Center for the Arts exhibitions feature artists with new perspectives on geometric abstraction
The Center for the Arts at Virginia Tech’s galleries open its 2014-15 season with three one-person exhibitions by artists who build on the rich tradition of geometric abstraction.
From Los Angeles, New York, and Philadelphia, these artists take the visual language of line, form, and color in compelling directions.
“Evolving Geometries: Line, Form, and Color” will debut with an opening reception on Thursday, Sept. 25, from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Moss Arts Center Grand Lobby, 190 Alumni Mall. The event is free and open to the public.
In the first part of the 20th century artists such as Wassily Kandinksy, Kasimir Malevich, and Piet Mondrian explored simple geometric forms — rectangles, triangles, squares, and lines — in abstract compositions that addressed universal truths and utopian ideas. This tradition was carried forth, expanded, and transformed over the course of the century and is continued by artists with innovative approaches to the genre, including the artists featured in these one-person exhibitions:
Patrick Wilson
- Ruth C. Horton Gallery
- Los Angeles artist Patrick Wilson creates luminous abstract paintings composed of richly layered geometric forms—lines, squares, and rectangles. He works with acrylic on canvas, meticulously deploying a palette of potent colors that range from muted grays and blues to intense vermilions, bright greens, yellows, and deep purples. Superimposing what seems like disarmingly simple geometric forms—on top of, beside, or inside each other—Wilson devises complex modular sequences that achieve mesmerizing visual effects.
- This exhibition features a selection of paintings from private collections in Los Angeles and New York, the Susanne Vielmetter Gallery in Los Angeles, and the artist’s studio.
- Wilson will discuss his work during an informal artist gallery talk on Thursday, Sept. 25 at 6:30 p.m. in the Ruth C. Horton Gallery.
Odili Donald Odita
- Grand Lobby and Miles C. Horton Jr. Gallery
- Odili Donald Odita’s geometric abstractions masterfully mine the expressive and metaphoric power of line, color, and form in brilliantly colored canvases and site-specific wall paintings. Beginning with line and often painting directly on walls, Odita transforms simple geometric forms into elongated triangles, trapezoid-like shapes, or irregular bands of color that stream, intersect, and diverge from each other.
- Presented in his one-person exhibition in the Miles C. Horton Jr. Gallery are paintings from private collections in New York and the artist’s studio.
- In a project designed specifically for the Center for the Arts, Odita will create an expansive wall painting in the Moss Arts Center Grand Lobby. Beginning Oct. 6, the work will take approximately 25 days to complete. Odita will make two site visits, while two of his painting assistants will complete the work. This project is supported in part by a donation from Valley Paint, a locally owned and operated independent Benjamin Moore retailer.
Manfred Mohr
- Sherwood Payne Quillen ’71 Reception Gallery and Francis T. Eck Exhibition Corridor
- One of the early pioneers of the new media art genre, Manfred Mohr was one of the first artists to use computers to create works of art. As early as 1969, Mohr began using algorithms to explore new territories in the visual arts, and in 1971 was the first artist to be presented in a solo exhibition with works entirely calculated and drawn using a computer. He has since developed prolific and varied works based on a rigorous exploration of the logical structure of geometric forms — cubes, hypercubes, lines, and planes, and the relationships among them.
- Mohr will discuss his work in the exhibition during an artist talk on Monday, Oct. 6 at 7 p.m. in the Sherwood Payne Quillen ’71 Reception Gallery.
Complementing the center’s exhibitions is a special series of lectures. “My Take Talks” provide community members with the opportunity to share their perspective on the art featured in the galleries. Designed to encourage idea exchange in a relaxed, social atmosphere, these 15-minute talks provide an inviting space to experience art through the lens of diverse disciplines.
See the complete schedule of “My Take Talks.”
"Evolving Geometries: Line, Form, and Color" runs from Sept. 25 through Nov. 20. The center’s galleries regular hours are Tuesday-Friday, 10 a.m.to 6 p.m., and Sunday and Sunday, 10 a.m.to 4 p.m. The galleries are free and open to the public. The center’s gallery exhibitions are curated by Margo Crutchfield, the Center for the Arts’ curator at large.
Parking is available in the North End Parking Garage on Turner Street. Virginia Tech faculty and staff possessing a valid Virginia Tech parking permit can enter and exit the garage free of charge. Limited street parking is also available. Parking on Alumni Mall is free on weekdays after 5 p.m. and on weekends.
