Art's exhibit photographs relatable to student life

Art’s exhibit photographs relatable to student life

02/13/2014

By Matthew Reed

Comment Contributor

Photographer Doug Menuez is the latest artist showing at the Anderson Gallery in the Art Center at BSU. Matt Reed - Photo. — Photographer Doug Menuez is the latest artist showing at the Anderson Gallery in the Art Center at BSU. Matt Reed – Photo.

Art is a deep part of the culture here at Bridgewater State University (BSU) and this can be seen in the art featured at the Anderson Gallery.

The latest art gallery to grace the wall of BSU’s Art Center features the photography of Doug Menuez.

Curator of the art exhibit Jay Block wanted to showcase Menuez who has currently been considered as a commercial artist, working for many companies, including General Electric, Allstate and McDonalds.

Not only did Block want to show Menuez’s early, more personal work, but he wanted to show the narrative that flows through his earlier pictures.

Block said he chose to showcase the photos here because Bridgewater had, “nothing like this here before.”

Block added that these photos reflect a Baroque style, when painting contained a narrative made for people who could not read.

A press release for the exhibit describes the characteristics of the photos in comparison to this old art style, comparing the photo’s use of light and color.

Block went on to mention that the photos contain real-life situations that all of us may have been through. For instance, one picture shows a kid in what looks like a math classroom.

“Haven’t we all been in his situation, stuck in a math classroom on Monday?” Block said.

Another photo shows a group of kids looking around a corner.

“Who doesn’t remember being that young and possibly causing trouble?” said Block.

The photos also contain interactions between the characters, whether they are in the shot or not.

Also on display at Bridgewater State are the collages of John deMelim and the tornado paints of John Brosio. They are currently on display in the Maxwell Library on the second and third floors.

Michael Somers, the director of Library Services and a member of the exhibit committee, said these works bring a uniqueness and variety to art.

“All of them show different ideas of what artwork should be,” Somers said.

He added how the art shows off contemporary artists and different types of mediums.

While the exhibits in the library are on display until March 11, Menuez’s photographs are going to be up until Feb. 20.

Matt Reed is a Comment contributor. Editor-In-Chief Greg Dudek edited this story. Email him at gdudek@student.bridgew.edu.