous sadness upon hearing about the marathon bombings. Thankfully, authorities found the surviving perpetrator, and justice can now be served.

It seemed appropriate to include an image from the Boston Public Library. Flowers prove symbolic, so Lambdin’s Easter Lily becomes a fitting representation of the city’s victory. Lilies typically represent hope, purity, and, in Christian theology, resurrection. One often sees lilies in Annunciation scenes alluding to the Virgin Mary’s virtue and in Easter settings representing Christ’s resurrection. Regardless of theology, the lily remains a powerful symbol of hope and triumph.

For Art History and Humanities Students:

Using your textbook or reliable internet sources (no Wiki, please), brush up on your floral symbolism.  Put your skills to the test by looking at various works from the 15th and 16th centuries.  (Christian triptychs and Annunciation scenes provide the most prevalent symbolism with which to test your skills.)  For further study, consider what various  floral symbols mean in cultures beyond the Western European tradition.  For example, what do different flowers mean in Asian symbolism?  Are their meanings similar to or different from their European counterparts?

For Visual Arts Students:

Using reliable internet sources, analyze various floral symbolism.  Create a work in any medium of your choice that utilizes floral symbols to suggest meaning.  Are you painting a portrait and including a flower as a representation of the sitter’s personality?  Still life?  Landscape?  Share your work with a classmate and ask him/her to decode the work’s meaning.

 

Carving Beauty: Interview with Subin Nandilok Doenges

Posted: April 8, 2013 in Artist Interviews, Interviews
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SUBIN NANDILOK DOENGES

SUBIN NANDILOK DOENGES

I remember growing up and watching my grandpa woodwork and carve in his garage.  He seemed to get such pleasure from it, even though it proved time-consuming and meticulous.  I even attempted my own carving with a bar of soap and spent hours unable to maintain that vision in my head.  I kept whittling away, until I was left with a tiny canoe filled with circles.  Yes, my contribution to the carving world had become three small peas in a pod.

Needless to say, from that moment on, I abandoned any form of carving but always admired artists who pursued it.  That’s why I was so impressed at a Red Butte Garden art fair when I saw the elaborate floral soap carvings of Subin Nandilok Doenges.  Each colorful soap represented a different flower and appeared with such minute detail.

SUBIN NANDILOK DOENGES

SUBIN NANDILOK DOENGES

In communicating with Nandilok Doenges, I was able to learn more about her development as an artist and about her colorful Thai heritage.  Rather than beginning as a visual artist, she first succeeded at creative writing.  According to the artist, “I grew up in a very simple rural farming village in north-eastern Thailand, and farm life made art the furthest thing from my mind.  It wasn’t until a few years ago that I started writing down stories I remembered from my childhood and thinking about the idea of compiling these stories into a book.  These stories mostly focused on my memories of growing up with water buffaloes on my parents’ farm and all of the fun I would having playing with them and imagining going on wild adventures with them.  I loved gymnastics as a child, even though formal training was far out of my reach, but my imaginary adventures about jumping around with my water buffalo friends finally inspired me to start writing my first young adult novel, which after two years of writing and editing is available on Amazon, Brave Little Mint and the Lost Water Buffaloes (http://www.amazon.com/Brave-Little-Mint-Water-Buffaloes/dp/1466412267).  The experience of writing this book made me want to reconnect with my Thai roots and explore other types of cultural art.”

SUBIN NANDILOK DOENGES

SUBIN NANDILOK DOENGES

This interest in cultural art led the artist to soap carving.  “I always enjoyed the lovely soap carvings I saw at the local markets when I was growing up in Thailand, and they are now sold in markets in Thailand as popular tourist souvenirs. But I only recently discovered that I have a talent for it.  About two years ago after visiting my family in Thailand, I decided to teach myself how to do it.  I watched dozens of YouTube videos of other people carving soap and started trying it myself.  It took a lot of practice, ruined or half-finished carvings, and hundreds of bars of soap to get my skill where it is today.  But now I find it very relaxing and peaceful to sit quietly and carve my soap; it’s almost like meditating.  Once you find your center and start listening to your heart and expressing it with your hands, you can make your imagination become reality.”

