"Prints from the Collection of Luciano & Angela P. Penay," on view in AU's Watkins Gallery through Sept. 27, exhibits both a myriad of styles and a singular passion for the form of the human body, represented both realistically and surreally.
With etchings, lithographs and wood cuts from over 30 different artists spanning three centuries, the exhibit is as engaging as it is varied. An etching from a Chilean battle hangs feet away from Eberhard Eggers' and Wilfredo Lam's representations of aliens. Across the room are several Japanese woodcuts, their vibrant colors adding depth to the mostly black and white exhibition. Watkins also featured an etching of George Washington done in 1801.
Religious undertones are apparent in the collection, as is an underlying interest in the human body. In Roberto Matta's untitled 1960 etching, the gray outer bodies of human form are mostly transparent, revealing the pink bubbly insides of several figures that seem to dance on thin air.
Kathe Kollwitz's etching, "Death Woman and Child," is an extraordinarily chilling reminder of the mortality of the body. Thin lines on yellowed paper construct a sleeping baby locked sideways in a kiss with his dead mother. The texture and heavy use of shadow in the piece create an effect that is both heart-wrenching and beautiful.
Second only is the ability of "Death Woman and Child" to captivate, and is the dry point "Madame Edwards" by Hans Bellmer, in which two human figures ascending a spiral stair case have what can only be jellyfish, or similarly ethereal creatures, for heads.
A simple two-room space, the Watkins Gallery, allows the pieces to communicate without interference. Do not miss Wolfgang Rabl's 1942 etching "Erwartung," which is tucked away behind the reception desk. The focus of the piece is the back of a girl's neck and head, sprinkled with beads of water from the ocean that lies beyond. The beads look almost gelatinous and give an otherwise worldly scene an almost fairytale quality.
Chilean-born, Luciano Penay received his Masters in Painting from AU in 1963 and went on to teach art here for 26 years. He retired in 1990 with a reputation as a talented professor. He and his wife Angela now divide their time between Santiago, Chile and D.C.
The Watkins Gallery is located in the Watkins Building on the south side of the AU campus. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 1 to 5 p.m. A reception will be held for the collectors Saturday, Sept. 27 from 3 to 5 p.m. For more information, call x1064 or visit www.american.edu/cas-/watkins.
