Student Jay Smith enjoys “The ART of Illustration” exhibition on Feb. 21, in the Giertz Gallery.
Kaiden Pope
Reporter
On Feb. 12, “The ART of Illustration” exhibition opened at the Giertz Gallery, located in the X-wing.
It features 10 illustrators, including Anna Balbusso, Elena Balbusso, Ed Binkley, Chris Buzelli, Marcos Chin, Tatsuro Kiuchi, Miriam Martincic, Bill Mayer, James Prosek, Ralph Steadman and Matt Wiley. The exhibition will run until Tuesday, March 27.
The exhibition is curated by Liza Wynette, who teaches graphic design at Parkland, owns Esoterra Studio and is a practicing illustrator. Wynette was brought in as a guest curator specifically for this show.
According to the website, Wynette chose artists “for their strong conceptual imagery, outstanding craftsmanship, and unique visual language.”
“They are ambassadors representing the current state of contemporary illustration,” Wynette said.
“Each piece in the exhibition tells a story about human connection. James Prosek is passionate about the creatures that live in the sea, and invites us to share his experiences through natural history illustrations. Marcos Chin illustrates the joyfulness of healthy human relationships. Bill Mayer illustrates our connection with technology and food. There [are] as many stories as artworks,” Wynette said.
The exhibition is composed of illustrators, many of which are recognized nationally or internationally. Each artist has several different clients and methods of working. Some clients include The New York Times, National Geographic, the Sundance Film Festival, Dreamworks Animation, and Jose Cuervo.
Each artist brings their own spin to illustration as well. The mediums range as much as the content does. Some artists are much more realistic, while others bring a surreal touch to their work.
“This show is really invigorating because the illustrators [work with] a variety of media,” said Lisa Costello, the director of the gallery. “Some of them work in pen and ink, others work with oil paints, many work completely on the computer, and others go back and forth with working by hand, scanning it, and then reworking it digitally.”
With such a variety of artists represented, Costello says this exhibition is a good opportunity for students.
“It is an exciting time to look at process and see how people generate their work and express their ideas,” Costello said. “Parkland students have the opportunity to see what is going on in our world and the influence these illustrators have on how we think and feel about the world.”
The gallery is holding another exhibition this semester from April 9 through May 5. The title of the next exhibition is “The Art and Design Student Juried Exhibition.” It features the work of Parkland College Art and Design students, and is juried by the faculty. Following that exhibition is the “Graphic Design Student Exhibit,” opening May 14 and running through May 31.
In addition to his work in the “ART of Illustration” exhibition, artist Ed Binkley is set to give a workshop, including a lecture and a demo. The lecture and demo will take place on Tuesday March 27, in the Giertz Gallery, and the workshop will be held in D244.
For more information on the gallery and upcoming shows, visit artgallery.parkland.edu.
