What sort of boundaries does an artist have?

That is just one of the questions posed by NIU sophomore Ed Istwan in his Holmes Student Center gallery show which opens this Sunday.

“I’m trying to question art in general. What type of limits or boundaries do we have as artists? I’m at a real point of questioning right now, asking myself, ‘why am I doing this?'” Istwan said.

He said that his show, titled “Taking Measures,” is a means by which he will address these questions. One of the themes addressed by the work is that of structure vs. non-structure, Istwan said.

“I’m trying to experience art without limits, and yet I’m also trying to constrict myself as well. I think that this conflict is something that will come out in the show,” he said.

Istwan said each project he does represents a conflicting attitude about creating artwork and all the different places in the show have that common thread binding them together.

All artwork is looking for artistic limits and the point of “Taking Measures,” is to teach artists to “deal with the limits, accept they’re out there and realize that they’re probably self-imposed,” he said.

Istwan said collectively the works could provide answers to the questions he wants to pose, but the viewer should decide for him or herself.

“I want people to walk in with a clean conscience and leave with an attitude about artwork, hopefully a positive one,” he said, adding, “It’s important to me that people come to see my work because art is a form of communication, and communication is a two-way street. If the viewer doesn’t exist, then I can’t do my job as an artist, and I want to do my job.”

He said he objects to the attempts to many people to censor artwork that is deemed obscene or extremely controversial. “Some people think that if you give someone the right to do something, then that means you approve of it. I don’t believe that. There is a lot of art that I despise, but I feel that those artists have the right to produce that artwork anyway, Istwan said. “The limitations for art should not be set by exterior forces.”

The show will open this Sunday, Oct. 7 in the Holmes Student Center art gallery from 2 to 5 p.m.