By Tanvi Dange ’17
Staff Writer
The Mariboe Art Gallery openings always have a large turnout, and this month’s showcase did not disappoint.
Two alumni artists, Laura Britton ’07 and Timur Babakol ’06, displayed their artwork in the gallery opening on Dec. 6.
Both Britton and Babkol had an interest in art before they came to Peddie, but their talents really progressed during the time they spent in the Swig Arts Center.
“Peddie was the place where I cemented the idea that I wanted art and science, in particular physics, to be a major part of my life as a result of the support I got from the teachers and community,” Babakol said.
Britton takes a different approach to her artwork. Instead of a typical paint and brush, she uses pieces of hair. For her smaller works, she uses her actual hair. For the larger pieces of artwork, she uses others’ hair.
“My hair actually began falling out due to stress and it was really upsetting,” Britton said. “Then one day, I saw a few strands of hair curled up on a white piece of paper and instead of thinking about what it was, I just thought about the form. The gentle curves of the curl and it suddenly became something delicate and beautiful.”
The exhibits promoted discussion on the different modes of art and how unique Britton and Babkol’s works are.
“I thought the exhibit was really cool,” Christine Ayoh ’17 said. “Timur’s work with science and art was interesting, and Laura’s hair art was shocking at first, but I liked it a lot.”
Jessica Cha’17 also enjoyed the uniqueness of Britton and Babkol’s work.
“I loved their artwork,” Cha said. “They’re both so talented. I can’t believe that Timur found a way to mix art and science and make it interesting, and Laua using her hair in her art was something so different and creative. I would have never thought of it.”