By Kendra Johnson, Arts Editor
Walking through the GC in a straight line from the food to the doors toward Raley, and the GC art display can easily be missed.
But take a moment to look closer, and passers-by can discover a double wall of art-work hanging at the teeming heart of campus.
During homecoming weekend, OBU displayed the artwork of various alumni along this wall.
The images show the work that graduated students have gone on to create after college.
Barbara E. Maples (‘67) now lives in Atlanta Georgia. Her artwork includes two paintings that bear an almost sketch-like appearance.
At first glance they look simple, but upon closer examination the vague outlines form rich imagery.
“Scenes from OBU” shows major OBU landmarks including Raley Chapel, Ford Hall and Draper Chapel in a collage format.
Maples’ other painting, “Oklahoma Heritage,” boasts symbols of Oklahoma and its history including a Native American figure, the state flag and an oil drill.
The photography of Mark Hooks (‘90) is interspersed throughout the other artworks.
In “Havana, Cuba 1,” bright pink cars contrast vibrantly against the faded stone historic wall in the background.
Another photo, titled “Havana, Cuba 2” displays a woman with a child on her lap behind a metal grating painted with fading yellow paint.
Other photos of Hook’s capture athletes in motion.
Perhaps most striking of his images, a figure holding religious regalia is silhouetted against a royal blue sky in “Budapest, Hungary 1.”
A sunburst breaks through the silhouette, illuminating the lower part of the photo with petals of light.
The pottery of OBU alumna Francine (Roark) Robinsin (‘66 and ‘13) is displayed on table next to the wall.
Bowls and vases in pre-dominantly blue glazed color schemes are wrapped with intricate detailing work. In the center, a ceramic pot is covered with a lid.
Another alumna, Dianne (Harris) Howell (‘57) showed her watercolor, acrylic and mixed media artwork.
Her pieces present a wide variety of work. “Remembrances” shows a stylized but still lifelike representation in green and brown.
“Field Flowers B” and Field Flowers C” both show far more abstract approaches to flowers in reds and pinks, highlighted with pops of other colors.
Marissa Raglin (‘12) is a mixed media artist. Her work showcased abstract representations in a predominantly sepia color scheme.
“Checkmate” shows two people leaning over a hill. The image of the people is intentionally off scale from the rest of the depiction and they seem to hover almost ominously over the rest of the picture.
In “Rock Candy,” three men carry giant flowers that are as tall as small trees. The bold shades of the flowers petals contrast with fainter colors of the background and the men’s figures.
Kristi Youngblood (’06) also has mixed media work on display.
Several of her pieces contain aspects of skeleton imagery. “Expiration” features the bones of hand and dark, haunting colors.
“Ancient Mariner,” also by Youngblood, forms a frame-like structure around an old photo of a sailor, using material such as sheet music to surround the image in three dimensions.
Segments of all of Youngblood’s artwork expands outwards towards the viewer – creating the effect of an open box.
Overall, the artwork illustrates the range of areas and skill sets which OBU art graduates have gained and used over the years.
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