“‘Borders’ can be used to separate countries, political parties, social groups, and religious sects. But definitively, “borders” can be a great misconception,” said Francine Kola-Bankole, a co-curator at the latest University Art Museum’s exhibition entitled, “Border Myths/Border Realities.”
The exhibition debuted on Nov. 8 with a grand gala and showcased art from such artists as: Rheim Alkadhi, Abdelali Dahrouch, Gronk, Ruben Ortiz-Torres, Eddo Stern, and Whitney Stolich.
These featured artists combined their talents of traditional art with modern technology to create a media-based representation of the complexities between different cultures and how these cultures can also be interrelated.
“The works of art created by these artists opens up an array of discussion of how the public looks at the identity of what it is like to actually cross the border,” said Kola-Bankole.
Another exhibition was focused on Long Beach native and politically inclined artist, Sandow Birk’s collective works of wood carved imaging called, “The Depravities of War.”
“War” has 15 paper-copied images on display; some images show the Twin Towers at the moment the planes hit. Another image had oilrigs that were set ablaze across the barren deserts of the Middle East. The final image depicted the execution of Saddam Hussein.
Birk said, “It’s a showcase of the chronological significance of how the Iraq War was started and the ‘progression’ of the war so far.” He added, “I got most of the images from the front page of the newspaper such as the Los Angeles Times, and then I mimicked them to represent their composition.”
The specialized woodcarvings were hand carved by a team of four using an array of mechanical tools. “We used screwdrivers to create a brick-like texture for the Iraqi buildings. We used a circular saw, as well, for angles,” said Birk as he recreated the steps he took to create one of his images titled, “Desecration.”
What Birk wanted most for students to get from his art is for them to become more “aware about current events and try to understand the natural human concept behind traditional warfare.”
The “Border Myths/Border Realities” and “Sandow Birk: ‘The Depravities of War’” exhibitions will continue through Dec. 16.
