By RAN KONG
News Editor
It is on odd mass, a triangle-shaped object with parts of a dragon extending from its center on wires.
It brings another world into the BLS library, the world of Southeast Asia.What is it?
It is a work of art; in fact, it's called a "stable," which is the opposite of a mobile. Instead of hanging from the ceiling, it is placed on something solid � in this case a book shelf.
The stable is the brainchild of Quan Nguyen, a sophomore at Smith who is a student in Richard Tuck's fifth period art class. Quan's artwork, titled "Dragon Fly," is similar to a mobile, except that the base is not suspended in air, but is anchored on a shelf -- hence the name stable. The stable shows parts of a dragon made from construction paper flying over a green mountain.
Quan says that dragons are one of his favorite animals. He said that the idea for the stable had been in the back of his mind for quite a while.
�I�ve always pictured that dragon in my head,� he said. �It was time to finally put it into something, to let it materialize.�
The Smith student said he began his stable by drawing the dragon. Then he colored it and cut it into its disparate parts. Finally, he hung each section of the animal from the base, the stable.
Quan said he learned art first in his native Vietnam from his master, Tram Nguyen.
�He�s a very good artist, and he was very serious and taught me very well,� Quan said. �But I just did this work for fun and a class grade.�
Although he�s only a sophomore, Quan already has his eyes on college. He hopes to attend Virginia Tech. He hasn�t decided on a major, but right now doesn�t plan to be an artist.
Ran Kong is a junior honors student who is a native of Cambodia.
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