SUBIN NANDILOK DOENGES

SUBIN NANDILOK DOENGES

As well as writing and carving, Nandilok Doenges also pursues cooking as an art form.  “Cooking IS art when it’s done with love.  I think a lot of people see cooking as a chore they have to do and may not pay much attention to the fine ingredients, preparation, and presentation of a meal.  Making an image in your head that comes out of your hands in a carving seems similar to making a beautiful and delicious meal.  It is about loving what you’re doing and doing it with all your heart.  At that point, it becomes a labor of love, and people will know it when they see it.  Watching people react to a wonderful Thai meal waiting on the table is very similar to the looks you’ll see on people’s faces when they see a truly unique piece of artwork, and that is a powerful thing as an artist.”

How does the artist’s Thai heritage inspire her approach to art?  “Decorative Thai carving began around 700 years ago in Sukothai, the old capitol of Thailand.  Artists began carving pieces of fruit to resemble local flowers and birds to use them as festival centerpieces, and since then, it became a Thai tradition to create beautiful fruit carvings for parties and celebrations.  People loved seeing the fine detail and eating these special creations.  But the problem with fruit carvings is that they only last a day or so before they spoil, ruining the graceful art.  Soap carving is a relatively recent addition to the craft, but it allows the artwork to endure for many years and for many more people to enjoy its beauty.  There are now carving schools in Thailand to help keep this art form alive.”

SUBIN NANDILOK DOENGES

SUBIN NANDILOK DOENGES

With such a rich background, Nandilok Doenges must have a most memorable artistic experience.  How does it affect her art now?  “When I first decided to start carving soap, it was difficult to stay focused and put so much energy into this project.  For the first few months, my carvings were so far off from what I wanted to create that I almost gave up in frustration several times.  I would spend hours looking at real flowers on the internet and making a mental catalog of each type of flower, the delicate petals and leaves, and every subtle detail in each one.  But the more I carved, the better I got at using my hands to bring out the flower shapes I had in my head.  There wasn’t a sudden moment where I finally realized I was making my imagination a reality; it happened over many months of practice and careful attention to detail.  Once I broke that barrier, it almost became second nature, and now I can happily work on my art during quiet moments each day.”
SUBIN NANDILOK DOENGES

SUBIN NANDILOK DOENGES

Like most artists, challenges appear in this economy.  How does she best face these challenges?  “Given the tough times in the economy, it can be difficult to convince customers to spend even a little extra cash on pieces of decorative art.  Over the past year, I have sold my crafts at several local street festivals and art fairs.  I sold a lot more pieces than I would have expected in this economy, and I was most rewarded by so many people’s positive response to my artwork.  This type of carving isn’t difficult to find in Thailand but most people have never seen anything like it here in the US, so I loved watching people’s faces as they realized my art started with just a bar of Lever 2000 before I transformed it into a delicate piece of art.  Most Thai soap carvings are small and round, but since I use this brand, I have a lot more space to bring out the flower designs I have in my head when I sit down with my carving tools.  Also, given the low cost of my materials, it isn’t hard to keep prices affordable, which is important for the hundreds of potential customers walking past your booth at these street fairs.”

Considering her varied experiences, the artist has advice for burgeoning artists, especially carvers.  “It really helped to actively demonstrate my carving in my booth at these street fairs to make it clear to customers that these are hand-crafted, meticulously-made pieces of art.  I prepared several hundred items for these fairs with careful carving and painting, but I found that a surprising number of people preferred the unpainted white soap carvings that I made while they watched.   When potential customers can watch their custom piece of art being created in front of them, it really opens them up to the idea of owning one or more items and telling their family and friends about the experience.  But mostly, just don’t lose sight of that ideal piece of art you have in your mind; if you keep pushing and listening to your heart, it will come out of your hands eventually!”IMG_9554
To experience more of Subin Nandilok Doenges’ art, refer to her website at: www.subinthai.com.  To see a YouTube video demonstrating the artist’s carving process, view: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ikhWEIdRsE.

Event at Hillcrest High School: An Experiment in Printmaking

Posted: March 28, 2013 in Events
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BRET HANSON, Sophia's Ghost

BRET HANSON, Sophia’s Ghost, drypoint, collograph, and cyanotype mounted on birch panel, 2007. 25″ x 32″

Several school districts in the Salt Lake Valley are currently enjoying spring break, including Canyons District.  We wish them a relaxing week!  Students in Canyons District, specifically from Kari Bennett’s AP/IB Art Class at Hillcrest High School in Midvale, will have a lot to digest during their time off, considering their recent experience with printmaking.

