Artist Laura Bigger will present “Elements” at the Steckline Gallery for the October Final Friday show from 5 to 7 p.m. Oct. 26 at Newman University. The event is free and open to the public.
“‘Elements’ is an ongoing body of work that acknowledges raw materials and the periodic table of elements as the building blocks of typical Western home construction and furnishing,” said Bigger.
“My work explores the relationships that exist among humans, animals, and ecosystems, particularly in terms of the food chain, raw materials, and the human tendency to exert control over natural systems. It explores existential quandaries such as what it means to be a human today, how we can live in the world responsibly, and what our obligation is to do so. As a multimedia artist, I question anthropocentric viewpoints and interpret the man-made environment primarily through print, drawing, installation, video and social practice.
“Each two-dimensional work is created based on a single element or raw material, such as lead or gypsum. This project as a continuation of previous work on self-sustenance; it delves into primal necessities but also moves beyond into the realm of luxuries,” said Bigger.
Biggers’ work was inspired by the everyday objects surrounding her. “I am constantly amazed that humans have made them, that the materials they are made of come from all over the globe and are manipulated in complicated ways to take their current form.
Sources are often obvious with natural materials such as wood or marble but items such as drywall or synthetics tend to be more complicated. “I am motivated to pay my respect for often-overlooked, quotidian objects and the living things or the places from which we harvest these materials,” she said.
Bigger looks forward to presenting her work with the audience, she said. She hopes they begin to think deeper about how things are made and appreciate the materials we extract from this Earth.
“These works, while based in research, poetically and reverentially portray their subjects.”
An “Art for Lunch” presentation by the artist will be noon to 1 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 30, in the gallery. A light lunch will be served on a first-come, first-served basis. Guests are also welcome to bring their lunch. This event is also free and reservations are not required.
The Steckline Gallery is located inside the De Mattias Fine Arts Center on the Newman campus, 3100 McCormick, Wichita, KS 67213. The gallery is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., or by appointment. For more information, call 316-942-4291, ext. 2199.
