Denison University students will present "VORTEX," an exhibition of student prints and films inspired by Alfred Hitchcock's classic film "Psycho," at 7:30 p.m. on Monday (March 6) in the Burke Hall Gallery. The one-night only exhibition is free and open to the public.

Developed in the course Print and Film taught by Associate Professor Ron Abram, chair of the art department, the range of student works include short films and screen prints on a variety of materials (paper, canvas, shower curtains). The class uses film history and theory as points of departure for creative work. "Psycho" was selected as an icon of American cinema. Alfred Hitchcock created movies for the masses; but, as critic Alan Vanneman has described, he also "explored themes more often linked to the avant garde than popular entertainment: loneliness, loss of identity, sexual ambiguity, passivity, voyeurism, the triumph of evil and the oppressive weight of a dead past."

In a variety of ways, the Denison student works address these themes as well. Exhibiting artists are Maritza Bandera '06, Tay Cha '07, Jeff Craft '06, Dustin Conley '08, Mad Mohre '08, Elaine Pangan '06, Elia Prats '07, Aaron Rosenthal '06, Jennifer Sroka '07, Maureen Stemen '07, Alexandra Van Dam, Amy Wild '07 and Amber Yoder '07.

"Through appropriation, the act of visual quoting, students have made creative and transformative use of imagery from the film, combined with their own interpretations and adaptations," says Abram. The work was created in Denison's state-of-the-art MIX lab, a collaborative digital lab for the fine arts division, which is located in Mulberry House. Coordinated with Acting Gallery Director Alexandra Green and Collections Manager Melinda McPeek, the installation in Burke Hall is co-designed by Abram and Christian Faur, artist/technology liaison for the fine arts at Denison.

Calendar Listing:

CALENDAR LISTING: Denison University, Granville -- "VORTEX," an exhibition of screen prints and short films based on Hitchcock's "Psycho"; 7:30 p.m., Monday (March 6), Burke Hall Gallery. Free and open to the public. To confirm information call 740-587-6596.

About Denison:

Denison University, founded in 1831, is an independent, residential liberal arts institution located in Granville, Ohio. A highly selective college enrolling 2,100 full-time undergraduate students from all 50 states and dozens of foreign countries, Denison is a place where innovative faculty and motivated students collaborate in rigorous scholarship, civic engagement and the cultivation of independent thinking.

For press inquiries:

Name

Barbara Stambaugh

Position Title

Director, Media Relations

Primary Email

stambaughb@denison.edu

Business Phone

(740) 587-8575