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Bret Hanson and Students from Kari Bennett’s AP/IB Studio Art Class at Hillcrest High

Thanks to a generous community partnership with Whole Foods Market in Cottonwood Heights, the blog was able to arrange a guest lecture and  student project at Hillcrest High with master printmaker, Bret Hanson.  On March 13 and 15, Hanson discussed the varying types and processes of printmaking with students and shared his own development as an artist.  Hanson’s qualifications render him an expert, with an MFA from the University of New Mexico and with a BFA from Utah State.  His experience with printmaking proves varied and involves mixed media, paper sculptures, collographs, cyanotypes, drypoint, screen print, pen and ink, and plexiglass, to name a few.  Hanson also possesses a talent in using readily available materials, even tape.  He relies on the precedences established in the printmaking tradition but modernizes it to fit with current materials, trends, and artistic interests.

BRONTE KING, Student at Hillcrest High, collograph, 2013

BRONTE KING, Student at Hillcrest High, collograph, 2013

Printmaking exists as an exciting art form because one never really knows how a work is going to turn out.  It’s the process that matters as much as the finished product.  There is always an aspect of mystery.  The history of printmaking proves long and varied, but here are some quick synopses.

Early printmakers used woodcuts.  We can simplify and compare the process now to rubber stamps that one uses in scrap booking.  It basically relies on negative and positive space to create an image.  Japanese printmakers excelled in this type of printmaking.  Hokusai immediately comes to mind as an example.  Later printmakers included engravers like Durer and etchers like Rembrandt who created time-consuming works and used dangerous chemicals.  Twentieth-century printing became more commercialized with screen printing.  (Think t-shirts and Andy Warhol.)  In any case, printmaking has developed and refined over the years.  In our digital age, it’s difficult to find true printmakers who are willing to take the time and take the risks.

Alex Cutshaw

ALEX CUTSHAW, Student from Hillcrest Hiigh, collograph, 2013

That’s why Hanson’s lecture proved so important.  Students in AP/IB Art Classes display a true talent and interest.  They exist as our future artists.  It’s an opportunity to take advantage of the printmaking facilities that they have at Hillcrest and to meet another local artist.  Their teacher, Kari Bennett, proves a distinguished artist in her own right who specializes in jewelry.  Students’ experience with Hanson’s project enhances their previous experiences and learning.

For their project, students created collographs.  Collography is relief printing that involves applying various materials on a hard surface (like wood), inking it, and printing on paper or other material.  The result is a collage effect that makes use of all the various textures of the materials chosen.  Color, depth, and texture prove characteristic of this medium.

Students so enjoyed this form of printing, they continue to create more.  The results were highly professional and unique.  This medium allows students to carry on the printmaking tradition while contemporizing it with post-modern elements.

Thanks, again, to Whole Foods Market in Cottonwood Heights for helping the Foster Art Program Blog make this visit possible.  Also, thank you to artist, Bret Hanson; Hillcrest High Principal, Sue Malone; and instructor, Kari Bennett.  The photographs in the video were provided by Kari Bennett and feature student artwork by Bronte King, CJ Hellige, Alex Cutshaw, Alisa Joo, and Antionette Vreeke, respectively.  Video compiled and created by Juliette Bradley with music from Nine Inch Nails “7 Ghosts.”

If your high school is located in the Salt Lake Valley and would be interested in hosting a visiting artist event at no cost to the school, email jbfosterartprogram@yahoo.com for more information.  We look forward to visiting your school!

We Could Be Heroes: A Review

Posted: March 19, 2013 in Events
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GAINER, CAMERON, (Bigfoot) Forest through the the Trees, 2006, mixed media, 6’x3’. Courtesy of Marion Boulton Stroud

GAINER, CAMERON, (Bigfoot) Forest through the the Trees, 2006, mixed media, 6’x3’. Courtesy of Marion Boulton Stroud

This Saturday, my husband and I decided to attend the “We Could Be Heroes” exhibit at the BYU Museum of Art in Provo.  I’d heard a lot about it from my communications with Jeff Lambson, museum curator, and from my communications with John Bell, one of the best-known artists to be featured in the show.  I knew from visiting numerous shows at the museum in the past that it would be professional and thought-provoking.

Front of the BYU Museum of Art, Provo

Front of the BYU Museum of Art, Provo

The current exhibition analyzes our fascination with superheroes and their corresponding villains/monsters.  (Consider the recent popularity of all the comic book superhero movies, like Batman, Ironman, or Superman.)  Through looking at various artistic representations of heroism and villainy, we discovery the influence of context, time-period, and culture.  It follows the mythological concept of the hero’s journey that was developed by Dr. Joseph Campbell.  We see numerous cross-cultural similarities among heroes and discover our own societal values  by analyzing the admired traits of a popular hero.  In essence, the hero’s journey involves a call to adventure, helpers along the way, facing obstacles, reaching the lowest point, or nadir, and overcoming obstacles.  Since we all suffer through difficulties in our lives, regardless of age, sex, race, or culture, we all find the idea of a hero and his/her subsequent overcoming of obstacles to be inspiring.

