Over 30 art pieces, all representing some form of the human body, are currently being displayed at the Christian Petersen Art Museum. Students and community members will be able to see this exhibit, titled “Double Take: Insights on Figural Expression,” starting Aug. 22.

For the past month, Sydney Marshall, museum curator, and Caitlin Patton, education and security specialist, have been choosing pieces from various artists and decorating the space with these works to prepare for the exhibit.

“Rather than just choosing pieces that are regular images of a human body, all of them are kind of altered in some way or stylized to make you do a double take,” Marshall said.

According to their website, the brain’s natural recognition of common faces and movements is challenged through changing perceptions and optical distortions. Not only is an individual form portrayed through these pieces, but the main characteristics of the entire human race are as well.

“They’re hopefully getting you to focus on different aspects other than the person’s identity, altering them in a way to make it look like they have more power, or more godly power,” Marshall said. “So they’re all along that theme of getting you to look closer and through that alteration of body, changing the interpretation for the viewer.”

Marshall works with the museum director and chief curator, Lynette Pohlman, to decide what exhibits will be displayed and the themes they want to connect with it. These exhibits change every semester, and the spring semester exhibit carries on through the summer. No matter the theme, they always aim to include pieces by Christian Petersen.

The curators believe that Petersen’s work fits well in this semester’s theme, as he is skilled in sculpting and drawing figures.

“Being a sculptor, you have to have a really intimate knowledge of human anatomy,” Patton said. “Sketches are also useful in terms of where things like the muscles are going to go and how those are going to interact with the rest of the body. It’s the part that you don’t often see.”

It is suggested that viewers think about the changes different designs make to the human form and how to look at the piece from a new perspective. Every piece in the exhibit is able to be experienced in a way that is unique to each viewer.

“There’s a work that is sort of a dedication to Selena, the singer, and that sort of brings up questions about idolized figures, how do we treat them once they’re dead, even sort of seen as a positive thing sometimes,” Patton said. “Basically, there are so many different ways that you could approach all of the works in this collection.”

Sculptures, drawings, paintings and historical objects will all be included in this semester’s exhibit, each from the museum’s permanent collection. The museum will be open Mondays through Fridays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with this exhibit lasting until December 16. It is free to enter and has a suggested $8 donation.