Unlikely Gallery: Wilder Displays Student Photos

Artwork Enjoys Greater Exposure at Campus Nexus

Things Fall Apart: Anna Leithauser's photographs are among many pieces now displayed in Wilder. (photo by Anna Leithauser)

Wilder boasts not only the cosmopolitan nightlife offerings of the Rat and 'Sco and the most fashion-forward restrooms on campus, but is now a short-term photo gallery.

Since last Friday, Wilder has been home to a student photography exhibit facilitated by senior Brie Abbe. The exhibit features a number of black-and-white pieces, all produced by Oberlin students. The contributors are enrolled in either the introductory or advanced photography classes, both of which are taught by visiting assistant professor Will Wilson

Abbe, a coordinator of art exhibits for the Student Union, planned the display to coincide with Parents Weekend. The exhibit features the work of 23 student photographers, all of whom were asked by Abbe to submit various pieces for inclusion in the exhibit. The pieces, ranging from stirring landscape studies to candidly personal portraits enjoy exposure to a larger and perhaps more diverse audience due to their placement in Wilder.

"I like the fact that we have the exhibition in Wilder," commented junior geology major Jake Schlesinger, whose work is currently on display. "It lets me know that my image will be seen by more people than just my class. I wish I could hear the reactions of more people, not just art students."

Schlesinger's submission, a piece titled P-R-O-D-U-C-E #2, shows bananas of exaggerated proportion in the foreground of an otherwise typical landscape. It is one of three images in a series titled P-R-O-D-U-C-E which focuses on society's absurd relationship with food.

Speaking of the other prints in his series, Schlesinger explained, "The other two are similar. One is of an orange, a lemon and a lime and the other is a piece of meat. All the images were made by suspending the objects by a piece of fishing line at the arb and photographing them with a 4x5 camera."

Melissa Sullivan, a senior art major, expressed belief that Wilder adds an exciting dimension to the presentation of student artwork. "Though Wilder has its good and not-so-good points, I think using the space there is an excellent way for the work to be seen by lots of people," she said. "Many times the shows in the art buildings draw a select crowd of mostly other art students, and I think the work should be seen by a diverse audience.

"In the art building, however, you can't really beat Fisher Gallery for the uncluttered space and clean walls. I think some artwork needs this kind of space in order to fully appreciate it."

Sullivan chose to display her striking image of Uncle Bob, a large mural-piece that serves as a warm and honest portrayal of a local vendor. "Uncle Bob is not actually my uncle, everyone just calls him Uncle Bob. I met him at the East Oberlin flea market, a place I really like to visit.

"I sometimes find odds and ends there that I incorporate into art pieces. That's how I met him - he sold me a nice piece of curved glass. I decided to take portraits of some of the people at the market for a mural assignment in my Problems class."

The exhibit covers a wide range of photographic styles and forms, allowing all of us non-artists to see exactly what it is that art students have been up to. Students in Wilson's classes submitted art for the exhibit from work they had executed in the completion of thematic assignments. The mural prints are from the advanced class' 'absurd landscape' assignment while the introductory course work derives from projects involving 'a sense of place' or emulation.

Wilson is optimistic about photography on campus. "I am really impressed with the technical and conceptual work that is going on in photography at Oberlin," he said. "Since I left seven years ago, the department has been overhauled and is much stronger across the board." Wilson also said the expansion of Oberlin's art beyond its typical boundaries and into places like Wilder is a step in the right direction.

"I think it's an important space because it exposes the work to a broader audience. Obviously, it would be nice to be able to control the space better and have less distraction, but at this point I think getting the work seen is more important. It's a shame that 'space' at Oberlin becomes so insular/compartmentalized/departmentalized; there really is no reason why more of the college and Oberlin community doesn't pass through Fischer, Warner, Kulas, etc."

This short-running exhibit is definitely not one to miss. The photography will remain in Wilder for at least another week and there's talk of a possible closing reception. All of the prints are for sale through the individual artists.