Posted on March 15, 2006
In the Nexus Gallery, senior Mary Beth Sorrentino’s photographs hang on the wall with each one a depiction of gold cubes piled on top of each other. Their brilliant colors catch the eye, yet it is unclear at first what the photos represent. After taking a closer look, you can see that the cubes are actually the traces of gold on a $20 bill, magnified 5,000 times with a high-powered microscope.
Sorrentino’s photographs are part of JMU’s Institute for Visual Studies. Her solo exhibit is on display in the institute’s Nexus Gallery during the month of March, consisting mostly of photography, as well as a piece of stained glass.
The Institute for Visual Studies is a program focusing on the integration of both the arts and sciences.
In the works for the past two years, the idea for the Institute for Visual Studies was spearheaded by David Ehrenpreis, a professor in the school of art and art history. His use of the Madison Digital Image Database inspired him to look more closely at how he personally used images in his classes, as well as the overall use of visual aides in teaching at JMU.
“I became aware of the significance of images, especially since they were becoming more and more prevalent in university teaching,” Ehrenpreis said. “For me, the images that are the most elegant and beautiful are the ones that convey the most information. This program is a multidisciplinary center devoted to the investigation of the significance of images in contemporary culture.”
Ehrenpreis hopes to follow in the steps of other universities who have similar programs that concentrate on the convergence of different disciplines in the 21st century.
For Sorrentino, majoring in both biology and studio art with a concentration in photography, it has always been apparent how connected her two disciplines are.
“Most people think that the arts and sciences are different and separate, but in fact they are inherently related,” she said. “You need science to create art, especially photography, and you need art to help explain science by using diagrams and other art forms.”
Each semester since fall 2005, the institute’s class has taken one issue or topic to investigate. The first half of the semester is devoted to intense research and study of the topic, while the second half is focused on the student’s creations. Classes have no more than 15 students, making them both interactive and collaborative. Students from a variety of majors, including studio art, integrated science and technology and the media arts and design, are in the class and bring their knowledge and creativity to the table.
“We call it multidisciplinary, not inter-disciplinary, because people from different areas are investigating the same subject and are all looking at it through their discipline,” Ehrenpreis said.
This semester’s class, “The Aesthetics of Visualization,” will look at different ways data is presented, from both the scientific and artistic viewpoints. The class will also incorporate the use of both Google Earth and the Science on a Sphere global display system in Memorial Hall.
“The class is such a hybrid of both art majors and science majors,” said junior Christine Bednarz, a art and art history major taking the institute’s class this semester. “It concentrates on problem solving in a creative way.”
The Institute for Visual Studies also provides an innovative opportunity for the faculty involved. Chad D. Curtis, from the school of art and art history and Dr. Ronald G. Kander, from ISAT, are teaching this semester’s class.
“The program reflects on new ways of teaching and learning,” said Corrine Diop, a professor in the school of art and art history who taught last semester’s course, “Fearful Symmetry: Art and Mathematics.” “It breaks down disciplines. It’s team-teaching with someone from another discipline and you form a new alliance because of it.”
The Institute for Visual Studies allows both students and faculty to experience a new way of learning. Their learning space in Roop Hall has rolling tables, which allows group work and interactive learning. There is also a “breakout area,” where students can socialize and “play.” There is even a keypad on the door so that student can access this environment even after gallery hours.
“This is where academic and social lines evaporate, “ Ehrenpreis said. “The ‘breakout area’ is a place for students to go and say ‘Now I can play.’ ‘Play’ is a sacred word for us, where it means joyful engagement.”
Sorrentino’s exhibit opens today in the Nexus Gallery, located in Roop Hall, room 208. An open reception for the public will be held tonight from 5 to 7 p.m. For more information about IVS, go to jmu.edu/ivs.
