Artwork, fossils on display

By Ellen Jordan
Cardinal Staff

When stepping into the Lillian Davis Hogan Art Gallery this month, Saint Mary’s University students will witness a display unlike others in the past.

The display, “Branches: A Contemporary Convivencia,” opened Oct. 14 and will run through Nov. 14.
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Michael Sager and Francisca de Buerges Rosenthal are the creators of the diverse show, both artists showing their unique traits within the exhibit. The fact that the works are displayed on wood as opposed to the traditional canvas makes the display more appealing. Lining the white walls are various faces, with names like Hend, Jumana, Shana, Francisco and Pier. In addition to the faces, there are multiple pictures of apples, all with a consistent and common color scheme. Sagar is also responsible for a physical display found on the gallery floor, titled “We are all one.” Within this display are fossils, aged 65 million years, Bahrin sand from the Persian Gulf, and salt from the Himalayas, Europe and the United States.

Distinctive to the exhibit is an audio recording by de Buerges Rosenthal, also titled “We are One.” In this audio recording, the aspects of religion are discussed, along with the speaker’s personal experiences with the subject. The audio recording added an exclusive touch to the display.

“I have gone to many of the exhibits that are shown in the gallery, but I am amazed at how different this one is compared to others,” said senior Ashley Perich. “The dialogue really added to the display.”

Perich is not the only student satisfied with the exhibit. Junior Nadia Effendi said, “I loved the concept of painting on distressed and rotten wood. It was beautiful and it added feeling to the art.”