Art and science join together

Dr. Jean Kriezinger, professor emerita of the department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, has found the wall at the foot of the stairs in the lobby of the Science Building stark and empty since the building’s completion in 2005. She relayed her sentiments to a family member and an accomplished artist, and the magic began.

Dorothy Buley spent six months researching, conceiving and painting (in acrylics and mixed media) an abstract version of Menyanthes trifoliata, a water plant on canvas. Finally, on September 19, the large 48 by 60 inch painting was unveiled at a ceremony attended by family members, faculty and staff, many of whom work in the building and will benefit from the striking artistic installation for years to come. At the ceremony, WCSU President James Schmotter, Professor of Biological and Environmental Sciences Dr. Tom Philbrick, whom Buley consulted about the subject matter, and Buley discussed the importance of the recognition and creation of this piece.

The lobby of the Science Building is the perfect location for the painting, with its white walls and crisp lights, which immediately draw the eyes onto the painting. The cerulean-blue, lime-green, a shadow of blacks and grays, white flower petals and sunshine-yellow reflections magnificently transport the viewers to the pond’s edge. In addressing the artist’s work, Dr. Kreizinger said “Buley infused her artistic ability with a profound amount of personal images that she photographed herself. Her sensibility was dead on and she was highly successful.”

Menyanthes trifoliata, a flowering plant also known as the bogbean or buckbean, has white inflorescent petals, which help to explain the warm lighting choice at the unveiling ceremony. Buley’s painting is abstract, yet it grasps reality in the balance through the pond setting. Each color stands out individually on the canvas, yet the colors work together in perfect harmony to create a resounding image. It is perfection created by Buley: the use of abstract imagery to capture the very essence of a plant.

Buley, Dr. Kreizinger and her daughter and son-in-law, Sarah and Dana Dolloff, generously contributed toward making this installation possible.