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  Shinhye Kwon: "Passing Through"

  Shinhye Kwon

  Artist Statement

  Shinhye Kwon

  Painting is the most appropriate for expressing the artist 's thoughts and the feelings. While thinking about what I could do with painting, I thought that I wanted to share my view with others through my own painting expression and method. In order to share the world I am looking at, I have wondered what is different between me and the people who are here now and the readers who will look at my work. I wanted to share the two visions I see as an international student because I think that the identity of foreign students who know the emotions and cultures of both Korea and the United States is different from others.

  I am a foreign student and I see my view in two ways. One is when I look at my country, Korea and another is when I am a foreigner in the United States. When I look at the same place, what I feel in each country is really different. For example, in case of a bathtub in the bathroom, in Korea, home where I live, bathtub is wide and long enough to spread my legs straight. Bright lighting and clean space help me bathe in a comfortable mood. On the contrary, I am an international student in the United States and cannot live in a perfect house. Since I am living in a dormitory, bathtub in the bathroom is narrow and there is no space to stretch my legs. I can only shower in an old bathroom with dark lighting.

  Not only the place, but also things come to me differently according to each country. In the case of fish, for example, when I am in Korea, I can eat fresh fish everywhere because the three sides of Korea are made up of sea. But the situation in the US is different. The United States is very large and I do not live in a state where the sea is next to it, so when I want to eat fish, I have to go to Walmart and eat only frozen fish.

  These situations are the people who have not experienced the two countries do not know forever. That's why I started to express the scenes I feel as an international student. Unlike photographs, painting is suitable for expressing my emotions in more detail, so I choose to paint.

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  O - /

  Tristan Miller

  Tristan B. Miller Artist Statement We

  I do not approach art making from a traditional angle. Other artist statements that i have written were constructed at a time where I was a completely different person, therefore, they were actually written by another person, a different me. I construct forms that bring myselves, and the viewer, closer to an understanding of what it means to be conscious and exist in relation to the natural universe. The objects themselves very in every sense of physicality depending on how the audience and I intend to utilise them. The nucleus of the work is how I act, and who I say I am, and the lives that all the other Tristan Miller’s have gone through up to that point in time. Together, my other selves have struggled with systemic entities, who utilise our knowledge of the universe. The purpose of my work is to bring the versions of me to one another, and learn from themselves more about the human experience throughout time and space. By having all of these versions of myself I am able to drastically change my work and my behavior to discuss topics when the desire arises. The experience is strange and alluring at the same time. Eventually human beings will be able to travel through time and space, at which point a person will encounter previous and alternate versions of themselves. I strive to create this world in my art, so that i can discuss existential motifs, surrounded by science and a relationship with the physical world, but in the present, through myself. The future I have described is inevitable, it is only a matter of when, to which my art answers, “now”. By having multiple versions of who i am i can discuss and analyse Tristan Miller as an idea, while my idea of who i am, and what it means to be alive, evolves. As far as addressing the physical art making I prefer to do that in ways that are not traditional, because the other versions of me are not all artists, and this gives me the opportunity to evolve the gallery and viewer experience. To me my work is a show, it's an induction into worlds unknown, a brief membership, one that is relatable, and human. Existence and evolution of consciousness, caused by a relationship with the physical universe, is one half of my work, while the other is performing in public with actual people. The audience learns just as much about themselves after each of my shows, as i do about myself.

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  Zenvertigo

  Jason Moore

  The way I design is visually representative of the way I understand the world. Clean typography and strong layout are accented by texture, line and illustration to become understandable. There is no “because I said so” in my work, it all has a purpose and is meant to be calm, clear, and conscious of the viewer. To me rock climbing and graphic design are similar, both require focus, accuracy and awareness.

  The architecture of an artificial wall is geometric and modern unlike the organic age-old beauty of a natural cliff. Zenvertigo is a climbing gym based in Anchorage, Alaska that visually merges the outdoor with the indoor by using modern typography and clean lines with organic textures and images. I used pieces of imagery around Anchorage to build the foundation of the brand; navy blue mimics the midnight sky, light greens reference Chugach State Park, round neon-style type signals the Aurora Borealis and the complex texture comes from the granite that creates Mount Denali. The logo is a response to the feeling of vertigo, moving vertically while being signaled directionally by the chevron symbol. David Carson’s experimental typography, strong dominant type from the late great Massimo Vignelli, and the incorporation of personality by Stefan Sagmeister helped to shape the foundation of the brand.

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  Dialogue

  Anna Sohl

  Human beings thrive on communication and strive to connect with others in many ways. In spite of our desires or best efforts, communication and connection sometimes falls short of perfect clarity. Our interpretation of a person’s nonverbal cues may fail to match what they are saying, and words left unspoken can create voids and barriers. I find significance in our miscommunications, misinterpretations, and our difficulty connecting with one another. This work explores how domestic objects can influence the dynamics of a conversation and are witness to our communication with one another.

