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While the world might seem concrete and harsh, some artists work to take these elements and shape them into something provocative.
Nicola Lopez is one such artist, and her work debuted at West Virginia University’s Creative Arts Center Thursday.
Lopez grew up in Santa Fe, N.M., and attended Columbia University where she studied anthropology.
After college, Lopez started her art career in printmaking, which is now the primary focus of her work.
To produce the effect her of art, Lopez uses different types of mediums such as oil sticks, Mylar, metallic ink, hand-drawn pictures and various prints.
A majority of Lopez’s work in the CAC galleries are made of Mylar, a material with a filmlike consistency, and ink printed on them to create a metallic effect.
Her works depict skewed cityscapes, with parts of these cities twisted into something that is fascinating yet scary, according to some who attended the opening.
Before her work’s opening reception, Lopez gave a lecture and displayed a plethora of her works along with descriptions of different pieces.
Lopez uses images of oil rigs that look too tall to be real and skyscrapers in her work.
Lopez commented that she mass produces the images to reuse in depiction of a mass produced world, which some in attendance thought ironic.
Her art is displayed in collage form as well as different setups.
Lopez’s work seems to strike a balance between beauty, with various colors and organic shapes, and destruction with hard, concrete additives. Another characteristic of her work is it seems fragile and displays a delicate world that could be easily destroyed.
Some in attendance described Lopez’s work as "different" and "interesting," and others said it was jarring to their senses.
"Urban Transformations" is on display until March 5 in the CAC’s Mesaros Galleries.
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