Sizing things up

The current exhibit at FMCC’s Perrella Gallery is so good I’ve felt compelled to return to the gallery to take a second and third look. Called “The Powers of Ten,” the exhibit explores the concepts of size and scale and how they influence the way we perceive things.

The show takes its name from the title of a short film, “The Powers of Ten: A Film Dealing with the Relative Size of Things in the Universe and the Effect of Adding Another Zero.” (Thanks to the magic of YouTube, you can watch the film below.)

The exhibit was curated by Gloversville native Torrence Fish, an FM grad who now works at Skidmore College’s Tang Teaching Museum. You can read Kayleigh Karutis’ recent interview with Fish here: Area native returns to FM as guest curator.

The exhibit will continue through Dec. 11. The gallery is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays, with extended hours until 9 p.m. on Thursdays.

I recently asked my English I students to spend some time in the gallery and write about the art. I asked each student to focus a single piece. Perhaps some of their observations might pique your interest:

“Each diorama presents the viewer with the leftover site, after the action has ended. Each piece is missing the players and opens the tableau to interpretation ... the event could be an inmate escape from a mental ward just as easily as a fire drill at a local school.”
— David Leue, on Roger Bisbing’s miniatures “Conference” and “Breakroom”

“As you’re sitting at the table by yourself, you realize: it’s you against them.”
— Melissa Johnson, on Roger Bisbing’s “Interview”

“This piece is an ideal representation of the power that money holds in our society today.”
— Stephanie Hale, on Michael Cefalo’s “Untitled (Five Dollar Bill)”

“Finally, the completion emerges in the white-hot flames of passion as the two separate entities come together as one.”
— Cathy Malakauska, on Joseph Yetto’s “Her Kiss”

“The background is blurred, only focused on the man and the drilling machine ... it appears we only care about ourselves in these kinds of situations ...”
— Heedo An, on Warren MacMillan’s “Untitled”