  My current body of work explores interpersonal communication and relationships represented through domestic objects. I seek to illustrate the way communication can change as it is transmitted from one person to another, and the voids created through the absence of words. This occurs most poignantly in our home lives, where clear communication is often most critical to our happiness.

  Furniture also directs us to interact with others in a certain manner. The spatial arrangement of furniture may determine the flow of a conversation. When a conversation between two people shifts, the individuals either gravitate closer together or stay at a reasonable distance. These objects are stand-ins for ourselves. We are individuals with unique characteristics, just as any handmade object. No piece is exactly alike and has its own personality.

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  Unraveling Path

  Ana Traceski

  My art is an expansive pool of contrasting ideas formed by observation of the two cultures that have influenced who I am today. My art is about similarities and differences; of past times and of new experiences, of memories old and new. My art is about past and present surroundings that are cast in a different light, a new scope, by being filtered through personal expression. By spending time painting in my studio and by exploring subjects and characters from my life, near and far in order to artistically convey a moment in time.

  Perceptions, receptions and misconceptions occur as my two cultures interact in clashing memories. The warmth of the tropical landscape, a starry night on a cloudless sky and the warm feeling of childhood dreams are complementary to the stillness of the summer days, colorful sunsets and changing seasons of the northern hemisphere. Through color and shape, I seek to narrow the path, the uncomfortable lapse between noise and silence, city and nature, openness and closeness as I express the essence of the whole on my canvas. Tension between figures, composition and color opens the door to my vulnerability, which most of the time aligns with the rewarding joy of a well spend time at the easel.

  I took upon myself the old discipline of self portraits and in doing so I have found a new path for my figurative -representational art. Collage has been the catalyst to move my art forward in many positive and fulfilling venues. I am at the moment exploring new surfaces, textures, and techniques. By incorporating wood panels, canvas, silks, found materials, acrylics, dyes and oils in collage it has open new concepts and visual energy to my compositions as silk gives a new transparency that complements textures and enhances the dreamlike, imaginative aspect of my work.

  In my work blue unifies human essence and its connection to earth. It is my favorite color in all shades and hues. The viewer will always find a saturated blue sky or a patch of blue in my paintings. Sometimes blue holds a story on its own, and perhaps my story will align with the viewer’s story.

  Ana C. Traceski.

  2018

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  Head in the Clouds

  DaKota Vincent

  As an anxious kid, everything said or done could be distorted and inflated over time in my mind. Consequences of such small actions grew disproportionately in importance. I would focus my breath downward to avoid adding the resulting force to any destructive winds in the far distance. Pulling from this experience, I direct the viewer's’ attention to the small elements in painting that built up to create tension in a painting; the vague expectations and worries that interrupt the experience of space. The process is mainly working the surface of my paintings to set an explorable stage for the viewer to experience. While not immediately hostile, I integrate certain tensions and disruptors to make the subject matter quietly unsettling.

  These paintings present natural subject matter alongside geometry suitable to the form, allowing hard edged forms to upset the flow of the painting’s surface. Each shape communicates with the viewer, telling them a story by setting tone, rather than through a narrative. Peter Doig’s artwork is able to encapsulate what these feelings of tense atmospheric storytelling were to me. Doig has this sense of tension in his paintings that is translated through this work, while still retaining that vague distant turmoil. Conceptual influences are derived from Angelina Gualdoni’s landscape forms. The subject of her work can take many forms, while the imagery of the work is concerned with emotion and atmosphere.

  I focus on imagery that includes clouds or complex surfaces. Clouds being a symbol of constant change and uncontrollable movement, their physicality merges with my intent. The undulating, curving and rolling form of clouds provides me with a platform to work through complex visual ideas and refined forms that this subject endorses.

  While working on this body of work, I’ve been learning that my anxiety over the potential of negative interpersonal interactions is not rooted in any sort of selflessness, but as a way of fighting change. By expressing these ideas as natural phenomenon, there is an acceptance of the difficult emotional processes these feelings represent in daily life. The idea isn’t so much that the paintings are answer to any big question so much as a discussion to be had.

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  Yours,

  Elaina Barnett

  As I walk through my every day, for as far back as I can recall, little phrases would repeat inside my head.

  THE LEAVES ARE TURNED, IT’S GOING TO RAIN

  A SMILE COULD MAKE A DIFFERENCE

  DON’T INVITE YOURSELF

  Little lessons and facts passed on to me, most often words of my mother.

  HOW WOULD THAT MAKE YOU FEEL

  YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT THEY COULD BE GOING THROUGH

  BAD PEOPLE CAN WEAR BRIGHT COLORS

  FORGIVE AND ASK FOR FORGIVENESS

  TURN THE LIGHTS OFF WHEN YOU LEAVE A ROOM

  Repeating softly,

  SHARE

  LOVE YOUR ENEMIES

  YOU’RE THE OLDER SISTER, HE LOOKS UP TO YOU

  THOSE WHO HAVE, SHOULD GIVE

  like a mantra printed in the air with edges that softly bleed and fade away.

