BY KHAELLE HARRIS/Cardinal Points
Artist Shawndel N. Fraser explores the connection between work, devotion and toxic masculinity in “Hands That Nurture: Perspectives of Masculine Devotion,” an exhibition which features sculptures and photographs of tradesmen and craftspeople from the North Country and Adirondack region.
The exhibition opened on Oct. 20 in the Slatkins Gallery and remains open to the public through Dec. 4.
Fraser, environmental psychologist and artist, said the project grew from reflections on how the men in her family expressed devotion as well as her interest in the history of the abolitionist John Brown.
Fraser’s interest in Brown and the Adirondacks influenced her decision to work with tradesmen in the region. She said she wished to explore whether the same kind of devotion she saw in the historical context would be found among tradesmen.
Fraser said she focused on sculptures of hands because she saw them as a way to communicate the nurture aspect men carry. Through sculpture and photography, she could present their hands while also documenting their work environments.
The relationships she built with the subjects shaped the project in various ways. Fraser said some involved creating art together, while others involved shared dinners and collaborative activities.
Norman Taber, professor of art, said he attended the reception after collaborating with Fraser and discussing her work on previous occasions. He said the combination of sculpture and photography offered a way to consider how people’s work relates to the identity of a person as a whole.
“The person’s hands say a lot about them,” Taber said.
Taber said many men associate themselves closely with their trade identity, making the exhibition an opportunity to investigate how work can shape the identity of a person. Taber also said art contributes to education by helping people express themself and understand other perspectives.
Marcus Marenda, associate for academic budgets and resources in the provost’s office, said a photograph of Farmer Aaron Calazza holding apples particularly stood out to him as well as a sculpture of a hand holding a lighter.
Marenda said he was drawn towards the photograph’s contrast of the earthy setting between apples and the dirt on Calazza’s hands.
Marenda also said he believes the exhibition creates a connection between the university and the rural community that surrounds it.
Museum Director Tonya Cribb said Fraser’s exhibition was a great fit for the museum’s programming, which includes artwork encouraging conversations about gender and masculinity that connect to regional history and issues that remain relevant today.
Cribb said she appreciated Fraser’s approach to combining art with research because it gives students an opportunity to engage with ideas beyond traditional classroom settings.
“I don’t think it’s us and them. It’s all of us,” Cribb said.
Fraser said she hopes visitors will keep an open mind as they move through the exhibition rather than have a predetermined interpretation.
