Exhibit opens in Houston Hall

React, a collection of social and political works of art by students, opened last week in Houston Hall. Most of the work portrays the artists' reactions to the Persian Gulf War. "Artists tend to react to the upheaval people are feeling," said Evan Bernstein, a College junior and curator for the exhibition. "Even though the war is over these issues are still pertinent in everyday life," Winegar said. Eun Han, whose works Midnight Caller and Desert Storm are on display at the exhibition, said everything she felt about the war is expressed in her work. "I felt a great anger against what [Iraqi President Saddam] Hussein was doing," Han said. Artist Lawrence Gleeson, a Fine Arts graduate student, said he found the war "mind boggling" and could not easily relate to it. He said he created his art for the exhibit because he wanted to do something so people would never forget the war. "It is in the forefront of my mind, and as long as I could, I didn't want people to forget it," Gleeson said. Gleeson also said the war can never actually be over since "the undercurrents that caused the war are still there." Brad Choyt's These Aren't Fish Falling from the Sky portrays an American flag in the shape of a mushroom cloud targeted at oil wells. Choyt said he wanted to convey how the world was misusing technology. Choyt's works Creation and Destruction and Creation and Destruction II are also on display. There were mixed reactions from those who attended the exhibit's opening on Friday. While some felt they did not quite understand the works, others enjoyed the exhibition. "I really enjoyed it, especially the different styles," said College sophomore Adele Moore. Barbara Verwoed, a College freshman, said she particularly liked Han's work. "It was very subtle and strong," Verwoed said. "The message was executed very well." The exhibition is being organized by the Penn Student Gallery. College junior Steve Gross, co-founder and director of the Gallery, said the idea behind the exhibition was to share thoughts through art. "For a school that's hurting so much socially, this is a great avenue to bring us together," Gross said. The exhibition will run through April 22 in the Bowl Room of Houston Hall.

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