  BE GENTLE

  WORDS ARE LIKE SALT SPILT FROM A SHAKER

  CAREFUL, WE ARE SPONGES

  ONLY FIGHT IN DEFENSE

  SHH, LISTEN TO THE FROGS AT NIGHT

  These endless lessons, words, have always made me conscious, over-aware. Most especially of others and how I would—I might—affect them. And so I always tried my best to smile, to give, to—as my mother would say—‘be love’. But there’s a space between my young self and my current self. Separated by a gap I can’t quite place in my timeline, can’t quite describe. Maybe one set line doesn’t quite exist, but it seems to have nestled itself somewhere between my hopes and my actuality, to have become part of me while I wasn’t looking so closely.

  I grew up in a small town, with a big church, with weekends filled with trips to see family an hour away. A mother raised by a family of police, and a father raised by teachers—something about how all these things mixed has made me often think on how we treat one another, has made empathy an ideal through which I filter most things. That desire for others and myself to know real empathy, sculpted my upbringing, still sculpts my concerns, and feeds my anxieties about myself and the communities of which I am apart.

  It seems maybe I—we—all repeat the same harmful habituations. Personally, familially, nationally, globally. When I turn to myself, to those dearest to me, I see the truth of that. Through my drawings, sculpture, and writing, I work to better engage with the relationships I am part of, to look into them and pay them gentle attention. Through this, my work is a push and pull of illustration. A process of creating sculptural memorials to the relationships that I have neglected, paired with mark-making, documenting, the internal monologue that accompanies my doing so. All along I continue to collect little phrases, poetic words, short notes, drawing from them imagery that informs my work, through a growing system of personal symbolism. I bare my own body, my personal history, my internal voice, in hopes others will connect through their own. Poetic writings and readings, give context, and extend on the interaction I ask of others in some of my sculpture. I utilize performative and interactive means to create new communications between people. To highlight our disengaged intimacy, which we seek to supplement, often through limbs not of our own, but of the prosthetic of tele-technology which we like to keep so safely in our back pockets. Maybe my work only furthers this, but I hope it serves as a reminder of what we lack, together, so we can work to amend, as I am trying to amend.

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  Supernumerary

  Ethan Best

  For me, art is centered on shifting perspectives, the analysis of communication and the impact of art on our society. It is a reflection of a cultural collective consciousness; manifestations of a collection of beliefs and worldviews that function both as a time capsule and as a direct line into the world of ideas. I create work that is fundamentally founded in personal exploration and interpretation of the artwork at hand. Each piece is, in essence, a catalyst for discovery. For this reason I use a largely minimalist approach in creating objects that have a strong phenomenological presence and have any and all meaning compressed into openly-interpretable visual cues. Narrative is only determinable through heavy investigation of the piece, and even then is largely subjective. There is an emphasis on untranslatability; an inability to fully understand outside of personal experience and interpretation. While some preconceived meaning is inherited through the use of visual metaphor, the intuitive patterning of the metaphor is obscured due to its vagueness or the further layering of conflicting patterns. Furthermore, the context from which the iconography is drawn from varies greatly.

  Whether it be literary and philosophical references or from TV and internet culture, all imagery is of equal of importance. They blend together creating a sense of unsure, uncomfortable half-familiarity. While the art itself is confounded and is relative to the viewer, that does not mean that it is meaningless. Meaning is instead inscribed by the context of the work from the spectator's perspective. This oscillation between investigation of predetermined meaning and objective non-meaning is meant to give the work a sense of sublime absurdity. The spectator is fully free to investigate and form their own opinions on what the work is and what it means, and, therefore, are entirely responsible for those beliefs.

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  The Things I Tell Myself

  Troian Cummings

  Internal struggles and emotions govern my work; concepts of comfort, discomfort, and shared human perception are explored. My work is a physical metaphor of the struggles, self-protection, and vulnerabilities that we, as humans, collectively experience.

  The making practice is a natural growth process; spontaneous and almost meditative in nature. The pieces start as fairly loose plans and evolve and mature as each project proceeds. Media is selected based on initial understanding of what the piece will be and adjustments are made if the idea naturally changes. In the jewelry, organic elements (like living/dead plants) and their natural defenses (like spikes/thorns) are employed, as well as colors that are fundamentally perceived as acidic or poisonous, to emulate the elegance and power of nature’s imperfect perfection. The ceramic work is much more abstract. Through metaphorical bodies, ideals of beauty and body image are explored. Each vessel is unique, just like each person is. The shape is spontaneous; never planned, and always based on the vessel that was thrown. The inside of these vessels are glazed in comforting colors and the folds of porcelain become sensual in the holder’s hands. When the two media are combined, they are in a symbiotic relationship. The metal is supportive, structural. The ceramic provides mass dominance, almost like a gemstone.

  The work evokes primal feelings, like heightened anxiety or the feeling of needing to protect something. In the same way Rebecca Horn’s performances draw on a crowd's energy, the viewer/wearer of my work should feel a sense of tension, comfort, and slight disturbance-all at once, in some cases. The jewelry is a sort of protection or armor and also a place to store my vulnerabilities. Viewers should feel connected and have the desire to touch these pieces. I hope to develop a dialogue that encourages people to question their surroundings and feel the need to become more self-aware.

