While there are many wonderful places to view art, the Rao Musunuru, M.D. Art Gallery at the Pasco-Hernando State College’s West Campus in New Port Richey, allows people to view work from local artists. Not only is it a fantastic opportunity for artists to gain exposure regarding their work, but it’s also a rewarding experience for the community.
Last week on August 24th, I had the chance to experience the opening of the first exhibit on the 2016-2017 Prismatic Reflections exhibition schedule. The current exhibit is, “Partners with the Earth,” featuring the artists Julie Komenda (the “Earth, Air, Fire, Water,” series) and Evie Harper (the “Life Beyond Ours,” series). I had the pleasure of meeting both of them, and getting to find out about their work.
Featured Artist Evie Harper
I spoke with Mrs. Harper first, and was greatly intrigued by her work. She had a wide variety of creatures that she depicts with her artwork, some of which include dolphins, a dragon, and an iguana. They each seemed to have their own personality and character, and drew you in for a closer look at the subtle details the artist included.
“What I do, is I find driftwood or creek wood and I sculpt around it. What I don’t do is alter the wood. I don’t find a good piece of wood, I don’t hurt a tree, I don’t do that type of stuff. And I build what I see out of it.”
She hopes to preserve the wood through this process, and doesn’t carve into the material, striving not to harm the wood in any way. While most of the materials she finds has been cleaned through natural processes, in order to clean it, she usually soaks the wood in a bleach water solution.
She uses air-drying clay called, Das clay, which allows her to apply the clay to the wood, without having to worry about firing the clay and scorching the wood. She also uses other materials to achieve the desired looks of her sculptures, such as fake fingernails added for claws on her iguana sculpture.
Her favorite series (the “Life Beyond Ours,” series) consists of several pieces, including Treebeard (Knowledge: Holds the History of the Ages) and Poison Ivy (Defense Warrior – Guardian), among several others. Each has their own story, and focuses on various aspects of nature.
“How we react to particular conditions or circumstances in nature’s system personally influence our actions to conserve and protect this delicate balance… Each sculpture in the, “Life Beyond Ours,” series is a symbol of our link with nature and its life giving force. Representing the importance of preserving our Woodland for the life that is yet to come, each may take many shapes and forms, naturalistic or decorative, and shoots a tap into our emotions.”
You can find out more about Evie Harper and her work, by visiting http://www.evharper.com/ or calling 352- 556-9218.
Featured Artist Julie Komenda
After speaking with Mrs. Harper, I spoke with Julie Komenda. Mrs. Komenda explained to me that both she, and Mrs. Harper are self-taught, and so they are often open to trying new ways of creating art, working with various media, and experimenting. Some of the mediums that Mrs. Komenda has worked with include textiles, acrylics, dyes, handmade paper, beads, and clay.
Komenda explained that she’s always wondered how we fit into the big picture, how to get complex ideas across visually, and other similar themes. Being inspired by these ideas and by bringing in various mythology into her work, she thinks of herself as a storyteller.
As such, many of her pieces had very interesting subjects, inspiring backgrounds, and also seemed to highlight the artist’s interests.
One such piece is Backstage Pass, which depicts the stage of Weeki Wachee Springs State Parks, viewed from the outside and underwater. It’s almost like having a window that allows you to have a look at the famous spring in a new way.
“My time at Weeki Wachee has given me a great appreciation of Florida nature, and, of course, mermaids.”
Another piece that Komenda is passionate about is a piece showing a close-up of a whale shark’s skin, with its patterns consisting of dots and lines. The painting had a deeper meaning once she described her thought process behind her work.
“There are many forms of patterns in nature, repetitions that follow mathematic ratios, some formations which we can only see with time and distance. It occurred to me that if such regularities could be codes, or languages, could they then be deciphered? What would they say? Are are part of a global, universal conversation? Of course we are. I wondered how the Whale Shark’s markings could be coded with a message. Morse code worked perfectly for my message, which is the title of the painting. My dream would be that an old coder would walk by it, stop, and realize he could read it. Reading the universe!”
Julie Komenda welcomes comments and inquiries at her email, juliekomenda@gmail.com.
The current exhibit can be viewed from now until October 26th, 2016. The gallery is open Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Friday, 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
It is located within the Alric C.T. Pottberg Library at the PHSC West Campus. The address is 10230 Ridge Road, New Port Richey, FL 34654. For more information about the gallery be sure to call 727-816-3231 and visit them online at phsc.edu/gallery.
All exhibits are presented at no charge to the public.
If you’re an artist, art related business, or have an interesting lead for an art-related story, be sure to contact Elizabeth Dentato at edentato1@gmail.com.