Would You Like Some Art With Your Commencement?

Stony Brook University’s art department is once again occupying the gallery at the Staller Center for the Arts, this time for the 2012 Senior Art Show.

Those venturing into the exhibition will find the gallery space packed full of prints, paintings, sculptures and other works as part of the annual exhibition of works by Stony Brook University’s senior art students, their final showing before commencement.

While there is no overarching theme at the Senior Art Show as there is at other exhibitions, what patrons get instead is a wide breadth of works from senior artists.

One of the works in the gallery that garnered the most attention from the crowd was a mixed media installation by Annemarie Levin entitled “Negative Space.” The installation featured a series of three human-sized dresses made from film negatives and various pieces of film equipment.

“It’s a really nice show with some great pieces,” said Nader Nouraee, a senior biology major and studio art minor. Nouraee is also one of the show’s participants, presenting his photography piece “The Queen,” which he shot with a vintage box camera that he uses for an independent study here at the university.

Another piece that got quite a bit of attention from the crowd was an installation by the name of “Some Dreams.” It is a three-foot sculpture of a broken heart made from asymmetrical chunks of wood bound by near-invisible gilt thread and set on a welded steel base crafted by artist Gizeli Siqueira.

According to Siqueira, “Some Dreams” symbolizes a yearning for love, and shows how a broken relationship can get better. “The cold, hard metal symbolizes pain and distance, and the string a strong, invisible bond…it’s very powerful.” she said.

The gallery is only open in the Staller Center until May 17, so those interested may want to go check it out before it’s too late.