Word of the Beniamino Bufano exhibit at the Yuba College library spread through the north valley and attracted fans from as far north as Chico.
Maria Martin, a resident of Chico, traveled to Yuba College to view the exhibit. “I’ve been a fan of Bufano for years,” Martin said. “A co-worker told me that Yuba College had some of Bufano’s art on display, so I came down to see it.”
Thanks to the extremely generous loan of Erskine Bufano, son of the renowned artist, the Yuba College library played temporary home to pieces of art created by Beniamino Bufano, who in many eyes is one of the greatest artists of the twentieth century.
For many Yuba College students, seeing his work up close was a treat. “It’s so cool to see art from such a well known artist here,” said Yuba College student Jason Mills. “I hope more art like this comes to the library.”
Bufano’s art was on display from August 15 to September 15.
As viewers walked into the library hall, the first Bufano piece they encountered was a bust of his son Erskine as a young boy. The eyes of young Erskine are large and bright, as he gazes innocently, welcoming all to view his father’s work.
Walking past the bust of Erskine Bufano, viewers were immediately confronted by a sculpture of a grand shell that begs to be examined. Students who walked through the hallway found themselves circling the piece, viewing it from all angles, while absorbing its beauty.
“It looks so graceful and smooth,” one student said as she shuffled her feet around the piece, studying every bend and twist Bufano had created.
The third display featured two books which Erskine Bufano donated to the Yuba College library, along with a simplistic sculpture of a peaceful bird.
The fourth and final display case held the bust of a joyful Chinese boy, who looked to be three or four years old. One couldn’t help but gape at this child and feel the joy his face conveyed.
The four displays were not the only Bufano masterpieces in the exhibit. The hallway walls displayed some of Bufano’s drawings and paintings. This aspect of the exhibit showed how versatile of an artist Bufano was.
As viewers entered the hallway, the wall on the right grabbed their attention with a colorful drawing. This drawing was rich in pinks and oranges and featured a lively group of people, some wearing clothes, others bare, some with partners and others unaccompanied, but all of them passionately dancing in a small room with dark walls of black.
On the wall opposite of that piece was a painting of a black cat surrounded by vibrant bursts of orange, green, and blue.
To the left of the framed cat, hung an interpretation of the same picture in rug form, created by V’Soske an admiring artist. V’Soske did a great job at enlarging Bufano’s original idea without skimping on the details.
To the right of the lively rug was a drawing of a hand with a face in its palm. Bufano is known for and had produced many beautiful pieced of this subject, one of which is the the Bufano Peace Statue that resides in Sonoma County.
The Bufano exhibit was a great way to start off exhibits in the Yuba College library and a rare opportunity for art lovers and casual viewers alike.
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