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‘Authentic’ ceramic creations displayed in Atkinson Gallery 
Atkinson Gallery Director, Sarah Cunningham, and viewer, Norman Krohn, talk at the reception of the new exhibit, ‘Honest to Goodness,’ on Friday, March 7, at the Atkinson Gallery in Santa Barbara. SKYLAR SERGE, Channels Staff
March 8, 2014 Filed under A&E, Activities, Arts & Entertainment, Exhibition, On campus, Top Stories Tim Berg and Rebekah Myers are a collaborative duo producing multimedia installations that distort common perceptions. Simplistic objects are transformed from the average understanding to generate a fresh meaning for the viewer. The reception was held at 5 p.m. Friday, March 7, in the Atkinson Gallery, where the artists featured their new exhibition titled, “Honest to Goodness.” The most noticeable installation in the room is the colossal, green, ceramic bunny placed contently on an intricate wood platform. Made from Styrofoam and glazed ceramic, the immense green bunny fills up much of the room. The white interminable walls of the gallery were an opportune space for the dynamic artists to display their odd ceramic creations. This bunny wasn’t alone. A whole wall of installed slate shelves hold a unit of seven by seven, green bunnies planted on top of circular wooden stands. While all of these ceramic animals are facing the same direction and create a sense of unison—they also establish an interesting shadow effect throughout the gallery. It is unknown if it was an intentional design to have the wall of bunnies reflect a pattern of light resembling triangles across the entire installation. The exhibit itself is very abstract, looking as if it belongs in a hip New York hotel in SoHo. Berg and Myers achieve an installation that is unlike anything I had ever seen. The duo aims to change people’s impressions of common icons and is influenced by the cultural consumerism in their everyday lives. Minimalistic sculptures fill open briefcases in a display with a miniature bunny and a sign as if it’s on a miniature highway saying, “It’s Authentic.” One of the walls displays two wishbones, both facing in opposite directions; one is painted white and the other brown. This piece, “Toss Up” is a glazed ceramic and porcelain installation that embodies good fortune. Another member in this exhibit is the electric light fixture that reads, “souvenirs.” This odd white light adds an element of graphic design to its already modernistic vibe. In a neat white box, Berg and Myers assembled creations made from gold lustered glazed ceramic, maple, acrylic and wood felt. In the piece titled, “Better an ounce of luck than a pound of gold” the artists arrange small, shiny items into an organized fashion. Objects such as acorns, feathers, and horseshoes fill the box. An especially interesting part of this exhibit is the use of typography and words. “It’s Authentic” is the staple of this show. These words are seen stamped into seals on various drawings, stood up on platforms and shown in a piece of its own against a wooden backdrop. Berg and Myers have displayed their work in several solo exhibitions in places such as New York and Sweden. Berg is an associate professor at Pitzer College in Claremont, California and they both received their BFA’s from the University of Colorado in Boulder. The exhibition will be on display at the Atkinson Gallery from March 7 to April 11. Comments are closed.
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