Brianna Holcomb
Arts & Entertainment Editor
The saying, “Two heads are better than one,” is commonly thought of when we are faced with a difficult situation. But what better way to display this than the “Collaborate” art gallery put on by the members of the Hofstra FORM Gallery club. Not one, but every artist in the club, came together to create pieces for this gallery.
Each piece placed in the gallery was made by two of the members of the club. With their partners they collaborated to come up with pieces they felt were deserving of a gallery exhibit.
The beauty behind this gallery is the idea that the artists must work together to create one piece. Many times we hear of music artists working alongside one another for a song or an album, but rarely do we hear about this in art.
The idea of two artists’ styles coming together to create one piece is beautiful on all platforms of the art medium.
In college, we all understand the struggles of a group project and are relieved when it is finally over. However, looking around the gallery I did not get that feeling. Instead, it felt as though a fun and amusing event had taken place in order for these pieces to come together.
The pieces ranged from paintings of butterflies to digital pictures of Gandalf from “The Hobbit.” The artists combined their talents to create this fun and adorable gallery.
The piece entitled “Butterfly Crime Scene” featured an array of reds and oranges with gold butterflies stuck onto the canvas. The painting was beautiful and eerie at the same time. The butterflies were placed in a way that made them look as though they were attempting to fly away from a tornado of blood.
Paintings of butterflies were not the only thing found in the gallery. Sculptures were placed within the gallery as well. Many of the sculptures looked as though they could belong on someone’s front lawn as a cute lawn ornament.
Along with the paints and sculptures were drawings. Of course, they were a collaborative effort as well. Some of the pieces looked as though they were quickly sketched with charcoal, while others seemed like a mass of ideas attempting to achieve a common goal.
These drawings felt like an attempt to portray the clash of ideas found within the two collaborative artists’ struggle to find a common ground. Nonetheless, these drawings represented a behind-the-scenes feel to the gallery.
This gallery did not exclude its viewers. A corkboard was placed on one of the walls for guests to make their own art with a friend. The board was adorned with thumbtacks for viewers to make their own artwork with friends and contribute to the gallery.
The “Collaborate” gallery was a fun way to show the trials and triumphs, but ultimately, the benefits of working together.