The rotunda houses a mixed media piece by Lantry that consists of graffiti and various other everyday objects arranged along both sides of a central wall.
"Putting your work out there for the public to respond to is risky," Gerald Auten, studio art professor and director of the exhibition program, said. "His exhibition is strong and really captures your attention."
A studio art major from Los Angeles, Lantry is one of four recent graduates chosen to intern with the studio art department this year. About 70 percent of senior studio art majors and minors apply annually for the year-long post-graduate internship, Auten said. Lantry was selected among this competitive group to assist with classes in the Black Family Visual Arts Center, monitor the studio shops, mentor undergraduates and create art of his own.
Most of Lantry's art, especially the rotunda exhibition, focuses on visually representing the concept of urban decay. He utilizes materials such as cardboard, spray paint, sand, garbage bags, stickers and other found objects to construct his pieces and imbue them with a sense of authenticity.
"I want to recontextualize something that appears to be trash into art," Lantry said.
The front of the rotunda features a shattered red door laden with graffiti, including a floating black and white head that Lantry describes as his self-portrait. Lantry said he was intrigued by the idea of a broken, "crime-ridden" door as the centerpiece of his installation, because of the implications this type of object can possess.
"I am trying to provoke viewers to think about the kind of disrepair found in urban environments," Lantry said.
The door stands against a stark white wall that separates the front of the installation from what is behind it. The back of the piece that faces the inside of the Hopkins Center is composed of numerous broken-down cardboard boxes plastered together to create a collage effect. These sheets contain various spray-painted words and symbols and are interspersed with hands posed in different gestures.
Lantry regards the white wall not only as a physical boundary, but a means of dividing two distinct "realities" present in modern culture, he said. The front of the wall acts as a facade a harsh, visible and in-your-face reality while the back represents a more internal, personal and emotional reality.
"I wanted to depict the fragmented reality that I believe exists in urban society," Lantry said.
Lantry said he has always been passionate about abstract painting and graffiti. Growing up skateboarding in Los Angeles, Lantry was exposed to the artistic subculture that often accompanies his sport, and he soon began tagging ramps wherever he skated. However, it was not until he traveled to Berlin on a Dartmouth study abroad program that Lantry's love of street art came to life. He observed and interacted with local artists and was finally able to practice his craft in a real-world setting.
Lantry said his experience abroad allowed him to value graffiti beyond its aesthetic appeal. He appreciates that this art is "inescapable and confrontational," without being hindered by the confines of a gallery space, he said.
Graffiti is a powerful medium because it records human presence without the encumbrance of rules or conventions, Lantry said. It has the ability to empower those who feel like they do not have a voice.
Lantry's preoccupation with the individual lends itself directly to the content of his installation in the rotunda. The various hands and other images spread throughout the back wall engage in a loose narrative with one another through gesture, and are not intended to belong to any specific person. Lantry said he believes that this ambiguity enables anyone to access his piece and interpret it as they desire.
"I want to invite viewers to bring their own personal history to the piece and connect with it as they see fit," he said.
During this past summer and fall, Lantry spent time working in New York City, primarily in the Williamsburg and Chelsea neighborhoods, where he practiced layering cardboard against the walls of construction sites and nailed frames around spots or objects that he found worthy of attention. Lantry said he respects fellow street artists such as Jean-Michel Basquiat, Robert Rauschenberg and Banksy, and uses their art as inspiration for his own.
Lantry's installation has drawn the eyes of both passersby and students.
"I have never seen anything like it and it catches my eye when I walk by," Greta Joung '16 said.
While the installation is certainly hard to miss, some students may not easily acertain its message.
"I love seeing the pieces in the rotunda change and appreciate that the space is such a prominent one that can bring art to our daily experience," Annie Munger '13 said. "However, I would love for there to be more context given for the works placed in the rotunda so that we can learn more about the pieces that are there in the hopes that this will create a dialogue among students about art."
After he completes his internship, Lantry plans to return to New York City to pursue a career as a professional artist.
