Seanette Garcia

On exhibit in the Harris Gallery, “Composition for a Large Room in Three Movements” by Los Angeles artist Kim Schoenstadt, opened Feb. 13. Schoenstadt composed layered artworks using found objects from many students and faculty. Hidden within the work, Schoenstadt captured architecture from the University of La Verne campus and other historical sites. “If you look closely you could see the ULV tents curving around towards the center,” said Amri Covarrubias, junior art major. See story on page 12.

Katarina Woloschuk
Staff Writer

Artwork cannot be completed without the use of two hands, or in this case, many more.

The Harris Art Gallery, located between the Wilson Library and the Landis Academic Center, is now hosting Kim Schoenstadt’s exhibit, “Composition for a Large Room in Three Movements.”

Her exhibit includes two pieces handcrafted with her own two hands and two made with the help of others.

Faculty and students from the University of La Verne were chosen to instruct Schoenstadt on how to create her two larger constructions.

“I utilized both the staff and students,” Schoenstadt said of her in-house creation.

“For the spray painted wall drawing, the faculty gave me instruction,” she added.

The piece is a “can-controlled” project in which one’s ability is used to control the spray paint can and to control the piece itself.

Green spray paint covers the actual wall of the building.

Schoenstadt was given the freedom to do anything she wanted with the gallery space – aside from drilling holes in the wall.

The other piece, constructed with the help of the students, featured a long line of paper with black line drawings.

E-mail requests from those who contributed to the project on how to construct her pieces of artwork were hung on the walls of the building.

Curator and gallery director Dion Johnson has followed Schoenstadt’s work for about six years.

“I liked her sophisticated approach to developing imagery,” Johnson said.
“Her talent lies in a subversive ability to pull aesthetic integrity out of pedestrian sources.”

“The work she creates is generous and fresh,” Johnson added.

In other words, she uses an interesting technique where other people do the work for her by helping her create her artwork.

The other pieces, which are her own creations, feature bright colors, such as neon green and orange in the foreground and more subdued colors, such as brown, in the background.

A hard to distinguish shape created by black lines, resembling a pirate ship, was included in one of the drawings.

The pirate ship appeared to be leaping off a cliff.

The pieces seem harsh on the eyes and confusing to the mind.

Accompanying the original pieces is an odd soundtrack playing in the background.

An eerie operatic-sounding voice in the music screeches from the speakers located at the top of the room to supplement the effect of the artwork.

George Crumb’s “Makrokosmos, Volume 1” is a musical composition based on astrological signs, which Schoenstadt used to create her other pieces of art.

“I think of it as an installation for the room,” Schoenstadt said.
However, some felt that the music did not fit the purpose of the art and did not enhance its appeal at all.

“The music composition was a starting point for the structure of the exhibition.” Johnson said.

“Schoenstadt lets viewers see and hear various parts of her creative process,” he added.

Her work would be less awkward without the musical accompaniment.
Schoenstadt and Johnson claim that they have recieved a good response from visitors thus far.

“We’ve had 3,000 hits on the Web site since August,” Schoenstadt said.

“Gallery visitors have been asking questions wanting to know more about the artist and this project,” Johnson added.

Karlie Harstad, an art history major, had to disagree.

“I thought it was horrible. There seemed to be no point,” Harstad said.

Although Schoenstadt’s exhibit elicits different reactions, it is definitely
something one must experience for himself or herself, to create an independent judgement.

The exhibit will be on display through March 9.

For more information visit kimschoenstadt.com.

Katarina Woloschuk can be reached at kwoloschuk@ulv.edu.