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The arts on love and connection

BY HAPPY BENSON

"Family Group I" sculpture made from alabaster by artist Eric Lynn

The beauty of the artworks that adorn the walls of UDC's Gallery 42 is as compelling as the story that brought about the exhibition. Artist Bob Vacin showed to Art Professor Daniel Venne, some drawings he did of Danny who has been in a coma since an auto accident several years ago. Prof. Venne noticed that the drawings, while not masterpieces, were a beautiful and unique way of expressing love and connection. This thought gave rise to "Love and Connection" exhibition which ran Feb. 20 - March 20 at the gallery.

Profesoor Venne asked 22 artists of diverse disciplines, backgrounds, cultures, and nationalities to submit artworks that demonstrate and express love, intimacy, affection and connection. "My intention was to find out how different conditions, backgrounds, and nationalities influence the way people demonstrate and relate to love in an art form". As expected, the resulting artworks illustrate diversified approaches that mimic the diversity of the participating artists.

Elwood Gibson's "I Love No One Else" are minute sculptures of people viewing their own reflection in a mirror, demonstrating love for self. He said he got the idea Bergdorf's at Christmas time. And Jay Davidson's "Friends" is a picture of two Mauritanians men showing public affection for each other as one wraps his arm around the other. In Mauritania, this practice is "very common and also acceptable between members of the same sex, but is considered to be vulgar if shown between people of the opposite sex," he said. There is, however, no assumed sexual underpinning to this display of affection, Mr. Davidson added.

Other artists whose works are also on display in the exhibition are; Gabriela Bulisova (Lebanon) (Green Room, Around Your Neck), Helene Farrar (What My Mother Taught Me), Zeki Findikoglu (Family Bed), Pradeep Dalal (Bhabhi) (Go West), Chuanchu Lin (Taiwan) (Equinox), and UDC Art professors, George Smith-Shomari (A Wedding Gift), and Meredith Rode (love Sacrament), to mention a few.

 

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