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The opening reception for the 59th Annual Scholarship Exhibit followed the presentation of the scholarships on June 2, when 35 students were rewarded for their noteworthy work within the broad reaches of the Visual Arts and Media Studies Division.

 For this year’s exhibit – which will be on display until June 18 – the Art Gallery is adorned with art forms in various media, from ceramic sculptures to experimental film work, providing a vibrant, multidimensional gallery experience.

 According to Jim Gonzalez, co-chair of the Scholarship Exhibit committee, 54 students took part in the portfolio review by a panel of VAMS staff for this year’s exhibit. From those, the final 35 were chosen. A total of $41,000 was awarded in scholarships by the division.

Four photographs of downtown Los Angeles, each subtly set apart by their altered exposure methods, can be seen in the main room of the gallery. Beneath each photo, artist Emma Rosenthal includes a quaint note commenting on such things as hope, delusion, memories and greed.

“I shot them with an inexpensive camera and developed them like a negative, so that’s where I got all the bright colors,” Rosenthal said of the four photos which are part of the series “Los Angeles Paradise Chimera: A Dialogue With the City I Live In.”

“I chose these four because they are all thematically and visually different,” Rosenthal said of her decision to display the group of photos. Though each student was allowed to submit multiple works for the initial judging process, those that were chosen as scholarship recipients were asked to choose a standout piece from their collection to display.

While viewing the eclectic exhibit, Rosenthal expressed her fondness of the exhibits’ outcome. “I’m really impressed with the quality of my classmates work,” she said.

One artist was far less than enthused by the outcome of the show and was not shy to verbalize that sentiment.

Photography major Christopher Cheng’s black-and-white photograph “A Couple in Transition” is an intimate depiction of a gay couple, one of whom is transgender. The two are shown shirtless and enveloped in each other’s tattoo adorned arms.

“I wanted to show that love can transcend gender,” Cheng said of the piece.

Cheng’s photo shares wall space with Daniel Carrillo’s color photograph “Lil Miss Nomer,” which depicts a woman donning only a black garter belt, red fishnet stockings and an assortment of body piercings.

The curatorial placement of his photo was the source of upset for Cheng. “It’s a shame that they curated [the exhibit] this way, because they put two of the more controversial pieces in the corner,” he said.

“I feel it is kind of condescending. I chose this couple because they had something to show, and it’s disappointing because I feel they are being shoved into an invisible closet,” Cheng said visibly upset.

In response, Art Gallery Director Brian Tucker said that the placement was a result of “thematic grouping.” Tucker admitted that there was some concern over the context of certain pieces, as the gallery is open to young visitors, but said the placement was, “certainly not an effort to hide [the photos].”

“I look to see if there are any similarities, and I group them. We try to have a sense of what will lead you in, and what will lead you to the back of the gallery,” Tucker said.

Overall, Tucker was pleased with the variety in this years show, and was excited to include a medium which is rarely featured in the Art Gallery. “I am happy we have some videos. It has always been a little difficult to get students who are making films to see their work in the context of the gallery.

“There’s no reason why film students shouldn’t be involved in the visual arts dialogue,” Tucker said.

Cinema Assistant and film production major Rebecca Ramage shared a similar view on the absence of film in the gallery. “I think that film is the biggest over encapsulating art form,”she said. “it’s everywhere, yet on campus I feel it is underrepresented.”

Ramage contributed a series of three videos for the exhibit and said that each is very different; one is a narrative, and the others include a documentary style and an experimental style film. Despite these differences, Ramage noted overlying themes embedded in her works. “I try to focus on little moments. In each film is a passing moment that I try to zoom in on,” she said.

Overall the eclectic show proved to be a success, drawing a large crowd on its’ opening day and stirring it’s own small batch of controversy as gallery exhibitions often do.

The thickly textured, expressionistic brushstrokes of Lisa Winemans oil painting ‘Two Figures’ attracts art enthusiasts. The 59th Annual Scholarship Exhibit opened in the Art Gallery on June 2. (Winnie Tang/Courier)

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