2004 brings new exhibits to Art Gallery

By Lori Wright, Media Relations

The Art Gallery at UNH kicked off 2004 with two new exhibitions, Chain of Fools: Hogarth Reinterpreted by B. Lynch and Impassioned Images: German Expressionist Prints.

Both exhibitions opened Jan. 22. Chain of Fools: Hogarth Reinterpreted by B. Lynch runs until April 14, and Impassioned Images: German Expressionist Prints runs until March 11.

Chain of Fools: Hogarth Reinterpreted by B. Lynch

B. Lynch, The Seven Follies: Praying for Luck, 2002, oil on canvas, courtesy of B. Lynch.

Boston artist B. Lynch’s latest installation exhibition, Chain of Fools, humorously and perceptively comments on human folly as it is represented in William Hogarth’s famous series of 18th-century engravings, “The Rake’s Progress.” What results is a surreal “conversation” between Hogarth’s classic prints and the large-scale, colorful figures, reliquary sculptures, video, and paintings created by Lynch.

Lynch uses Hogarth’s famous series of prints to inspire her own works on the subject of folly. “I have been obsessed with the idea of folly for almost 10 years. As though sifting through some massive archaeological dig of an ancient city, I continue unearthing new bits that beckon me onward. I search for what it means to be human. I believe that folly is the quintessence of being human,” Lynch says.

In conjunction with this exhibition, the UNH Department of Theatre and Dance is presenting an original play titled, “The Rake’s Progress,” written by Professor David Kaye. The play runs Feb. 18-22, in the Johnson Theatre, Paul Creative Arts Center.

Impassioned Images: German Expressionist Prints

Erich Heckel, Jungling, 1917, woodcut, from the Syracuse University Art Collection.

“Expressionism” defines a period in German culture from early in the 20th century until the fall of the Weimar Republic in 1933. Expressionism began as an opposing force to the established tastes of the time. Early expressionists had a desire to explore the internal world of their subjects, rather than simply focusing on external appearances. What resulted was a highly emotional and energized style that took the art world by storm.

Impassioned Images looks specifically at the printmakers in this group of expressionists and the impact of that medium on the group as a whole. This show includes prints by the most prominent artists associated with German Expressionism, as well as those who followed in their footsteps. Organized by the Syracuse University Art Collection, Impassioned Images was funded in part by the S. Melvin and Mary Jo Rines Art Exhibition Fund.

ArtBreak Series
Wednesdays, noon - 1 p.m., Room A219, Paul Creative Arts Center

• Jan. 28: Gallery talk by B. Lynch, whose work is on view in Chain of Fools: Hogarth Reinterpreted by B. Lynch, The Art Gallery.
• Feb. 4: Reading from A Sum of Destructions: Picasso’s Cultures & the Creation of Cubism, by the book’s author, Natasha Staller, professor, Amherst College.
• Feb. 11: Lecture/demonstration: “The Creative Process: Theatricalizing Hogarth’s The Rake’s Progress,” with David Kaye, associate professor of theatre and dance.
• Feb. 18: Fiction reading by Alexander Parsons, assistant professor of English.
• Feb. 25: Lecture on folly by Sean Moore, assistant professor of English.
• March 3: Slide lecture on German Expressionism by Eleanor Hight, professor of art and art history.
• March 10: Concert featuring songwriter and folk singer Liz Parmalee, The Art Gallery.

Special Events

• The Rake’s Progress
  Feb. 18-21, 7 p.m., and Feb. 22, 2 p.m., Johnson Theatre, Paul Creative Arts Center The Art Gallery will be open to the public for an hour and a half prior to each performance.
• Fool’s Fortunes
  April 1, 6-8 p.m., The Art Gallery
  Celebrate All Fool’s Day and bring your questions to the Answer Fool.

The UNH Art Gallery is at the Paul Creative Arts Center. Hours are Monday through Wednesday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Thursday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m.; and Saturday and Sunday, 1-5 p.m. The Art Gallery is closed Fridays, university holidays (including March 12-21 and April 11), and during exhibition changes, including March 14-23. Admission is free. School and other groups are welcome. Tours are free with advance reservation.