Other
World/s

Exhibition Catalog

From Curator Scott Malbaurn, Executive Director of the SMA

We are pleased to present “Other World/s,” a group exhibition curated by me highlighting the work of Heather Lee Birdsong, Ben Buswell, Alex Ito, and Stacy Jo Scott. “Other World/s” is an attempt to capture the essence of an alternate or parallel universe. This is often explored through science fiction writing as Patrick Collier, our exhibition essayist, shares in his essay.

In our current times, many individuals have shared that they feel like the world has been turned upside down, shifted or rearranged in various ways.

Contemporary art reflects the world and its complex issues. It challenges viewers and promotes critical thinking. The artists in this exhibition have been chosen because their artworks yields a doubletake and promotes contemplation. The work makes us more aware of our histories, current surroundings, and asks us to question our possible futures. The work is both poetic and dynamic. The exhibition illustrates an alternate universe but is grounded in this one.

I have often shared that artists are like science fiction writers. They can invent and create without restrictions. Unlike a designer, an artist’s creation does not have to be about ergonomics or functionalality. Artists are not bound by rules. They are free to create and explore. Long before we held cell phones in our hands, science fiction writers have written about them. This ‘outside of the box’ thinking and creativity is vital to who we are. Artists create and influence others in various ways. I hope this exhibition gives our viewers an affirmation that our world has indeed changed.

I would like to thank the artists in this exhibition for making their artworks available, Patrick Collier for contributing a wonderful essay contextualizing the exhibition, Maureen Williams, our Preparator and Gallery Manager, Emily McPeck, our Associate Director of Administration and Communication, our student staff and our Museum Council; Cindy Barnard, Roberta Bhasin, Sandy Friend, Michele Fulkerson, Mary Gardiner, Vivian Stubblefield, School of Art & Communication Dean, Andrew Gay, catalog design by David Ruppe and printing by Brown Printing in Portland, OR. Additional thanks to Chelsea Rose and Katie Johnson at the Southern Oregon University Laboratory of Anthropology for the items loaned in Alex Ito’s piece “Western Verbiage III” (belated gratitude, for Ashland and Jacksonville, Oregon).