The WNMU Francis McCray Gallery of Contemporary Art is featuring a new installation by Assistant Professor of Sculpture Erin Monet Wheary.
The exhibition includes a large-scale collaborative drawing as well as corresponding photographs and cyanotypes. The works have their origin in Santa Cruz de Mompox, Colombia, where Wheary was invited to an artist’s residency last winter.
Wheary was inspired by the Magdalena River, which flows through Mompox and has changed course over the years. “This installation is an homage to the intrinsic power of the river, a celebration of its ability to carve and shape the very foundations of our existence,” said Wheary in her artist’s statement.
“Water, an elemental force, serves as the sculptor of landscapes,” noted Wheary, “etching its passage through the earth, leaving behind a tapestry of layered memories in the form of riverbanks.” Meandro, she said, “encapsulates the essence of this dynamic relationship.”
Expressive arts major Charlee Alexander, who attended the opening reception for the exhibition said that Wheary was successful in immersing the viewer in her experience in Colombia. “The body of work is very cohesive,” Alexander said. “and she captured the essence of her experience by combining different media, such as Polaroids and cyanotypes, in the installation. It was interesting to see a three-dimensional thinker’s two-dimensional work.”
Prior to the opening reception, Wheary gave an artist’s talk in which she explained her inspiration and shared photographs and videos from her time in Mompox.
Chemistry major Anastacia Armijo said the artist’s talk helped her to better appreciate Wheary’s work. “Coming from a very different perspective,” she said, “it was so intriguing getting to hear her artistic process and how she took everything from the place she was in. It was a very ‘in the moment’ feel, which is so intimate. Being able to really experience everything and create based on that was amazing. She gave great background to understand the reasoning for her mediums and inspirations.”
Meandro will be on display at the McCray Gallery until October 3. Gallery hours are Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.