GAINER, CAMERON, (Bigfoot) Forest through the the Trees, 2006, mixed media, 6’x3’. Courtesy of Marion Boulton Stroud
This Saturday, my husband and I decided to attend the “We Could Be Heroes” exhibit at the BYU Museum of Art in Provo. I’d heard a lot about it from my communications with Jeff Lambson, museum curator, and from my communications with John Bell, one of the best-known artists to be featured in the show. I knew from visiting numerous shows at the museum in the past that it would be professional and thought-provoking.
Front of the BYU Museum of Art, Provo
The current exhibition analyzes our fascination with superheroes and their corresponding villains/monsters. (Consider the recent popularity of all the comic book superhero movies, like Batman, Ironman, or Superman.) Through looking at various artistic representations of heroism and villainy, we discovery the influence of context, time-period, and culture. It follows the mythological concept of the hero’s journey that was developed by Dr. Joseph Campbell. We see numerous cross-cultural similarities among heroes and discover our own societal values by analyzing the admired traits of a popular hero. In essence, the hero’s journey involves a call to adventure, helpers along the way, facing obstacles, reaching the lowest point, or nadir, and overcoming obstacles. Since we all suffer through difficulties in our lives, regardless of age, sex, race, or culture, we all find the idea of a hero and his/her subsequent overcoming of obstacles to be inspiring.
A giant Loch Ness Monster sculpture created by Cameron Gainer appears at the museum’s outside entrance and greets visitors with the delightful notion that it’s taken over the building. The sculpture, like his Bigfoot sculpture inside, developed from the artist looking at photographs that supposedly depict the real monsters.
Upon entering the museum, a discovery hall of interactive activities and multimedia displays exist to the right of the front entrance. We heard numerous children claim this was their absolute favorite part of the museum. It seems an excellent inclusion to appeal to the younger crowd. Little ones usually have a hard time enjoying museums!
JOHN BELL, Infinity on Trial, 2012, BYU Museum of Art in the “We Could be Heroes” Exhibition
The main exhibit offers visitors the choice to go right and view the hero aspect of the show or to go left and view the monster half. It presented a fun notion and made us feel more like participants than passive viewers. (Yes, we chose to view the heroes first.) We were presented with various depictions, including sports figures, comic book characters, historical dignitaries, military personnel, and movie heroes. (Yes, Daniel Craig as James Bond was there in graphite.) One of my favorite aspects involved the inclusion of real people as heroes. John Bell’s in the museums’ infinity goes up on trial recognizes music legend, Bob Dylan, and Mary Henderson’s Division depicts American soldiers in an oil painting based on images from Facebook and other social networking sites. It forces us to consider the iconic quality that these figures assume once they are represented in paint.
ELZBIETA JABLONSKA, House Games, 2002
(Washing, Cooking, Laundry) Edition 3/6, C-Print on Sentra faced with UV Plexiglas, 2002
Of particular interest in this theme of everyday people as heroes, was Elzbieta Jablonska’s House Games, 2002. It examined how women’s roles as wife and mother can be considered heroic, given the effort and care that it requires. It forces us to question, “Do we value our stay-at-home mothers or the role that mother’s in general play within society?” It seems significant that the museum would choose this work as their main advertising image for the exhibition. Everyone has a mother, and it proves the most accessible and easy to relate to.
TRISTIN LOWE in collaboration with The Fabric Workshop and Museum, Alice in New Dress, Vinyl coated fabric, paint, internal fan, motor, hand-dyed and embroidered cotton, 1998 / 2011
The villains/monsters half of the exhibit included everything– classically mythological characters like the Medusa to a rogue shark from the film, Jaws. Some proved humorous while others forced viewers to come to terms with the prevalence of violence in our culture. Does violence prove necessary in war or, indeed, in society in general? Or is it always a last option? How does violence or any obstacle create heroes?
All in all, it was an impressive exhibition. The idea of heroism that it presented certainly affected me on a personal level after nearly passing out from low blood sugar in one of the main galleries. I remember dizzily stumbling and feeling my husband carry me to the closest couch and feeding me a sugar pill. We were surrounded by people, but not one offered assistance or expressed concern. It seemed to drive home the message of the exhibition. A hero proves unique because he/she has the courage to offer help, to rise to the occasion, and to do what the majority of others fail to do. I was lucky to have my own personal hero on hand.
MICHAEL SCOGGINS, Invincibles #1, Graphite, crayon, prismacolor on paper, 2012
The “We Could Be Heroes” exhibition continues until April 6th. For more information about the show, refer to: http://heroesandmonsters.byu.edu/about-the-exhibition/. Dr. Ben Saunders will be speaking at a symposium on March 29th to further examine the themes presented in the exhibit. Contact Ann Lambson at ann_lambson@byu.edu with any questions concerning the symposium. Examine the BYU Museum’s main website at: http://moa.byu.edu/ for general information and hours of operation.
