Shawn Mediaclast — owner and operator of The Museum of Unfine Art and Record Store at 537 Willamette St. — is a man, and through October 31 his museum will host an art show examining all the complexities, mysteries and controversies concerning the male gender.
“The Men’s His-tory Exhibit,” which opened on Tuesday, is meant to allow local artists to craft their responses and views toward men, with any abstraction on the theme invited. Despite the controversy that such a show could potentially cause, Mediaclast said he finds the topic an important one.
“I think that any topic that makes people a little uneasy or that is slightly taboo is a good area to push some buttons with,” Mediaclast said. “I mean that in the most positive way. I also just thought it would be a funny thing to do.”
The museum — which Mediaclast opened two years ago in response to the “lack of experimentation,” in Eugene — has been home to a number of art shows during its short history. Past subjects have included punk rock, Arthur Feinstein, Bigfoot, fashion and Mediaclast’s dog, Prudence.
This show has elicited a variety of responses from local artists, not to mention a diverse selection of subject matter. Artist Ron Omlin chose a dual portrait of President George W. Bush and Chairman Mao Zedong.
“I thought of (the show) as sort of a spoof,” Omlin said. “I didn’t think of it a serious quest to find the essence of some great figure. I chose Bush because I find it interesting that half the people in this country seem to love him and half seem to hate him.”
Artist and freelance writer Olivia Pepper took a different approach to the subject, doing an acrylic-on-glass portrait of her fiancé.
“It was a little bit awkward for me,” Pepper said. “But the more I think about it, the more I think the subject has a place in the community, especially for those who have submitted work for shows about women. I think that Shawn is interested in manhood in all its facets.”
Mediaclast himself finds the idea of a show on men rather amusing.
“I thought it would be just funny to see a poster that said ‘Men’s History Exhibit,’ because it’s so absurd,” Mediaclast said. “The one thing that I was really worried about was that some people would take this as a reactionary thing, which it’s not. I am sincerely interested in how people react to the subject.”
“I’ve tried to present this in a humorous fashion because I think the topic deserves a lot of humor because it’s such a multifaceted subject to be talking about.”
The Museum of Unfine Art is open from 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, 1:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday and 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday. For more information on “The Men’s His-tory Exhibit,” call the museum at 683-7357.