The “Uz vs. Them” art exhibition opened Thursday Sept. 13 in the Myrhen Gallery in Schwader Art Building, displaying patterns and intricately hidden messages to comment on the injustices done to the Aboriginal people of Australia.

The exhibit features work by Richard Bell, a contemporary Australian artist and activist who is best known for “Bell’s Theorum, 2002” and “The Peckin’ Order, 2007.”

Dan Jacobs, curator for the Myhren Gallery and curator of the show, described the exhibition as “fresh and humorous,” while also thought provoking.

“The artworks demonstrate the power of visual art to shake our beliefs about who we are and what we’re entitled to,” said Jacobs.

Visitors can explore the meaning behind each piece by uncovering the camouflaged words in the acrylic-covered canvases.

Some works comment on the land rights of the Aborigines, others on racism and slavery, like the piece that reads, “Life is a death sentence.”

“I love all the hidden meanings in the paintings,” said Katey Kuzmak, a first-year majoring in biology and psychology from Colorado Springs.

Another of Bell’s pieces uses a repurposed Roy Lichtenstein pop art titled “Shipboard Girl.” In the piece a woman is shown thinking “Thank Christ I’m not Aboriginal.”

Many of the art pieces exhibit a satirical edge towards the social classes of Australia.

“It’s really interesting to think how a culture can be misrepresented in the world and how dedicated people can be to fixing those stereotypes,” said Kuzmak.

The exhibit includes many forms of media, including two movies Bell created to further narrate the contradictory racial politics of Australia.

Like his paintings, Bell’s videos use irony, sarcasm and humor to draw his thoughts to the forefront.
Other mixed media pieces incorporate unusual materials like tar mixed with acrylic paint.

One interactive piece displays a mirror at the end of several portraits, encouraging visitors to be self-reflective and experience how it feels to be the subject of stereotypes.

“I really like political work. I feel like this is an issue Americans may not know a lot about but can still connect back to the Native Americans and their struggle,” said Katie Bird, a fifth-year dual-degree studio art and curriculum and instruction major from Aspen.

The exhibition was well-attended by the art community. Students, faculty and artists alike were at the opening, some discussing the art with one another, others silently watching Bell’s attention-grabbing films or whispering comments to their neighbors.

“The show is absolutely incredible and balances humor and expressiveness with a serious message and with a style borrowed from pop and abstract art. The show is for anyone interested in culture or art of any variety,” said first-year gradute student, Kelly Flemister, who is from Chattanooga, Tenn. and pursuing a degree in art history.

“Uz vs. Them” is now open in the Victoria H. Myhren Gallery in the Shwayder art building from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. everyday from September 13 through October 21.