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BAM boasts wide variety
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The Boise Art Museum is currently exhibiting a wide variety of creative offerings. Whether you’re into interactive electronic art, or classic daguerreotype photography, or the magical wonderment of traditional Japanese and Chinese art, BAM has something for every artistic liking.
Jack Dollhausen
If you get sassy with Jack Dollhausen’s electronic art, it talks back. Dollhausen’s exhibit, “A 30 Year Start,” explores the evolution of technology via 26 electronic sculptures.
His schematic forms of circuitry, light and sound come to life in an explosion of electronic fervor, especially when they detect kinetic motion and audible frequencies. An exhibit statement adorning a museum wall pretty much sums it up:
“Jack Dollhausen’s machines send out signals searching for of signs of life in their vicinity. When they detect it, they whisper and flicker, growl, coo and flinch in synch with the viewer. Some are programmed to react differently each time in sequences, which may not repeat in a human lifetime.”
Dollhausen, an art professor at Washington State University, uses anything electronic in the pursuit of his art: old transistors, diodes, dead oscilloscopes, coils, Geiger counter tubes and sonar detectors are just a few of the gadgets incorporated. He masterfully creates forms that demand interactivity with the viewer, and the end result is a symphony of electronic excitement.
“Regardless of Jack Dollhausen’s technical landmarks, he continues to transform inelegant scientific fact into spectacular sensory experience… They are never ‘off.’ They merely rest. They seem to sleep, but actually, they wait, and some plan.”
Dollhausen’s exhibit is running until Feb. 17.
Since graduating from Boise State in 1976 with a B.A. in photography, Deborah Hardee has amassed a successful career as a professional photographer. Her accolades include three Idaho Commission on the Arts Sudden Opportunity Grants and she is a recent recipient of the Boise City Arts Commission’s Cultural Initiatives 2000 Grant.
Hardee’s latest project, “New Works,” dives deeply into the recesses of dark human emotion. Using a black & white Daguerreotype process, which was revolutionized by Louis-Jacques Daguerre in the mid-19th century, Hardee captures her subjects in ultimate moments of sadness. Daquerre’s invention has all but vanished as an art form in the modern world, mostly because the process is extremely difficult. His pioneering work led to the first major movement in portraiture photography.
The process entails transferring images onto sheets of silver-plated copper without the use of negatives.
Hardee’s new series features 17 “psychologically charged” photographs. Her artist statement captures the essence of her concept:
“The goal of my current work is to reveal the inner, emotional truth of human experience that lies beneath the outward appearance of the composure we normally express.”
In “New Works,” Hardee investigates different stages of human distress and effectively traps the moody shadows of her subjects.
Hardee is fond of this quote from a famous African tribal shaman:
“Tears may be a language much older than words.”
Hardee’s exhibit is running through Feb. 24.
Imperial and Folk Art of China and Japan
BAM’s current installation, “Beauty in All Things,” offers a glimpse into two Asian cultures. The exhibit beautifully examines Chinese and Japanese folk art from the third through the 19th century.
The focal point of the Chinese exhibit is the Imperial Throne of Emperor Qianlong, who reigned in China from 1736-95. The ornate throne is framed by an equally detailed tapestry and wood screen, and is adorned by two vividly glazed yellow porcelain vases. Some of the exhibit’s Qing dynasty stoneware was donated to BAM’s permanent collection by former Boise State art professor John Takehara.
The Chinese exhibit features an impressive array of Ming dynasty vases, jade and ceramics as well. The T’ang dynasty is represented by a decorative ceramic horse, similar to the ones buried with deceased noble leaders during the period.
The Japanese installation showcases textiles, lacquerware, paintings, woodblock prints, silk clothing and general objects from Japanese culture.
Most of the Japanese folk art is on loan from the Portland Art Museum, and offers insight into the social and cultural traditions of Nippon. Japanese art throughout the ages has put an emphasis on personal harmony and nature. The Zen school of Buddhism suggests that enlightenment can only be found through disciplined meditation and this tranquility is directly linked to the wonderment of the natural world.
The Japanese woodblock prints preserve a rich tradition of folklore and culturally transmit stories for future generations.
“Beauty in All Things” is running through Feb. 16.
J. Patrick Kelly, The Arbiter