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  Code Craft

  Megan Durbin

  This exhibition, Code Craft is a web design firm that I created, that uses traditional advertising to promote their services and locations. Code Craft emphasizes the hands on craft of websites and connection to the local community through illustrative posters, booklets, and a client welcome package.

  There are illustrations used throughout the website, posters, and booklet that creates a more hands-on feel than if photos were used in their place. The posters use a combination of photo realistic illustrations that catch the viewers eye, and a more organic illustration of a map that allows a resting place for the information about the brand. The colors are primarily cool, which communicates a calm and welcoming feeling that aids in the balance from the busy illustrations of the buildings. The combination of the color palette and vector illustrations create a mimic of the flat design of websites. The typeface used throughout the branding is Avenir Next, a sans-serif font that helps maintain the easy-going persona of Code Craft, and creates a connection to the current web world as sans-serif fonts are the most common fonts on the web. Throughout the website and booklet there is more white space being utilized since there is more content to display. The use of white space contributes to the calm and welcoming feeling that the posters also portrayed.

  A few of the artists whose work inspires me currently are Kate Moross and Alex Estrada. Alex uses very clean and modern designs in her web work, and sticks to a simple color scheme throughout her work. Kate alternatively uses bright and popping colors with no specific color scheme to match her flowing bouncy style. I pull from both of these with a combination of bright popping colors, but a cleaner and more modern design overall.

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  Pop-up Aesop

  Lacey Ellis

  In Pop-up Aesop, I connect traditional Aesop Fables to their moral lessons uniquely through sequential illustration, typographical technique, muted colors, textured material and handcraft. Aesop Fables are usually represented by a singular illustration, if any, but the application of multiple illustrations and pop-up techniques give the morals of the stories a new opportunity to connect with the material of the books and have a more lasting and meaningful effect for the viewer.

  By reading to my daughter I have been re-exposed to children’s literature. Experiencing the enjoyment a book can bring a child has inspired me to create children’s books of my own. The Aesop Fables were a perfect choice for my books in the sense that there is no pre-developed imagery. These stories are very short, which can more easily keep a child’s attention, and provide meaningful moral lessons. I chose only to illustrate fables that were based off of animals to make the story relatable to all children. My animal characters are realistic in design however I took special care to give them friendly demeanors with fun expression.

  This body of work consists of delicate handmade books that are comfortable to hold because of their scale, containing illustrations, hand drawn typography, patterns, and digital design. The illustrations emphasis key moments and ideas in the fables and provide a whimsical feeling to the imagery through layered pop-up and paper engineering techniques. The book covers are made livelier with screen-printed patterns and washed colors add texture and depth to the line based illustration style.

  I have developed my pop up skills by studying Robert Sabuda’s techniques. My illustrative influence is E. H. Shepard, the original illustrator for Winnie the Pooh. Shepard’s style has affected my color choice and character development. Similar to Shephard’s illustrations I focus on line variation and simple details to describe a story through my characters.

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  Casey Hill: Altered Perceptions

  Casey Hill

  Casey Hill | Altered Perceptions | Spring 2017

  I look at seemingly normal or unattractive things which have colors or textures that intrigue me. In my work I focus on objects that are commonplace. My paintings then emphasize these points of interest and my own personal correlations to change the viewer’s experience of the object itself.

  I find Rachel Whiteread’s work motivational due to her subject matter, commonplace items. Her representation of these items creates a sense of preciousness and a need for preservation. She allows the objects to stand as their own unique thing by creating plaster forms as a sort of preservation of the item. The viewer then is forced to confront these objects and question their importance and history. Similarly, I find Josephine Halvorson’s work inspirational due to the aspects she captures of common, everyday items that are. She renders these items in their natural environment, but by scaling her paintings so that only a part of the object is shown the viewer is forced to focus on something that might otherwise be overlooked. Halvorson often focuses on textures and smaller details, such as scratches or chips on the item depicted.

  I create works that appears to be abstraction, but are not. By distorting a tangible object so that it is not immediately recognizable, I allow the viewer to see the painting without previous recognition, and thus any prejudice, of the thing that is depicted. Without this sense of recognition, the viewer then has more liberation in making their own associations with the work and can investigate it more freely. This allows the viewer to approach my works, allowing them to find their own personal associations to what I depict. I begin to play with the idea of the sublime within my work. The sublime is something that is beyond normal concepts of measurement. It’s an idea of grandeur that we can’t comprehend, such as the importance and beauty of ordinary items. By altering scale and using a traditional media I play with the relevance and importance of these items, thus bringing into question the sublime within the trivial.

