By Melissa Pesce
From April 7 to 30, 2005, a student printmaking exhibition will be on display in the Gallery at Canaday Library. The show features work of the students in Hee Sook Kim’s printmaking class, offered this semester at Bryn Mawr.
Curated by students Deborah Sosower BMC’05 and Rachel Robbins BMC’05 and designed by Jeanette Neuner BMC’08, the show features over 40 works.
Including primary prints, collages, and computer lithography, the show (which is largely student-run) displays several weeks worth of hard work on the part of the students and instructor alike.
In the main room, reliefs and computer lithographs by Robbins, Anabel Armeta BMC’07, Sosower, Lara Owen BMC’07, Avery Miller BMC’05, Christina Pasternak BMC’05, Julie Wise BMC’05, Janet Jefferson BMC’05, Anna Merkle BMC’06, and Omaira Alicea BMC’07 are displayed. One of Robbins’s most notable pieces, entitled “Seven Generations and the Drum: We’re Still Here,” is a paper lithography illustrating two different images of a Native American tribe: an old sketch depicting the traditional way of life and a photograph likely taken within the past 40 or 50 years.
One of Owens’s pieces is an Andy Warhol-esque soup can featuring “Feminism: Condensed Soup” on the label as well as the outline of the face of a woman who looks like Marilyn Monroe. The piece certainly catches one’s eye from across the room.
A small series of prints entitled “Days of the Week: Self Portrait” by Sosower are also eye-catching. Illustrated are a container of pills labeled with the days of week, a person’s hand, and larger pills in the background. This intriguing piece provokes thought. Each piece’s unique characteristics are visually pleasing and capture the viewer’s interest.
Outside of the gallery, hung on the walls on either side of the door, the works of other students in the class are displayed. Among them are Andrew Williams HC’05, Anna Mazzariello BMC’08, Paulina Trujillo BMC’07, Archana Ramachandran HC’05, June Young Park HC’05, Kathryn Racanelli HC’06, Eva DeAngelis BMC’07, Emily Glick BMC’08, Becka Pouy BMC’06, Eli Sweet HC’05, Neuner, Jessica Taylor BMC’06, and Amy Martin BMC’07.
Although none of the pieces had titles, each was unique, meaningful, and pleasing to look at in its own way. The bright colors and interesting shapes keep the viewer interested through the visit. The exhibit makes one appreciate the art of printmaking, as it is an excellent, if often overlooked, medium for expression.
The Gallery, located in the basement of Canaday Library, is an ideal place to visit during a study break. After writing a paper or buying coffee at the Lusty Cup, be sure to stop by the Gallery (located adjacent to the café) to support and appreciate the hard work and talent of the bi-co’s own printmaking students.