Shake your Buddha on down to the Fiskum Gallery this spring

The catchy title from the "Shake Your Buddha" exhibit on campus this spring represents more than a popular song from the 1970's—it suggests the fusion of East and West.

The exhibit "Shake Your Buddha: East/West Feminist Emulsion" at the Fiskum Gallery features the works of University of Wisconsin-Whitewater faculty members Max White and Xiao Zhang.It runs through Wednesday, April 8, in the James R. Connor University Center.A public reception will be held from 4:30 to 6 p.m. Monday, March 30, in the gallery. A workshop will follow.

The gallery holds encaustic paintings (made with hot wax), inkjet photographs, ceramic pieces and other works.The theme relates to the artists' experiences with Eastern and Western cultures.

"This theme is shown through the complementary and conflicting nature of the pieces," said Max White, art professor."You can have sensuality, spirituality and movement."

White has lived on the East and West Coasts of the United States and her interests led her to Asia.She is curious about comparative religion and Eastern philosophy, the joining of sensuality and spiritual experience, issues of psychological conflict, contradictions of being and the ironies of our current state of affairs.

"Artwork is about the deep things that interest you," said White."You surround yourself with the stuff you're truly interested in."

White's inkjet photographs display "in-camera double exposures," which is a way to present two or more photos simultaneously on film.The inkjet displays called "Sodaflyboywhackmaomoney" and "Redrabbitholeelectriclotusstreet" show both the old and new China.

White said those pieces are representative of her collection.

"The first is a composition of elements in photos that represents energy, consciousness, the personal and political," said White."The second represents Shanghai."

Zhang's art on display features ceramic pieces titled "Shake your Buddha I," "Shake your Buddha II" and "Rabbit Stamp."

Her work also includes "Blue Buddha" and "The Red Buddha," created with mixed media digital printing and paper-cutting.

The exhibit is free and open to the public.

For more information, contact Kim Adams at 262-472-1477 or adamsk@uww.edu.