  My works have evolved from a simple abstraction based on scale into something else that takes on a life of its own, thus transforming my paintings from a depiction of a thing anew to myself allowing the viewer to see the painted representation as a new experience. While working on my paintings I have begun to include not just what is there, but what else could be there. This can include my thoughts or personal correlations. By doing so, my process allows the paintings to evolve on their own. With my work I have begun to encourage this more, from building additional textures and colors to allowing additional forms to work their way into the painting. I find Chuck Close’s work inspirational due to how he distorts his subject matter. Close uses a variety of color and organic shapes to create a distortion that, when viewed from up close, creates what appears to be an abstracted work that uses a variety of shapes and colors that would not be expected within an actual portrait.

  By being open minded and considering objects on different levels, we begin to appreciate their uniqueness. My work relies on close attention to detail in order to encourage people to look closer and make observations of their own. I hope for others to realize that there is something beautiful to be found in items that are frequently overlooked. I play with the idea of the sublime within the trivial by altering scale and using a traditional media to depict beauty and importance of the items I reference.

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  Rock, Paper, Scissors

  Sara A. Hutson

  Rock, Paper, Scissors is a set of graphic novels that I created while investigating and commenting on the abolishment of social boundaries for the sake of contributing to a greater cause. The viewer can witness three di erent triads as they explore the work. First is the trio of characters that the reader will follow through the novels. Each character is derived from each of the social classes. The next triad is the set of primary colors that the books are illustrated in. The colors are also tied to social class, and, while the characters are separate, will make up the palette of the illustrations. However, as the characters come together, the palette will extend to include the other primary colors, developing the world into something greater than when they were alone. This development of color is meant to reinforce the concept of the uniting of the characters, and building something stronger than what existed before.

  The final triad is rock, paper and scissors. This familiar triad is one that is widely recognized as a beloved children’s game. This game only works when all three of the triad are present. Rock beats scissors, scissors cuts paper, and paper covers rock. Likewise, this greater existence is not possible without all three characters, or more clearly, all three classes working together.

  I created the novels so that, when held, they feel like a childhood storybook. This, combined with the childhood game of rock paper scissors, is intended to connect to any viewer as we have hopefully all read a storybook, and hopefully played at least one round of this game.

  I hope that through these novels I can communicate the bene ts of working together towards a common goal, rather than allowing our di erences to segregate us. My in uences include John Chad’s graphic novels. Their level of detail inspires me to create a more intricate environment for the characters and the reader to inter- act with. I also reference Lucian Bernhard’s contrast between bold typography and cell-shaded illustrations to give my novels a dramatic, but readable quality.

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  Variations

  Brittinee Jones

  Trees symbolize growth, strength, and wisdom. Trees also have a function, and these organisms can record everything that happens around them and to them. Trees record a physical mark of growth and this linear record is physically beautiful and an inspiration for my current body of work. While interested in these states of physical being I researched the growth patterns found in different living beings. It became evident that growth patterns are actually more similar in trees, hair, and elevation levels. Each being on this earth is very different from the rest, but one thing that connects us all is the physical marks that show scars, aging, and growth. I use different patterns of growth for different beings to show how these physical marks can still be shown, and how closely humans relate to other organisms. Linear elements dominate my prints and woodworking. I use line to create a fluid composition combined with natural and neutral earth tone colors. I create rich and layered work to give my prints texture. Mark Schatz’s sculptures inspire me to think bigger, and use different materials to execute an idea. With this body of work I challenge my audience and myself to see the similarities in things that do not share the same physical structure

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  Out of the Ash

  Amanda Kaler Combs

  Artist books and boxes are intrinsically dualistic. They compel the viewer to interact in an intimate and revealing way; but at the same time the outer surface forms a protective barrier between the viewer and its contents. Through my work I attempt to reconcile two opposing aspects of my personality; the need to control my environment and my appreciation for unexpected outcomes. Artist books and boxes, via assemblages, become, in my work, a metaphor for cognitive dichotomy.

  Drawing inspiration from assemblage artists like Paula MacGregor and Joseph Cornell, I explore the relationship between objects and their contents. I use cast-off fragments like bark, leaves, rocks, and animal remains in combination with living plants to allude to the cyclical nature and transformative quality of all living things. The natural elements I combine with found objects suggest an ambiguous narrative when they are removed from their usual context. This juxtaposition also represents for me the idea that opposing states of transformation and statis exist simultaneously; the natural elements symbolize a metamorphosis and the found objects represent stagnation.

  Ideas of restriction and protection; and growth and stagnation have always interested me because I have impulses toward control which can be stifling. Dyeing and making paper, as well as the layering of an etching plate are meticulous processes that express my restrictive aspect, while the unpredictability of working with natural elements appeals to my mercurial side.

  The contradictory formal and conceptual components coexisting in my work represent that we often experience two opposing conditions existing in a constant, rhythmic ebb and flow. I seek to communicate that ideas can conflict and coexist leading the viewer on a path of self-actualization, a resolution of inner duality.

