Three very diverse artists are showcasing their work in the Gaddis Geeslin Gallery through the Sam Houston Art Department.
Two painters, Michael Hart and Alfred Quiroz, along with sculptor Michael Ferris will display their differing attitudes toward using the human form as a mode of expression.
Hart, a painter from New Mexico, invents worlds that defy logic and reason while on the opposing side, Quiroz of Tucson, Arizona, deals with obvious political/social issues through satire.
One of Quiroz’s pieces that is featured in his Presidential Series, “Muneefest Destiny,” depicts the war between Mexico and the U.S., where one of the prime culprits in “creating” the war was President James K. Polk.
“The fact is, the war never ended for those that still espouse the post-pilgrim ideology. Prejudice still exists and we are all required to ‘Remember the Alamo’ as a heroic cause,” Quiroz said.
Quiroz graduated in 1971 from the San Francisco Art Institute early with two in-house scholarships. In 1973 he was accepted to the R.I. School of Design and graduated with a Masters in Art Education.
Quiroz wants everyone to understand why the world of Chicanos is the way it is.
In contrast, Michael Ferris, born in 1969 in Chicago, Illinois, displays his decorative approach to the human figure with his inlaid wood sculptures.
Ferris graduated in 1996 with a Masters of Fine Arts from Indiana University and has been presented with selected grants and awards from 1997-2005.
Ferris’ work consists of wood forms surfaced with a self-invented Wood overlay method. The coloration of each work is achieved by the wood tiles’ natural colors along with acrylic pigment.
“My sculpture has been directly inspired by the immortal narratives from Chinese mythology,” Ferris said. “The immortals have embraced their regular humanity so completely that they ironically have become visually and metaphorically something other than ‘normal’.”
Ferris’ goal is to shed light on a different way of looking at the human form.
“Ultimately, I am interested in creating both a vibrating and stoic humanistic presence that is intended to imply the psychological and spiritual complexity within,” Ferris said.
The featured artists’ work will be on display until October 19th.
For more information or to observe the artists works, visit the Gaddis Geeslin Gallery or call 936-294-1317.