TAKING AIM AT PREJUDICE\Exhibit focuses on migrants.

Byline: Jim Skeen Daily News Staff Writer

Glen Knowles' exhibit at Antelope Valley College is designed to make viewers question their preconceived notions about migrant workers.

A sympathetic look at those who toil to put food on the tables of others, the 30 or so works were produced between 1992 and 1994 when Knowles frequented farms, migrant camps and worker pickup spots for a master's degree project.

"Most are working here legally. They are working very hard to produce the food for our tables," Knowles said. "They are afraid to encounter people in the valley because they are looked down on by the people of this valley, even though they are here legally."

Gleaned from approximately 120 works Knowles produced for his degree, the exhibit will run through March 20 at the college's gallery, 3041 W. Ave. K. The gallery is open Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and from 7 to 9 p.m. Admission is free.

Most of the works are watercolors, but the exhibit includes other media such as acrylics, computer-generated art and drawings.

Among the works is a series of Norman Rockwell prints Knowles altered with a computer to include photographs of the migrant workers.

One, titled "Freedom from Want," shows a group of smiling people around a dinner table. At the head of the table, Knowles inserted a photo of a field worker with onions arranged so it appears the worker is serving his harvest to his smiling guests.

"They are so excluded by society I decided to reintroduce them to society," Knowles said.

In "New West," Knowles pairs idealized western images with western reality. The work depicts a migrant worker wearing a baseball cap standing next to a Marlboro man poster.

Knowles paid his models, but said he didn't want to impose on them any more than necessary. As a result, Knowles did the works quickly, taking an average of 20 to 30 minutes to do each work.

"They were done with a real sense of urgency," Knowles said. "Out of that spontaneity came an honesty that would not have come if I had more control."

Knowles was working on his project during the debate over Proposition 187, aimed at restricting or eliminating state benefits to illegal immigrants.

During the project, Knowles produced a series of 12-foot-tall acrylic paintings, one of which is included in the exhibit. During the Proposition 187 debate, Knowles hung five of the tall paintings on the border fence with Mexico.

"It caused me to question my own notions," Knowles said of his experience with the migrant camps. "It caused me to question the news media and question politicians who use these kinds of issues for their purposes."

Knowles, a part-time art instructor at the college, is noted for his landscapes. Knowles said he will continue with his landscapes, but he will also continue with art on contemporary topics, such as the migrant camps.

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Photo (1--Color only in AV edition) Glen Knowles' art exhibit at Antelope Valley College is designed to make viewers re-examine their ideas about migrant farm workers. Jeff Goldwater/Daily News (2--Color only in AV edition) In "Looking for Work," Knowles portrays a familiar scene of workers waiting for a potential employer. (3--Color only in AV edition) Knowles uses juxtaposition to make a political point in "New West."