To kick-off fall 2017, frothy, LSD hallucination-like creations and the smell of aerosol spray paint will not only intoxicate viewers but literally entrap them.
Artist Dylan Gebbia-Richards has spent the summer as a resident at UNC, engaging the community and renting out Guggenheim Hall’s Mariani Gallery for his latest, most ambitious piece. Hailing from Boulder, Colorado but having pieces displayed in New York, Gebbia-Richards has spent months in his college-based studio constructing his magnum opus.
From the mind that has envisioned and created numerous technicolor, foam-textured sculptures comes a piece called “Echo,” premiering to UNC students and the community later this week.
According to UNC’s School of Art and Design website, “Echo” will be a large oval-shaped structure with varying curved panel walls lining the inside, inspired by crashing waves. Serving as a life-size form of expression, the “4,128 pounds of melted wax and vibrant pigment” will no doubt exemplify Gebbia-Richards’ forte and immerse viewers in the artist’s own unique mindset. Other works by Gebbia-Richards either mirror a thick slice of bubbling tar, such as his 2016 piece “Communication,” or the radiant beauty of Caribbean Sea coral, uch as ones entitled “Eclipse,” and “Suspended.”
Also finishing their UNC summer term are artists Pat Milbery and Andrew Bablo, having spent a month practicing their respective street art and apparel design talents on Crabbe Hall.
One of Milbery’s specialities is murals, and his past ones have included vibrant, geometric-shaped settings, as well as a mix of inspired cartoons and animals; his work has been featured in bars, breweries, and other businesses all over Denver. Bablo’s prior work with murals has emphasized the relationship between art and text, using different fonts and eclectic colors to showcase different businesses.
The collision of these unique minds has left a never-before-seen splatter of creativity all over the Oak Room Gallery, personalized to fit the hall’s own characteristics and vibe. The contemporary-style mural will be unveiled alongside Gebbia-Richards’ “Echo,” allowing students from each corner of campus to experience a taste of different imaginative perspectives.
While “Echo” will only be on display until Dec. 11, Milbery and Bablo’s joint gift to UNC will be permanently on display inside the Crabbe Hall lobby for generations of students to enjoy.
The gallery party showcasing all three guests will be from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 24 at Guggenheim Hall. Along with music, food and drinks, UNC alumnus Sean Nichols will giveaway “gallery swag” to the first 150 guests, including screen-printed T-shirts and tote bags.
