Strange Soup exhibit opens at Gallery 51, runs through April 22

On Thursday March 29, Gallery 51 revealed their latest art installation, the exhibit “Strange Soup”, which contained pieces centered on current events stirring in the political and pop culture world.

Blunt political undertones mixed with bright colors and heavy texture sprang from the walls of Gallery 51 on Main Street. North Adams-based artists Wayne Hopkins and Cathy Wysocki, who are originally from New Mexico, have their work on display until Sunday, April 22.

“My work is about capitalism and militants,” Hopkins explained.

Intense imagery, complex sculptures, and large canvas paintings give viewers a clear message of Hopkins’ point. He puts consumerism and upset of the political system on trial, forging images of humans and terms that define the last year of our way of life. From Occupy Wall Street to protest upset by soldiers, Hopkins creates forceful imagery that speaks volumes to what we see on the news every day.

“My ideology relates to the world I created,” Wysocki explained regarding her artistic messages. “My work explains the nature of humans.”

Wysocki presents meticulous sculptures depicting the general ins-and-outs of society, the good and the bad. Her color-packed sculptures and paintings revolved around the pedestal of our society and the complicated specifics that come along with it. Wysocki’s works show the struggles between humans as they compete for power, money, fame, and happiness.

Why the name “Strange Soup”, though? None of the work alludes to food of any kind and the art really is not all that strange. In fact, all the work is rather fascinating filled with depth that describes the frustration in our world covered in corruption and struggle.

“Cathy found it actually,” said Hopkins. “It comes from a book where the story is told from the viewpoint of a dog. The dog sees humans as strange.”

Freshman Lauren Feeney, who does her work-study at Gallery 51, found the artwork as intense as the work it took to install it. The weekend before the exhibit opened, she and other work study students were responsible for tacking the artwork up.

“The artwork is very raw,” Feeney said. “It’s really graphic.”

“Strange Soup” will be displayed at Gallery 51 until Sunday, April 22.

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