Of the
People: Inuit
Sculpture from the Collection of Mary and Fred Widding
February
28–April 6, 2008
Opening Reception: February 28, 5:00–7:00 p.m.
The Inuit, an indigenous people living in the Canadian Arctic, have a
long artistic tradition which archaeological discoveries have shown to
reach back thousands of years. Indeed, the long and storied history of
the Inuit has been preserved through their pieces. In their native
dialect Inuktitut, the word Inuit simply means the people, and alludes
to their lifestyle both past and present. Despite continuing changes to
their culture, Inuit remain the people of the Arctic. Though confronted
by numerous transformations to their livelihood over the past fifty
years, central Inuit values have endured: community, nature, and
spirituality—values we see echoed in their artistic expression.
Curated by Ithaca College museology students, the exhibition highlights
the distinguished collection of Mary and Fred Widding. Pivotal to the
development of the Widdings’ collection is their personal relationship
with the work. By sharing this collection with the Handwerker Gallery,
the Widdings hope that others may discover the same connection.
Running
the Numbers: An
American Self-Portrait
February 28–April 6,
2008
Opening
Reception: February 28, 5:00–7:00 p.m.
In his large-format photographs,
Seattle-based artist Chris Jordan explores contemporary American
culture through the austere lens of statistics. Each image documents a
specific quantity of goods consumed by Americans in a given time frame:
Cell Phones, 2007, depicts 426,000 cell phones, equal to the number of
cell phones retired in the US every day; Paper, 2007, depicts 30,000
reams of office paper, or 15 million sheets, and documents five minutes
of paper use; and Plastic Bottles, 2007, depicts two million plastic
beverage bottles, the number used in the US every five minutes. These
photographs give the cold, hard facts of American consumption a
tangible reality. It is this sobering reality that Jordan uses to
emphasize “the role of the individual in a society that is increasingly
enormous, incomprehensible, and overwhelming…” in hopes of raising “the
consciousness of the viewer so that they start thinking more about the
collective that we’re all a part of.” The Handwerker exhibition will
feature nine photographs from the artist’s “Running the Numbers” and a
response wall for audience reactions.
Chris Jordan is a photographer who portrays the detritus of our mass
culture—piles of cell phones, plastic bottles, paper, and the like. His
work is exhibited widely in the US and Europe, and has been featured in
print media, blogs, documentary films, and radio and television
programs worldwide. Most recently he has been appeared on Bill Moyer's
Journal (PBS) and The Colbert Report (Comedy Central). Jordan lives and
works in Seattle, Washington.
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