2016 Undergraduate Exhibition

The 2016 Undergraduate Exhibition has a wonderful range of work this year, especially when considering how selective the juror, Seth Fritz, was, limiting the 250 entries down to just over 50 to be displayed in the gallery. While I did find the selection to be well rounded, some media were so interesting and well done that I wanted to see even more examples, such as the lamps and oil paintings. Some of my favorite pieces included mixed media drawings from Life Drawing 1, a coat from Woven Textiles, and monoprints from Etching and Intaglio Printmaking.

The two drawings by Sara Kramer, both recipients of the Amie Award, were stunning and bizarre at the same time. Each piece was a portrait drawn on a large scale that depicted both the artist and another female figure, each one disfigured in a way that made them insect-like and rather grotesque, yet they were so well detailed and executed through medium and composition that it made each one aesthetically appealing. While the drawing depicting Sara herself made use of images of actual insect appendages, I felt that the accompanying work was even more insect-like, even without those particular appendages. The large and exaggerated head with bulging eyes, the proportionally smaller abdomen, and spindly arms, combined with the stained paper and controlled scribbled lines, made the figure appear almost alien and disturbing.

In terms of the coat by Miranda Herring, I enjoyed the vibrancy of color and the texture of the fabric she wove together on her loom. The way the coat was displayed was fresh and innovative by having it hang on a pole extended through the arms, suspended by transparent thread, thereby allowing it to rotate in midair and allow the observer to fully analyze and appreciate its form. As I have yet to take a textiles studio myself, this piece made me very excited about the possibilities of what can be achieved in that class and through that medium, in addition to making me more appreciative of the clothes I wear and the time and energy that goes into designing an envisioned work.

The etching by Sarah Gordon was well executed, enchanting, and delightful to look at with the delicately colored figure of Bibi Laloulette. The precision of the process of etching contrasted well with the flowing and airy watercolors applied over top, giving a sense of liveliness to the little boy, which made him seem more tangible and lifelike. I personally enjoyed this appropriation of Whistler’s original work – it felt much more soft and sweet, and even innocent; this etching worked well on a large scale, due to the looseness of line work in combination with color.