MOCA only Florida venue for traveling art exhibit
09/19/2008 by Max Marbut Staff Writer “It was almost as if we increased the size of our staff by about 19 people when we unpacked and installed these pieces,” said Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) Jacksonville Director Debbie Broder Thursday as she toured the museum’s new exhibit, “Ultra-Realistic Sculpture by Marc Sijan.” Sijan’s life-size sculptures represent one of three new exhibits at MOCA on display through Jan. 4, joining a collection of new works by some of Jacksonville’s most well-known local artists and a new addition to the museum’s permanent collection. “MOCA’s mission is to reflect the people and the artists of our times and we are very pleased to be the only museum in Florida where people will be able to see Marc Sijan’s startling sculptures,” added Broder.After the artist makes a plaster mold of his subject, (often a friend) Sijan creates a polyester resin sculpture, then refines each piece on an almost microscopic level with many layers of oil paint and varnish, said J. Marshall Adams, MOCA director of education and exhibitions. The artist then adds clothing, fake hair, eyeglasses and other props to further enhance the “ultra-reality” he wishes to present. “Marc Sijan creates art for a higher purpose,” added Adams. “His goal is to cause an emotional response or connection between his art and the viewer to the point you might recognize someone in your life in the art.” Also now on exhibit at MOCA is “Making Marks: Jacksonville Creates.” It’s a collection of 75 pieces from 34 local artists including Sarah Crooks Flaire, Emily Arthur Douglass, Jim Draper, John Bunker and others. Each artist was invited to create new work for the exhibit, but with a caveat. “We gently pushed each of the artists to show new work in a new direction,” said Adams. A variety of media were used by the artists ranging from traditional disciplines like painting and sculpture to a video projection installation. The exhibit was curated by University of North Florida Gallery Director Matthew Clay-Robinson, MOCA Associate Curator and Registrar Ben Thompson and Madeleine Peck, a local arts writer. Additionally, on exhibit through Jan. 4: a new collection by artist Richard Anuszkiewicz called “Inward Eye Series,” a gift from LuAnn Bear. mmarbut@baileypub.com 356-2466
| 
