PSU exhibit tells sci-fi tale through jewelry
Joplin Globe
PITTSBURG, Kan. – When most people picture a jewelry exhibit, images of precious metals or gems draped on chains in some cold, clammy museum probably come to mind.
But a jewelry exhibit showcasing the works of artist Mark Rooker that is currently on display in the University Gallery at Pittsburg State University is light years away from ordinary.
Rooker, an assistant professor of metal jewelry in the School of Art and Art History at James Madison University in Harrison, Va., uses jewelry to tell a science-fiction story.
“He does a lot of work with storytelling and narrative, particularly in science fiction,” said Stephanie Bowman, gallery director. “He has created kind of a cast of characters, robot species characters that are sort of responsible for the little bits of mayhem that are in our life, like losing screws in our glasses or spilling paint on our shirt or getting our tooth knocked out.”
Rooker explained his work by writing that he “intentionally addresses issues of adornment through an ongoing by-play between characters such as rockets and flying saucers, and how these characters interact with the wearer and viewers. The rockets take on a persona of questionable valiant tradition while the flying saucers become the mischievous ‘other,’ a way to explain the unexplained or uncomfortable in everyday phenomena.”
Bowman said that the display, which was designed by Rooker, is a way to not only show the jewelry pieces but also to allow interaction with the viewer and play with different layers of reality.
“Each of these little creatures are related to a particular person that he has met, like a little robot that matches what the story is about,” Bowman said. “He then has a picture of the person wearing the jewelry and installed it as a little capsule, that looks like a little space capsule, that is attached to the wall so that you can see the person actually interacting with the actual object.”
The University Gallery is located inside Porter Hall on the PSU campus. Hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Admission is free and open to the public.
Other events scheduled at local colleges and universities include:
Crowder College
Thursday
