On display at Hillel's Glenn and Darcy Weiner Center this month is a consortium of artistic offerings, Brown and RISD students' latest creative visions, brought together for the biannual "Juried Brown/RISD Student Show."
The exhibition, which had its unveiling on April 7 and is open to the public until April 30, features 27 pieces of diverse amateur work in a variety of different media. Coordinated by Ilana Schachter '05, the compilation ranges from traditional oil-on-canvas paintings to more modernist attempts at sculpture and mixed media prints. Though its unspoken aim may be to demonstrate the potential for artistic prosperity as Brown and RISD students share a venue, unfortunately the exhibit only confirms RISD's place as a bastion of craftsmanship superior to that of its neighbor.
With a marked disparity between the rich output of design school talent and the less-inspired product of those whose ambitions outweigh their ability, the display ultimately endows RISD students with well-earned bragging rights.
But perhaps the comparison isn't entirely fair. In fact, among the Brown contributions, there are several pieces that both stand out and do justice to the University's visual art department - the intricate "Untitled" by Leslie Wei '05 and "There is Something Such That..." by alum Jonathan Allmaier '02, in particular. Wei's wall art, a shadowy, cardboard-cut rendering of the word "patriot" constructed out of the silhouettes of hand grenades, AK-47s and foot soldiers, is a remarkable achievement in its editorial impact. In a more ambiguous turn, Allmaier's abstract panel of multihued browns, tans and reds covers the wall alongside a stairwell - to the regrettable end that despite its largeness, the creation is partially hidden from view.
Still, any of Brown's artistic achievements are only overshadowed by the innovative caliber of the gallery's RISD entries. "RIPTA Emergency Conversation Cards: Rte. 99" by Stephanie Lempert RISD '05 lampoons the emergency guides found in public transportation in an effective marriage of the provocative and the comic. Displaying advice via road-sign symbolism, the piece delivers first aid to the socially inept with graphically designed notes that poke fun at the banality of small talk. "Did you order this sunshine?" reads one, while a stick figure gestures, "Do you think you could get through a day without coffee?"
"Untitled," by Elaine Belmont RISD '07 may seem no more than a conservative ink portrait of three women, but closer inspection conveys the fluent draftsmanship of the young artist. Reminiscent of early Egon Schiele, Belmont's work is bohemian and Expressionistic in the best sense, and exudes the burnished, decadent quality of an undergraduate romantic.
Eclipsing all, however, is "Grand Parent's Wedding Day," by Ji Hyun Joi RISD GS, clearly the exhibit's most stunning contribution. A mixed media piece fusing plain silkscreen with swatches of red fabric, "Wedding Day" depicts a Korean family perhaps on the verge of decimation. A complicated work, the portrait is ornamented with unraveling red bowties, proof of memory's precariousness and the important role of ceremonial costume in uniting a family.
Detracting from such triumphs, however, is a bevy of little engines that couldn't from Brown. "One thing that is exciting and new to the show is the addition of alternative art forms such as printmaking," Schachter said, referring to "Do This My Way" by James Dunbar '05, an illustrated book that actually appears less exciting than exasperating. Composed of a series of block prints annotating Blackalicious lyrics, Dunbar's entry relies on an accompanying CD version of the song for those not in the know. Equally off-putting, the illustrator shields his book from his readers, providing a prissy pair of gloves for the grubby-handed. Upon gathering the courage to crack the spine of his book, one is greeted with a graveyard of published clutter. Encountering the already muddled rap symbolism of "Cleanin' out the digestive tract of hip hop like cranberries," viewers experience a digestive explosion of ink and indecipherable, symbolic mud.
In "3 a.m.," by Elizabeth Fisher '07, a photographic take on early-morning Providence delivers the dreary ghostliness of College Hill with some success - focusing on the barren city's Point Street bridge and trolley tunnel after hours. Still, Fisher may be all too successful in channeling the boredom of her scenes. With composition so tawdry, her audience may also be inspired to turn in for the night.
In spite of the RISD's artistic dominance, it should be noted that the best creations still crop out of careful forethought on the part of the artist - and this is where Brown students may have something to impart to their counterparts. One need only glance at the ceramic "Precarious in Nature" by Thomas Staton RISD '07 to sense that this clay vessel, for all its craft and meticulousness, has been mistitled. Far from delicate or unstable, the piece feels firmly planted - and its creator could have learned from the accuracy underlying so many of the Brown offerings. With any luck, future gallery events at Hillel will feature art that combines the best of both worlds.
