Where else could one find a giant papier mach?(c) effigy of Mr. Peanut suspended in mid-air but at UB's latest art show?
"Empty Space 06," presented by the department of theatre and dance, features student-made set designs and costumes that were featured in productions, as well as the students' personal projects. The show premiered last Tuesday and will run through April 6 in room B45 of the CFA.
The displays are an intriguing blend of costumes and props accompanied by an assortment of student artwork and literature.
"It's cool that both the actors and designers have the opportunity to create such skillful work," said James A. Wild, a junior theater major. "I am tremendously impressed by the way the designers were able to make these shows their own."
Wild was one of the first individuals to attend the opening of "Empty Space," and was pleased to see the amount of detail in the displayed work.
"Fiddler on the Roof" exhibits two female peasant gowns and the signature cream-colored Tevye suit, commemorating department performances of the play. Two worn trunks were set beneath the costumes and were adorned by a large white jug. Dark rags above the display captured the essence of impending gloom.
"Spinning Into Butter" features two simple but well-crafted period costumes from the play of the same name by Rebecca Gilman. The display is comprised of a woman's purple suit coat and scarf with a matching ruffled skirt and a man's suit pieced together with a burgundy sweater and tie.
Aside from actual stage costumes and props, designers also developed their own take on theatre.
" 'Tattoo Girl,' 'The Winter's Tale' " by Izumi Ihaba meshes the Iizuka play with the Shakespearian performance, using an array of colorful and funky designs. On one side, a portion of "The Winter's Tale" by Shakespeare hung from a simple sheet of paper. On the other half, a shoebox crammed with a collage of magazine clippings and a fashionable pump sprang from a podium, possibly serving as a modern interpretation of Shakespearian theatre.
The piece also chronicled the wild lifestyle of Perpetua, the trumpet-playing, tattooed heroine in Naomi Iizuka's play "Tattoo Girl" and Donald Barthelme's short story "Perpetua" from which the play was adapted.
" 'Tattoo Girl' and Building from Image" by Jennifer Tillagraph was made up of strange, small designs in black boxes using a combination of charcoal sketches, black tissue paper and miniature dark figures.
"Zodiaque 2005" commemorated the performances and achievements by the Zodiaque Dance Company from this past year. Zesty and colorful garments worn by the dancers and wooden masks painted with vibrant colors and accessorized with straw hair accompanied a series of costume sketches.
One of the more interesting pieces in the collection was a giant papier mach?(c) version of Mr. Peanut suspended in mid air. The friendly nut was part of the exhibit entitled "Media by Adam Smith: Corinth Beach."
Those interested in seeing the work of design students here at UB can check out "Empty Space 06" in the CFA. The Art Department Gallery is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m.-6 p.m.
