Brent Holzapfel, a St. Louis artist, viewing his photograph "Abandoned Shoe Factory" at the Gallery Visio in the MSC on Thursday. (Photo by Leanna Bales for The Current)
From now until April 1, Gallery Visio will be hosting an exhibition titled “The Art of Labor.” The pieces all hold a common theme: the labor done by low to middle-class society and the wide variety of individuals drafted to these tasks.
The art was all lent to the University of Missouri-St. Louis by their owner, lawyer and mediator Bruce Feldacker.
“I started out just seeing art with labor-focused subjects on travels. I thought they would look pretty as decorations in the office. As I acquired more, I became very interested in their artistic aspects,” Feldacker said at the exhibit’s opening reception March 4. “I realized that art with a labor and industrial theme was part of an entire social genre. I realized that they really represent society.”
Feldacker’s favorite work was not on display at the show. “I have a print Robert Rauschenberg made for the 100th anniversary of the American Federation of Labor.
To me, it symbolizes my own transition from buying decorations to respecting art. Having bought the piece, I didn’t know the artist, or its true value. I researched his work, however, and it was after this that I learned to appreciate art of labor,” Feldacker said.
The coordinators of the event, Sarah Keller and Jeanne Zarucchi, were also present at the reception.
“We started by looking for art by female artists which portrayed women as the subjects. However, we soon realized that we wanted to include work by male artists as well, and have the show reflect equality in the workforce,” Zarucchi, professor of art history and French, said.
“Once we became more aware of how we wanted it to reflect the real world, that there is obviously a mix of subject matter and artists in labor art, we wanted a perfect sampling of that artwork. We think this show reflects that quite well,” Sarah Keller, manager of Gallery Visio, said.
Three pieces especially shone in reviewing the exhibit.
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.