University of Utah Student Newspapers | 2011-03-16 | Page 4

4 Wednesday, March 16, 2011 ARTS www.dailyutahchronicle.com KIMBERLY ROACH/The Daily Utah Chronicle The theme of"The Smithson Effect" exhibit at UMFA is enthropy. Pam Wyilemann stated that Smithson and followers are "showing the slow demise of a culture." Earthworks "The Smithson Effect"at the UMFA will feature work from 23 artists, including three video installations and photographs. and the mark of the artist Ariel Zaccheo STAFF WRITER Generally defined as lack of order or a decline into disorder, entropy can be a confusing subject. At the Utah Museum of Fine Arts' new exhibition, "The Smithson Effect," entropy is explored through the visual language of Robert Smithson, who makes the complicated topic easily accessible. "The Smithson Effect" has been incubating for two years. Consisting of work from 23 artists, the exhibit sprawls across about 4,000 feet of first-floor exhibition space. The exhibition is UMFA's first foray into exhibiting new media works, and it includes three video installations and a high-tech slide projection. "I bounded out of bed this morning, I was so excited for this day to come," said museum director Gretchen Dietrich. "It's a new kind of show for us. It's the kind of exhibition I want the Utah Museum of Fine Arts to do more of." Although one of Robert Smithson's most famed pieces lies in Utahns' backyard, many are unfamiliar with the conceptual artist. The "Spiral Jetty" (197o) is an earthwork sculpture located on the banks of the Great Salt Lake. Those unfamiliar with the work can find driving directions, interviews with art historians and environmental experts, accounts of personal visits and links to additional information UNTITLED (RAINBOW) PETER COFFIN THE SIX GRANDFATHERS, PAHA SAPA, PARTIALLY BURIED 19605/705 IN THE YEAR 502,002 C.E MATHEW BUCKINGHAM DYSTOPIA REVEALED SAM DURANT on UMFA's new Spiral Jetty Virtual Resource, at www.umfa.utah.edu/ spiraljetty. The Jetty's site specificity and entropic nature inspired many contemporary artists around the globe. The influential repercussions in the art world from Smithson's work provide the backbone for "The Smithson Effect" exhibition. "Smithson's influence in the art world is huge," said chief curator Jill Dawsey. "He redefined the art object itself—he was out in the landscape making work specific to that site. What we've tried to do is highlight a few of his key ideas." One of these ideas is the concept of entropy, the decline in nature from order to disorder, which is portrayed at UMFA in Matthew Buckingham's "The Six Grandfathers, Paha Sapa in the year 502,002 C.E." This installation combines a digitally manipulated photo of Mt. Rushmore with a timeline that spreads out across the wall. The photo shows Mt. Rushmore in a state of erosion and decay. The timeline extends into the future, PARTIALLY BURIED CONTINUED RENEE GREEN to predict what will happen to the carved rock face of the Paha Sapa mountain in the year 502,002. Many other pieces in "The Smithson Effect" exhibit detail the ways in which humans have left their mark on the earth, but all relate to the mark the artist himself left. Since his death in 1973, Smithson's concepts and art-making processes continue to be unearthed by studio artists and art historians today. "The Smithson Effect" will be on display at the UMFA through July 3. [e-mail] The Oatmeal' humor acheives comedic balance Devin Richey STAFF WRITER Being an original comedian is hard. Some resort to shock humor for an uncomfortable laugh that comes back to bite them, and others play it too safe and end up stuck in a rutted market for "clean humor." Matthew Inman, under the online moniker of The Oatmeal, has struck a balance between the two, showcasing his best work in the new book 5 Very Good Reasons to Punch a Dolphin in the Mouth (and other useful guides). The Oatmeal 5 VERY GOOD REASONS TO PUNCH A ©DOLPHIN IN THE MOUTH (AND OTHER USEFUL GUIDES) ' Inman started his creative career as a web designer. He created a popular free dating website, mingle2.com, where he began posting comics and quizzes as a draw for new users. He even created a parody dating site, zom- bieharmony.com , before deciding to make one specifically devoted to his comics. Thus, theoatmeal.com was created. The book takes after other Internet webcomics such as "XKCD" and "Cyanide and Happiness," which published their own books comprising mostly hardcopy Internet material and some new content. 5 Very Good Reasons to Punch a Dolphin in the Mouth includes at least 25 comics that have never appeared on The Oatmeal's website, including "8 Things Raccoons Will Try to Eat (But Can't)," "How to Track, Hunt, and Kill a Unicorn" and "Coffee: With & Without." These join other well-written classics detailing the proper use of semicolons, reasons to keep pet dinosaurs off See OATMEAL Page 10 MAOMI BLACKBURN/The Daily Utah Chronicle The new Whole Foods store opened Monday. Jonel Lott Jones stocks the shelves of the Whole Body section with local and worldwide supplements. Every Tuesday all body products are 15 percent off. A whole new food paradise L isten up, foodies. A paradise of rows and rows of every food imaginable is now minutes away from the U. Whole Foods Market at Trolley Square opened Monday, offering students an unbelievable range of options. With the idea of the former, quaint Whole Foods Market at Trolley Square in mind, I accepted an offer to be a part of a press tour last week before the opening. Our hosts certainly held nothing back in presenting the store to us. We were able to see the incredible amount of thought and work they put into this store. That is why it was really overwhelming to see the finished product the day after its debut. Walking in, we could immediately EDITOR'S CHOICE by Mohammad Allam see shelves lined with glistening produce. The diversity represented in the produce section ranges from tomatoes to watermelon radishes, which is a significant upgrade cornpared to other local produce. Opposite the produce is the long row of bulk foods, from granola and nuts to beans and rice. This row also includes three machines that all grind nuts into fresh butter—peanut butter, almond butter, even cashew butter. From there we moved on into the expanded seafood section, including fresh fish burgers, ready to be cooked. Next there is the gigantic meat section, where they even have dry aged meat, a variety of sausage links and steaks. Moving along, we got to the beautiful bakery. It features plenty of fresh goods, including goods from local bakers, such as various items from Vosen's Bread Paradise and Ruby Snap, formerly known as the Dough Girl. Lastly, there is the cheese department, a whole section dedicated to See WHOLE FOODS Page 10