Original: February 8, 2011 Issue 10
By: David DeLaRosa
Staff Writer
Art Inspired By Ancient Cultures on Display In Paul Peck Art Building
On Wednesday, Feb. 2, the Sarah Silberman Gallery located in the Paul Peck Art Building on Montgomery College’s Rockville Campus opened the spring semester’s first exhibit, “Sculptures,” featuring the recent work of Professor Zdeno Mayercak.
Influenced by ancient sculptures, Professor Mayercak’s exhibit captures the essence of Egyptian, Aztec, and Mayan sculptures through his series of abstract carvings.
The main focus of Mayercak’s work is the form of a child, which he depicts through various mediums, including wood, terracotta, and plaster. Though his own cheerful twin boys are a continuous source of inspiration, they did not influence the solemn, sorrow-stricken faces featured in Mayercak’s latest works.
“I am not interested at all in making sculptures of adorable, cute, angelic kids,” he explains. “Sadness in eyes of suffering children moves me deeply.”
Surrounded by his pieces, Mayercak’s opened the exhibit with a gallery talk and asked the attendees for their thoughts and perspectives.
MC student Daniel Cannistra, 19, expressed his enthusiasm following the gallery talk. “In a culture so heavily dominated by 2D art, like painting and photography, it’s refreshing to get to see a 3D figure based showcase like this.”
One of Mayercak’s more notable series, titled “First Cry,” represents the first cry of a newborn, which, Mayercak explained, “could be considered a universal language to some degree.
“For that short moment, we were absolutely equal; there was no color of our skin, no affluence or poverty of our parents, or any other difference that will gradually divide us.”
One could say Mayercak’s pieces send a subtle message of unity, giving the outsider the tools to view art in a whole new perspective.
Students wishing to view the exhibit may do so Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. until Feb. 25.