Mariani Gallery puts feminine rock art on display

This exhibit opened Oct. 24, and runs through Nov. 30.

 

Upon entering the small, quiet gallery, there is a small table with a guest book on the right and information desk on the left. However, the main attractions are the bright banners and paintings that surround the outside walls of the gallery, as well as the banners on a temporary wall in the middle of the gallery.

 

The medium of choice for this exhibit is banners made from nylon that have been painted, sewn and collaged.

 

“The most interesting part of the banners is all the different cultures each banner represents,” said Morgan Hengsteler, a sophomore early childhood education major.

 

The banners portray famous feminine rock art figures from all different cultures and time periods. Each banner is made in a way that best represents the culture that the icon is from.

 

The interesting thing about the banners and artwork in general is the abstractness of the icons and how disproportionate the figures are. The banners are eye-catching with their bright colors and shapes that make up the feminine figures, as well as the backgrounds they reside on.

 

One particularly eye-catching banner depicts the icon named “Venus of Wollendorf.” This German feminine icon is originally a statuette that Ruyle made into a banner. “Venus of Wollendorf” is a small figure with a maze-type design in the head. According to the description sheet, this “Venus” is more than 30,000 years old and is supposedly the most well-known “Venus.”

 

“The rainbow cloud surrounding the figure made me more curious and drawn to that banner in particular,” said sophomore biology major Veronica Moore.

 

The exhibit will be in the Mariani Gallery through Nov. 30, and is open noon-6 p.m. Mondays-Wednesdays, noon-4 p.m. Thursdays-Fridays and 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturdays.