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Men at War, Women at Leisure’ inspires Visual Arts Gallery

Posted on Jul 26, 2010 in Features

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The current exhibit at the Visual Arts Gallery is different from the usual displays in that it is not a collection of works produced by students.

Featuring pieces by Frank Stack, Williams Heath, Max Kaus and Paul Gavargi, among others, the social commentary presents two separate themes: men at war and women at leisure. Although all the works featured are two-dimensional, there are several different varying media to appeal to numerous viewers, such as woodcuts, black-and-white and color engravings, lithographs and photographs.

Jamie Boullt, a UAB Master’s candidate, compiled the works for the exhibit, which runs until July 31. According to the Media Relations website, “The exhibition concept arose from a realization that the diversity of the collection required close scrutiny and consideration to construct informative and educational exhibitions. There is no formal opening reception for this exhibition.”

Although men are represented, most of the pieces feature representative women at fluctuating moments in history: from the classic, hoop dresses and corsets of the 1700s and 1800s, to the flappers of the 1920s, and the hallowed, isolation-ridden woman of the modern and post-modern ages.

Almost more impressive than the striking images themselves is the setup of the exhibition. As the women in the pieces become more modern, so do the complications of the mediums; the images evolve from wood etching to lithographs, to photographs, to gelatin silver prints.

Although the theme seems relatively sober, the exhibit displays several humorous images, such as a black-and-white photograph entitled “Slimnastics,” which portrays a woman’s aerobics class, and “Morning Night,” a comparative scene between women in New Jersey and Lancaster, England.

Although the exhibit “Men at War, Women at Leisure” may not interest those with an affinity for post-modern art or sculptures, the images at the gallery are intriguing, especially when considering, or contemplating, the story behind them.

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