Two massage tables stood a few feet away from each other. People laid down getting full body and head massages, utterly relaxed. Just across the room, a bearded man stood behind a juicer, handing out cups of fresh juice to a line of people.
It sounds like a health convention or natural food appreciation event, but this week, that’s what viewers will see in FA3’s Max L. Gatov gallery.
“The exhibit calls to question traditional notions of art by intertwining interactive events and performances,” Brian Davis, the feature BFA Senior Solo Show artist, said.
Davis, who has a bachelor’s degree in ceramics from California State University, Long Beach, has aimed to create not only an art exhibit to be seen and appreciated, but also an entire room for participants to experience and interact with.
He looked to other artists as well as his own thoughts and experiences while creating his exhibit. Davis said that he was exposed to a variety of environments and cultures at a young age since his family moved a lot.
“I was inspired by the engaging works of artists like Matthew Silver and Pierre Huyghe as well as my own innate sense of human community,” he said.
Davis’ aim with this exhibit is “to take [his] work beyond mere objects into a place between the viewer and the art.”
Traveling continues to influence Davis’ work, as well as the assortment of job titles that come with it. He has been to 33 states and 14 countries, working as a busboy, art warehouse manager, assistant art teacher and corporate contractor in the medical field.
Perhaps the most eye-catching part of the exhibit is Davis’ performance-juicing, which he says is meant to “break down social barriers and [his] own shyness, and call to question traditional notions of art by intertwining interactive events and performances in the installation.”
Gallery goers like Cory Olewnik heard about the exhibit through Facebook, and gave their feedback as she waited in line for a fresh blend.
“I really love the interactive aspect, it makes this exhibit extremely unique and memorable,” Olewnik said.
Broccoli, apples, lemons and even heads of bok choy comprised the table’s assortment of fresh produce in the interactive art piece.
“To me, the art is in the wake of this series of events and how it alters our minds and bodies via nutritious juices,” Maccabee Shelley, a post-baccalaureate of studio art from Humboldt State University, said.
Shelley sat behind a typewriter at the exhibit, using the handmade machine from Nicaragua to read audience members’ futures. He is a fellow art student like Davis, and had a previous showcase of his ceramic works largely composed of glass.
“While there are many objects and various types of documentation in place,” Shelley said. “It is the memories, feelings and interactions that blur the line between viewer and art and challenge our ideas of which is more valuable.”
In addition to massage tables and fresh juices, there was a table set up like a mini art studio with a camera. At this station, guests of the gallery could take pictures and write their contact information on a list to have their work sent to their email.
“This is an awesome experience, and the juice is really tasty,” Pablo, “Into-the-Mystic” who was outside playing in a drum circle, said. “Through the interactivity of the gallery, I really feel the connection to the human spirit.”
As for the future, Davis’ plans are as adventurous and unconventional as his exhibit.
“I am graduating and moving straight to Italy to work with a 72 year-old Egyptologist who owns an agritourism bed and breakfast,” Davis said. “I will be cataloging his collection of artifacts for a museum he is establishing, as well as constructing a ceramic studio at his new art-center.”
The weekly student art galleries are located between the FA1 and FA2 buildings from noon and 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday.