You reached this page through the archive. Click here to return to the archive.

Note: This article is over a year old and information contained in it may no longer be accurate. Please use the contact information in the lower-left corner to verify any information in this article.

Humorous Beauty/Beast exhibit featured at Steensland Art Museum

bj
March 1, 2001

NORTHFIELD, Minn. ? "Beauty/Beast," an exhibit by Vermont architect, sculptor and conceptual artist David Woolf, continues through Sunday, April 1, at Steensland Art Museum, St. Olaf College.

The humorous exhibit, which opened last week, uses objects found in everyday life. Woolf aims to engage the viewer with laughter, expecting that they may "join in a conspiracy to thwart our human foibles and acknowledge the power of our admitted and unadmitted desires."

Woolf will discuss his work at an Arne Flaten Lecture on Thursday, March 8, at 8 p.m. in Flaten Hall Auditorium. A reception for Woolf will be Friday, March 9, from 5-7 p.m.; a St. Olaf student quartet will play unusual music at 6 p.m. The lecture and reception are free and open to the public.

Woolf titled the exhibit "Beauty/Beast" as a reminder of life?s two primary opposing forces. "Beauty is employed in service of the beast," he says. "Beauty of idea and of form is brought to bear in attempt to seduce the viewer to confront the beast of and within the body. ... It is the beast that pushes us to take irrational risks in the pursuit of fulfillment ... The beast is the beauty of life in its relentless course towards death."

Pieces in the exhibit include "The Endless Peanut," constructed of packing material, wood and wire; "A Cooler Column," made out of styrofoam coolers and plastic cups; "Bob (all that was left)," comprised of shoe tips; "Time Compression," composed of watches and a clamp; and others. St. Olaf College senior art majors also have collaborated on the exhibit.

Woolf?s work is familiar to some Northfield residents; in 1996 his art was shown at the Northfield Arts Guild, and in 1995 at Carleton College.

Woolf is a faculty member at Norwich University, teaching lighting, art and architectural theory, and site-specific interactive art. He is a registered architect in Vermont, Connecticut and New York and is a partner with Woolf Stravand Architects in Charlotte, Vt.

? more ?

David Woolf exhibit ? 2

He earned a bachelor of science degree in design from the University of Cincinnati, a master of architecture degree from Harvard University, and a master of fine arts degree from Norwich University, The Vermont College.

Steensland Art Museum is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday; 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday; and 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The museum is closed March 17-25 during the college?s spring break. For more information call (507) 646-3556.

St. Olaf College prepares students to become responsible citizens of the world, fostering development of mind, body and spirit. A four-year, coeducational liberal arts college of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), St. Olaf has a student enrollment of 2,950 and a full-time faculty complement of approximately 300. It is one of Money Guide?s top 100 "elite values in college education today," and it leads the nation?s colleges in percentage of students who study abroad.

Contact Michael Cooper at 507-786-3315 or cooperm@stolaf.edu.