Leu Art Gallery
All art exhibits are free and open to the public.
The Leu Art Gallery is located inside the Lila D. Bunch Library. Gallery 121 is located inside the Leu Center for the Visual Arts.
FALL 2008
September 24th - November 20th
The Hokes Archives
by Beauvias Lyons
Opening Reception: Tuesday, September 30 from 4:00 – 6:00 p.m.
Leu Art Gallery
Artist’s Statement by Beauvais Lyons:
For this exhibition I have selected four lithographs from my recent series “Hokes Medical Arts.” This project may be regarded as a continuation of my prior work in the genre of mock academics, informed by the writings of Jorge Luis Borges and the encyclopedia as a visual paradigm. This series of prints appear to be authentic depictions of abnormal human anatomy, but are instead works of fiction that comment on science and the representation of the body.
These prints are an outgrowth of my interest in the history and visual conventions of scientific illustration. My approach to this subject is informed by 19th century color lithography and reflects my appreciation for the vernacular print. The works also strives to walk a line between ideas of beauty and the grotesque.
Theories about the body have been a subject that numerous artists have addressed in recent decades. Barbara Stafford’s 1991 book Body Criticism: Imaging the Unseen in Enlightenment Art and Medicine (MIT Press) offers a history of medical and anatomical science that has evolved since the advent of the Enlightenment. Feminism called into question issues of the body as a contested territory in relation to ideas of beauty and personal liberty. Given the size of the medical profession as a percent of the gross national product of industrialized nations, and our increased cultural attention to health and beauty, the subject has other levels of meaning and interest.
For more information on gallery exhibits, please contact the Victoria Boone, Director of the Leu Art Gallery at (615) 460-6770.
