"Not Exactly There"

These are pictures that can be found in Michael Wille's "Not Exactly There" exhibit in Meek Auditorium until Oct. 6.

Michael Wille, an abstract artist, attempts to make meaning of abstract art and engage his audience in his most recent exhibit, “Not Exactly There.”

Wille’s exhibit displays 29 perfectly lined-up square panels hanging on the walls, set up in the University of Mississippi’s Meek Auditorium, Gallery 130.

Traditionally, a lot of Wille’s past artwork consisted of painting familiar locations, such as South Africa, Rome and Cleveland, and addressing the visual architecture and landscape of his source.

Departing from his main mode of creation, Wille enters the realm of non-objective painting with the use of geometric figures, abstract concepts and designs and a multitude of colors.

By leaving behind the referential characteristics of a location, Wille leaves the interpretation of the artwork up to the audience.

Stephanie Feller, a junior education major, attended the exhibit and said the artwork left the interpretation of the paintings up to individuals by using abstract techniques.

“Since Wille didn’t give us [the audience] any big indicators of the places he was painting about, it let us use our imagination and find our own meaning of the work,” Feller said. “Using all those colors and shapes really made us think about what it meant.”

At first glance, the complex and intricate paintings look disorderly and jumbled, as they are side-by-side ghost-white walls. The white walls call more attention to the vivid abstract color schemes.

After a closer look, the varied colored and textured lines start to differentiate the multi-faceted mess. The rich and bold colors, made of acrylic, plaster, plaster dust and graphite, start to outline the shapes of geometric figures. The methodical placement of the shapes and designs, such as overlapping and crosscutting, give the paintings a three-dimensional quality.

Feller said the usage of colors and patterns made the work come to life.

“The colors were so beautiful, and the different lines made the work pop-out at you and looked 3-D,” Feller said.

The “Not Exactly There” exhibit will continue to be on public display until Oct. 6. A lecture and reception for the exhibit will also be held on Oct. 6.