University Art Gallery displays two new faculty exhibits
Masks by Al Wildey. This photograph was taken in 1995 on a Polaroid camera.
The University Art Gallery is currently showcasing two exhibits by Central Michigan University faculty members.
The two exhibits have been featured throughout the month and will be up until Oct 31.
The first of these exhibits is "Venice, An Art Instillation" by Brian Elder, the department of art and design. chairperson
Anne Goucher, director of the art gallery, said that the exhibit is themed around Elder's recent visit to Venice. The exhibit uses painting and drawing to show the outline of the Venice canal's.
Elder will be speaking about his exhibit during an artist talk at 5 p.m. Oct. 28 via Webex with code 734197639.
The second exhibit is "Life is a Journey" by Al Wildey, art and design faculty member.
The name of the exhibit comes from a quote from Ralph Waldo Emmerson, where he said, "life is a journey, not a destination."
Wildey's exhibit is a collection of photographs spanning through the past 35 years.
Being in the art field for as long as he has, Wildey said he's seen the rise and fall of many different types of photographic technology.
"One day, as a student, I'm walking down the hallway (of Rochester Institute of Technology) and I see a notice for volunteers to beta test a piece of software that was described as 'a digital darkroom,'" Wildey said. "I did that in 1989, and it turned out that software was released the following year, and it was called Photoshop."
Wildey said there are a few more obvious ones he's witnessed, like the rise and fall of analog photography, and the ever-changing smartphone camera.
He mentioned he's been a witness to the changes in the way photography is taught at the university level, over his last 18 years of teaching at Central Michigan.
"When I came to CMU in 2003, we had one digital photography class, and five analog photography classes," he said. "In 2008 we totally flipped the other way. We ended up with one analog and five digital photography classes."
Students can learn more about the exhibits, and the hours of the gallery at the University Art Gallery's website.
