Arts, Etc.Fine Art

Harris Gallery displays faculty work

Senior Trisha Garcia, views the faculty art show "Informants" at the Harris Art Gallery. The show includes work by Gary Colby, Rebecca Hamm, Dion Johnson, Keith Lord, Barry Markowitz and Ruth Trotter. Colby's installation, "flat", is a group of 36 colored photographs where the objects have been flattened by a machine shop. / photo by Raúl Mena
Senior Trisha Garcia, views the faculty art show “Informants” at the Harris Art Gallery. The show includes work by Gary Colby, Rebecca Hamm, Dion Johnson, Keith Lord, Barry Markowitz and Ruth Trotter. Colby’s installation, “flat”, is a group of 36 colored photographs where the objects have been flattened by a machine shop. / photo by Raúl Mena

by Tim Tevault
Arts & Entertainment Editor

The latest exhibit to arrive at the Harris Art Gallery at the University of La Verne is appropriately titled “Informants.”

The show, which runs through Oct. 5, features the work of some of ULV’s own art instructors. From photography to painting, exhibitors include Gary Colby, Rebecca Hamm, Dion Johnson, Keith Lord, Barry Markowitz and Ruth Trotter.

Assistant Professor of Art History, Dr. Andres Mario Zervigon, said the show will be good for both faculty and student alike.

“Now we get to see what the faculty is producing, and that’s exciting,” he said.

Hamm’s section is the first many will see upon entering the gallery. It is a wall lined with several enormous sheets of white paper that have tiny photographs emitting several different themes, such as highways and animals. What is catchy about this portion of the exhibit is the unconventional layout of the pictures on the sheets of paper; the small pictures are either at the very top, very bottom, or dead center of the papers, making for an interesting way of viewing photography.

To the side of Hamm’s exhibit is a vivid painting that can be interpreted in different ways because of its intricate design. It is titled “Not Salem” by Markowitz. Upon first glance it looks as if some sort of building is being sucked into a vortex, with several other objects interspersed throughout. Markowitz’s other piece, “Pop Top” is located on the opposite side of the exhibit.

“Not Salem” and “Pop Top” share similar traits. Both are so intricately done that it truly is up to viewers to determine what they see.

Colby’s section features photos of vintage, antique metal items. Each object pictured has been essentially flattened and compressed. There are oil funnels, cookie tins and even a doorbell to amuse the eye, all flattened, then photographed.

Adjacent to Colby’s wall are two paintings, “Getting Ready” and “Then Suddenly,” both by Johnson. “Getting Ready” is an imaginative, creative and intriguing piece that blends pastels into various situations unfolding on the canvas. Compared to Johnson’s other piece, “Then Suddenly,” it seems more colorful and playful, where as “Suddenly” seems to have more structure and science-like qualities.

On the final wall, the “Knot Diptych” series of paintings by Trotter look simple and subtle from a distance, but up close the paintings reveal an intricate structure; they seem to come alive. What makes this exhibit even more intriguing is how Trotter simply used oil on linen to create these portraits.

On an island in the center of the gallery are three books and some white gloves. Pages inside the book, however, are nowhere to be found. Instead there lies a gutted-out book filled with tiny mirrors and clippings of pages that once lay there. Carefully constructed, these three books provide a look into a miniature world. Done by Lord, “American Heritage,” “Doubleday” and “History of the Modern World” each feature a fascinating look at optical illusion. Viewers are urged to use the gloves when observing the contraption. To view this tiny creation, observers simply look through a hole and push the light button.

Viewers will have a second chance to hear the artists speak about their work at a talk at 7 p.m., Sept. 20 in the Harris Art Gallery, which is open 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Tim Tevault
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Raúl Mena
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