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Arts-Ground-Zero

(DAILY_WILDCAT)

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By James Casey
Arizona Daily Wildcat
April 16, 1998

Master pieces


[Picture]

Brian Foster
Arizona Daily Wildcat

The painting, "Nowhere" by Kristen Engles is on display from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Joseph Gross Gallery.


In the Joseph Gross Gallery, on the corner of Park and Speedway, are several objects guaranteed to impress even the slowest and most culturally challenged individuals, part of a remarkable exhibition for three soon-to-be masters of fine art.

The exhibit features a large concrete sculpture by Ted Springer, a selection of paintings and drawings by Kristen Engels, and many weird and wonderful sculptures by Michael Campbell.

Most of Engels' work on display was created using only charcoal and paper, a somewhat stark form that displays a pure talent. The first picture, a charcoal drawing titled "Nowhere," is a nightscape scene with several abstract, almost deformed, semi-clothed figures. It consists of a brilliant dark background with many strange and eerie objects set throughout. A small duck, a birthday cake and whimsical stars clutter the drawing, giving it a surreal, yet poignant effect.

Engels' series of pictures can best be explained through her own words. "Through my work," she said, "I strive to provide a dialogue in which different theories, ideas, opinions and thoughts can be explored. The human figure is one of nature's most interesting and complex forms and, therefore, it is used as a recurring theme in my work."

Engels' "Papa" drawing, also charcoal, is a beautiful example of her intentions. It is a thickly drawn figure, manipulated into several other images.

"Sam Baar" is one of the most enchanting of the charcoals, combining the common blacks and whites with blues and browns, adding a certain amount of depth to the drawing.

"About Love" and "Donut Series," two extremely different paintings, both utilize mixed media. The former is a painting with a pregnant woman in the foreground and several different images and figures surrounding her. The instant effect of this is the depth that Engels has striven for, and her intention of "the figure as a metaphor" is displayed clearly.

Stuffed and painted biomorphic forms are the basis for Michael Campbell's series of sculptures and objects. The experience of seeing these bizarre objects is that of a dream in which nothing fully makes sense. With almost 30 different structures littering the floor of the gallery, Campbell's display is clearly the strangest of the three. With such titles as "Probe," "Scrub Daddy," "Deviled Egg" and "Bald Spot," his corner of the room is by far the most perplexing, colorful and interesting. The sculptures, crafted from wood, plastic, rubber, fur and felt, all appear to be strange fantasy objects, until you find out the names of each artifact. "Deviled Egg," a vertical box containing a yellow colored concrete substance, is sprinkled with black, giving it the comical appearance of its namesake. This relationship between title and object is common throughout Campbell's work.

Ted Springer, whose colossal structure gained recognition recently through a UA dance performance, has on offer a giant archway, cast from cement, that invites the viewer to walk through and actually become part of the sculpture. The piece looks like a giant "M," with several different textures and colors to add to its majestic appeal. The sculpture itself measures well over the height of an average person.

The main idea behind this and other M.F.A. exhibits is to showcase the artists' (all of whom are graduate students) finest work from their extensive studies in the fine arts. This exhibit, like others past, is held in the spring and fulfills the students' requirements for their masters of fine arts degrees.


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