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  Remembering

  Taylor McCord

  Time doesn’t wait for anyone. It always changes the way you look at something, or the way it looks. This is something I learned from a young age, and have tried to battle against it in order to preserve memories I’ve made. I started out collecting family photos, then I moved on to taking my own, but as I got older I realized there is no real way to preserve a memory, it’s always changing. As years pass little moments are forgotten even physical relics from the past deteriorate and age with you. Because of this, I soon realized there’s no pure way to stay connected and felt saddened when looking back. It was like a layer of separation was formed between me and the memories. It’s a longing to connect to something, some person, some memory that is no longer present. This is what I’m interested in, the layer of separation felt from the past after time takes its course.

  Since my work is inspired by my memories, I use photographs from my childhood, furniture to amplify the imagery of the home, fabrics and other relics from my past. By using materials strongly tied to my past the work becomes a reproduction of my memories. I create artificial stand-ins for things I’ve experienced like…

  love/loss/home/joy/death/dissociation/bliss/pride/nostalgia/want/grief/playfulness/

  innocence/depression/comfort/intimacy/longing/freedom/security/hope/peace/

  through installations set up to allude to the image of home. In doing this a weird inbetween atmosphere is created as the work resembles something familiar, something that could be found in a home, but each piece is altered in a way so that it doesn’t just mimic a home. This could be through the use of sound, video, or lighting to distort the way the piece is viewed.

  This alter in reality helps to amplify the separation felt when trying to hold on to the past. By doing this I hope I can recreate this feeling. I hope the person viewing it might connect to this and reflect on their personal experiences.

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  Dawson

  Murray State University

  Tianna Nawrocki

  Artist Statement

  My work emphasizes a lack of presence through empty spaces and discarded objects. This emptiness combined with the use of domestic imagery implies a lost or forgotten narrative. The content of my work deals with thoughts on mortality, the passage of time, and the strength to overcome obstacles. In addition, my work focuses on nostalgia and sentiment, remembered by ordinary objects and structures. I am inspired by Albrecht Dürer and Beatrix Potter for their use of line, attention to detail, and their realistic art style.

  Etching and ink on paper are my chosen mediums because they give my work a soft rendering quality. I am able to procure rich values and strong lines that resonate a sense of foreboding. The spaces I create have a dream-like quality which makes my pieces eerie and uncanny. I purposefully limit color in my work to represent a time that is quiet, serene, and in the past. My scale, use of line, and value emphasize a quiet and serene atmosphere.

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  Spider's Lace

  Rachel Schmidt

  My current work is about identical lessons learned by separate people from different personal experiences. Interviews with friends and family are conducted to identify a lesson both me and the subject of the interview have learned and combine the separate experiences into one story. Because the story exists in a place beyond any one human character, they are transformed into animal fables, which are then illustrated with print based installations.

  The stories are built around what the interviewee would most like to teach to someone younger. The fables exist in a world where these lessons become established as rules in nature. I’m looking at artists like Joanna Mueller, who uses animal and ancient North American myth symbolism to achieve a narrative-like effect, and Anne Hamilton who uses installation and print multiples to create immersive experiences. The media and style of each print installation is entirely dependent on the fable. The prints range from black and white linoleum cuts, to soft and colorful lithographs, and the installations range from to little wooden boxes filled with dozens of small monoprints, to wearable books on live models.

  Design elements are incorporated to give the show cohesiveness by unifying the different stylistic aspects of the separate works with a common visual narrative. A series of posters accompany the works of the show, identifying the title of each story and installation and matching it with a unique icon displayed near each piece in vinyl. In addition to the posters there are small hand-bound books identified by each fable’s icon; each book contains a written fable laid out with experimental type and minimal graphics. The show gives the viewer a sense of discovery as they move through the fables via illustrative prints, books, and installations.

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  Collective Being: Arranged Chaos

  Lashae Taylor

  Compositionally I focus on the use of texture, found objects, and color to create a painting language, that includes, but is not solely centered around subject matter in a way that invites the viewer to a conversation. Conceptually I am interested in relating living and nonliving forms to common experiences of existence. The experiential ideas I explore include deterioration, awareness of self, chaos, and conspiratorial characteristics of our culture. I combine varying media to communicate these subjects in an abstracted ethereal manner.

  Nature and it’s connection to the the human spirit influences my use of nature-forms and man-made items. These objects work together with other media to draw out a specific connection or emotion from the viewer. Historically I am attracted to the way the artists of the Expressionist movement radically distorted subjects for emotional effect in order to evoke moods or ideas of their own. Contemporary Artists Pat Steir and Seth Apter also influence the way I use color, texture and found objects. Mixing media provides a sense of exploration and freedom which gives me a chance to express myself in such a flexible, varied, and creative way.

  I challenge myself to solve chaos, plan, and improvise daily. I combine a sense of control and intuition to manipulate paint and other media using varying methods and building on old techniques as I go. Studying the artists’ work that I admire gives me inspiration to create expressive compositions in this manner. I begin with a broad compositional idea that continuously evolves as I make. The abstract compositions I create are further emphasized through hidden imagery, varying texture, and color that make up the dialogue between my materials and concept.

