Former Casper College instructor Richard Jacobi’s works on display

Former Casper College Art Instructor Richard Jacobi will have his show “Mythologies” on display in the Mildred Zahradnicek Gallery Nov. 3 through Dec. 3. He will present an artist’s talk at noon on Monday, Nov. 3.

“My drawings are illustrations of personal mythologies inspired by philosophy, science, mystical experience, dreams, etc.,” said Jacobi. “Myth for me is a primal, intimate way to grasp the mysteries of life without rational explanation,” he added.

According to Jacobi, his spirit animal — a toad named Bufo — is his symbolic self. Bufo sits inside many of his drawings, simply watching. Jacobi’s aesthetic, he said, is “ … guided by relationships: organic and geometric form, representational and abstract imagery, reality and fiction. The drawings are technically ‘illustrations of ideas’ but they also have a life of their own and welcome interpretation.”

Jacobi’s biography noted that he is descended from a family of artists and craftsmen and that graphite pencil is his preferred medium. Jacobi taught art at Casper College from 1981 to 2007. Since retirement, he has been a self-employed visual artist working in drawing, painting, and photography in Denver.

The exhibit and talk are free and open to the public. The Mildred Zahradnicek Gallery is open 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Thursday and is in the Music Building on the Casper College campus.

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