Art of the upperclassmen

On Monday, undergraduates scrambled through the New Wight Gallery, finding spots to place their artwork for the undergraduate exhibition “Entitled,” which runs June 4-13 from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

This rush to claim a spot in the exhibition was not without foresight; the artists – all seniors – are presenting what they feel is the best of their work.

“People tend to want to show their recent work,” said Donald Suggs, faculty liaison for the exhibition.

Graduating artist George Barker had already decided Monday on the work he would display. The pick? “Sleepytime for Sweetheart,” a reliquary for a dead rat he had mummified. The rat is perched on a wooden base atop a piece of ceramic. Barker explained that it is similar to other forms of iconic worship, such as Buddhist stupas or Catholic saint relics.

“It’s essentially the life-death cycle and kind of questioning, ‘What is life? What is death? What’s the difference between a mummy rat and a finger bone of a saint?’” Barker said. “I’m interested in displaying (my) work in different ways, not just a two-dimensional picture on a wall.”

Another artist in the exhibition is fourth-year art student Tameka Norris, whose piece was inspired by her trips to New Orleans.

“(My paintings) are an homage to Hurricane Katrina, like houses or people – things I saw myself, took a picture of and translated into a painting,” Norris said.

Norris began to make art academically at Santa Monica College but has always been interested in it.

“I’ve always played, dressing things up, making objects,” Norris said.

This year Norris received the Skowhegan Award, a summer residency program at the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, given to between 50 and 60 people from thousands of applicants, she said.

And despite the economy’s pressure on art, Norris said she remains optimistic about the future.

“I think art is full of potential – I really do. The economy has thrown everything in the air, making room for people like myself and others to make things work. We all have to think outside the box now,” Norris said.

Barker has more philosophical reasons for his faith in art.

“In a Brechtian sense, (art) is to challenge people to be thoughtfully reactive, to have a reaction to what you are looking at. Whether it is immediate or not is inconsequential,” Barker said, referring to Bertolt Brecht, a German playwright and director known for revolutionary ideas about the role of theater in society.

Whether it is to experience the unconventional or the politically stirring, “Entitled” offers a glimpse into the array of student talent the art department has to offer.

“It’s going to be huge,” Barker said, “Lots of people involved, lots of different kinds of work. It’s very dynamic. The commonality of the exhibition is that it is so diverse.”