While three Ohio University School of Art faculty spent the past year outside of the classroom, the artists and their work are reunited in Athens.
Work from Robert Peppers, Marilyn Poeppelmeyer and Art Werger are part of the exhibit From Sabbatical.
As school of art faculty, Peppers, Poeppelmeyer and Werger were given the chance to devote last year to their art while on sabbatical leave.
Peppers spent his time in Washington, D.C., at the Wesley Theological Seminary as the artist-in-residence. It was there that he developed the idea of his series titled Gifts.
The series is based on the five elements: air, earth, water, space and fire, which are viewed as gifts to mankind. Each work has religious significance.
There was a concentration on negative space and Christian theology; the notion that matter and spirit are separated and that the physical body is just a vehicle for the spirit to transcend.
Whether people see that message or not, Peppers said, depends on the person.
It may be your mindset whether you can see the cross or the religious significance of the piece. That kind of symbolism goes with the individual
if you are leaning towards religion you may see it if not it may just appear as a very decorative piece he said.
Werger said his art is also up for interpretation, although it is very different than that of Peppers.
While Peppers created his pieces using paint and materials such as soil, coffee grounds and beans to create texture, Werger deals with copper plates and acid in a medium known as etching.
Working with the acid you don't really know what you are going to get
it's always a surprise and it's always a challenge
he said.
Werger's collection focuses on the aerial view of man-made neighborhoods.
What goes on inside those houses is where Poeppelmeyer comes in. Her sculptures made from handpicked fabrics express the conflicting feelings domestic life can evoke.
The opening reception for the exhibit will be Tuesday, January 20th from 7 to 9 p.m.
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