Washington State University - Chinook Yearbook (Pullman, WA)

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r Faculty Short Their Colors Fine Arc — (originally considered purely aesthetic, as distinguished from the “useful arts) 1 . any of the art forms that include drawing , painting , sculpture . rfW ceramics , 0r, occasionally , architecture , literature , music, dramatic art , or dancing 2 . highly creative or intricate skill , Many still consider art as a purely aesthetic pursuit, but to the faculty of the Department of Fine Arts, art is essential. The teaching of art is part of a curriculum meant to round out students’ perceptions of the world around them. That world is often reflected in the artists’ work, for to be artists, they must draw from their environments to express them¬ selves to others. Every fall in the past, the Department of Fine Arts faculty members have shown their own work in an exhibition. This allows stu¬ dents, other faculty and the general public to view these artists’ current accomplishments outside the classroom environment. This year was no exception. As the mem¬ bers of the faculty were bringing their fall semester classes to a close, they were also readying their own works for the faculty show which would soon be opening. Some faculty were absent because of outside gal¬ lery commitments, but this by no means shortchanged the shows’ audience. The var¬ ious artists’ exhibits displayed quite a spec¬ trum of media and content for exploration. Robert Helm’s finely finished, framed sculptures of wood and metal were a contrast to Jack Dollhausen’s entanglements of elec¬ tronic sensors and lights, as well as Patrick Siler’s rough, stenciled clay slabs. For more experimental minds, James Hockenhull pro¬ vided an amazing array of computer art in color and black and white, while his wife, Jo Hockenhull, exhibited her unique paintings of super-lifesize X-rays. Sandy Deutchman showed an unusual combination of carbon paper transfers and lacquer on enormous canvases of milk carton paper. She was the only faculty member represented who teaches Fine Arts Education at Washington State. Unfortunately, the list of other faculty artists exhibiting work is far too long and varied to give each an adequate discription, although each deserves recognition. One faculty member, who formerly occu¬ pied the Fine Arts Department Chair¬ manship for 21 years, portrays in his works a subject very close to home. Keith Monaghan says his works are “based on the physical characteristics of the lands of the Palouse, including the natural and man-made altera¬ tions.” Monaghan deals with the Palouse landscape and its patchwork of fields as other artists might deal with the bright lights and variety of people in a city. He brings out portions of the brilliance and beauty of the Palouse hills second only to the natural panorama itself. One piece of his work is shown here. While for some artists, fine art is a very personal and private way of expressing their innermost feelings, to others, a personal work of art is not complete until viewed by an audience, when the cycle of self- expression returns to its beginning. As someone once said, “The greatest gift one can give to another is a deeper understanding of life and the ability to love and believe in self.” No one achieves this better than the devout artist. The WSU Fine Arts faculty members, in publically displaying their work, complete their own personal expres¬ sion cycles, and give to many others, as well, that “greatest gift” of aesthetic inspiration, — Lori Parker Opposite Page: Grain Elevator Vr n Krith Monaghan Below: Computer V nitv Dcstgn — Jamc Hockenhull.