The juxtaposing modernist works of three artists currently featured in an exhibit entitled "Installations Material/Immaterial" creates an interesting atmosphere in Lederer Gallery of Brodie Hall.
The display includes installations from three prominent artists in the Rochester area: Gregory Coates, Dan DeZarn and Scott Sherk.
Sound is an integral part of Sherk's work, which is displayed on the left-hand side of the gallery. Sherk said that inspiration for his work came from observing "the temporal qualities of sound and how at different times of day the ambient sound could change the quality of a space."
Sherk recorded sounds as he tracked his walks with a GPS. His tracks were then translated into a series of three-dimensional drawings, which are displayed in conjunction to his recordings. The drawings, titled "Inishmore," emphasize the beauty of simplicity in a single metallic line.
Two of Sherk's other pieces on display in the gallery are "Blind" and "Room Ambiance." He created both pieces in order to give the audience a deeper visual and audio experience. The latter uses a series of tubes and wires to elevate the naturally occurring sounds in the room.
Coates' exhibit consists of a series of drawings that use bamboo to provide a three-dimensional quality to the work. The bamboo protrudes out of the walls and hangs from the ceiling. Coates' unique presentation - an unusual, dynamic feel - seems as though it could fit right in any modern art museum.
"Exploited I-III," for example, shows an evolution of bamboo sticking out of the wall which, according to Cynthia Hawkins, director and curator of galleries, reside somewhere between drawings and sculptures.
Perhaps the most striking of the installations was DeZarn's piece entitled "Line of Sight," which consists of 50 trees that simulate a forest "where proximity determines a tree's survival," according to Hawkins. DeZarn's concern for the environment is apparent in his exhibit as he uses the tops of dead tree trunks from his yard in the piece.
"Line of Sight" is not just something to look at, but an interactive artwork as well, calling for viewers to actually step into the forest he has created. The result is that his audience can become a part of his work. There are six different painted lines across the trees and walls to make the exhibit accessible to many different eye levels.
"Installations Material/Immaterial" was rather different than most of the other exhibits Geneseo's art galleries have hosted this year. Featuring sculptural and interactive pieces rather than classic paintings and drawings on canvas, the exhibit shows the eventual future of art. It highlights items we see every day and utilizes recyclable materials.
The will be on display until April 18.