Amazing stories behind the art

A general look into the Oregon College of Art and Craft’s Student Exhibition in the Visual Arts Gallery at MHCC. Photo by Fadi Shahin.

With the cold, slippery snow finally melting away from campus, you can now freely and safely roam. Hopefully on one of your daily strolls you’ll come across the Visual Arts Gallery here on campus, nestled on the east side of campus. You can tell you’re in the right place if you see lots of colorful murals.

The current artwork being presented is a mishmash of pieces from the students at the Oregon College of Art and Craft (OCAC).

Upon arrival you will see two large-scale sculptures on the floor, as well as a set of twin chairs. The chairs were crafted by Cole Sicora-Friesen, a second-year transfer student at OCAC currently working to attain his bachelor of fine arts degree in wood. He tells me of his inspiration, and how the chairs were constructed. They are modeled after Gary Reitveld’s Steltman chair and the chairs are piston fit joints, meaning no wood glue joints hold them together.

Explaining the reason for two chairs, Sicora-Friesen says, “As a response to the Steltman chair I began to think about my twin brother and how we have been living 1000 miles away from each other for almost four years now. So, I feel fractured and this theme of fracture or separation has been reoccurring more  and more in my practice as time moves forward and I see less of my twin brother.

“I made two chairs as reflection of my brother. I am left-handed and he is right-handed; we’re not mirror twins nor identical, but nobody can really tell us apart,” he adds.

These exceptional seats are not for sale. They are sturdy, yet uncomfortable and impractical for everyday use, as stated by the artist who frequently uses them in his apartment. I myself could see a coffee cup resting on the end square of the arm of each chair, but if it were me trying to use one, I might add a cushion. I really enjoy the open geometric and linear concept of this set. (I cannot definitely judge on comfort level because I didn’t want to get kicked out of the gallery!)

One of the eye-catching pieces that immediately stands out in the gallery is the vertical arm sculpture, left-center in the exhibit, created by Matthew Branham. The piece is titled “Delude.” Just left of the fading porcelain hand is an overflowing pink bathtub titled “Being Charlotte Corday.” This is an interactive piece where the viewer has the option to add water to the piece. Prior to my visit I had no idea who Charlotte Corday was; she was a French noblewoman and the assassin of the French revolutionary Jean-Paul Marat. After a brief online search, it seems Corday was a conservative in support of the monarchy and Marat was in favor of more democratic means of power.

Looking into the underlying meaning of artistic works makes me appreciate their creation even more.

As I passed through this gallery each piece piqued my interest; there’s variety here, from crafted geometric chairs to fibrous textiles on display.

I took the opportunity to talk to another of the artists, Rachel Barker, a metals major at OCAC. Her work displayed here, however, is not metal: Instead there are four neutral, spandex garments hanging on the back wall titled “Tuesday Afternoon” (Series of 4).

To my questions about the purpose and inspiration for these transparent garments, Barker responds, “I was really interested in minimalism and German constructivists, particularly their take on design and architecture.

“The material and the pieces are intended to be decoration to the human form; ideally, the body would be the work of art. These are intended to be displayed on the human body, but you can’t really have people hanging out in the gallery at all times,” she explains.

It is clear there are many talented artists at OCAC, and I strongly encourage you to go check out the pieces on display at MHCC before they’re gone.

There will be a reception today (Friday) in the Visual Arts Gallery from 5 to 7 p.m. and the final day to view the artwork will be Thursday, Feb. 2. The Gallery is open weekdays for visitors, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

If you’re interested in looking into the Oregon College of Art and Craft, there is an undergraduate open house at 2 p.m. Saturday (Jan. 28) where you can learn about the admission process, hear about scholarship and financial aid opportunities, and apply for Fall 2017 courses.

Be sure to bring your artist portfolio to show instructors what you have to offer at OCAC. You will also need to RSVP online. The campus is on Southwest Barnes Road, near the Providence St. Vincent hospital.

For more information about the OCAC, visit: ocac.edu.

Advocate Staff