Graduating student art majors show opens at CCSU Friday

Central Connecticut State University: Samuel S. T. Chen Fine Arts Center
1615 Stanley St., New Britain, (860) 832-2633
Hello World
Dec. 5—12, 2008
Opening reception: Fri., Dec. 5, 4—7 p.m.

Press release

Please join us on Friday, December 5, from 4—7 p.m., for the opening reception for Hello World, a group exhibition of work by graduating Studio Art majors at Central Connecticut State University.

Hello World artists are all media focused art students which will be evident in the artwork on display during the exhibition.

"Photography—both traditional prints and alternative methods—will be represented, as well as installation pieces, and time-based work, including video projections," explains Colin Burke.

Burke will showcase his new work in three alternative photographic processes: anthotype, diazo, and continuing his exploration in cyanotype, the vivid Prussian blue print process.

"Anthotypes are a very 'green' process, completely non-toxic, using the juices of plant materials painted onto cotton paper. I used blueberry juice, which leaves a vivid magenta stain on the paper. The prints are made in a contact method. I put a digital positive, as opposed to a negative, directly onto the coated paper and exposed that to UV light for several weeks. That's it, there's no development process after that," explains Burke.

Eventually, the light bleaches out the exposed areas leaving behind an image where the light was blocked by the positive. The positive is removed and the paper is presented as a photographic print.

"These images are highly fugitive and will continue to bleach out if left out in the light, so I had to design an installation to protect them," explains Burke.

The exhibition, Hello World, is being held in conjunction with the Art Education exhibition on view December 5—12. The opening reception is free and open to the public.

The Art Department is located in the Chen Fine Arts Center, Maloney Hall, on the corner of Stanley Street (Route 71) and Ella Grasso Boulevard (Opposite Eddie Glover Boulevard) on the CCSU campus in New Britain CT. Free parking is available in the adjacent parking garage.