  This expression of myself through painting and sculpture creates a broadened platform for me to communicate my thoughts and experiences. We are products of our environment. What makes up my environment spills over into my work to start a conversation about awareness of self, chaos, deterioration, and conspiratorial characteristics of our culture. These concepts are constantly in my mind and have an effect on all of our lives. To recognize the way these things effect us helps me gain a stronger understanding and control of my own state of being.

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  Beloved Microcosm

  Logan Weihe

  Beloved Microcosm- Logan Weihe 2017

  My work is non-objective and abstracted, as it references the human form and also invents new forms, combining the matured physicality of the human body and our beginnings (smaller pieces i.e. cells, atoms). I am interested in the seemingly endless problems that the human body can solve, as well as working towards understanding its limitations both physically and mentally. The intersection of contrary ideas and the forcing of harmony between them fuels my creative process. The idea of opposites becoming one entity both formally and conceptually is rich for me, as I want to explore those points of friction and resolution.

  My current work involves a process of arriving at a general concept about the body that peaks my curiosity, and then working intuitively with the paint to explore this idea. As I create, I am continuously learning more about the specific scientific process that I choose to inspire each piece. The paintings I produce are spontaneous interpretations of cellular bodily processes, including the illusion of movement as well as the manipulation of composition and color to create energetic worlds. I make oil paintings that speak about microscopic processes visualized through advancing scientific technologies so as to juxtapose the contemporary use of visual technology with a very traditional way of creating. Additionally, I am infatuated with the elements that our bodies are made up of, and employing the gesture of painting, using my physicality to create the image is exciting for me. Jenny Saville’s grotesque depiction of the human form and the visceral quality of her work coincides with my interest in undesirable reality and experimenting with the size and weight of my marks. Lee Bontecou’s work inspires mine in the way she creates cellular like organic forms, often dealing with space that becomes a sort of vacuum. Arshile Gorky fragments the figure in abstract ways in order to tell stories of his past, and from his paintings I seek to better understand emotive color as well as how to use the figure non-objectively.

  From the sheer number of processes that occur within us each second to the fleshy quality of our bodies, my attraction to the human form comes from my search for the power or force that created our bodies in all of their complexity, whether it be God, chemistry, chance, or something that is not meant to be explained. I strive for my audience to be fascinated with themselves and to see their own body as something remarkable, in its intricacy and flawless execution of thousands of processes.

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  FREEDOM

  Ruochen Zhou

  Artist Statement

  I am trying to show the freedom in my works that an artistic life provides to me and also find the process of making artwork is a way to release inner stress. I am focusing on the sculpture because making sculpture is perfect for creative expression and release of tension. I like to use the technique some like twisting, combination of the line and shape, hanging and mix material on my project, I think that is more suitable to show the meaning of freedom. And, sometimes my artwork takes a critical view of social, political and cultural issues, it is similar to a lot of artists in the world, Ai Weiwei is one of them, I am his big fans, the reason may be we both come from China, I can easily be understated the meaning he want to show in his work, and that was always my reference. I think that also a part of “the freedom” I keep searching for, it is the freedom of expression. So, I keep creating different project try to show the freedom feeling and talk about the social problem or the problem of human and nature. I still enjoy making other things as well to balance myself, I used to make some graphic designs, drawing and painting blend into my life, I like that so much, and I want to combine the 2D designs and the 3D sculpture.

  In most of my works, there is a narrative of freedom, which is mainly reflected in the way I produced and emotional performance.

  But what about this? For me, this makes some of the ironies of sensitive topics and from my understanding. As a Chinese art worker, in some cases, we do not have the freedom of speech, and in some cases, "some people" need to hide some of the real reports of things, so as to maintain social stability. But I think everyone has their analysis and understanding of things, of course, the best way is to say it boldly.

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  FREEDOM

  Ruochen Zhou

  Artist Statement

  I am trying to show the freedom in my works that an artistic life provides to me and also find the process of making artwork is a way to release inner stress. I am focusing on the sculpture because making sculpture is perfect for creative expression and release of tension. I like to use the technique some like twisting, combination of the line and shape, hanging and mix material on my project, I think that is more suitable to show the meaning of freedom. And, sometimes my artwork takes a critical view of social, political and cultural issues, it is similar to a lot of artists in the world, Ai Weiwei is one of them, I am his big fans, the reason may be we both come from China, I can easily be understated the meaning he want to show in his work, and that was always my reference. I think that also a part of “the freedom” I keep searching for, it is the freedom of expression. So, I keep creating different project try to show the freedom feeling and talk about the social problem or the problem of human and nature. I still enjoy making other things as well to balance myself, I used to make some graphic designs, drawing and painting blend into my life, I like that so much, and I want to combine the 2D designs and the 3D sculpture.

  In most of my works, there is a narrative of freedom, which is mainly reflected in the way I produced and emotional performance.

  But what about this? For me, this makes some of the ironies of sensitive topics and from my understanding. As a Chinese art worker, in some cases, we do not have the freedom of speech, and in some cases, "some people" need to hide some of the real reports of things, so as to maintain social stability. But I think everyone has their analysis and understanding of things, of course, the best way is to say it boldly.

