Reaction Paper 2 - Lyceum Gallery

     I took some time to visit the eastern campus's gallery,  The Lyceum Gallery. The works currently on display are works of students from different art programs that the campus holds. There was a lot of photography, but graphic design and interior design were noted among the walls as well. Attending the gallery initially, I only expected photography. The display in the gallery earlier this year consisted entirely of photography, so it's interesting to see some variety.
     Something I find conflicting about the gallery is that the way it is arranged makes it difficult to actually view work. A gallery should have open space in front of the pieces so you can get up close to view them as well as read the information on them. The Lyceum Gallery is part of the school's library, so there are chairs and tables and such right in front of all the pieces. This was most likely done purposefully to add to functionality, as it is piece of the library, but is definitely not positive for the gallery. To walk up and view the pieces, I either would often have to ask someone to move or would make them entirely uncomfortable standing right next to them to view a picture. Another problem this poses is many students, probably non-art majors, do not even seem to notice it's a gallery. To most on campus, unless it has been introduced to you, it is just another room in the library to study or sleep. The existence of so much furniture definitely takes away from the pieces on the wall, making them unnoticeable to some.
     The first piece I viewed was by Woody Morse, titled "Beans." This was a photograph, printed vertically in taller dimensions than standard computer paper. The most interesting thing about the photograph is that the actual "beans" he captured look, at first glance, like preying mantis to me. I appreciated the composure and colors on this piece, having a deep, rich blue background to emphasize the lightly colored wire and beans.
     My favorite piece I viewed in the gallery was "The Uninvited" by Joe Sandoval. What I liked about this piece was that it reminded me of high production photography. His photograph pictures someone banging on a lit window, pictured from outside in a dark area, walls of the building painted with graffiti. The picture gave me a lot to wonder about, which is why I liked it. Even being a photographer, I couldn't tell just how the picture was done. I wondered where it was taken, and how the photographer got the lighting in the building to work so well and still capture a feeling of emotion in the silhouette it casted on the window. I wondered what editing was done, as editing can mean anything today. The picture of the outside of the building and the person in the window could have been entirely separate shoots, edited together in photoshop post shoot. It's really inspiring to see work from students at the same college level as me doing work that looks like it required heavy pre and post production, putting a lot of effort into their pieces. There were many works on display with all different strengths, giving fans of different types of work all something to look at.
     There were a few other pieces I found notable at the gallery. One piece, "Lonlinesss Rock" by Gabriela Leon was impressive, because although pictured is a rock floating in water, the water is so clear it looks as if it's floating in mid - air. This piece is impressive because a lot of thought has to go into how to properly expose the image to capture it looking as such. Another piece, "Fall Sky Hues." by Stephanie Johnson captured my eye because of it's vibrant yellows, pinks, and blues in a beautiful sunset. "Take A Moment" by Hayden Meyer is a very different look at a light painting. I couldn't gather if this was purposeful or not, but the light painting photographed looks like a line of dancers.
     I truly enjoyed the student display at the Lyceum Gallery. It's a great opportunity the school gives in giving students the opportunity to display their work. You can tell the students who's work is display took a lot of time and work, and truly cared about their pieces. Every piece on display was beautiful and impressive. What I also like is often, as digital media photographers, work doesn't always get printed. Having your work printed is an entirely different way to look at it, and gives it a sense of "finished." Also, they had many pieces on display, filling the walls of the gallery about to their capacity. The gallery gave as many students as they could an opportunity to hang and show their work, which is a lucky chance for those who attend this college. I believe the existence of school galleries in schools that offer art programs are entirely important, as it gives students something to work towards, and then in turn, be proud of. For photographers, I'm sure there is not many greater feelings of accomplishment than to proudly hang your work in a gallery for others to see.