Making their mark

Hollis Hammonds, “My House (detail),” marker on vinyl.

The exhibition will run Friday through Oct. 24.

There will be an opening reception Friday from 6 to 8 p.m. in the gallery. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Drawing has been a significant artistic practice for centuries. But the definition of what constitutes a drawing has become increasingly more fluid in the contemporary world.

Drawing continues to inspire experimentation and innovation. It embraces the traditional practice of charcoal on paper as well as experimental approaches that include digital technology, and installation to name just two.

Making Their Mark will present a selection of drawings from six artists:

• David Bowen of Minnesota

• Jason Bronner of Pennsylvania

• Hollis Hammonds of Texas

• Matthew Hopson-Walker of California

• Elizabeth Leger, also of California

• Deborah Rockman of Michigan

All the artists explore and expand the definition of drawing.

Bowen works in kinetic installation and engineers devices that are set in motion to create drawings based on their interaction with individuals and the space they occupy.

Bronner uses both traditional and experimental media in the creation of his drawings which explore the dog as archetype, as both sentry and savage and how the one subject can represent both of these opposing states.

Hammond’s installation works involve drawing on vinyl with markers. Her wall installations of cut out or shaped drawings document a collection of personal experiences using everyday representations to denote the importance of the individual.

Hopson-Walker’s work includes traditional media such as charcoal and chalk pastel but also infuses less traditional elements such as spray paint and fabric dyes. Hopson-Walker creates works that tell ambiguous stories of social interaction in a form very reminiscent of fairytales or parables.

Leger’s chaotic and fragmented charcoal and graphite works present the human body in bits and pieces and are very much about the process of drawing as well as the random nature of memory.

Rockman’s works from her “Losing Sleep” series use a combination of digital drawing and found images suspended on sheets of acrylic medium to explore the abuse and neglect of children in our culture and the transgenerational nature of that phenomenon. Each artist’s distinct work makes for an exhibit that is both visually and psychologically stimulating.

Bowen received his MFA degree from the University of Minnesota and is currently an assistant professor of art at the University of Minnesota, Duluth.

Bronner received his MFA from the University of Florida and currently teaches drawing and digital design at Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania. 

Hammonds holds an MFA in drawing from the University of Cincinnati and is currently Assistant Professor of Art and Director of the Art Exhibit Program at St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas.

Hopson-Walker received his MFA from the University of Iowa and is an instructor of drawing and printmaking at the College of the Sequoias in Visalia, Calif. 

David Bowen, “Infared Drawing Device,” mixed media.

Rockman holds an MFA from the University of Cincinnati and is professor of art at Kendall College of Art and Design in Grand Rapids, Mich. She is the first woman and youngest person to be awarded the rank of full professor in Kendall’s history. In addition to Rockman’s teaching and creative work she has also authored two books, “The Art of Teaching Art” and “Drawing Essentials” both published by Oxford University Press.

All of the artists featured in Making Their Mark have exhibited nationally, been the recipients of various awards and have their work represented in the collections of universities and museums throughout the nation.

The Nightingale Gallery encourages an ongoing discussion about the significance of drawing as a medium as well as the experimental possibilities it presents.

For further information about the exhibition call the gallery at 962-3667 or visit www.eou.edu/art/nightingale/NighingaleGallery.html .