BRIDGEWATER, Va. (Bridgewater College) — Eric Kniss, an associate professor of art at Bridgewater College, will create an exhibit of installation art during a residency in the College’s Beverly Perdue Art Gallery from Thursday, June 6, through Thursday, Aug. 15.
Kniss will treat the gallery space as an art studio, using sifted kaolin – a very fine clay powder – to create new, temporary sculptures on the Gallery’s floor. He will also dedicate time to drawing and exploring the visual links between these two art forms. Examples of Kniss’ previous kaolin sculptures and drawings can be found at his website.
“The reason for opening the space to the public while I am working is to continue my exploration of the performative aspects of making art,” Kniss said. “I’m also genuinely interested in having conversations about what I’m doing and why.”
Kniss holds a master of fine arts in art from UNC Greensboro, a bachelor of fine arts in ceramics from Bethel College and an associate of art degree from Hesston College. Having grown up in India until his family returned to the United States when he was 8 years old, Kniss describes himself as a “third culture kid,” or someone whose formative years were influenced by both the mainstream culture and the differing culture to which their parents belong. He credits the “fragmented sense of belonging in the world” that third culture children often develop with directly influencing his passion for art.
“For me making art is about being present and located in the world in a tangible, concrete way. When I’m making art, I belong in the world, and the thing I’m making becomes a marker of my place,” Kniss said.
The Beverly Perdue Art Gallery, located on the main level of the John Kenny Forrer Learning Commons, will be free and open to the public on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. while Kniss is working in the space.
Following Kniss’ residency, his finished work will be on display during the Gallery’s first exhibition cycle from Monday, Aug. 26, through Wednesday, Sept. 25. A reception and artist talk will be held from 5-7 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 2.
