BY REBECCA BAKKEN
Special to CityLife
KALAMAZOO -- The mural displayed at the Campus Pointe Mall at Michigan Avenue and Howard Street depicts a typical campus scene and looks at student interaction with a critical eye.
The artist, Western Michigan University senior Nicholas Fugedi, won the Harry Albright Scholarship, earning him the commission to make the mural for a yearlong exhibition. He also receives tuition to cover the cost of an independent study at WMU.
Fugedi said he aimed at provoking thoughts when he made the mural. It shows a group of students with their heads down, listening to their iPods, talking on their cell phones and lighting cigarettes.
``It's a reflection more than a statement,'' said Fugedi, who is working on a double major in art education and painting. ``I started thinking about the human condition and how a lack of communication can affect us.''
Fugedi, who got his inspiration by sitting on campus and watching people, referred to his generation as the ``iGeneration'' and said technology plays a big role in how people relate to each other. He said it causes people to stay in their own worlds.
``It naturally evolves from the times. We're all about instant gratification, and I think that goes hand-in-hand with selfishness,'' Fugedi said.
The location of the mural also is very relevant to the message Fugedi is sending out.
``I wanted an impact for people walking by on their way to class. I was aware of the location when I was making it. I was glad it would be accessible,'' Fugedi said. ``I also wanted it to pop, almost like 3-D.''
Vince Torano, associate professor of art at WMU, has had Fugedi as a student for two years, and said the colors in the mural add to its eye-catching qualities.
``The deep blues and acid green and yellows in the background that describes more distant space, but also surrounds the figures, signifies and supports the narrative,'' Torano said. ``Color affects people in personal ways, but can be used symbolically as well. In the case of this painting, color might suggest fear of strangers, a feeling of depression, hopelessness and lack of feeling close to those that we consider to be our friends or family.''
Torano said Fugedi's art consistently uses images of people to convey a specific message.
``All of Nick's current body of work incorporates the human figure. These people are caught as though deeply involved in a private narrative,'' Torano said.
Fugedi is the first recipient of the Harry Albright scholarship, funded by Allied Capital Corp. All WMU students had the opportunity to compete for the scholarship.
Jim Hopfensperger, acting dean of the College of Fine Arts, said he is grateful that Albright and the Allied Capital Corp. decided to invest in the campus community.
``Art students graduate into a competitive marketplace of ideas and talents,'' Hopfensperger said. ``Harry Albright has provided Nicholas with a unique opportunity: the successful completion of this project places Nicholas in the enviable position of holding tangible evidence of a highly successful professional experience. It positions him favorably to compete for future commissions, both public and private.''
Jason Lahr, curator at the South Bend Regional Art Museum in Indiana and juror in deciding the winner of the Harry Albright scholarship, said Fugedi is at a critical point in his career.
``This project gives Nicholas an excellent start toward a solid professional track record in public art,'' Lahr said. ``As is the case in (many) professions, that first opportunity is perhaps the most difficult to obtain and also the most crucial.''
Though Fugedi's career in art is blossoming right now, he also is a musician and a writer.
``I feel like my art and music are coming from the same place. It's hard to describe the feeling, but sometimes I'll see or hear something that will spark my imagination, and then I have to figure out the best way to express it,'' Fugedi said. ``Sometimes I'll try to tackle the same idea with both music and art.''
Currently, Fugedi is writing a song and making a painting with the same concept, inspired by his grandfather.
``I am working on a piece called `Driftin' Man,' which is about my grandfather, who was a hobo in the 1930s. I first wrote a song about it but later decided to paint a visual scene,'' Fugedi said.
Fugedi said clarity is important to him as an artist.
``If I have an idea,'' Fugedi said, ``I want people to be able to read my message or idea relatively easy.''
