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BFA Major Shows Sculpture Connects Community

bronze sculpture of a hand holding a stem with leaf and nut
Ringo Lisko, Curiosity’s Gaze, bronze and aluminum on granite, 2020.

While UA operates in a limited capacity in order to stem the spread of COVID-19, the Sella-Granata Art Gallery will be closed to the public. An online exhibition of this show will be posted shortly.

The University of Alabama’s department of art and art history is proud to present Structure and Surface: BFA Thesis Exhibition of Ringo Lisko, April 27-May 8, 2020, in the Sella-Granata Art Gallery. In this exhibition, senior sculpture major Ringo Lisko will present her final thesis work in order to fulfill the requirements of the bachelor of fine arts degree. Lisko’s work is also presented in an online exhibition on Flickr.com.

The exhibition is made up of six life-sized cast bronze and aluminum sculptures mounted on stone that she considers metaphors for complex human interactions: “I use the symbolism surrounding a chosen flower or plant…juxtaposed with the gesture of the figure to suggest a relationship or experience. Each sculpture presents a unique, yet universally relatable aspect of human relationships, such as the uncertainty felt in vulnerable situations, the effects of family, or the death of a loved one. Thus, alone, each piece tells an individual story; but viewed together,” Lisko writes, “this body of work creates its own catalogue of the human experience.”

Metal-casting is a skill set that Lisko, a New Mexico native, has been honing for the last several years. Her BFA concentrations are in sculpture and drawing and she also works as a foundry and fabrication assistant in the department of art and art history’s metal shop. Lisko’s sculpture design was selected to be the first created in the McMahon-Pleiad Public Art Trail initiative, a collaborative public sculpture project between UA, UAB and UAH. About this project, she said, “I am particularly interested in the role of art within a community or network, and its ability to connect and foster relationships.” Her work has appeared in numerous shows and community sculpture projects. More of Lisko’s work can be seen on her website and Instagram page.

View a sampling of Lisko’s exhibition below. To take a virtual tour, go to Flickr.com.

The Sella-Granata Art Gallery features student exhibitions, as well as visiting artists, and is a vital learning resource for the UA department of Art and Art History. For more information, contact the gallery at (205) 348-1893.

For more information about The University of Alabama’s programs in studio art and art history, visit our Degree Programs page.