This month, the Alliance for the Arts’ main gallery features “That’s Absurd,” a group exhibition that blends humor with seriousness and the familiar with the unexpected. In the Foulds Theatre Gallery, Zan Lombardo’s “Night Swim” invites viewers into an exploration of light and nature. And “Nude Works” in the Member Gallery showcases studies by students of the Alliance’s Instructed Life Drawing and Life Drawing Lounge.
The exhibition runs through Nov. 28.
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“That’s Absurd” features surreal imagery, exaggerated forms, disrupted realities and playful gestures. The works challenge conventional ways of seeing and invite viewers to question assumptions. By embracing the illogical, the exhibition creates room for discomfort and delight to coexist, celebrating unconventional thinking and the freedom to reinterpret the world.
Zan Lombardo’s experience of standing on a dock at night, watching fish swim toward underwater lights, served as inspiration for “Night Swim.” Lombardo’s installation reflects both the wild beauty of the natural world and the challenges of witnessing its mistreatment. Continuous painted scrolls divide the winding installation into sections, encouraging visitors to pause, look closely and reconnect with the beauty surrounding them. The work offers a reminder to move through life with curiosity, trust and a renewed appreciation for the natural world.
The paintings and drawing included in “Nude Works” are rooted in direct observation of the human form. They demonstrate a range of approaches to gesture, structure, form and personal expression.
Led by artist Francesco Gillia, Instructed Life Drawing encourages participants to look beyond simple representation.
Facilitated by artist Juli Bobman, the Life Drawing Lounge provides a relaxed, open studio for practicing skills through extended poses and individual exploration.
Together, the works celebrate life drawing as both a foundational artistic practice and a means of creative discovery.
For more information about the exhibitions, visit ArtInLee.org or call 239-939-2787.
Support for WGCU’s arts & culture reporting comes from the Estate of Myra Janco Daniels, the Charles M. and Joan R. Taylor Foundation, and Naomi Bloom in loving memory of her husband, Ron Wallace.
