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• Ode to "Object In and Out of Water"

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Krannert Art Museum and Kinkead Pavilion »
Address: 500 E. Peabody Drive Champaign, IL 61820
Phone: (217) 333-1861
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I’d like to dedicate this week’s Check It Art to one of CU’s recently released exhibits, “Jay Ryan: Animals and Objects In and Out of Water,” that is still currently on display at the Krannert Art Museum. As you know (if you’ve been keeping up with buzz), the artist/musician Jay Ryan produces an array of original characters in the majority of his work that gives a quirky personality to his art. From pieces featuring animals to posters advertising various Indie bands, Ryan covers a variety of genres of art while always remaining faithful to his idiosyncrasy. I once attended a show of his band, Dianogah, as he opened for Andrew Bird at Krannert and couldn’t help but to see reflections of his music in his artwork. The collection of hard and soft timbres in his music creates the same swirl of quirkiness that can be seen in his posters. After seeing and hearing his work I began to understand a certain sense of humor that seemed to lie under this eccentricity. Ryan also captures traits characteristic of the imagism as he creates images based on meaning rather than artificial images focused merely on aesthetics. Through this he shows viewers exactly what he means, which comes to be quite refreshing. So, if you need a break from the stress of midterms, go check out some art with a little sass this week.