VCU news

By Leila Ugincius

A Nigerian immigrant who comes to America on a college scholarship. Impending conflict between a megastore and an independent record shop. A family’s multigenerational search for identity.

Jack Wax recommends these stories and more to complement his exhibition, “Imbricative: Drawings by Jack Wax,” on display at the VCU School of the Arts Anderson Gallery through Aug. 3.

Wax, a craft/material studies professor who heads the glass program at VCU, doesn’t normally recommend homework as part of his exhibits, but at the suggestion of gallery director Ashley Kistler, he felt it was appropriate to compile a suggested reading list.

“This is the first time ever that I have had a reading list — and a small check-out-library — in one of my exhibitions,” Wax said. “It's wonderful. The reading list idea was entirely Ashley Kistler's idea as we have been exchanging book recommendations and reviews for many, many years.”

The suggested readings accompanying “Imbricative” comprise nonfiction and fiction, including Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s “Americanah,” Michael Chabon’s “Telegraph Avenue” and Amy Tan’s “The Valley of Amazement.” In addition, he will lead a discussion of Alice Munro’s “Dear Life” July 30. Copies of each book are available for loan from the gallery’s lending library.

In another first, Wax, a sculptor best known for his contemplative abstract works with glass, introduces his drawings in this exhibition. Imbrication, or overlapping, is often seen in his work. This project in a way is an extension of that, overlapping his sculptures with his drawings. Two walls from Wax’s studio, complete with drawings, sculptures and other objects such as notes, comics and quotes, have been transposed to the gallery.

“I do have larger ‘sculptural-objects’ in my studio I wouldn't have minded to include,” he said, “but Ashley's wonderful vision for the show was to really focus on a transposition of my studio walls, and all of the drawings that were there.”

In contrast to “Imbricative” is “Guy Ben Ner: At Home,” also on display through Aug. 3.

The humorous video project stars Israeli artist Ben Ner and his family appearing in their own versions of Hollywood blockbusters and classics. For instance, “Soundtrack” (2013) features 11 minutes of audio from Steven Spielberg’s “War of the Worlds,” with Ben Ner and his children lip syncing the dialogue from their ordinary kitchen, making for a film far different than the original. Ben Ner has said that, since he works from home, using his children in his work was the natural thing to do.  

The Anderson Gallery also continues its free Happy Hour on Wednesdays this summer, from 5 to 7 p.m. Remaining programs are:

L’Chaim! Get Down with My Son the Doctor, July 9    
My Son the Doctor plays an eclectic, infectiously danceable mix of Eastern European, Balkan and Mediterranean folk music, with an emphasis on Yiddish, Hebrew, and Romani traditions.

Folkloopic: Mixing Music with Dave Watkins, July16  
Musician, artist and Theatre VCU alumnus Dave Watkins plays the dulcitar, a variant of the traditional Appalachian dulcimer, while also wielding an array of looping devices to record, playback and manipulate layers of sound in real time.

Laugh Out Loud: Live Comedy by the Coalition Theater, July 23
Director Matt Newman and an all-star cast from the Coalition Theater perform a sampling of RVA’s best improv comedy.

Novel Ideas: Looking at Word & Image with Jack Wax, July 30
Wax presents a discussion of “Dear Life,” Alice Munro’s latest collection of short stories that complements his “Imbrication” exhibition.

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