The Gallery at Penn College, on the third floor of Pennsylvania College of Technology's Madigan Library, will host "Auto Response," an exhibit of sculptures and paintings by artist Jeff Mann, from Feb. 8 to March 4.
Mann's current work is informed by what he considers to be the single greatest American icon: the car. Mann combines his environmental concerns about the car with his aesthetic interests, using mass-produced automotive parts to form intricately patterned surfaces in his sculptural pieces. Tire-tread patterns and road signs are the building blocks for his exuberantly colored paintings.
"Currently, I am engaged in a process I call "reconstructing the car' making something benign from something that, generally, I regard as malignant," Mann explains. "However, my approach is not negative I don't make ugly pieces to reflect the evils of the car, but rather celebrate the incredible beauty of car parts and their complexity."
Mann earned a degree in fine arts and ceramics from Syracuse University, was artist in residence at Southern Maine Community College, and has had numerous solo and group shows in the Northeast.
The gallery will host a gallery talk and Meet the Artist reception with Mann on Feb. 8. Mann's gallery talk begins at noon, and the reception will take place from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., with artist's comments at 5:30.
The gallery is open Saturday and Sunday, 1 to 4 p.m.; Tuesday and Thursday, 2 to 8 p.m.; and Wednesday and Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. All exhibits are free and open to the public.
For more about the exhibit and The Gallery at Penn College, visit online , e-mail or call 570-320-2445.
For more about Penn College, visit on the Web , e-mail or call toll-free 800-367-9222.