The Racquette

Issue date: 2/1/08 Section: A&E

Media Credit: Alison Chiasson Student Sarah Haze views a work of art now on display.

Last Friday, January 25, two new art exhibits opened at the Gibson Gallery in Brainerd Hall entitled "Revelation: Lane Twitchell, Drawing and Painting," and "Sharp Focus: Photo-Realist and Realist Prints from the Collection". Twitchell's works will be on display until February 23, while "Sharp Focus" will be shown until March 29.

Twitchell's pieces are created with the paper-cutting technique used to make winter snowflakes but on a much grander scale. Twitchell folds and cuts elaborate patterns into paper with a utility knife, mounts them onto Plexiglas, and then adds various layers of vibrant acrylics and pigments to them. Finally, after building the layers, he selectively cuts them to reveal earlier varnishes. The result is a wheel of bold colors, carefully carved designs, and subtle narratives. Often his works illustrate and reflect on Mormon stories; Twitchell was born and raised Mormon and practiced the religion until moving to New York City and attending graduate school.

"I love this art," said Valerie Paige, junior flute performance and anthropology major, while looking at one of Twitchell's pieces. "The intricacy of the patterns and the choice of colors the artist uses keeps me staring at it for a long time."

The second display of work draws from the permanent collection at Potsdam, including works by Don Eddy, Paul Sarkisian, Ben Schonezeit, Ralph Goings, Tom Blackwell, Ron Kleeman, Audrey Flack, and various other artists. The paintings and prints are from the photorealism movement which developed in the 1970s, when artists chose to challenge the abstract artists and create pieces that looked as photographic, or realistic, as possible.

Gibson Gallery is open to the public Monday and Friday, noon until 5 p.m.; Tuesday and Thursday, noon until 7 p.m.; and Saturday, noon until 4 p.m.

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