Nude Girls affirm Oberlin's artistic quality

Anyone familiar with the Art Department here knows of the usual art student complaints - that classes are impossible to get into, that there is a lack of technique either taught or put to use, that the art is often self-indulgent and obscure. With those complaints aside, there are many very talented artists within the department. Three of these extremely talented artists - seniors Nina Makhija, Emily Henning, and Leslie Torre-currently have a senior show open in Fisher Hall entitled "Live Nude Girls".

The first image that you see upon entering Nina Makhija's piece "Carrying this Burden" is a brown woman upon a field of brilliant red, illuminated within a tunnel of blue. There is a chair at the far end, inviting you to sit and meditate upon the image. Placed within the tunnel are white plaster molds of various parts of a body, easily reminiscent of skin. Only after entering do you notice the text: "For nine days, nine weeks, nine months, nine years I have carried this burden."

With this text, Makhija creates "an affirmation of the strength of women everywhere, the strength with which they carry life." The rich blue of the surroundings, the bold movement of the unfinished lines, the intense red all combine to create a sense of holiness, a shrine to the strength embodied within the woman.

Makhija's other piece is less exciting simply because of the size and positioning. Placed at a distance from the other piece, the smaller painting is explained as "a question of deity in Western culture." She writes of creating a role model that is "strong, fertile, wise, powerful. The equal of her male counterpart." Although the painting explores these themes admirably, there is a feeling that of something missing - these are her only pieces in the show, and there is want for more.

Senior Emily Henning is not wanting for work. Her work, mostly paintings, is displayed quite well - she has four pieces displayed in the show, although most are composed of numerous parts. Perhaps the most interesting is the series of "The Snake that Stood," several small paintings framed within wooden boxes. They are an attempt to re-contextualize the Judeo-Christian myth of Eve. By giving Eve an ally, the serpent (symbolizing sexuality), and sending her on adventures, Henning is striving to wrench Eve from the realm of myth and into life as a fully realized woman. In her personal statement, she writes that this work "stems from [her] personal dissatisfaction with the representations of women in traditional Judeo-Christian narratives."

Another noteworthy piece is "Our Lady of Guadeloupe," a work in mixed media on paired canvases. On one is a burst of roses, nearly exploding from the center of the canvas. On the other is a photographic image of Mary, nicely worked with various washes and other elements which, alongside the roses, creates a visually arresting image. Henning writes that is deals with "how photographic processes create and manipulate images," relating this process to the idea of authenticity and Christian relics. Although the image is extremely interesting visually, there is some conceptual dissonance in the reference to Christian icons, in that the connection is not readily apparent.

Finally, Leslie Torre has composed a series of twelve color photographs. She writes about exploring the concept of the nude, struggling against the traditional concept in Western art of the nude as static, as distant. Instead, she creates mysterious compositions of limbs painted with light into brilliantly rich colors. The images are not obvious, producing an elusive and provocative feeling that draws you into this intimate and intangible space. Personal favorites include #12 - the warmth and intimacy of from are beautiful, with the golden skin and limbs emerging from the surrounding blackness - and #4 - focused on the hand, the rest of the limbs fade into resonant color and darkness.

In trying to be critical, there is one complaint - that the glass in the frames is not matte, creating a reflection over the image. As well, some of the movements of the light are distracting to the overall image. However, these are minor complaints, only noteworthy as nit-picking criticisms. Simply put, these photographs are amazing.

For anyone who cares about student art here at Oberlin, this show is highly recommended. Some extremely good work by some extremely talented artists. It closes at 10 p.m. on Friday night. Go now.