A colorful arrangement of individual paintings on heavy-duty file folders makes up "Alphabet," perhaps the most visually striking piece of art in the Ambiguities exhibit, on display at South Seattle Community College's Art gallery through June 19. In one of the paintings, a jet flies out of a horse’s ear while a human eye watches from the sun overhead.

Through the various exhibits in the show, artist John Feodorov approaches the subject of modern spirituality. "I see them as artifacts of contemporary desperation," Feodorov said of his artwork.

In the artist's statement which accompanies the exhibit, Feodorov writes that the show "reflects my interest in the relentless human search for meaning and identity … [and] explores the elusive nature of meaning."

Feodorov uses an eclectic collection of mediums to create the artworks featured in Ambiguities. Three of the four exhibits in the show are mixed media works, two of which feature video.

In another piece, Feodorov has removed the stuffing from several teddy bears and molded it into a single large bear. The flattened teddy bears lie scattered, empty and discarded on the floor beneath it. He chose not to title the piece, to leave it open to the observer’s imagination.

"I decided to leave it untitled because I didn’t want to define it," Feodorov said. "Souls Awaiting a Future" incorporates video, clay figures and metal fabrication into a thought-provoking installation which is the largest piece in the exhibit.

"My intent is to sacralize the profane and profane the sacred, or even better, to complicate the relationship between the two," Feodorov said.

Feodorov, originally from Los Angeles, is an assistant professor of art at Fairhaven College of Interdisciplinary Studies at Western Washington University in Bellingham. He is also a songwriter who plays guitar and violin.

The artist enjoys showing his work at less traditional venues such as SSCC's gallery. "It has a different audience, and that’s important to me. I’d prefer that a non-art audience have access to it as well," Feodorov said.

To find out more about Ambiguities and upcoming exhibits at the art gallery, visit the SSCC Art Gallery group on Facebook.

"Ambiguities" runs through June 19 in the Art Gallery at South Seattle Community College.