Continually presenting exhibitions that will evoke a discussion about the cultural role of artistic expression, this fall the College of the Canyons Art Gallery will present the thought-provoking work of late master printer Patrick Merrill.

Widely renowned throughout Southern California for his grand, intensely charged images, Merrill’s large-scale prints are often recognized for their deep political and psychological meanings.

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“Patrick had the ability to transcend his media, creating powerful and sometimes disturbing images,” said COC art gallery director Larry Hurst. “His work is so infused with his being that it often seems like he is physically in the room with you.”

The exhibition, Patrick Merrill — Conjunction: Intaglio & Relief, opened on Oct. 19 and will run through Wednesday, Nov. 24.

This exhibition will feature pivotal examples of Merrill’s work, collected over a 25-year period of study into the nature of ‘synthesis,’ both as a methodological practice in printmaking and as the conceptual foundation for what Merrill believed was the primary function of being an artist — to be a cultural critic.

Merrill, who passed away in late August 2010, once commented about his work: “The conjunctive describes space, and the conjunctive gave me the means by which to engage complex bindings: narrative, philosophical or methodological.”

The COC Art Gallery is open 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Visitors unable to visit the gallery during these hours are welcome to call (661) 362-3612 to make a viewing appointment.

All gallery exhibitions and related events are free and open to the public.

For more information regarding the COC Art Gallery or any of the upcoming exhibitions please visit www.canyons.edu/artgallery/.