The Laverne Krause Gallery,
on the ground floor of Lawrence Hall, continues its weekly rotation
of University art students with works completed by Master of
Fine Arts students Jefferson Goolsby, Reza Safavi and Andres
Montenegro, whose show opened yesterday.
The show consists of interactive works by Montenegro, and a collaborative piece, “Tracer,” by Goolsby and Safavi.
“Sensors will interact with the user and the piece,” Montenegro said of his work. “It’s basically an art piece in itself. The viewer makes an interaction with a timeline, a drawing on the wall.”
Montenegro will also use glowing devices, signifying “navigation in a 3-D world,” as well as projections and lasers to create an interactive piece for participants.
“I wanted to deconstruct the commercial devices and add a relationship between the game devices and the game or art,” Montenegro said.
Goolsby’s and Safavi’s work
consists of “big, found objects
and recycled materials,” according to the pair.
“It’s a mixture of video and sculpture,” Goolsby said. “You’ll need to come and see the show to experience the work.”
The gallery’s coordinator, Casey Wanlass, articulated the central meaning of “Trace” when she
explained that it cannot be verbally described.
“People need to come and see what it is,” Wanlass said. “If they could say what it means, then they would just write it down.”
The ambiguous theme the artists describe their work in reveals
the connection their art creates with the mind of the viewer. Such complexity and devout attention to detail is exemplified in the way each student approaches and defines art.
“I want to continue to produce meaningful art,” Safavi said. “Most of my work is a cross between sculpture and interactive digital media instillation work. A lot of it focuses on bridging the digital work with analog materials, and the interaction with new technology.”
For Goolsby, the discipline has a different significance.
“Art is the chance to have forms in culture that aren’t obligated to economics. I don’t do this for money,” he said.
Students are able to show their work at the Laverne Krause Gallery through an application process.
“Anyone can apply, but priority is given to students having final MFA or BFA shows,” Wanlass said.
Some students apply in groups, some from entire classes, but usually people apply alone or in pairs, Wanlass said. Students have to
submit examples of their work so they can be grouped with other artists.
“Each week is totally different,” Wanlass continued. The gallery serves to “create a space for the artist as opposed to just paintings on a wall.”
An additional characteristic of the gallery is the freedom it allows for students.
“It’s a free space,” Wanlass said, with both physical and monetary
implications. The gallery allows
students the liberty of doing whatever they like, so long as it doesn’t severely offend or harm anyone, he said. People regularly drill holes, paint and install work into the gallery walls.
“The purpose for this space is for students to explore bigger ideas than they can in the studio,” Wanlass said.
“It’s a nice space,” Montenegro said. “Many people can come and see (the artists’ work).”
The gallery is close enough so that other students from other majors and schools can come conveniently between classes, Safavi said. “It’s inviting and accessible.”
“It’s nice because so many people are passing through,” Goolsby said. “We work so hard for months and only have a week to show.”
The gallery hosts an opening
party each Monday at 6 p.m. for
the artists of the week, complete with refreshments. All are welcome to attend.

Tiffany Jow is a freelance reporter
for the Daily Emerald