Owensboro Community & Technical College is currently hosting an art exhibit, “Functional Uncertainty,” featuring the works of Canada native Asha Cabaca, who describes the works as articulating her sense of the absurd.
Cabaca is a native of Ontario and is a Master of Fine Art in Sculpture candidate at West Virginia University. She received a graduate student assistantship at WVU, where she teaches 3D Foundations and Introduction to Sculpture.
This is her first solo show in the U.S., she has previously exhibited work in shows in West Virginia, North Carolina, Maryland, Indiana, Ohio, Oklahoma, Alabama, and Ontario.
“This series attempts to articulate my sense of the absurd, which seems to revolve around a sense of futility and dry humor,” Cabaca said. “To me, the absurd is mundane and boring, but with a surprising twist that serves to relieve the drudgery. This jarring element takes the form of repetition, confusion, uncertainty, and cyclicity. The static mechanisms build up a sense of anticipation, but the failure to deliver anything new and exciting upon interaction creates a sense of disappointment.”
She continued, “The smooth and almost seamless joints and couplings are a product of prolonged labor, and the resulting actions seem meaningless and stupid in comparison to the purposeful craft. This contrast provokes the viewer to ponder why I endeavored to create such simplistic and banal motions, and this ‘why’ is the central question posed by this body of work and seems to hint at broader existential questions.”
Abbi Ruppert, OCTC Art Program Coordinator and curator for the gallery, said “Functional Uncertainty” demonstrates firsthand the possibilities that abound at the intersection of art and skilled trades.
“This is a must-see exhibition for manufacturing and skilled trades students and faculty to explore each mechanism fabricated meticulously from steel, joined seamlessly with 3D printed PLA, silicone, and cast resin,” Ruppert said. “To OCTC’s art students, this exhibition demonstrates the value of learning skilled trades to execute an artistic vision. ‘Functional Uncertainty’ is perfectly positioned at OCTC to inspire curiosity and bridge the gap between art, science, and skilled trades.”
The exhibition is located in the Dayman Art Gallery on the upper level of the Learning Resource Center, located on OCTC’s Main Campus at 4800 New Hartford Road. Admission is free, and the gallery is open Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
The exhibit will run through October 3, and the public is invited to a closing reception that day from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Dayman Gallery, where they will have the opportunity to meet the artist