Unity Creates Strength

Micah Thomas Untitled I Mixed Media   

  Lindsey McGrath Paper of Plastic? Mixed Media Sculpture

Kao Zong Yang A Sense Acrylic on Wood 

     The Robert Else Gallery's Annual Student Award Show is a professional ensemble of the best artwork Sacramento State College offers.  Each piece is encompassed by a unique genre and medium with artists using diverse techniques from black and white drawing to brightly colored assemblages or sculptures.  It can be challenging for a gallery with such diverse artistic composition to host a successful exhibition -doing so would mean to avoid polarization.  To maximize the amount of workable space, older art is rotated  and replaced with new student works each month, emphasizing fresh talent without drawing too much focus to particular pieces.  The gallery has also tastefully organized similar artwork together, enhancing the show by establishing cohesion.

Pakou Xiong Bursting Splash Oil on Panel

Jeff Carter Extension Oil on Canvas

(left) Roberta Rousos Time's Subject Fiber; Found Objects    
   (right)Brian D. Burns II The Red Door Mixed Media Assemblage

     Pakou Xiong's Bursting Splash and Jeff Carter's Extension are oil paintings quite similar in appearance, despite holding different subjects.  Both artists apply a strong painterly stroke and a slew of dark and light colors to their paintings.  When paired together, these elements are enhanced.  The following pieces are Roberta Rousos' Time's Subject, made of fiber and found objects, and Brian D. Burns II The Red Door, a mixed media assemblage.  Both contain warm colors and use strong lighting to cast a shadow that emphasizes their unique forms and create defined depth. The unifying component of these four art pieces is the application of bright and vivid color; placed together, they become a strong opening to the exhibition.

                                             (left) Robert D Burns II 2 1/2 D Mixed Media Assemblage 
                                                (right) Sean Hong  Let Me Through Acrylic on Canvas

     Robert D Burns II's mixed media assemblage titled 2 1/2 D  is paired next to an acrylic painting on canvas titled Let Me Through by Sean Hong.  Sean Hong employs a landscape while Burns deals in the abstract.  Although the two artists implement different mediums and opposing ideas, the works complement each other due to the geometric strips of color and form.

  

 Through excellent presentation the Robert Else Gallery has enhanced the visual effect of the students' art, establishing credibility for both the contributors and the organizers.  The opening pieces of the exhibition are strengthened as a result of their unifying elements and the artworks that follow are paired with similar work as well, retaining the flow of unity throughout.  The Robert Else is quite a small gallery so walls have been added to avoid piling pieces onto one wall, and I believe the decision was successful.  The walls enticed me to peek around them, and it isolated art that paired well together.