The Chronicle

Issue date: 3/20/08 Section: Recess
Last update: 3/20/08 at 7:11 AM EST

Media Credit: Irem Mertol From That Point On, Stacy-Lynn Waddell's new exhibit, celebrates the historical progress of John Hope Franklin.

Stacy-Lynn Waddell's new exhibit, From That Point On, tackles one of the hardest concepts in artistic representation: capturing the essence of someone's life. And this someone is not just any commoner off the street-the muse at the heart of her works happens to be prominent Civil Rights historian John Hope Franklin, professor emeritus of history.

Crafting a diverse exhibit using the primary medium of heat, Waddell has turned one man's experiences and philosophies into an intriguing visual dialogue. The showcase succeeds in both shedding light on Franklin's journey as a humanist and the central elements that has shaped him into who he is today.

Sponsored by the John Hope Franklin Center for Interdisciplinary and International Studies, From That Point On is only the second exhibit at the Franklin Center to ever explore the life of its namesake. Although Franklin himself is renowned for his modesty, Gallery Coordinator Kathy Hudson feels the personal life of Franklin deserves more attention.

"I don't think enough people know about him," Hudson said. "He's a historian [and] it's interesting to know what affected him, his childhood and what he did. Not a lot of people know about the bio of a historian. They're more interested in what they're writing about."

Additionally, this is the first time the center has chosen a local artist to display. From the inception of the exhibit's concept to the continual interchange of ideas, the entire process has been daunting because of its organic nature, but Hudson feels that faith and communication has paid off.

"[This exhibit] was different because it was more of an idea that materialized over time, and Stacy went to her studio and made work, and I didn't see it until very recently," Hudson said. "We talked constantly about the concept of the show, but it was an unusual project. Yes, it was scary, but the results are just amazing."

The end product: an eclectic collection that spans from the power of single words to overwhelmingly complex landscapes. All this is accomplished through the unique technique whereby Waddell uses fire to burn inscriptions onto paper and composes pieces out of burned material. Hudson was initially captivated by Waddell's art because she was able to construct such a wide variety of works through just one means of articulation.

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