The Newman University Steckline Gallery will present “He laced his boots with earthworms in snake suits” by Brady Hatter as the eighth show of its 2013-14 season. The exhibit of mechanical sculpture, which begins with a Final Friday reception from 5 to 7 p.m. on Friday, April 25 will be on display through May 16. Both the reception and admission to the gallery are free and open to the public.
An “Art for Lunch” presentation by Hatter will be held Tuesday, April 29 from noon to 1 p.m. in the gallery. A light lunch will be served on a first-come, first-served basis. Guests can also bring their lunch. This event is also free and reservations are not required.
“What I make are objects created primarily for an audience of one, their maker,” Hatter said. “The artistic machines are oddities, perverted in the very sense that they even exist. The purest form of any art is in the idea itself.
“A desire to grasp the whole of scientific truth and knowledge has created a foundation for why I make objects. Biological processes and earthly cycles drive my curiosities for the natural world. While referencing the natural world as a toolbox for structures and concept, I am left with a desire to reinvent. The knowledge I gain, I use to create corrupt alternate biologies for natural objects. I want to introduce you to a foreign science.
“I open my machines up briefly to an audience of two. Let them speak to you through unconventional wordless poetry. The cyclical patterns of the gearing will draw you into a new altered biology. May the machinery help you distinguish your own personal truths or allow them to create more questions than answers where curiosity ignites inspiration. Please put your mind in a state where the boots laced with earthworms in snake suits are just another pair of shoes to choose from in the closet.”
The Steckline Gallery is located inside the De Mattias Fine Arts Center on the Newman campus, 3100 McCormick. 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.
