Students from the Advanced Sculpture course in the Fine Arts department have frozen their artwork in a new exhibit at the Martin Wong Gallery titled “Deactivated: When Time Stands Still.”

Mick Monahan, 23, in the department, led seven other students from a fall semester sculpture class to build and curate a show on their own.

“They are all like snapshots taken of three-dimensional activities,” said Monahan.

The pieces were created over the term of last semester. Professor Francisco Perez was the instructor for the class and suggested that his students contact the gallery to make an exhibit.

After the pieces were chosen, a title was created. A reoccurring theme was each sculpture looked like a moment of action, frozen in time. “Deactivated” was the title chosen by Monahan to represent that focus.

A couple of the pieces are not still objects and have potential movement. A sculpture by Monahan titled “Semi-mechanized Santeria” has a crank on the side that makes a voodoo doll dance.

“It becomes “deactivated” when you let go of the crank,” said Monahan.

When you walk into the gallery, a large metal woman wrapped in red gauze is one of the first things you see. It is a mixed media sculpture called “Old Plan for a New Woman” by Cassandra Sechler, 24.

“It’s a representation of when women change their bodies for beauty it becomes more of a devolution,” said Sechler, “It’s more like a monster.”

Grace Ryan, 18, was visiting the gallery and pointed out “Old Plan for a New Woman” as her favorite. “It shows the difficult things about being a woman,” said Ryan.

Perez, who seems very proud of his students, said he is glad to see the items separated from the space where they are made. “My main job was getting the students ready for exhibition.”

Perez is strongly anti-artist commodity and preaches the value of using art for creative strategy rather than profitable gain. “Art is about how you see life,” said Perez.

He also believes that art is not meant to be elitist or judgmental. “I want the students to realize in themselves that they are capable.”

To make his values clear, Perez does not even give letter grades for his assignments.

When a piece is finished, most of the students either try to sell their sculptures or find a place in their apartments to fit them. “I don’t have any room, so I’ll just have to destroy it and use the parts for a new piece,” said Sechler.

A few of the artists admitted to plans for a non-art related career after they graduate. Will Rose, 22, said he will probably become a bicycle mechanic after school. “When you make something like art a job, it becomes less enjoyable,” said Rose.

Many at the gallery agreed that when art becomes a career, it is no longer a creative outlet, but rather a struggle to please the buyer. “It is like having a monkey on your back,” said Perez.

The exhibit, however, is a jumping off point for many of the students involved.

Anthony Lerma, 22-year-old Psychology major, is a friend of one of the artists and went to support the exhibit. “This show gives them a good head start and encouragement to do something bigger,” said Lerma.

From March 6 to March 20, room 286 in the Fine Arts building will be open from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.