ENMU exhibiting photographer's work

There’s a new photographer’s work on display in the art scene at Eastern New Mexico University from now through Oct. 1.

Sherwin Rivera Tibayan’s art is described by ENMU faculty and students as “unique” with its simplistic, yet eye-catching style.“I’ve never seen anything like it,” said Tim Case, a senior and digital cinema arts major. “The artist definitely has an eye for this kind of stuff because it’s probably something the average person, like me, would pass by and not notice.”

In many of Tibayan’s pieces on display at the Runnels Gallery in the ENMU Golden Library, he captures a country landscape or older, abandoned areas of cities. Many of the artist’s pieces include a lot of color in his photographs and often times, a solid white billboard.

“My recent projects are influenced by the visual benefits of and challenges posed by digital culture to our relationship with the history of images,” Tibayan said. “The images comprise selections from two of my projects, Best General view and Horror Vacui.”

ENMU art department secretary and Gallery Manager Bryan Hahn said he saw Tibayan’s work when it was entered in a national juried art show at ENMU and he “fell in love with it” and began working to bring his work to the ENMU gallery.

“I really think that as an artist, he has a very interesting voice,” Hahn said. “I think his work really speaks to people. It has great lighting, color and composition. It’s just very interesting work.”

Hahn said he wanted to share the experience as one of Tibayan’s fans with the rest of the campus and community.

He said he knows the artist is passionate about his work and it’s a privilege to have him at ENMU in the early stages of his career.

“Years down the line, when he’s very successful, to be able to go back and say we had him here is often times, very humbling,” Hahn said. “Artists will often refer back to those who gave them a shot in the beginning, so I think it’s a great relationship to establish.”

Case said he plans to attend a reception for the exhibit Sept. 30 in the gallery and he looks forward to meeting the artist.

“I’d like to ask him what he looks for when looking for a photo opportunity,” Case said. “We get some photographs in this art gallery but not so much artists who focus on photographs.”