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  an Act of Preservation

  Jo R. Bennett

  The inevitability of change present in nature is a familiar subject. It is a reliable constant throughout my life and has so far provided plenty of experiences both positive and negative. Change has taken me on a journey through relocation and travel, my education and career, and through my own identity. But just as in nature, moments of experience are fleeting and unstable. With a life in constant transience, I find myself persistently fascinated with the ephemeral but fixated with finding stability.

  My work explores this fixation in the ‘act of preservation’ by treating found objects with reverence, much like Doris Salcedo in the way she treats the materials or subjects used in her work. The decisions I make are with the intention to safeguard, pausing the natural cycle of time, and create a sense of significance and permanence. The end result is an often desperate attempt to interrupt mortality and make lasting these fleeting moments.

  The materials in my work, whether found or refined, are elegantly composed with simplicity and drama in mind, a similar approach influenced by artists such as Sarah Hood and David Chatt. Many items are pieced by contrasts, such as organic vs. geometric, stability vs. instability, warmth vs. coldness, hardness vs. softness. The resulting work appears in many forms of interest to me, each for different reasons. Reliquaries exist for the purpose of preservation, tucking things away and exposing only clues to its contents. Jewelry, on the other hand, exalts the ephemera and forces the wearer to actively participate in its preservation. And finally, I'm interested in repairing dilapidated objects. Not to restore their function but to preserve history and memory, existing as both memorial and memento mori.

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  of all things I do

  Angela Davidson

  The inspiration for my work is derived, in part, from my appreciation of repetitive processes. Kinesthetic activities such as working in a kitchen and building have always come naturally to me. Producing objects made from clay is an exercise that I find satisfying in a way that is similar to these other tasks. There are many steps to a finished piece of my work that few people will ever see; throwing the clay, pulling handles, trimming a foot, and the development of the two dimensional design. In manipulating the surface of the ware I achieve one more gratifying step. Since childhood I have been attracted to, daydreamed of, and drawn a variety of obsessive linear patterns. The action of carving a complex pattern onto the surface of a leather hard piece of pottery provides a level of stability and calm for my otherwise erratic mind.

  How my work feels in the hands of the person holding it is an important component that I consider during production. The sense of touch is a fundamental part of our daily experience. It is crucial in creating our unique human existence, and it will differ from one of us to the next. This is the thought process I consider in order to achieve a functional pot. The form of the object and the composition on the surface can be derived from all areas of life; those we are close to, the nostalgia of childhood, experiences we have had with our environment; each of these connections can be interpreted in some way visually. The elemental form of the vessel along with the surface design is intended to represent a contrast between two worlds: the bulk and delicacy, refinement and physicality, and control amidst chaos are all things I struggle to balance within my own personality.

  The concept of my work is to be functional as well as visually stimulating. In a way similar to artists such as Matt Metz and Kathy King, I wish for the participant to be compelled to examine the piece in order to understand the story behind its conception, to pick up and hold it in their hands, and for the item to find a meaningful place in the user’s daily life.

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  Unleashed Pet Boutique

  kaitlin heldenbrand

  “The goal of design is to raise the expectation of what design can be.” – Paula Scher

  Even the most humble products deserve to be presented in an extraordinary and elegant manner. As a graphic designer I have the ability to use my art to communicate to the world on a regular basis. I feel it is my responsibility to contribute to making the world a more beautiful and interesting place through my designs. Unleashed Pet Boutique explores the boundaries of branding humble products – dog treats and care items for dogs in an extravagant manner because even these products should be presented beautifully.

  Unleashed investigates packaging and design in a method that makes the customer feel like they are buying something special for their pet through the way the product is displayed. I have always been drawn to packaging and designs of Margo Chace. I feel that in this series much of my patterning in these packages is directly inspired by her use of organic illustration in her packaging work. Her design style of using hand-made illustration in her packaging work rather than photography engages the viewer more because it adds a hand-made and unique quality to the work.

  This series incorporates mesmerizing patterns layered as green monochromatic print on the green papered packaging that allows the pattern to add a whimsical nature to the packaging without it being overwhelming. This aspect of the packaging has a hand-drawn quality that also gives the feeling that the products are original and one of a kind which is an aspect I want to be prominent in my work. The variety of line and shape within my illustration between the layer of the brown belly band and green box of the packaging creates contrast and allows the viewer to distinguish what is meant to be decorative and what is informational. The packaging, tags, and bags all incorporate a layer of a brown recycled paper on top of the green kraft paper in a different way which creates diversity within the brand and keeps the eye moving. The brand uses specialty paper which adds texture to the packaging as well as creates a quality of being more expensive, one of a kind, hand-made. The colored papers that are used are earth tones associated with healthy products that are all natural. The posters that advertise the brand incorporate the packaging displayed with the ingredients lying out around the products emphasizing the natural and fresh quality. The Unleashed brand exemplifies the idea that even humble products deserve to have unique design that can elevate them to new heights.