At night, the art comes to light with the aspect of black lights making it illuminate even more. The window installation is located outside the Fine Arts building.
The Fine Arts building gallery kicked off the new semester with Die Kunstkammer (Cabinet of Curiosities), a new window dressing installation, introduced by artist Karim Shuquem on Jan. 16.
As a Los Angeles visual and performing artist, Shuquem’s black and white themed art comes off as an approach to natural sciences and evolution that is not visible to the human eye.
Neither completed or fixed, the installation included a never ending stack of painted, carved and yet numbered crates. The display was surrounded with candles, European acquired objects and spell-bounding black lights.
Behind the inspiration were individuals who were process-based metaphysics thinkers such as Gregory Cajete, Brian Yazzie Burkhart, Alfred North Whitehead, Heraclitus and so on.
However, the installation shared a negative commentary upon the effects of Western substance-based ontologies as well.
Imagery was a large contributor in translating the meaning Shuquem wanted to get across. In fact, it rather diffused into several different meanings that the artist wanted the audience to develop as they made their observations.
“I think that when you’re an artist, we consider things that we don’t usually see in our work and that happens when the crates are stacked. It is impossible to see what is underneath and behind them,” Shuquem said.
Without necessarily generalizing this idea to the audience, Shuquem’s intentions were to hopefully lead to a future discussion that has become quite interesting recently to him as well as spirituality.
Shuquem continued, “The classification of human beings and the acquisition of knowledge is the reason why we are here as individuals.”
Furthermore, he believes that learning and using the medium in order to find a resolution or to conclude, is the definite analysis of an artist.
Only being in the realm of art for such little time, and engaging in the world of music for over 25 years, Shuquem wanted to explore further out of his comfort zone but also combine his life long passion with his new love for art.
With the intentions of introducing this combination, he has in the past showcased sculptures.
Outstanding than he already is, Shuquem disperses his creativity also through animation and pictures. Recently he has completed a series that primarily follows printmaking.
Shuquem displayed many of the prints and designs that were in the actual display. The designs are located on the top and sides of the boxes and are emphasized at night when the blacklight reflects each detail.
Due to the rainy weather leading to the cancellation of the opening reception, students continued to gather around Shuquem’s work for a glimpse.
Without any knowledge of the display, one student assumed that because there were numerous objects, then there were various meanings.
James Boror, ceramics major, said, “The whole display was honestly for our own mind to take its own route of what it could be rather than it being anything specific.”
On the other hand, there was a different theory on the reasoning for the display.
Another student confirmed that the purpose of the set up was to provide a 3-D principle that engages repetition.
Andrina Abresinos, child development major, took the time to view the window gallery.
Abresinos said, “There is obviously a large amount of elements configuring this idea of categorization, such as the many boxes and statues symbolizing someone important.”
In all, Shuquem’s intent of the display was to have individuals share different thoughts on it and it was the outcome that pursued.
Since there is quite a unique variation of art representations, there will be an opportunity for an artist to showcase their work.
Within the 30 foot-long window vitrine located outside of the Fine Arts Building, the individual installations will only go on for two weeks, with an opening reception occurring every other Monday from 5 to 7 p.m.
