Weber State University Telitha E. Lindquist College of Arts & Humanities Announces United States Premiere of Artist Filmmaker Isabel Rocamora's Work, Ecstatic Solitudes

"It's exciting to host the U.S. debut of Rocamora's work, as this marks a new chapter in our gallery programming; this is the first exclusive film exhibition we've hosted at the gallery since it opened fifteen years ago," said Lydia Gravis, Director of the Mary Elizabeth Dee Shaw Gallery.  "Rocamora's work is visually poetic and masterfully crafted, encouraging audiences to contemplate important topics affecting contemporary society. These topics aren't necessarily easy to digest, but her artistry offers accessibility in ways that, perhaps, documentary film or other disciplines would not.  That's the power of art," said Gravis. 

The exhibition will be available to the public from Sept. 1 to Nov. 11, 2017. An opening night reception will take place on Friday, Sept. 1 at 7 p.m. The Mary Elizabeth Dee Shaw Gallery is Northern Utah's premier venue for contemporary art exhibitions and educational programs that provide visitors access to the art of our times.

Set in the historically charged landscape of the Normandy beaches, Body of War (2010) reflects on the transformation of man into soldier. In a rigorous mise-en-scène punctuated by testimonies of retired and serving soldiers, the film deconstructs the visceral act of hand-to-hand combat, effectively immersing the viewer in the relationship between human intimacy and the brutality of war.

Across two enveloping projections, Horizon of Exile (2007) places female identity at the center of a profound meditation on the underlying cultural causes of displacement. Immersed in vast desert plains and guided by testimonies from the Middle East and Latin America, the diptych reflects on the condition of women within authoritative societies, employing testimonies and choreographed bodies to consider issues of self-image, belonging and effacement.

About the Artist:

Isabel Rocamora (b. 1968) is a British-Spanish artist filmmaker. Her practice originated in performance with live works commissioned by institutions such as the Arts Council of England and the Victoria and Albert Museum (1993 – 2003). Awarded internationally, her films have been exhibited at CCC, Palazzo Strozzi, Florence; the National Museum of Photography, Copenhagen; the Herzliya Museum of Contemporary Art, Israel; the Austrian Cultural Forum, New York; and the Bologna Museum of Modern Art, among other venues. Recent solo shows include Galeria Senda in Barcelona, and the Koffler Gallery, Toronto. She lives and works in Edinburgh where she teaches film at Edinburgh University. She is represented by Galeria Senda.

The works in the exhibition are supported by: the Arts Council of England and Creative Scotland. The exhibition will be available to the public September 1-November 11, 2017. This exhibition is made possible through generous support from Tim & Stephanie Harpst, Dr. Jack D. & Bonnie R. Wahlen, Lawrence T. Dee & Janet T. Dee Foundation, Mark E. & Lola G. Austad Endowment for Visual Arts, The Kimball Family Foundation and the Telitha E. Lindquist College of Arts & Humanities.

Event Details: 
For a full calendar of current and upcoming events at the Mary Elizabeth Dee Shaw Gallery please visit (www.weber.edu/shawgallery). Gallery hours are Monday-Friday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. The gallery is closed on Sunday.

About the Mary Elizabeth Dee Shaw Gallery
The Mary Elizabeth Dee Shaw gallery aspires to engage a diverse audience, create a sense of community, provide insight into the creative process, and challenge visitors to contemplate, discuss and understand the historical, social, and cultural context of contemporary art. It serves the Department of Visual Art & Design, Weber State University and the community of Northern Utah by presenting the work of local, regional, and nationally recognized artists, including new work, emerging media and original scholarship.

About the Telitha E. Lindquist College of Arts & Humanities
The Weber State University Telitha E. Lindquist College of Arts & Humanities teaches students to excel as they seek, understand, question and express complexities critical to the experience of being human. The Lindquist College of Arts & Humanities offers undergraduate degree programs in the following five areas: Communication, English, Foreign Language, Performing Arts and Visual Art & Design. Master's degrees also are offered in Communication and English. The college serves more than 2,000 undergraduate majors and 250 graduate students. The Lindquist College of Arts & Humanities is the Western region's foremost institution for student- centered teaching and research that investigates the human experience and aims to educate global citizens who are responsible, creative and critical artists, performers and communicators. For more information please visit, (www.weber.edu/cah).

Contact:  
Christie Denniston, APR
Director of Marketing and PR
Lindquist College of Arts & Humanities Weber State University
Phone: 801-626-6431
Cell: 303-827-5164
Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Weber State University Telitha E. Lindquist College of Arts & Humanities

Related Links

http://www.weber.edu/cah