Shelby Graham, the woman behind “Human Conditions,” discusses the art pieces with interested visitors. The exhibit combines different techniques and media, ranging from massive prints to a photograph wrapped around a coffee can. Photo by Nick Paris.

A combination of prints, pictures and paintings from the private collection of UC Santa Cruz’s Dean of Arts David Yager awaits art enthusiasts at the Mary Porter Sesnon Art Gallery. The gallery’s current show, entitled “Human Conditions,” features a variety of artists — among them Ansel Adams, Diane Arbus and Robert Mapplethorpe — and showcases different portrayals of human experiences.

Among the works on display are humorous Reagan-era references, eye-catching experimental pieces and a portrait drawn entirely with an artist’s thumbprints. Each work of art is also accompanied by a summary written by a member of the UCSC art department.

Yager accumulated his vast collection of artwork during his time working at the University of South Florida and at the University of Maryland.

Angelica Alamo, a Sesnon Gallery employee, said that the exhibit has received plenty of supportive feedback.

“A lot of people have had a positive response to the show,” Alamo said. “There are a wide variety of themes present in all of the pieces. My favorites are the photographs by Diane Arbus.”

Fourth-year art major Amanda Nazzal described the show as random.

“But that’s what the human condition is,” she said. “It’s random.”

Gallery curator Shelby Graham spoke enthusiastically about Yager’s accumulation of such a vast and diverse collection of artwork.

“This is really an incredible collection,” she said, pointing out images in which cadavers were used as models, and a pop-up book done entirely in silhouettes.

Graham discussed the wide selection of mixed media pieces represented in the art show, including etchings, photographs and lithographs.

“This is an opportunity for people to see a variety of examples of mixed media, and this collection is truly impressive,” Graham said.

The Sesnon Gallery also hosts panel discussions to encourage community involvement in events and to draw attention to the importance of the arts in the UCSC community. One discussion was held on Oct. 19 on the topic of art collecting. The next will focus on master print-makers and will be held Nov. 10.

The discussion panels facilitate knowledge of the arts, and the gallery employees hope to shed light on the printmaking process and what it entails.

“An exciting aspect of this exhibition involves the artistic process of image making and collaborations with limited edition prints,” Graham said.

Taking into account the overall positive response of gallery visitors, Sesnon employee Alamo said that “Human Conditions” may have set a new campus standard.

“People have commented on how this is one of the best exhibits they’ve seen at UCSC,” she said.

Human Conditions will be on display at the Sesnon Gallery through Nov. 20.

Illustration by Rachel Edelstein.

As the year comes to a close, the UC Santa Cruz arts department opens its studios with artists displaying their final projects. After working endless hours in their shops, students will be able to share their creations with other Slugs.

While all participating artists will only present their work on Friday, June 5, the open studio event will run in conjunction with the print shop’s 35th annual print sale. Artists will exhibit their work at the Baskin Visual Arts Center from noon until 4 p.m. in the Printmaking Studio. The print sale will be held from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. both Friday and Saturday.

The artwork is not limited to a particular theme, but the artists have expressed themselves through various techniques including sculpture, print and digital media. The print sale will feature original pieces by artists using lithography, etching, woodcuts and even handmade books.

This will be the sixth open studio event and second printmaking sale in which Sarah Diaz-Bastin, an arts department assistant, has been involved. Diaz-Bastin said that the spring open studio is the biggest studio event of the year, outdoing fall and winter open studios because it features a culmination of all the artists’ work as well as the print sale.

“What brings the most people up here is the print sale. A lot of people like to bring home a little piece of art with them,” Diaz-Bastin said. “As far as UCSC is concerned, a lot of students come to see the pieces that require interaction and the installation outside.It’s a fun place to just kind of hang out for an afternoon.”

Along with the printmaking studio’s display, paintings and drawings will be in the painting studios and drawing studios respectively. Sculptures will be displayed in the sculpture studios, metal shop, and outside in the courtyard area.

“Some of the sculptures don’t necessarily fit inside and people will be able to see them,” Diaz-Bastin said. “A lot of people used recyclable materials, but there will be a lot of welded sculptures, bronze casting for bronze sculptures, and wood and fiber pieces.”

The annual print sale gained popularity as an event where student artists sell their prints to the UCSC public for low prices. 

“The print sale is a place where students can buy real artwork,” said Moon Rinaldo, co-manager of the print studio. “It takes a great deal of time to produce these prints, and you can tell that the artists have worked very hard.”

In the print studio, located on-campus at Baskin Visual Arts, students work for hours on end to produce their art pieces. Artists can often be found in the studio from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. most days. 

But the work of the artist is not over when the studio lights turn off. 

“I’ve spent probably 20 hours on this print already, just to get it to the stage where it can be printed,” said Kate Hopkins, a third-year Cowell student. “I’m selling what I’m working on right now, as well as two or three more editions [sets of prints].” 

The print sale is unique in that it allows students to buy authentic, handcrafted artwork at incredibly low prices. Students who make art marketed toward other students realize that low prices are necessary to fit their patrons’ meager budgets. 

The prints usually sell from $5 to $20 apiece. Of the profits, typically 80 percent goes to the artist, and the remaining 20 percent to the print studio to provide more supplies and resources for the artists in the future. 

“The art is handmade, and that makes it intrinsically valuable,” Hopkins said. “The time and effort that went into making these prints far exceeds the price. But we realize that students typically don’t have the money to buy art, and we as student artists will gladly take whatever we can get for our work.”

Many of the students are using the skills and techniques that they have acquired in their various art classes to complete their prints for the sale, layering different paints and patterns to create complex visuals. 

Bridget Henry, studio manager and technician, said that the entire printmaking studio will be covered in students’ prints, some scaling up to 3.5 by 5.5 feet.

“All prints are on individual sheets and the stuff is all hand-printed,” Henry said. “It’s not something you can pick up at Kinko’s.”

“I’m selling a few of my prints in the show,” said Sanna Kahan, a third-year Porter student. “I have taken Introduction to Printmaking and Lithography 1 and 2, so I have a lot of work accumulated from those to sell. This print right here is an homage to my hands.”

For student art aficionados, or even those just wishing for something with which to adorn their walls besides the typical beat-up posters, the print sale is a rare chance to obtain artwork at affordable prices, while the open studio offers a tantalizing glimpse into the world of art at UCSC. 

“Students need to come experience what the print studio and the art department supports,” Hopkins said. “We’re about fostering community, working with our hands, and creating art for everyone to enjoy.”