GVSU Students Collaborate With University of Iowa Artists To Curate Exhibit

            The show, Symbiotic, examines human activities and the way they have affected various Midwestern landscapes.  The show is the result of a collaboration between a class of curating students at Grand Valley State University and students from an Intermedia Studio art class at the University of Iowa.  The Iowa students have created a collection of work in various styles and mediums centered around the theme of symbioses between humans and landscapes.  Student-curator Drew Pettinga addresses the Grand Valley students’ undertaking, “The Curatorial Studio here plays an intermediary role by joining geographically distinct locales with a concern for the interstitial space therein,both physical and cultural.”

            The artists for this show are a combination of graduate and undergraduate students.  Brendan Baylor’s kinetic book illustrates the relationship between our view of the natural world and the unnatural activities that have affected and shaped it.  In a statement from the artist, “My work shows that contemporary understanding of our environment must take into account cultural and ideological assumptions in order to orient and make sense of our surroundings.”  Katie Hargrave and Amber Ginsburg use unique collages as an exploration of the role narratives and fiction play in supplementing our view of landscape and history.  Mixed media artists, Christopher Pickett and his collaborator, Kristen DeGree, aim to place human action and thought in its due context through their work titled Personal Prairie Reclamation Project.  Robin Mohrfeld’s work focuses on the richness of human experience and critiques the pervasive technologically removed state of our contemporary lives.  She seeks to emphasize the temporal fullness at the heart of simple, everyday occurrences.  Photographer and filmmaker, Stephen Crompton, is concerned with the evolution of the defunct mall as a symbol of a cultural shift and his work investigates the social and political implications of this phenomenon.

            Symbiotic will be on display as part of Art.Downtown, an annual community art event.  A reception will be held for this student curated show Friday April 13 from 6:00- 11:00 pm at 1 Division, Grand Rapids.  There will also be additional hours Saturday April 14 from 11:00 am- 5:00 pm.  Admission is free and open to the public.  More information about the exhibit, artists, and curators can be found at www.symbioticshow.com.  Questions can be directed to [email protected].

About the GVSU Visual Studies Program

The Visual Studies program is part of Grand Valley State University’s Art and Design department. The program incorporates the interdisciplinary approaches used in contemporary art, including the use of digital media and context as a primary consideration in visual works. The Curatorial Studio, in particular, addresses the creation of contexts and engagements in the presentation of art. More information can be found at http://visualstudies.art.gvsu.edu.