04/02/2009
Gallery talks by two multimedia artists and a panel discussion by five artists from the "Erasing Borders" exhibition will be highlighted throughout April at the Dowd Gallery at SUNY Cortland.
The three events are free and open to the public. Richard Jochum, a visiting scholar and artist at Teachers College Columbia University, will start the series at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 2. He will discuss his work as a media artist who employs a number of media forms within his art practice, ranging from photography and videos to blogs and performances.
Jochum, an Austrian citizen, has been exhibiting all over the world since the late 1990s. His art practice is accompanied by publications and lectures in the field of cultural theory and contemporary art, which has awarded him several grants and prizes.
Angie Waller, whose artwork includes an array of media, including Web-based sites and applications, artists' books, video, Web sites and installations, will give a talk at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 9.
Within Waller's work, the circumstances of political and aesthetic identity are clearly articulated through a meditation upon common cultural environments and events. She creates a parody of social networking sites in "Myfrienemies.com" 2007. Users are always anonymous and are connected to other users solely on their expressed dislikes in certain people.
On Thursday, April 23, artists from the "Erasing Borders" exhibition will take part in a panel discussion beginning at 4:30 p.m. Panelists include: Antonio Puri, Neil Chowdhury, Pritika Chowdry, Asha Ganpat and Amina Ahmed. "Erasing Borders," which opened March 1 and runs through Saturday, April 25, is an exhibition of contemporary Indian art of the Diaspora, implying concepts of change and adaptation.
The 28 artists in the exhibition meld Indian and Western colors and forms in many media, including, paint, sculpture and photography. They also grapple with diverse subject matter including AIDS, poverty, identity as a South Asian living in the post-9/11 world in addition to religious, sexual and ethnic identities.
The show, in its sixth year, explores the contributions of artists whose origins can be traced to the Indian subcontinent. In the 20th and 21st centuries, 20 million people of Indian origin shifted countries, which is reflected in the artists' work. Their subject matter draws from the country of origin, while many of the aesthetic values and political concerns come from the artists' newfound situations
Sponsors for the "Erasing Borders" exhibition include the Consulate General of India, New York State Council on the Arts, the Department of Cultural Affairs, India Abroad, Queens Museum of Art, Aicon Gallery, Pennsylvania College of Technology and Rediff.com.
Gallery hours are 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and by appointment. Group tours are also available. The gallery is closed on Sundays and Mondays.
Dowd Gallery is trying to be ecologically sustainable by using e-mail announcements rather than printed invitations. Individuals may sign up to receive electronic newsletters by sending an e-mail to dowdgallery@cortland.edu with the subject line "Sign me up for the Dowd Newsletter."
For more information, contact Dowd Gallery Director Andrew Mount at (607) 753-4216 or andrew.mount@cortland.edu.