UNI alumni show their skills in the UNI Gallery of Art

The University of Northern Iowa Gallery of Art is currently playing host to a series of exhibitions created by UNI alumni.

The series, titled "Time is Ripe," has seen its debut exhibit, "Never Chaste," garner acclaim for its exploration of the human form. The exhibit debuted on Aug. 23 and will conclude Sept. 19. Taking its cue from an infamous quote by Pablo Picasso, "Never Chaste" is an unabashed and highly personal exploration of the human body in art.

According to Darrell Taylor, director of the UNI Gallery of Art, the concept for "Never Chaste" came about by observing a common thread among artists whom he was considering featuring in the "Time is Ripe" series at large: takes on the human body, featuring nuance and stylistic intrigue, which elude the stereotypical nude form drawing.

Noting a trend away from further work with the human form beyond requisite drawing classes among art students, Taylor had hoped to depict the possibility and potency in the use of the human form to convey emotions and ideas in a myriad of different stylistic approaches.

Since much of the work  Taylor did in his artistic training was with form drawing, he was excited to discover masterful and evocative renditions of the human body, with some being done, according to Taylor, "very academically, some very sensually," and with some expounding upon the innate sensuality of the human form to create "very passionate" renditions.

Featured artist Gary Kelley, an alumnus of the class of 1968 and a celebrated illustrator, lends to his work candor and a unique humor in his abstract depictions of intimacy. Noted graphic artists Jensen Barnes and Thaddeus Erdahl, alumni of the classes of 2003 and 2004, are also featured in the exhibit, as well as sculptor Ken Rowe, alumnus of the class of 1992.

Also among the artists featured is Gerard Huber, an alumnus of the class of 1971. Currently a professor at Texas A&M University-Commerce, he has been widely acclaimed for the uncommon emotion and bravura with which his pieces, reminiscent of classic nude style, are rendered.

In a lecture given in the Kamerick Art Auditorium in conjunction with the exhibit, Huber discussed his desire to, by means of impassioned renditions of the body, ensure emotional accessibility to his art, a quality which, according to Taylor, is imperative to the work of the artist.

Featured among the pieces at the gallery is a work of Huber's titled "Ecce Homo," a vivid 3-D piece featuring a man confined behind bars. According to Huber, this piece, among others, was a means of expressing his feeling of confinement and his resentment towards influences present in his youth which admonished him to revile his instincts and himself.

In his lecture, Huber conveyed the idea that art ought to be accessible to all.

This sort of relationship between viewer and artist is present among works of many mediums. Among the works featured of artist Libby Rowe, a UNI alumna of the class of 1993 and the wife of featured sculptor Ken Rowe, are pieces which diverge from standard depictions of the human body.

Rowe, a renowned photographer, takes a minimalist sort of approach towards, among other subjects, the concept of femininity. A teasing and yet interesting approach is taken in her piece titled "Feminization;" two full-length photos of Rowe herself in the same simplistic pose are accompanied by a video of beauty rituals that many women are all too familiar with.

While the exhibit as a whole resonates with the viewer, the mastery of the art, as well as examples of the yield of the artist's training, strikes a chord with art students at UNI.

 Mackenzie Clark, a sophomore studio art major, was impressed with "Never Chaste" and the "many layers which make the show so compelling."

Kelli Jo Storey, a freshman studio art major, similarly expressed her great esteem for the work presented in the exhibit.

"I really liked the passion in Gerard Huber's pieces," she said. "His presentation was inspiring with his explanation of his work. I also liked the performance art displayed, and then the graphic designer's art made me concentrate and played with my mind, making me use my imagination to see what the artist was trying to portray. I love the idea of alumni work in the gallery. It's fascinating to know they at one time were where I am."

Clark also was impacted by the idea that world class art had been produced by those who were once students.

"This series is really exciting to me, as a student, because seeing all of the former UNI students' work up in the gallery is a great reminder that people can and do survive after graduating with an art degree," Clark said.

While Taylor is pleased with the success of the exhibit, he anticipates future successes, as "Never Chaste" is merely the premiere exhibit of the "Time is Ripe" series of nine exhibitions comprising different subjects, artists, concepts and a wide range of ideas, with many artists debuting new pieces.