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An untitled painting by Ione Florea |
SPRINGFIELD -- The Visual Arts Gallery at the University of Illinois at Springfield begins its 2007 fall season with "Topological Synapses" -- a series of richly textured, abstract, three-dimensional works by painter Ioan Florea -- which will open Friday, August 31, and remain on display through September 27. The gallery will host an artist's talk beginning at 5:30 p.m., followed by an opening reception from 6 to 8 p.m. on August 31. Both the reception and exhibit are free and open to the public.
In a world dominated by print and electronic media where images are two-dimensional, Florea has created works of a different context where shapes and images protrude. A native of Transylvania, Florea attended the Academy of Fine Arts in Romania. Later, a grant from George Soros' Open Society Foundation enabled him to travel to the United States to study for a master's degree at the University of South Dakota. During and after his studies he participated in numerous exhibitions throughout the region and in Europe. In 2002, he and his wife relocated to Shelbyville, Illinois. Florea's work is represented in several American and European collections.
The Visual Arts Gallery is located in room 201 of the Health and Sciences Building on the UIS campus. Gallery hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday. For further information, go to www.uis.edu/visualarts/ or contact the gallery by phone at 217/206-6506 or by e-mail at visarts-ga@uis.edu.
