Open ended two-dimensional pieces that are flat with an interesting landscape is the way artist Micah Danges describes his work. Danges is an artist who got his BFA from the University of Kutztown and had a passion for photography, sculpture and drawing. Danges will be coming to Cabrini College on Jan. 22, 2015 to show his pieces to students, faculty and staff. This event is free and it will be located on the second floor of the Holy Spirit Library in the Gorevin Gallery.
Danges said he was inspired by his parents because his mother was a painter and his father was an engineer. From a young age Danges said he picked up the talent of experimentation of art and the relationship with photography and accuracy with the camera for building images. In a phone interview Danges explains what he hopes his work will communicate to others. “In my work I am not trying to make you feel a certain way,” Danges said. “It’s unrealistic to put something out there to make you feel a certain way,”
When it comes to his art, Danges has a certain process that he follows. He said that he enjoys making his art come to life by using a camera, and elevating images in order to design his collages. He also works many hours in his studio to make objects that have a relationship where you can see photography and sculpture art intersect with each other.
One of his pieces titled “Eight Variations” is made up of collages where the source material was taken from only a single image. The original image is a recycled building which demonstrates how art can be open ended.
Another one of Danges’s pieces is called “Wake Up Sharp.” When he describes this piece he talks about building on the idea of collecting and grouping different objects. He said these objects are manufactured against a backdrop and with other objects using no photography.
John Caperton, photography and print curator, saidin a phone interview, “Mikah has a great sense of humor in his work as a traditional photographer because he can comprehend media in different sets of ways. He makes many different variations with his collages.”
The show that Danges is a part of is called Fiat Lux. Caperton siad the Fiat Lux is a group exhibition with five very diverse Philadelphia artists who all work on art that is centered on photography, Caperton said. Alongside Danges in the show other artists included: Stefan Abrams, James Johnson, Anna and Brent Wahl. Each artist has a slightly different style of work.
“These artists respond to earlier successive generations who questioned and challenged the idea of photography,” said Caperton. At the same time, they also address the overwhelming proliferations of photographic images in our society.
Caperton has been an art curator for 20 years and is helping hang the pieces in the art exhibition. He said, “Organizing the art exhibition takes a lot of time, but he likes that there is room for logistics and creativity.” He also said, “I have always wanted to work with art so I volunteered for a university grant writing program and then I started to install and organize exhibitions.” There are no specific guidelines for the artists except they must incorporate print in some way. He invites local artists from all over the world to participate in his exhibits.
“I am really excited about showing at Cabrini and I think it’s important to surround yourself in the work that you are making and see the work in a gallery,” Danges said.
