October 31, 2008

School of Art and Design to host visiting sculptor

by Andrea Hahn

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- The School of Art and Design at Southern Illinois University Carbondale welcomes sculptor Ron Klein as part of the Visiting Artist program Nov. 5-7.

Klein presents a free lecture at 7 p.m. on Nov. 6 in the University Museum Auditorium. Images of Klein’s work are posted at the School of Art and Design Web site at http://artanddesign.siu.edu, under the link for Visiting Artists.

Some of Klein’s work focuses on the silhouette, or the outline form, of objects from the natural world or of practical objects. He combines these individual elements into large-scale wall sculptures mixing natural objects with manmade. Some of his work reflects time he spent in Burma and the Amazon, among other areas of the world, and uses some of the natural and man-made objects he encounters on his travels. His work shows influence from many artistic traditions, including modern, Islamic and medieval.

Klein’s first public exhibits began in 1984. He shows often in the Philadelphia area. He is the recipient of grants from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, National Endowment for the Arts and The Pollack-Krasner Foundation.