Cody Luk
Staff Writer
On Thursday evenings after closing hours, the sound of live music, artists speaking at workshops and people discussing exhibitions are still evident at the Pomona College Museum of Art for Art After Hours.
Events include KSPC 88.7 FM sponsoring live concerts, opening receptions, artists’ panels and more, causing students and community members from close and afar attend for different purposes.
“I heard about Art After Hours a few days ago when I came in here,” said Pomona College freshman Evan DeLorenzo. “I came again today since I am interested in the museum.”
Exhibitions on view during museum hours and Art After Hours include “David Michalek: Figure Studies,” “John Divola: As Far As I Could Get,” “Project Series 46: Hirokazu Kosaka: On The Verandah Selected Works 1969-1974” and “Resonant Minds: Abstraction and Perception.”
“Some artworks haven’t been displayed in many years, like George Inness’ ‘Medfield Landscape (or Clearing),’” Security Info Officer Cynthia Madrigal said.
“Some are owned (by the museum) and some are from the basement. There are many historical artworks and contemporary ones as well,” Madrigal said.
“Resonant Minds” contains abstract art from the permanent collection. Since there are no specific patterns in most of them, it goes against humans natural instinct to seek for patterns. The artworks also related art to the human brain, and the viewers’ interactions are needed to see the connections.
Pomona College student Nidhi Gandhi curated the exhibition as a part of her internship, the Benton Summer Undergraduate Research Program at the Pomona College Museum of Art.
Gandhi worked under Terri Geis, curator of academic programs, and Kathleen Howe, director of the Pomona College Museum of Art.
Divola’s exhibition, “As Far As I Could Get,” contains photographs of an abandoned Malibu beach house.
The artist took all of them repeatedly between 1977 and 1978, but they all look different due to property destruction over time.
The artist also made additional marks and tossed objects for the photographs, adding performative elements.
This is a collaborative project with the Santa Barbara Museum of Art.
The exhibition is also on display at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
On the other hand, the Michalek exhibition and the Kosaka exhibition are different from traditional art exhibitions.
Michalek uses high-speed high definition videos to display human movement.
Five-second recordings at high frame rates are stretched to about 10 minutes, allowing the viewer to study the human body’s biomechanics.
“It is unique because it combines dance and neuroscience together in art,” Museum Coordinator Justine Bae said. “It’s not a common thing. It is very special and different.”
Kosaka’s exhibition displays performance art with detailed descriptions accompanying the photographs and videos of the performances.
“This semester’s exhibition is very interesting with diverse mediums,” Bae said. “Each of the artworks is so different (with) unique visual formats and expressions.”
Divola’s artist talk is on Sept. 26, and Kosaka’s Zen archery demonstration and calligraphy workshop are on Oct. 17.
V.S. Ramachandran, author of “A Brief Tour of Human Consciousness,” will discuss Michalek’s exhibition on Oct. 3.
Opening reception for “Project Series 47: Krysten Cunningham” is on Oct. 31, and the artist workshop is on Nov. 21. These events are on first come, first served basis.
Art After Hours is at 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. through Dec. 5 with the exception of Thanksgiving Day. Parking and admission are free to the public.
Cody Luk can be reached at cody.luk@laverne.edu.
