Aurora University To Open ‘Evidence of Human Habitation’ Art Show Sept. 13; Exhibit By DeKalb, Winfield Artists To Launch 2007-08 Arts and Ideas Series

AURORA, Ill, August 31, 2007—Aurora University will host “Evidence of Human Habitation,” an exhibit of paintings, photography, and installations from Sept. 13-Nov. 8.

The public is invited to an opening reception from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 13, in the Downstairs Dunham Gallery at Dunham Hall, 1400 Marseillaise Place in Aurora.

The show, which launches AU’s 2007-08 Celebrating Arts and Ideas series, showcases artworks by Tom Berenz of DeKalb and Mike Knierim of Winfield.

The artists offer a unique perspective on the aesthetic effect of human habitation on the planet.

Gallery hours are 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, and 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday.

Meg Bero, executive director of the Schingoethe Center for Native American Cultures, said, “Knierim and Berenz are sensitive artists keenly aware of their environment and its impact on us. I chose their work for our opening exhibit because it is powerful and beautiful in an unexpected way.

“These are not typical landscapes. The role of the artist is to take what is often overlooked and cause us to see it in a new way.

“With inventive proficiency, Knierim and Berenz take what is often disregarded and cause us to look at it, as if for the first time.”

Berenz’ paintings focus on natural disasters and abandoned buildings in both urban and suburban Midwest settings.

Old buildings, abandoned shops, industrial palaces overgrown with plants and trees, the remaining walls decorated with graffiti, smashed windows, rain dripping through the roof and puddles are common motifs found at the heart of his canvases.

Berenz said, “These places are all too familiar to the areas west of the windy city. The once lively occupied space is now derelict and dead.

“I create an ironic cheer for nature to win over man’s ravenous appetite to invade pristine territory and damage the environment.

“My recent paintings are flooded with multiple conceptual, formal and historical dilemmas. Creating tension with natural disasters in suburban settings, I create an ironic cheer for nature to win over the disappearing land for housing development.

"Highly developed painted odd figurines add another level of a sense of humor and formal quality.”

Berenz uses multiple views, such as aerial and close up, to challenge the viewer to contemplate the advantages of looking at his paintings with multiple lenses.

Born in Fond du Lac, Wis., he received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in in visual communications and painting from the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. He is pursing a Master’s in Fine Arts in painting at NIU with plans to teach visual arts and keep his studio practice.

Knierim creates photography that focuses on residential development and how various needs and desires for housing imprint and forever change the landscape.

He worked in the land-development and homebuilding industry for over two decades. During that time, he collaborated with land planners on the design of many residential developments in Chicago’s western suburbs. “This background has given me an avid interest in the impact development has on the landscape,” he said.

Knierim’s work on display features digital aerial imagery of residential developments, “a visual exploration of residential development patterns in the United States as seen from above.”

Starting with aerial photographs, he used various digital means to slightly deconstruct each image into a graphic pattern. While each image can be seen as an aesthetic object in its own right, his goal is to reveal each development’s underlying design and its convergence with the existing open space.

“My hope is that these images will prompt people to pause and reflect on the land development process, and to encourage active participation when this practice occurs near them,” Knierim said.

Knierim received his bachelor’s in fine arts, with honors, from NIU in 1982 and is pursuing his Master of Fine Arts degree at NIU where he is an assistant in the painting department. His studio practice includes traditional painting and drawing, as well as installation, photography, digital imaging, and video.

The fall Celebrating Arts and Ideas schedule continues with:

• Sept. 17: “Nickel and Dimed,” a lecture by author Barbara Ehrenreich, is at 7:30 p.m. in Crimi Auditorium at the Institute for Collaboration, 407 S. Calumet Ave. in Aurora.

• Oct. 20: The John Jorgenson Quintet performs American gypsy jazz at 8 p.m. in Crimi Auditorium at the Institute for Collaboration, 407 S. Calumet Ave. in Aurora.

• Nov. 9, 10, 14-17: “The Real Inspector Hound,” a murder mystery, is staged at 8 p.m. in Perry Theatre at the Aurora Foundation Center, 1305 Kenilworth Pl. in Aurora.

• Nov. 14-Jan. 4: “Field Sketches inspired by the Schingoethe Center, an exhibition of paintings and drawings by members of the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators, is hosted by the Schingoethe Center in Dunham Hall, 1400 Marseillaise Place, Aurora.

• Dec. 9: “Christmas Concert: Gloria in Excelsis!” classical and popular holiday selections by the University Chorale will be at 7 p.m. in Crimi Auditorium at the Institute for Collaboration, 407 S. Calumet Ave. in Aurora.

Call (630) 844-7843 or visit www.aurora.edu for more information.

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