Spring Break
Art by example
Creative professors show off eclectic work in Stark Gallery
By: Kristen Dwyer
Issue date: 3/26/09 Section: Features
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Thursday, the J. Wayne Stark Galleries will open its newest show to the public. This one is a little different.
The display showcases the art of the faculty and staff members from the architecture and visualization sciences and landscape architecture and urban planning departments.
ARchiTecture: College of Architecture Faculty Biennial was started in 1993 to show off faculty work.
The artists used whatever tools wanted. This has led to a variety of pieces.
Carol Lafayette, an associate professor in the department of architecture, created a video about rural Texas. The video included several visuals over a time lapse, such as grass growing, being cut, then growing again.
She said the image of a flower blooming was hard to time correctly.
"I put a waterproof camera on a post and took a picture every few weeks," she said. "I did not have any students collaborate with me, but it is not uncommon."
Her work has been shown around the U.S., Berlin, Hungary, the United Kingdom and Spain.
This year, 24 artists are in the show. While some have presented work in it before, others will be presenting for the first time.
Glen Vigus, a senior visualization production specialist in the department of visualization, put together a piece involving 3-D pictures.
He used stereo cameras that make the pictures look like they would in a Viewfinder to create the images. Two cameras were synchronized side-by-side, like human eyes, so the photograph taken would be of the same thing, each being slightly different.
He developed this because he did not want people to wear glasses to see the display. He said he experimented with the mirrors until he got it right.
Vigus said students are working on their own projects based on his work.
"I did not have any students work with me," he said. "But I inspired students with it."
Philip Galanter, assistant professor in the department of visualization, also showing his work for the first time in the gallery, relied on complex formulas to produce art.
"In my work I use generative systems to create pieces," he said. "This means I create a system, and then the system autonomously creates the art and the outcome is often surprising even to me."
His piece, the Generative Bodies Project, offers a hands-on experience for the visitor to try out. The exhibit is a set of five high resolution images placed on 16 inch by 44 inch panels.
"The system is based on genetics," he said. "The images shown are the result of underlying formulas which act as a sort of DNA. This DNA can be mutated as well as crossbred with DNA from other images. While I don't directly create the images by hand I do decide which images get to create future generations."
Joshua Bienko, a recently hired assistant professor in the department of visualization, is also new to the Stark Galleries.
He said even though he hasn't been at A&M long, he loves it here and the students have been great. His work has been featured around the country.
His piece, a pencil drawing called "Study," is of himself standing in a corner. He said his class clown antics inspired the piece.
When and where
The doors will open at 6:30 p.m. Thursday in the J. Wayne Stark Galleries. There will be music and light refreshments. The pieces will be in the gallery until May 31.
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