NEW PALTZ — An exhibition of photographs by Kenr Izu, a New York based photographer whose subject matter is Southeast Asia, and sculptural works by Barbara Broughel which explore the 18th and 19th century opium trade, will be on exhibit in the College Art Gallery and are scheduled to run in conjunction with the New York Conference on Asian Studies held on October 15-17 at the State University of New York at New Paltz. The New York Conference on Asian Studies is the oldest of the eight regional conferences of the Association for Asian Studies, the largest organization of its kind in the world.
Kenr Izu employs a classic 19th century photographic process noted for its delicacy and beauty. His images of ancient architecture and stone monuments in Southeast Asia function as both a spiritual meditation and a historic record.
An exhibition of his work titled, “Sacred Ancient Asia: The Photographs of Kenr ” will hang in the Chandler Gallery from October 10 through November 15. The artist will deliver a gallery talk about the exhibition on October 16 at 5 p.m. in the College Art Gallery.
The exhibit and lecture are through the courtesy of Friends Without A Border, a non-profit foundation established by Kenr Izu which recently funded the construction of a hospital in Cambodia to serve the victims of land mines, and others with contagious diseases. The cover of the conference brochure features the work of this noted photographer.
Funding for this exhibit was provided by The College Art Gallery, the Howard Greenberg Gallery (New York City), and The College at New Paltz Foundation, Inc.
A second exhibition, “Opium Works: Sculpture of Barbara Broughel,” will be in the North Gallery. This is an exhibit of sculptural works that explore the 18th and 19th century opium trade, its coincidence with the decline of the Chinese Empire, and the Western fascination for Asian goods and objects.
Opium Works is influenced by Chinese objects and materials which were popular U.S. imports from 1800-1900. This exhibit will also run from October 10 – November 15. Broughel teaches in the visual arts division of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She will deliver a slide-lecture related to the exhibition on Wednesday, October 28, in Lecture Center Room 112, at 7 p.m.
One of the exhibits located in the Sojourner Truth Library, “Chinese New Year Folk Prints” is drawn from the permanent collection of the College Art Gallery and is part of a collection donated to the Gallery by Daniel Ginsberg. The collection includes examples of late 19th and early 20th century prints that would once have hung in people’s homes. They include door guardians as well as a wide range of auspicious symbols meant to bring happiness, children, wealth and success to families in the coming year. The exhibition also contains colorful scenes from popular novels and Chinese opera. The curator for the exhibit which will run from October 1 through October 31, is Elizabeth Brotherton, a member of the art history department at SUNY New Paltz.
Another exhibit titled,”NYCAS ’98 Authors, Artists and Themes,” works by participants in the conference, and works related to the themes and topics of the program, will also be shown in the Sojourner Truth Library. The exhibit, from the library’s collection, was organized by David Krikun, in the department of history at SUNY New Paltz, and Grayer Ryan.
For information about conference registration and costs, contact the Office of Conference Services at (845)257-3033.
Additional information about the conference can be found on their web site at http://www.newpaltz.edu/asianstudies/nycas98.html or by contacting either Marleigh Grayer Ryan at (845)257-3494 or Ronald G. Knapp at (845)257-2996/2995.
