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Item If a tree fell ...?(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Arts & Architecture, 1941) Durden, Robert AnthonyThe work produced for this exhibition has been centered around the forest as a lyrical metaphor The sculptures are meant to be seen as human-like tree forms. It is my intention to describe whimsical characters which are based both on imagination and specific individuals in my life. It is the similarities between the human form and trees that I find most interesting. The branches of the trees relate to human appendages, the bark to the clothing that one might wear, and the color to the spirit of the individual, etc. . ... In some cases, the relationships are very evident and at other times they are less apparent or more symbolic because of the way in which they are exaggerated. The narrative aspect of the sculptures has become more and more important in my work. This is apparent in the sculptures The Weeping Tree and The Donut Tree. The Weeping Tree retains more of the human qualities of the vertical forms than does The Donut Tree. These two sculptures present the contradictions of life. The Weeping Tree has a movement which radiates from the center outward to the ground indicating the sadness and suffering that is an ingredient in life. The Donut Tree, on the other hand, has a repetitive upward movement which is intended to promote an optimistic point of view. In all of the sculptures, the connection between the ground and the figure has been de-emphasized. This transition provides an awkward visual tension which implies that this figure is either standing precariously bent on falling or it has the ability to stand firm on very little ground.Item Surface(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Arts & Architecture, 2001) Maki, SarahMy work is about revealing beauty in the hidden, subtle, and inauspicious details found around us. I want to call attention to beauty found in the quiet, temporal familiarities of the physical world where there exists a transition between material and nonexistence. The main vehicle for this disclosure is casting process in which translucent materials are used to lift impressions from surfaces such as the studio floor or sheets of plastic. This process reveals countless natural occurrences, varying form cracks and wrinkles to dirt and chipped paint. The combination of these subtle incidents is the focal point of my work My attention to surface draws the viewer into the interior of each piece, dissolving the outer membrane and revealing layers of hidden irregularities. Each work is a record of used and misuse - a temporal expression of beauty created by the collective effects of time, human treatment, and my own hand.Item Sculptures(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Arts & Architecture, 1987) Barnes, Cynthia DianneI use images which depict and demonstrate the cycles of life. There are trees which are bare, in leaf, and in fruit. The tree, whose roots are in the earth, and branches which stretch toward the sky, give protection to a myriad of animals. The snake, a creature grounded to the earth, and the bird that soars in the sky, find shelter in trees. I often observe birds in flight. With the onset of this spring, I began finding numerous dead birds. I collected them. Handling the birds, reflecting on them as symbols of freedom and flight, I thought of death as a release from this world. In making the birds exist in my art, they seem to have achieved immortality on earth, for I have perhaps interrupted the cycle, by denying them death. The myth of the Phoenix, consumed by fire and reborn has become a symbol of triumph over the mysteries of death. The birds, bugs, cats and snakes have undergone a transformation and have become for me, a way to help in my understanding of my relationship in this world, my collective past and offer a glimpse of the future.