Fall colors
Hanover
College to exhibit works
by Wisconsin artist Pergl
Sculpture,
painting, drawing show
to run through early December
By
Lela Jane Bradshaw
Contributing Writer
(November 2008) – This fall, autumn colors will
brighten more than the trees at Hanover College. Beginning in November,
the school will welcome the works of artist William Pergl for an exhibition
of his wood sculpture, paintings and drawings.
Associate Professor of Art and Hanover College Gallery Director Leticia
Bajuyo notes that “as winter nears and students study, the energy
from the sculptures and engagement with audience members will bring
a sense of exploration and animation to the CFA and campus.”
 |
|
Photo
provided The
piece, titled “In One and Out the |
The exhibition, titled, “Trivialities of Deportment,”
runs Nov. 7 through Dec. 5 at the Hanover College Art Gallery, located
in room 105 of the Lynn Center for Fine Arts. At 5 p.m. Friday, Nov.
7, there will be a talk presented by the artist followed by a reception.
This opening event is free and members of the public are invited to
attend. Normal hours of the show are Monday through Friday, from 11
a.m. to 4 p.m., and viewings are also available by appointment.
Every other year artists from around the country are invited to submit
a portfolio of work in order to be considered for exhibition at Hanover
College, explains Bajuyo. In addition to these carefully selected guest
artists, the Hanover Art Gallery also hosts exciting displays of faculty
and student work. Not only does the gallery allow the community to enjoy
current works by established and emerging artists, but it also puts
on displays of historical significance as well.
In January, the college will host a selection of photographs from The
Wanamaker Collection, which Bajuyo describes as “a word-renowned
assemblage of more than 8,000 images taken between 1908 and 1921. It
is recognized as the largest and one of the most important collections
of photographs of Native Americans by a single photographic enterprise
in the United States.”
Pergl’s work continues the college gallery’s tradition of
offering thought provoking shows by talented artists.
Pergl, 39, of Milwaukee, describes the pieces that will be on display,
saying, “I strive to make images that are sensual and awkward,
logical and absurd in equal measure.”
Color plays an important role in unifying works that will make up the
Hanover College exhibit. “This body of work shares a bright color
pallet,” he said. “The color and patterning in the work I
would describe as industrial, akin to the color and striping found around
construction sites. It is interesting how omnipresent and garish these
colors, symbols and signs are in our landscape and how easy it is for
us to ignore them as a temporary inconveniences.”
The artist credits his years spent working as a cabinetmaker for influencing
his work not only with sculpted wood, but his art as a whole. “My
knowledge and respect for craft of woodworking shapes my aesthetic and
my approach to other mediums,” he says.
In addition to his painted wood sculpture, Pergl also works with materials
ranking from steel, to video, to paper. “It is important that these
images have a strong reference to the physical world, reveal a high
level of craft, and have a poetic presence that does not explain itself,”
says Pergl.
Pergl currently teaches at the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design
where he holds the position of Associate Professor.
“In addition to experience teaching sculpting and drawing, he has
also worked with fellow teachers and students in exploring the connections
between art and disciplines such as biology and anthropology. With his
studio art students, he challenges them to realize that, “the distinctions
between various genres in art are becoming increasingly blurred or even
non-existent as contemporary artists fluidly work across a multitude
of visual disciplines.”
“I anticipate an exciting exhibition,” says Bajuyo. She encourages
people to visit the show, noting that Pergl has produced “sculptures
that capture a viewer’s attention and imagination.” So for
those who seek a splash of light to enliven their cold autumn days and
spark their thoughts, this exhibit is certain to inspire.
• For more information, visit: http://art.hanover.edu/.