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Issue date: 3/11/10 Section: Arts & Entertainment

Students analyze Glenn Williams' pieces at the River Campus

From now until March 26, the artwork of Glenn Williams will be on display at Southeast's River Campus art gallery.

The artist's work titled "Metaphorically Speaking II," which was included as part of the art council's First Friday Night with the Arts event on March 5, features work inspired by the affects of the current economic crisis.

"The inspiration for the show was to use the idea of the home or architecture as a metaphor for the individual, for instance with the housing crisis and how that affected the individual psyche. For instance, when you (saw) the new construction before the housing crisis hit, it was a sign of prosperity, but that psychology changed once we had the housing crisis," Williams said.

Williams used the physical signs of the recession that he saw during his daily commute back and forth to work in order to create the pieces in his show.

"I was traveling back and forth from home and you'd see these new developments, and it no longer symbolized prosperity, but basically it symbolized the opposite of that. It was a reminder of the recession, because you would see these homes that had not been fully constructed and these developers that had just moved out and they were no longer working on these homes. So that was kind of the inspiration, this ideas of displacement and lack of prosperity," Williams said.

"Metaphorically Speaking II," is in keeping with Williams's goal to create art that explores the affects of perception, truth and current events on the human condition.

"I believe that our reality is based on our perception of the truth, a truth that is shaped by our experiences. In my work, I explore various elements of the condition, particularly those aspects of the human condition that influence our sense of identity. I draw from personal experiences, current political topics, historical references and literary sources to address themes of alienation, growth and perseverance," Williams said. "My most recent works are reflections of direct and indirect experiences that bring into question social constructs that pertain to identity. My interest is not so much in the experience, but in the psychological impact that the experience has on the individual, and how that manifests itself in the individual's psyche."

Glenn Williams's "Metaphorically Speaking II," will be on display through March 26 at the River Campus Art Gallery. Williams will give an artist lecture on Wednesday, March 24 from 12-1 p.m. at the John and Betty Glenn Convocation Center as part of the exhibit. Gallery hours are Monday-Friday from 1-5 p.m. For more information, visit the River Campus's website at www.semo.edu/rivercampus.

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