A "Sense of Wonder" in the Art Club Exhibition

Boats on the Lake

During the week of April 14-17, the lounge facing Bathish Auditorium on the second floor of West Hall was turned into a gallery. There, for four days, the AUB Art Club hung some 20 paintings, 40 drawings, and 30 sculptures, in mediums ranging from oils, acrylics, and gouache to charcoal, pastels, and pencils, as well as clay and stone sculptures.

The themes and styles were quite varied. A large canvas depicted a nude couple in an intense embrace. In the next canvas, a woman seemed to be eyeing the amorous couple, arrogantly smoking a cigarette. Oblivious to them, a third woman stood in silence with her eyes covered, basking in the glory of her velvet robe.

In contrast, on the opposite corner of the exhibition space, hung a series of black drawings executed with impressive realism, showing horses, horsemen and a group of lions drinking peacefully from a river. In some of the paintings, colorful motifs and a multitude of flowers and roses gave the hall a timely spring hue, presenting idyllic scenes from nature. And far from the din of the city, a lone gondola rested on a river and a number of boats drifted lazily on the surface of a lake.

There were many portraits, as well; some realistic, some caricatures, or stylized. In one, the extreme close-up of an eye was startling and caught the attention of many viewers. The same variety could be found in the sculptures. There were many small figurines, several terracotta heads (some painted), and some abstract sculptures.

One emotionally-charged painting and the favorite of many spectators spelled out the magic of timeless romance: a man and a woman embracing under an umbrella in a somber alley, walking towards what could be the neon-lit entrance of a 1950s motel, on a pavement awash with water and reflections.

G. K. Chesterton (1874 -1936), an English writer of the early twentieth century, wrote that the duty of the artist is to keep awake the sense of wonder in the world. The Art Club members were certainly true to that aim in their exhibition, which they entitled: "Explore the Creativity within You."