Art Exhibits Display Diversity of Perspectives
WILMORE, Ky. — Two art exhibits currently on display at Asbury University offer viewers a glimpse of the wide range of expression that can be achieved through the humble medium of clay.
In the Art Gallery, located above the Z.T. Johnson Cafeteria, a ceramics exhibit by sculptor Allison Luce features pieces from her collection titled “The Serpent Tree.” Luce currently lives and works in Charlotte, N.C., where she is a studio artist and an adjunct art instructor. Drawing on nature and the Biblical story of the Garden of Eden, the pieces in “The Serpent Tree” explore themes of fragility and fallibility.
On the other side of campus in Kinlaw Library, professor emeritus Rudy Medlock is exhibiting a collection of ceramic vessels united by the theme of God’s overflowing abundance. A member of the faculty at Asbury for 37 years, Medlock taught 3-D design, ceramics, sculpture and stained glass.
“Clay pieces have a long history of usefulness, since the materials used literally hold water after they go through the process,” said Professor Keith Barker, chair of the Art Department. “However, each artist works outside the merely practical nature of clay. Many of Rudy’s designs suggest the movement of water through organic lines and cords and cables mimicking liquid. Rudy has built much of his life's work on the metaphor of our lives as vessels found throughout biblical stories and epistles.
“Luce's work is no less biblically based; the shapes and forms allude instead to intangible realities, mysteries, concepts and emotions of the Human Experience. While less specific, one can easily pick up on general themes dealt with in biblical narratives such as the Fall.”
Several of Medlock’s pieces are available for purchase by making a $100 donation to the Medlock Art Scholarship Fund, which helps to support the creative efforts of Asbury’s art students.
The Luce exhibit will run through Sept. 24, and the Medlock exhibit will run through Sept. 12. Allison Luce will discuss her work in the Grille at 4:30 p.m. on Sept. 20; the public is welcome to attend.
