Artist discusses work before South video exhibit

By Tristian Evans/south news editor

With his video installation on view in South Campus’ Carillion Gallery, Dallas artist Patrick Short talked to students about his art.

Short founded Guerilla Arts, a non-profit gallery that showcased the works of up-and-coming artists.

Short showed students some of his works not in the exhibit depicting subjects from naked Minotaurs to a dead, gutted pig dangling upside down from the ceiling.

Titled “The Death of Superman,” metallic gold paint drips from the pig’s insides and onto wax copies of Short’s genitalia arranged to look like the Superman logo.

In the background are pictures of Short’s family members dressed up as superheroes engaging in everyday activities such as shaving, showering and putting on make-up.

Short’s work draws from numerous sources such as comic books and mythology and themes of sexuality, addiction and religion.

In another piece, a young man is seemingly unaware that naked Minotaurs are stalking him. They watch him as he goes about his daily activities unaware of the invisible followers.

Short enjoyed the strangeness of the Minotaurs, he said. The pieces involving them were his introduction into art that depicted sexual acts but were not about sex itself, he said.

Short said that he dated the young man in the piece out of fascination, not because he liked him. He shared this with the audience to make a point about the life of an artist.

“Artists do this a lot. We spend time in places we probably shouldn’t be spending time,” he said.

Short brought his work to South Campus because he believes it is important to open people up to a new way of seeing things.

“Until you see new things or are told how to see new things, new things are hard,” he said. “And I know that especially in this campus and in this climate, there’s not a lot of opportunity to see contemporary art that someone could intelligently sit and talk about and back up.”

Short said he thinks it’s important for people to see something new and something that’s done well.

He also wants people to take away a sense of self after looking at his art.

“Most people are so inundated with technology, with texting, with being distracted from what they are,” he said.

His advice to students who aspire to work in the creative arts field is to go out and find people who do what they want to do and do it better.

Art instructor Joshua Goode, who helped bring Short’s art to campus, believes the exhibit will have a positive impact on students.

“It’s a type of contemporary art that our students aren’t exposed to,” he said.

The exhibit runs through Feb. 17. Hours are 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Admission is free.