Bringin’ in the art

Christopher Labzda / senior photographer Zirkle House opened three new exhibits Monday, including sculptures by senior Dylan Jones, drawings by senior Andrew Centofante and photos by senior Liz McEleney.

Everyday objects — notebook paper and saran wrap — and unconventional techniques challenge the limits of even the most skeptical viewer. Three new exhibits at Zirkle House by seniors Dylan Jones, Andrew Centophante and Liz McEleney stretch boundaries and cause a viewer to look past well-known means of creating art.

Jones’ sculptures are a mix of saran wrap, lint, yarn and duct tape, among other household goods. A pirate bull hanging from the wall and a number of canvases depicting brightly colored creatures leer at passerby snacking on the offered Twinkies and Hi-C. Many of the sculptures continuously were evolving, Jones said. His art was a work in progress, sometimes taking him multiple days to complete.

Centophante’s exhibit — which was "never meant to be a show" — is a humorous and nostalgic reminder for anyone who ever has sat among the masses in a general education lecture hall. Zirkle walls covered in old school notes and handouts full of doodles provide "a testament to how little I pay attention in class," Centophante said. Among the years of blue-lined, three-hole-punched pages are enlarged color prints of Centophante’s favorite designs.

Those looking for a more traditional medium need look no further than McEleney’s "A Fleeting Expression." Upon entering the room, 20 or so photographic prints on old pages of French literature introduce the faces of McEleney’s friends and family. "This body of work is a very personal expression about expression," McEleney said. "What an individual chooses to project on his/her face is what a stranger uses to form an immediate opinion about that person. Our faces are constantly changing maps of our past, present and future," she said in a bio posted outside of the exhibit. Through the portraits, McEleney learned new things about people she has known for years, simply by capturing their expressions at spontaneous moments, she said.

The current exhibits will be on display through October 18, along with a show by artist Alexandria Searls, titled "The Jefferson Bible Photographs." Searls’s black-and-white photography exhibit runs through Sept. 24. The Zirkle House Gallery is located at 983 S. Main Street across the street from the Quad.