2008 Woodie Awards
Thirty-eight lenders give 202 pieces of their work for Delta's newest exhibit
Stefanie Quashnick
Issue date: 12/10/04 Section: No Limits
- Page 1 of 1
| |
| |
| |
|
The third and newest exhibition to Delta College, entitled "Stockton Salon: Collectors Invitational" and curated by gallery director William F. Wilson II, first seems overwhelming when you walk through the doors.
At second glance, however, it's evident that plenty of time and effort went into gathering the 202 pieces and works in the Salon. A total of 38 lenders (34 of them private) contributed parts of their collections for the exhibition, which commenced November 18 and will run through December 16.
All featured works, which were required to be of gallery or museum quality, and those who lent them, reside in Stockton. The art presented is also a selection that might not otherwise have been available outside museums or private owner's homes, making it more accessible to Delta students and members of the community.
The tradition of hanging works side by side and above each other became known as the "salon" style during the late 17th to mid 19th century in Europe. Salon style aimed to show off the work of up-and-coming artists and art academy students.
While in the past, works of the surfacing artists hung above the more prominent artists' in a grid-like pattern, Wilson arranged the Horton gallery using his own patterns. He also grouped the art on each wall; one including both religious pieces, one featuring graphic art, another, landscapes and natural scenes.
The theory behind salon-style art exhibits attracted me most to Stockton Salon. Because all the works are so diverse in themselves and in relation to each other, they give the viewer a chance to view pieces they may not have previously had access to. France, Mexico, the U.S., Central America, the Azores, New Guinea, Namibia, China, Ethiopia and Peru are just a sample of the countries represented.
The media of art are as diverse as the places from which they originate. Ceramics, paintings, lithographs, bone, feather, whale teeth, wood, stone, glass, bronze, paper mache, shells, gold, metal and mixed media materials all appear in the exhibit.
Some of my favorite pieces include Pablo Picasso's "Luncheon on the Grass," Etienne Ret's "Lady Feeding Bird," lithograph and serigraph concert posters (for bands Jefferson Airplane, Target Rats, Sonny and Cher and Bad Religion), and a brightly colored paper-macheed bird with eyes so big, it has an almost cartoonish look to it.
The collection of art featured in Stockton Salon is so diverse; there is undoubtedly something for everyone. Even if art isn't typically your thing, I encourage those who have not yet seen the exhibit to pay a visit to the L.H. Horton Gallery before Christmas break, and see what you've been missing. Take advantage of the presentation of art designed with average, everyday people in mind. You might just be surprised.
L.H. Horton Gallery hours are: Tuesday, 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.; Wednesday and Thursday, 11 a.m. - 6:30 p.m.; Friday, 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. For more information, call 209-954-5507, or visit http://finearts.deltacollege.edu/gallery.