Art lovers and fantasy fans alike will be enchanted by the Imagine the Fantastic exhibition at the L.H. Horton Jr. Gallery.
The 2D and 3D art explores the fanciful realms of the human imagination in both abstract and realistic representations.
The paintings of Best of Show 2D artist Fred Jordan will recall subjects familiar to many from favorite works of fiction.
“The pieces I have in the show are all derived from stories,” said Jordan in an email interview.
He uses the subtle facial expressions and body language of his characters to embody the narrative upon which they are built.
“My aim for all of the pieces was to give them as much life as I possibly could and this would have been a difficult task if I had not been inspired by the original story telling,” said Jordan.
James Herrmann, Best of Show 3D winner, uses a more scientific approach based on his interest in anatomy and movement to create sculptures of prehistoric and fantasy animals.
“When I had a birthday my parents would offer to take me any place I wanted to go. I always asked them to take me to the Cincinnati Museum of Natural History to look at the dinosaurs,” said Herrmann in an email interview.
His pieces reproduce details of existing hard shell ammonite fossils while extrapolating the possible soft tissue features from careful study of related creatures.
“As a sculptor I am, in a sense, bringing this long extinct creature back to life,” said Herrmann.
Various pieces are for sale at the museum and online.
“We have a lot of sales of student work, actually we probably sell more student work than any other work,” said gallery director Jan Marlese.
Delta student Veasna Ling won third place for his video game inspired sculpture Roar, which is available to purchase for $600.
More information about the artists and pictures of their works are available on the Delta College website, but students are encouraged to stop by the museum on the first floor of Shima between classes.
“It’s totally different when you see it in person, you see the texture, you see the materials, you see how it’s applied, how it’s used and manipulated,” said Marlese.
The opening reception was held on Thursday and the show will close on Nov. 5 with an arts lecture by exhibition juror, and renowned creature designer and concept artist, Terryl Whitlatch.
