Welcome Back show

When I first entered the gallery my attention was immediately grabbed by Syn 2010 by Patrick Strzelec. I was blown away by this piece. It was so intense and exciting both in the coloration and form. The placement of this object on its pedestal was also really wonderfully minimized. There was no room for distraction. The piece spoke for itself, and nothing, not even the surface it was on, distracted me from it. This piece was done in cast aluminum, limestone, and stainless steel. Its dimensions were about 4 x 3 x 3, but its presence felt much larger. I am currently in Patrick Strzelec's class and I cannot wait to talk to him about the piece next week.

I found myself very interested in two of Lyda Craig's works. The first was Tales from the Holoscene 1997. This piece grabbed my attention as soon as I entered the room. This dark and mysterious image made me want answers. Who are these shadowy figures? Where are they? Why? The work is incredibly well done. I couldn't help but admire the details of the objects within. There is an imense depth to this work that could cause the viewer to lose themselves in it. These pastels on paper were used to their potential.

The second Lyda Craig work that caught my attention as I moved around the room was Untitled 2000. These relatively small images are mixed media on panel. The combination of various materials, such as string, are beautifully combined to create densly interesting objects. The color combinations are dark and warm. The two objects are paired well together and create a uniform work. It is clear that this was a many stepped process of materials that created the end result.

The next work I noticed was Crystal 2010, by Eric Schoonebeek. He created this image with acrylic, oil, and fabric paint on paper. it was then mounted on a board. These materials were used to create an interesting pattern of black on black. There is a feel of depth between the two different shades of black, and yet there is still a two dimentionality to it. It seems flat, and yet shows space. I found this combination and use of mediums Very interesting.

Overall, I was impressed with the Welcome Back show and look forward to seeing more of these artists' work in the future. The installations were well done and appropriate for each individual piece. It was also a nicely diverse group of work.