WMU HOME > ABOUT WMU > WMU NEWS

WMU News

Video artist exhibits in Gallery II

Nov. 9, 2004

KALAMAZOO--Videos by Jawshing Arthur Liou of Bloomington, Ind., are presented in a free public exhibition Nov. 11-23 in Gallery II of Sangren Hall at Western Michigan University.

Liou gives a lecture on his work Thursday, Nov. 11, at 7 p.m. in Room 1213 of Sangren Hall, followed by a question and answer session in the gallery. Gallery II hours are Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The exhibit in the WMU School of Art is part of Liou's "Blood Work" series from 2003 and 2004. "CBC" and "Blasts" deal with Liou's daughter's recent diagnosis of leukemia. The imagery was rendered from the one-year-old patient's body and was multiplied hundreds to thousands of times. The composition is based on the fact that the cancer cells are part of her own body and carry similar DNA to her. The use of high-definition video allows the viewer to experience the phenomenon in detail. As a metaphor for the medical process, the work refers to the terrifying effects of both the disease and its treatment.

Liou worked as a video journalist in Taiwan in the early 1990s. Part of his work centers on the visual culture generated by media spectacles and how it is embedded in our common memory. His work format ranges from archival inkjet prints, web media and video installation, to high-definition video display. His project "Picture(s)" received the Rising Star Award at the Fotofusion 2004 conference. His work has traveled throughout the United States including the Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art, Chicago; Atlanta Contemporary Art Center, Atlanta; Northwestern University, Evanston, Ill.; University of North Carolina, Charlotte; Nexus Gallery, New York; CEPA gallery, Buffalo, N.Y.; Buddy Holly Center, Lubbock, Texas; J. Martin Gallery, Indianapolis; as well as Laisle Video Festival, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Liou's video installation series, "Things that are edible," was reported by the Indianapolis Star as one of the top five visual art events in Indianapolis in 2002. He received an MFA degree in electronic intermedia and photography from the University of Florida. Currently teaching at Indiana University, he offers a wide range of courses on video, multimedia and digital imaging.

For additional information, contact the School of Art Exhibitions Office at (269) 387-2455.

Media contact: Jackie Ruttinger, 269 387-2455, jacquelyn.ruttinger@wmich.edu

WMU News
Office of University Relations
Western Michigan University
1903 W Michigan Ave
Kalamazoo MI 49008-5433 USA
269 387-8400
www.wmich.edu/wmu/news