Many art enthusiasts gathered in Morrill Hall Thursday evening for the free talk titled “Concepts, Context and Duality,” given by St. Louis artist Andy Magee.

The talk was hosted from 6 to 7 p.m. in 2019 Morrill Hall, followed by a reception from 7 to 8 p.m. in the Christian Petersen Art Museum, where Magee’s exhibition, “Post-Pop Redux,” is on display.

Magee discussed why people perceive the things they do and the concept of permanence, which are two of the underlying themes of his work.

“The word ‘permanent’ is completely pointless,” Magee said. “Permanent to us is that house that you grew up in that’s still there when you die. Permanence is an illusion.”

Many of Magee’s artistic pieces are arranged in the museum and are meant to be impermanent. Among these pieces is “Holy Toast,” a portrait, perhaps of Jesus, made from many slices of toasted bread.

Magee conveys a message to his audience by creating meaningful sculptures from items they may have a personal connection with.

Dorothy Witter, interpretation specialist for University Museums, commented on Magee’s pieces.

“People have an immediate reaction to [Magee’s work],” Witter said. “They’re images that you see in pop culture, so they immediately draw a response. This is something different, and a little more contemporary, that I think students can relate to.”

Magee’s piece called “Change,” a portrait of President Barack Obama made entirely from circulated coins, has never before been exhibited. It is currently being loaned out from its owner to be shown here at Iowa State.

Magee expects each viewer to take away something different from his art.

“I like to deal with political pieces, and I like to deal with religious pieces. It’s easy to point out absurdities and dualities. It’s easy to highlight how two people can see the same thing in two different ways.”

He wishes for those who view his art to think twice about their lives. “I hope that people will think about consumption and waste. I hope people will think about seeing things in a different way,” Magee said. “I think most of the work points out those really really silly things that sometimes we take way too seriously,“

The Christian Petersen Art Museum’s doors are open Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

“Post-Pop Redux” has been on display since the beginning of the  current semester. It will be free and open to the public until Dec. 14, when the collection will leave campus.