Current Exhibitions
Graduate Graphics Review Show
Gallery 1308, Union South
January 27 to February 10
The Graduate Graphics Review is an annual showcase of art produced by graduate students in the Department of Art's graphics area. The graphics area includes printmaking, book arts, photography, and graphic design. The UW-Madison Printmaking program has consistently ranked first among national graduate programs.
Humanimals by Gayle Weitz
Porter Butts Gallery, Memorial Union
February 3 to March 20
Humanimals consists of carved and painted human-size figures. Each piece is actually a functional cabinet--head, torso and legs open to reveal collaged interior spaces. The outsides depict common animal idioms used to describe human behavior, such as harebrained, pigheaded or bully. The insides contain information explaining how we (humans) actually treat the animals in the idioms, such as vivisection, pork factory farming and beef factory farming. Do animals really share human traits? Do humans really exhibit animal characteristics? How do these similarities and differences affect how humans view and treat other animals? These are some questions addressed in Humanimals. An opening reception will be held on Friday, February 3 from 7 to 9pm in the Porter Butts Gallery (2nd Floor, Memorial Union).
Summer Eclipsed by Kendal McMinimy
Class of 1925 Gallery, Memorial Union
February 3 to March 20
Encapsulated within Wisconsin's winters are vestiges of summer. This series of photographs explores the complex relationship northerners have with winter, a struggle that defines the character of the region. These images are intended to draw the viewer into the snowy isolation--to feel the effect of a long winter, and to place a high value on what summer will bring. An opening reception will be held on Friday, February 3 from 7 to 9pm in the Porter Butts Gallery (2nd Floor, Memorial Union).
Rock Art Renaissance
Curated by Robin Schmoldt, Wisconsin Union Art Collection Manager
Theater Gallery, Memorial Union
February 3 to March 20
“Hand-in-hand with the growth of the independent music scene, rock art posters are experiencing a renaissance. It is estimated that more rock art posters have been created in the past ten years than in the previous history of rock n’ roll. This exhibition features a curated selection of posters created for shows at Memorial Union and Union South. Some were commissioned and provided by the artists on the bill. Others were commissioned by the WUD Music Committee, a dedicated team of students that select the performers who grace our stages. Each poster in this exhibition is a unique work of art and, as such, has been accessioned as a part of the Wisconsin Union Art Collection.” (Adapted from curatorial statement)
The Wolf Knife
Gallery 1308, Union South
Saturday, February 11 at 8pm
The Wolf Knife (2010, 100 min, video) is photographer, video artist, and filmmaker Laurel Nakadate’s second film. It tells the story of two girls and their increasingly complicated relationship. This screening marks the film’s Madison debut. For more detailed information, please visit our exhibit x blog (exhibitx.blogspot.com).
Re-Collections by Victoria Greising
Gallery 1308, Union South
February 17 to April 17
From the artist: “Thinking about how we, as humans, universally interact with fabric as a material, I deconstruct and reconstruct everyday clothing, sheets, curtains, and other previously used domestic fabrics. To create forms and environments, I use the repetitive processes of tearing, cutting, tying, and sewing. My manipulation infuses the fabric with an original form and function. I intentionally use fabric and clothing that has a history--collecting clothing, sheets, and scraps from people I know. Each article comes to me infused with a narrative, marks of its previous owner, and unique material characteristics--holes, stains, dried out elastic. My manipulation--deconstructing and reconstructing into an environment and space--facilitates a new interaction for the viewer and evokes a sense of being surrounded, protected, and enveloped by clothing. Concepts of space in association to memory are activated in the experience my work.”
