May 5, 2010

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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Visual Arts Gallery will present an exhibition of works that focus on office space and the cubicle, said Gallery Director Brett Levine.

The show, "Werk," will open with a reception planned for 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 12, at the Visual Arts Gallery, 900 13th St. South. The show will be open through Wednesday, June 30. Admission to the gallery is free. Call 205-934-0815 for details. 

The exhibition critically interrogates the notions and implications of the cubicle, exploring the idea of office space through a diverse range of works across the media of painting, sculpture, installation and video. The show includes works by John Pilson, Wendy Heldmann, Mimi Moncier, Greely Myatt, Ann Carlson and Mary Ellen Strom, John Miserando, Becky Stern, Packard Jennings and Tom Wegrzynowski. "Werk" is curated by Clayton Colvin. 

"The formation of this show must be credited, in part, to reading Joshua Ferris's novel Then We Came to the End," said Colvin. "It is written from the perspective of the collective 'we' of the office and does a brilliant job of capturing both the trivial and massive events in the day-to-day life of an office.

"Many characters are discussed or featured for parts, with the boss having perhaps the most attention; the center, however, is the whole," he said. "The personnel describes itself in the following, 'Some people would never forget certain people, a few people would remember everyone, and most of us would mostly be forgotten.'"

About the UAB Visual Arts Gallery

The UAB Visual Arts Gallery showcases both historical and contemporary artworks by local, regional, national and international artists. Its exhibitions highlight works by faculty and students, as well as emerging and established artists, in up to a dozen regularly changing shows which are always free and open to the public.