A giant Loch Ness Monster sculpture created by Cameron Gainer appears at the museum’s outside entrance and greets visitors with the delightful notion that it’s taken over the building.  The sculpture, like his Bigfoot sculpture inside, developed from the artist looking at photographs that supposedly depict the real monsters.

Upon entering the museum, a discovery hall of interactive activities and multimedia displays exist to the right of the front entrance.  We heard numerous children claim this was their absolute favorite part of the museum.  It seems an excellent inclusion to appeal to the younger crowd.  Little ones usually have a hard time enjoying museums!

JOHN BELL, Infinity on Trial, 2012, BYU Museum of Art in the "We Could be Heroes" Exhibition

JOHN BELL, Infinity on Trial, 2012, BYU Museum of Art in the “We Could be Heroes” Exhibition

The main exhibit offers visitors the choice to go right and view the hero aspect of the show or to go left and view the monster half.  It presented a fun notion and made us feel more like participants than passive viewers.  (Yes, we chose to view the heroes first.)  We were presented with various depictions, including sports figures, comic book characters, historical dignitaries, military personnel, and movie heroes.  (Yes, Daniel Craig as James Bond was there in graphite.)  One of my favorite aspects involved the inclusion of real people as heroes.  John Bell’s in the museums’ infinity goes up on trial recognizes music legend, Bob Dylan, and Mary Henderson’s Division depicts American soldiers in an oil painting based on images from Facebook and other social networking sites.  It forces us to consider the iconic quality that these figures assume once they are represented in paint.

ELZBIETA JABLONSKA, House Games, 2002(Washing, Cooking, Laundry) Edition 3/6, C-Print on Sentra faced with UV Plexiglas, 2002

ELZBIETA JABLONSKA, House Games, 2002
(Washing, Cooking, Laundry) Edition 3/6, C-Print on Sentra faced with UV Plexiglas, 2002

Of particular interest in this theme of everyday people as heroes, was Elzbieta Jablonska’s House Games, 2002.  It examined how women’s roles as wife and mother can be considered heroic, given the effort and care that it requires.  It forces us to question, “Do we value our stay-at-home mothers or the role that mother’s in general play within society?”  It seems significant that the museum would choose this work as their main advertising image for the exhibition.  Everyone has a mother, and it proves the most accessible and easy to relate to.

Alice_gllery

TRISTIN LOWE in collaboration with The Fabric Workshop and Museum, Alice in New Dress, Vinyl coated fabric, paint, internal fan, motor, hand-dyed and embroidered cotton, 1998 / 2011

The villains/monsters half of the exhibit included everything– classically mythological characters like the Medusa to a rogue shark from the film, Jaws.  Some proved humorous while others forced viewers to come to terms with the prevalence of violence in our culture.  Does violence prove necessary in war or, indeed, in society in general?  Or is it always a last option?  How does violence or any obstacle create heroes?

All in all, it was an impressive exhibition.  The idea of heroism that it presented certainly affected me on a personal level after nearly passing out from low blood sugar in one of the main galleries.  I remember dizzily stumbling and feeling my husband carry me to the closest couch and feeding me a sugar pill.  We were surrounded by people, but not one offered assistance or expressed concern.  It seemed to drive home the message of the exhibition.  A hero proves unique because he/she has the courage to offer help, to rise to the occasion, and to do what the majority of others fail to do.  I was lucky to have my own personal hero on hand.

MICHAEL SCOGGINS, Invincibles #1, Graphite, crayon, prismacolor on paper, 2012

MICHAEL SCOGGINS, Invincibles #1, Graphite, crayon, prismacolor on paper, 2012

The “We Could Be Heroes” exhibition continues until April 6th.  For more information about the show, refer to: http://heroesandmonsters.byu.edu/about-the-exhibition/.  Dr. Ben Saunders will be speaking at a symposium on March 29th to further examine the themes presented in the exhibit.  Contact Ann Lambson at ann_lambson@byu.edu with any questions concerning the symposium.   Examine the BYU Museum’s main website at: http://moa.byu.edu/ for general information and hours of operation.

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