Exigency

Author/Artist Name

Laurie SnellenFollow

Files

Academic Level at Time of Creation

Senior

Date of Creation

Fall 12-7-2023

Artist Statement

Birds are very sensitive to environmental changes and indicators to issues surrounding the biodiversity crisis. Exigency, by highlighting common beloved songbirds, allows for a link to the crisis that is so much closer than what many are used to seeing in the news. It also encourages users to explore solutions they can apply in their everyday lives like window stickers for bird strikes or bird boxes for bluebirds.

The relationship between the complexity of nature and the part people play in it has always been of interest. These current works act as a bridge between the environment and the people. Natural imagery and symbolism can be used to invoke a viewer's interest and curiosity by focusing on either unnatural additions to an ecosystem or parts that are in decline as a lens for both environmental and social concerns.

Using natural imagery that are integral parts of the problems combined with manufactured effects such as aberrant overlays on the birds the concept takes form. This implies an abnormality in the environment, through the opposing natural and unnatural elements. By using relatively well-known birds such as Meadowlarks, Bobwhites, or Bluebirds that are usually identifiable to someone living in a rural community, they allude to environmental issues already affecting those communities. In this way a connection can be made by the user to their own experiences.

Similarly to artists like Marilee Salvator, my work is very heavily influenced by extensive research. Intense value shifts with pops of vibrant hues of color can create very breathtaking imagery. My linework and composition could be comparable to artist Jenny McCabe’s, although I prefer to add more vibrant, less natural hues to shine a light on human intervention in nature and create an opposing composition. This provides rich groundwork to continue to explore relationships between humans and the natural world.

Through Exigency, learn about the biodiversity crisis and how it is something that affects us even in our own backyards. Life is precious and connected to each other and everyone of us can be part of the solution.

Advisor/Mentor

Nicole Hand-Bryant; Cintia Segovia, Gregory Scott Cook; Mike Martin

Description

This exhibition was created using a variety of printmaking mediums including etching, lithography, and screeprinting. Exigency was chosen based on its meaning of something requiring great urgency. This was a fitting title because the content of the exhibition was about the biodiversity crisis using common songbirds as a lens. Songbirds were chosen as the subject matter based on two reasons.

For one, songbirds, and birds in general, are extremely sensitive to environmental changes. They feel the effects of climate change and the biodiversity crisis before most other species so it is important that people are aware of that. And two, songbirds are something that everyone has contact with in one way or another. They are neighbors to us all whether we live in the biggest mansion or the smallest trailer. So it is important that every single person is aware of how they impact these sensitive animals and how we can all be better neighbors.

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License.

Recommended Citation

Snellen, Laurie, "Exigency" (2023). B.F.A. Practicum Exhibition (ART 498). 121.
https://digitalcommons.murraystate.edu/art498/121