Houston Hall gallery displays student's art

"Creation/Destruction," an art exhibit featuring works inspired by last year's war in the Middle East, opened Friday afternoon in the Houston Hall Bowl Room. Choyt's collection consists of 12 oil paintings, seven ceramic pieces, and several prints. The works were divided by mood, with bright and colorful works filling one side of the room while the other side contained works with darker colors. Choyt said that most of his work centers on the seasons and their cyclical behavior. The darker paintings represent winter, death and destruction while the more colorful pieces concern spring and new beginnings. One painting, "The First Season," attempted to convey the image of spring and its connotations with creation, according to Choyt. It contained spirals which represented DNA molecules and the beginning of life. "Life Out Of Balance," located on the "destruction" side of the room, is a dark brown painting of a large tree resting on top of the earth. The tree is surrounded by barbed wire, which Choyt said demonstrates how people try to control nature, and how this control usually leads to death and destruction. Over 100 people passed through the Houston Hall Bowl Room to examine the work on Friday and most said they found the works interesting. "I think it's very powerful," said College junior Jen Marlowe. "I like the darker ones, they have more passion," said College junior Ed Humpherson. "But the other [ceramic] ones would [make better] ashtrays." Choyt said he hopes to teach people to try to improve the world as best they can. "I like to think about a big issue or question and try to answer it through abstract images," Choyt said. "What people create and what they destroy are both related. That's the ideas I wanted to convey through these paintings." The Creation/Destruction exhibit will run until October 28 in the Houston Hall Bowl Room.

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