Despite the oppressive summer heat setting in, an oasis not explored by many sits just at the west end of ASU’s main campus.

The ASU Art Museum offers accessible high culture, with a price tag of zero and a serious escape from the blistering outdoors.

The most recent exhibition to open at the museum is “Figuring Prominently,” which features pieces exploring the human form.

Curator Heather Lineberry selected the pieces for this group show from the museum’s permanent collection and includes works from all over the world, museum publicist Diane Wallace said.

While the showcase holds notable and intriguing works of artists hailing from Mexico, Cuba and the Netherlands — all working with different media and stylistic approaches — three particular artists stand out: John Haddock, Nam Jun Paik and Jim Campbell.

Tempe-based artist and ASU art school alumnus John Haddock’s piece “98-107” is made up of figures of senate members standing about 16 inches tall.

The figures are all raising their right hands in a Nazi-style salute, with most of their faces glancing solemnly at an upward angle with Democrats on the left and Republicans on the right, when seen straight on.
Haddock said he made “98-107” in 2003 as a reaction to 98 members of the 107th Congress voting in favor of the Patriot Act.

Sens. Hillary Clinton and John McCain stand out as a couple of the most recognizable politicians in their papier-mâché forms.

The two empty spaces in the piece symbolize the two senators who did not vote in favor of the Patriot Act.

Apart from “98-107,” Haddock said he is most excited to see the piece from Nam Jun Paik on display in “Figuring Prominently.” Korean-born Paik is considered the godfather of new media art.

Paik’s first venture into video art was a video he took of the Pope that was shown in a gallery immediately after Paik shot it, the museum’s Wallace said.

Paik is also the person who coined the phrase “information superhighway,” Wallace added.

Paik’s striking “Alexander Graham Bell” is a robot-like figure composed of vintage telephones, as well as TV and radio casings with videos repeating in individual screens.

“I’ve always really loved that piece,” Haddock said.
The third standout artist in “Figuring Prominently” is Jim Campbell.
Campbell’s piece, “Frames of Reference,” is composed of a board, nail and camera hanging from the ceiling and projecting onto the wall where the name of the exhibition is painted.

“Figuring Prominently” will remain at the ASU Art Museum through Sept. 19. Admission to the museum is free.

For more information on the museum, go to http://asuartmuseum.asu.edu/.

Reach the reporter at
rebecca.bartkowski@asu.edu