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Bi-annual Earthworks Exposition
-By Karin Moreno
On Friday, March 11, 2005, Copper Mountain College (CMC) enjoyed a fascinating exposition of Earthworks all around campus. A smorgasbord of artists, students and community members gathered around for the sole purpose of feeding their artistic palate.
The exposition began with a live performance around �Isla del la Tortuga,� a limestone hexagram piece by artist Lone Eagle, a.k.a. Ramon Mendoza. The performance included six dancers of different ages, several percussionists and a big drum known as �The Ancestor Drum.�
There was a broad variety of pieces ranging from first place winner, Ritzuko Taho�s �Hand,� (behind Greenleaf library); second place winner, Marcia Cooper�s �Reverberation,� situated along the right side of the ramp into Phase I; and third place winner, Tracy Tynan�s �Big X, Little Y,� in phase II next to the bus stop. In total there are 39 different Earthworks in our Campus decorating and inspiring students and attracting different artists from all around the U.S. and the world.
Artist David Turner from San Francisco describes his art piece, �Field Station,� (in Phase II) as opposing different ways of learning. The desk represents the �intellectual way of learning through books,� while the garden becomes �taking things in through your own senses,� an art piece that is befitting to CMC.
�Sensory Circus� by sculptor and CMC professor, Bradford Berger is another interesting piece. Imagine a tiny observatory without telescopes and without roof. It�s a small round room in the middle of the desert with a bench for spectators to sit on while observing the panorama in the day or night sky. �The idea of this is the perception of light,� said Downer at the exposition. The piece plays with light and has fantastic optical illusions. It received the Joshua Tree Chamber of Commerce Special Award.
The show also displayed and explained local artist, Simi Dabah�s and CMC art professor, Spelman Downer�s �Half Henge,� which is one of the most noticeable art pieces currently at CMC. It is seemingly an array of metal statues with a circular motif, but the reason of it extends to a calendar. Each statue represents a different time of the year. The tallest statue, a pole with a square block at the top indicates the Summer solstice.
CMC is blooming with art this spring and most of the art pieces are still available for viewing on campus. For more information contact Professor Downer at CMC
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