Iwona Duszek, senior instructor of art and design, received a special recognition award in the “15th Annual Collage, Digital & Mixed Media Juried Online International Art Exhibition” hosted by Upstream People Gallery for her work “Quo Vadis.”
“Quo Vadis,” meaning “where are you going” in Latin, was inspired by Duszek’s latest trip to Italy. “It is a photo collage consisting of several layers of photographs, including colorful graffiti as well as the street view of Florence, which is, by the way, covered with this kind of uncontrolled expression. They mark the walls of the buildings, often the monuments and other culturally significant sites. In a way, they bridge the past with the present in the most visually aggressive way,” explained Duszek.
The exhibition received approximately 150 art entries from around the world, and 28 artists were selected by the juror Laurence Bradshaw, professor of art at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. “‘Quo Vadis’ brings depth and intrigue with the graffiti and street scene underlay. The combination is very rich texturally with a two-dimensional/three-dimensional combo,” Bradshaw commented.
Upstream People Gallery was created in the late 1990’s in order to serve artists throughout the world by hosting international juried online art exhibitions. Artists from almost every country have exhibited with the gallery. As working and exhibiting artists, they wish to recognize talent across the globe and assist and encourage emerging artists.