Posted 2:31 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022
UWL gallery opens with art and science show
An exhibition that probes how science and art intersects will open the University Art Gallery season at UW-La Crosse.
Working across the two disciplines in a variety of modes and materials, five researchers and artists express the hope that visual communication points the way to a more ecologically sustainable future. Including scientific illustration, nature explorations, encaustic painting, and the use of new materials that literally detoxify, the exhibition asks viewers to take a close look at living in the Anthropocene.
The exhibition, “Close Observation: Art & Science in the Anthropocene,” opens with an artist talk from 6:30-7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 15, in Annett Recital Hall in the Center for the Arts. Jasmine Pradissitto, an artist featured in the exhibition who is visiting from London and doing a studio workshop in La Crosse, is the speaker.
The presentation will be followed by a reception in the University Art Gallery. The exhibition runs through Sunday, Oct. 16. Admission to all events is free.
Art and science are “disciplines” that share a common motivation and goal to first understand and describe the world around us, explains University Art Gallery Director Deborah-Eve Lombard. However, this essential first step leads to engaging in reflection across all elements of society and most importantly effecting behavior changes in individuals and society at large, she notes.
“The observations of art and science have built the world we live in, simultaneously creating both quality of life and massive damage on an interconnected globe,” Lombard says. “In our new era, researcher/artists move forward with the assertion that the very process of inquiry that brought us to the present must also help create a sustainable future for all.”
With their diverse perspectives, desire to effect change in individuals and humanity, and commitment to infinite possibility, their work asks us to consider how we will change, Lombard says.
“With tools bound by close observation, communication, dialog, problem solving and creativity, they urge us to decide how we will rethink what we think we know,” she says.
The five artists in the exhibition include:
- Pat Hidson, Milwaukee
- Barrett Klein, UWL Biology Department
- Bethann Moran, Fort Atkinson
- Jasmine Pradissitto, London, England
- Jennifer Williams, UWL Art Department
Gallery hours are 1-8 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays, 1-5 p.m. Fridays-Sundays, and during events at Toland Theatre. Exhibitions are free and open to the public.
Get more information about the gallery and artists.
More about artist presenter Jasmine Pradissitto
Pradissitto is an award-winning, London-based British artist, academic, scientist, speaker and environmentalist who has a doctorate in physics on the quantum behavior of silicon in fiber optics. She has studied art at Goldsmith’s and London Met and spent nearly three decades talking about the power of creative and polymathic thinking to alter perceptions and solve problems innovatively. Her critical practice spans painting, sculpture and technological multimedia. She is the only artist in the world licensed to use NOXORBTM, a newly developed sustainable material that absorbs nitrogen dioxide (NOx) pollution from the air.
Other exhibitions for the fall semester
“Luke Achterberg: Convolutions”
Oct. 21-Nov. 23
Reception and artist talk TBA
“Senior Art Student Exhibition”
Dec. 2-Dec. 18
Opening reception: 5-7 p.m. Dec. 2
Artist talks: Noon, Tuesdays and Thursdays