Offering a spectrum that runs from whimsical to meticulous, Columbus College of Art and Design's Impact-Influence exhibit opened to the public Jan. 16 in the Carnegie Gallery on the second floor of the Main Library.
The show is co-sponsored by the Columbus Metropolitan Library, Friends of the Library, Ohio Arts Council and CCAD and features the talents of the school's Continuing & Professional Studies instructors.
“Columbus Metropolitan Library is proud to showcase the incredible works of so many talented CCAD instructors and faculty,” says Gregg Dodd, director of marketing for CML. “CML’s Carnegie Gallery provides a public forum for the community to interact with the visual arts created by both emerging and established artists. The talents and techniques highlighted through this diverse exhibit shouldn’t be missed.”
The work that immediately confronts the viewer on entry to the gallery is Esther Chung's Alexie, a sculpture composed of end of mill upholstery cotton. While simplistic in construction it is flamboyant in display. It evokes the image of the Nike of Samothrace (Winged Victory), on display at the Louvre in Paris since 1884.
At the other end of the spectrum is Hiroshi Hayakawa's Paper Pups, a collection of dogs cut and folded from paper in origami style. Unlike the majority of the works on display, Paper Pups is not for sale. One assumes Hayakawa intends to market the canine creations in a book intended to be cut up and assembled.
Other works in the exhibit are neither simple nor as readily marketable.
Christin Hutchinson's Wavy may look simple at first glance, but on closer inspection the viewer will appreciate the fine craftsmanship and artistic effort Hutchinson put into the work of enamel on aluminum.
Some of the pieces in Impact-Influence are best appreciated at close range.
Jaime Bennati's Progresso is one such work of art. It is made of collected bus tickets, tape and glue, and without an up-close look, its complicated construction cannot be detected.
Allow a little extra time to view Marti Azevedo's mixed media entry Building Steam. Among the largest works in the exhibit, it wanders all over the wall with images that imply 19th century medical journals to 1960s comic books.
If you happen to be beginning an art collection, Impact-Influence would be a good place to start. Prices for even the most impressive pieces are reasonable.
Impact-Influence
Now through Feb. 28
Free and open to all
Main Library – Carnegie Gallery (second floor)
Columbus Metropolitan Library
96 S. Grant Ave.