Blank Canvas: Student Award Show at The Else Gallery

Jeff Carter, Extension, Oil on Canvas

First I want to say that I did really enjoy the majority of the work shown at the Student Award Show on the Sac State campus. With that being said I want to express how much I disliked the set up of the show. I’m not sure what it was exactly; it felt kind of empty, kind of like there was not enough works being shown. The works were spaced out well but the gallery just felt a little barren to me. Along with that there were false walls that were oddly placed along one side of the space providing more room to hang works but it broke up the gallery unevenly and in an unusual way. This was the first time I have ever been to the Else Gallery on campus so I am unaware if this is just how the gallery is normally arranged. Adding to the fact that I did not initially like the space, something was going on in the gallery the day I went and people were moving things in and out of a room in the gallery space, which became annoying while trying to look at the work.

Roberta Rousos, Time's Subject, Fiber and Found Objects

Moving back to the art, I liked the range of pieces that were shown here from a string installation, to sculptures created from found objects, and even a dress made from newspaper and plastic bags. With all the wonderful different mediums being used I ended up loving the oil painting by Jeff Carter called Extension (pictured at the top of the page). I immediately gravitated to this work; it was one of the first I seen, after walking in, and I went back to it several times. The use of color brought this piece to life. The subject matter is so simple and commonplace but the realistic qualities of the people shown grab the viewer’s attention. The highlight on the little boys face, the mans check, and the mans large belly bring the viewers eye all the way around the painting allowing one to enjoy the image as well as get caught up in the varying splashes of color.

Paper or Plastic detail

Lindsey McGrath, Paper or Plastic?,
Mixed Media Sculpture

Another piece I enjoyed was Time’s Subject by Roberta Rousos (pictured). I really wanted this piece to move, probably because it reminded me of a clock and would have loved to see it move in some way, but enjoyed it nonetheless. I feel working with found objects takes real creativity and imagination, to see another use or direction for something that was previously used for something totally different.

Lidia Lepe-Bañales, Pacman, Indian
Ink with Water, (detail)

Doug Loree, Singularity, Acrylic on Panel

Overall I felt the student works were strong and I feel everyone especially art students should see what their fellow classmen are producing. These are the future artists and creative minds that will producing work once they are finished with their degrees so it is nice to see what kind of talent is coming out of your own school.