You will be hard pressed to find anyone unaware of the ongoing horrors in Ukraine at the hands of Russia. On Thursday, February 24, Vladimir Putin gave the order, leading to a continuous military assault on the neighboring nation. As the attacks continue, an outpouring of support has come from citizens all over the world. Now, sophomore Colby Page has shown his support through a new art installation located outside of Ezra Lehman Memorial Library.
The piece is entitled “Downpour” and depicts Ukrainian grave markers amidst the bombardment of Russian missiles.
As Page described, “It’s basically about the current standing between Russia and Ukraine. I feel that it's awful what is happening over there.” Page went on to describe his disgust at the continuous bombing he has seen reported on the news as the Ukrainian military attempts to hold back the onslaught by Russian forces.
In fact, as of April 21, 2022, the United Nations has found that 2,345 men, women and children have lost their lives, as well as an additional 1,036 who could not be identified. This also includes the nearly 3,000 injured and millions forced to abandoned the now bombed out cities.
With such a politically driven piece, Page did have some restrictions to abide by in order to display his art in such a public area. Page explained that he “wasn’t allowed to use any kind of Russian symbols” per the request of the university.
Speaking of political pieces, this is in fact Page’s first installation to tackle such prominent subject matter. However, the piece was still able to incorporate Page’s skill for metalworking, which can been in the crashed missiles.
Page has been hard at work as a sculpture intern while also working under the direction of professor Steve Dolbin. As Colby approaches the end of his sophomore year, he plans to continue making more topical statements with his pieces and hopes to have more them featured prominently on campus.
“Downpour” can still be viewed outside of the Ezra Lehman Memorial Library while his other works can be found displayed behind The Kauffman Gallery.
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