Beyond Confines: Works by Serdar Arat, Wendy Ide Williams, and Sandra Wimer

The exhibition Beyond Confines: Works by Serdar Arat, Wendy Ide Williams, and Sandra Wimer brings together the work of three noted artists, each of whom has been recognized as exceptional in his or her chosen media and each of whom, we are delighted to say, is a graduate of the University at Albany. What allows all three artists to work “beyond confines” is their determination to follow where their own perceptions lead them, without relying on others’ ideas of acceptable or traditional limits. In an era of sensory overload, it is delicious to linger in front of Serdar Arat’s paintings, which are deep with private emblems throughout their beautifully and earnestly painted surfaces. Their often monochromatic fields are presences that imprint themselves on the mind and remain memorable long after the immediacy of their encounter has passed. Wendy Ide Williams’ work is thick with her own painterly vocabulary. Her paintings thrive on defying structural fact; their agitated and eccentric geometric forms become volumetric when translated into ceramics. These pieces possess a deceptive naiveté that allows them to be seen as objects that transcend the purely decorative. Sandra Wimer has transformed older notions of printmaking methods and media by perfection of a cool, controlled technique. This quality frees her from the traditional confines of the art, infusing her work with personal expression and character and allowing it the surprises of spatial tension and enigmatic imagery. The University Art Museum is honored that all three artists accepted the invitation to present their work, and we congratulate them on this splendid exhibition.

Marijo Dougherty
Director

Acknowledgements
The Museum gratefully acknowledges these generous supporters who made the exhibition possible: University at Albany Alumni Association; University Auxiliary Services at Albany, Inc.; Office of the Provost, University at Albany; Lisa Sessa and Robert J. Martel ’78.