The Samford Crimson

Issue date: 10/19/07 Section: News

Media Credit: Andrew Westover Sophomore theatre and religion major Bob Miley observes Erdreich's piece titled "Pandora Box Drawing."

Safe sex, racism and AIDS are not issues commonly discussed around Samford's campus. This month's art exhibit, however, places such issues front and center. Throughout the month of October, the Samford Art Gallery is displaying work by local artist Beverly B. Erdreich.

Her art focuses on many of the controversial topics typically avoided in Samford's society. The manner in which Erdreich presents the topics is unique in itself.

While in the past Erdreich has primarily focused on abstract painting, her current work consists of metaphor boxes with accompanying drawings and paintings. The paintings and drawings concentrate on the same topic as the boxes. The metaphor boxes are created out of something as common as a cigar box and result in an intricate artistic form of expression.

"My intent was to have the outside rather benign to lure the viewer and tease them to investigate the interior," Erdreich said in a handout provided at the exhibit.

Samford Art Gallery Director Robin Snyder invited Erdreich to share her work at Samford as a way of "trying to push the edge a little to get students to just think and look. It's very intellectually engaging the way she presents the topics," Snyder said.

One example of a piece that can be found in the gallery is titled "Purity," which targets the history of the Jewish Holocaust. Inside the box is a Nazi swastika formed by empty bullets and surrounded by broken pieces of crystal jutting upward.

The back of the lid shows the number "6,000,000" representing the number of Jewish people killed during the Holocaust.

The drawing that accompanies this box also reflects the same number but inside a Nazi symbol. The intricacy of the pieces reveal that every component was well thought out and researched before completion.

The Holocaust is just one of the many emotional heavy issues. Because the topics are weighty, researching each one took a lot of work physically and emotionally. "There were times where she would get very depressed for a couple of days after doing the research," Snyder said.

One student said that she is excited that this type of exhibit has made its way to Samford. "She isn't afraid to go after controversy," junior interior design major Ryan Posniak said. "To have this at Samford is great. She presents a lot of things people should be talking about and aren't."

Synder agrees; "The exhibit has been very well received. We've had many visitors from campus, Birmingham area and all around the Southeast come." she said. "Her work makes you stare and think about issues you'd rather not think about."

Erdreich's artwork has grown in popularity over the years. She has shown in over 25 one-woman exhibits as well as the Birmingham Museum of Art and several other museums around the city.

The art exhibit will continue to be displayed in the Samford Art Gallery until Oct. 31 and viewing is available Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

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