CAC Gallery season opens with artist Jonathan Dankenbring

by Jetta Barbar

Artist Jonathan Dankenbring opened the Cultural Arts Center gallery season at MCC-Longview’s first exhibit earlier this semester. Dankenbring “has tons of ideas–he’s interested in making you think,” according to gallery director Daniel Reneau. The show explores the viewers’ relationship with technology through a series of minimalist sculpture, print, and drawing.

The exhibition, titled “Lo – gin | fi | technology | and behold | w,” features series of geometric shapes, both mounted and on the floor, which are representative of various forms of technology, past or present.

“He’s breaking down the concept of time,” said Reneau. “He shows technology as historical, museumified artifact,” Reneau said.

Pieces in the exhibition are as diverse as archaeological artifacts to the artist’s own sculptural rendition of “petrified devices” — devices commonly known as smart phones.

Dankenbring has had shows in Chicago and Washington, D.C. He grew up in Lee’s Summit and is now based in Austin, Tex. His artwork is modern and minimalistic, but viewers should not be uneasy about viewing a style of art that is potentially unfamiliar, Reneau said.

“If you have never gone to a show that’s been as reductive as this, you can have direct confrontation with this work and ask yourself questions,” said Reneau.

Dankenbring’s exhibit will be open until Sept. 29, 2012 in the Cultural Arts Center from 12 to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday.