This year saw a wide variety of art exhibits both at UB and in the wider Buffalo community. While the Albright-Knox Art gallery featured artists like Laylah Ali, Frank Moore and Amedeo Modigliani, UB's art department and galleries presented (sometimes in conjunction with local art venues) the work of many of UB's art students.
"Young Photography: Multiple Expressions":
One particularly notable piece in the exhibit is "Trojan Funeral Sacrifice." The piece, by Bradley D. Corman and Cara Lee Cole, shows an indistinguishable animal lying in a pool of blood. The two artists were able to transform what most may have viewed as a gruesome display into a conceptual masterpiece.
The photograph is shot from a distinctive angle that distorts perception, while the image itself thrives on vivid color and animated details, which really bring this piece alive. The photo was inspired by the artists' visit to Indonesia, where they witnessed a sacrifice of livestock.
Other non-traditional works, such as Shelia Pree's "Dolls," which displayed two photos, are part of a larger series. These photos blended a doll and human face, and brought to light the huge differences between the two. This piece examined identity and how women - particularly women of color - struggle with conformity while trying to transform their bodies into reflections on society's opinion of beauty.
"Empty Spaces," a presentation of the CFA Basement Gallery, featured work done by theater and design students:
In the exhibit "Empty Space 2003: Students Design for Theater," in the CFA Art Department Gallery, students in the Department of Theatre and Dance displayed the various environments they have created for productions throughout the school year.
"Nobody gets to see the design work process," said Kate Palame, a senior theater design major. "There's a bigger cast backstage than onstage."
Two designers from last fall's production of "The Wild Party" competed in the region-two branch of the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival, held in Maryland this winter.
The dichromatic makeup and hair design of Jen LaMastra, a junior theater design major, won the Mehron Makeup Design Award, while the set design of Meghan Yaham, a senior theater design major, won her the Barbizon Award. Both of these presentations go on to compete at the national competition in May in Washington, D.C.
-Information compiled from articles written by Krystle Carter and Benjamin Siegel.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
