Claire Harkins
My work explores interpersonal connection through formative memories, photos, and conversations. I’m intrigued by those memories that are ingrained into your head: both positive and negative, or somewhere in between. Often, it’s instances when the world seemed to consist of merely you and another person. What impact does that memory have on you and your relationship with that person? How do our ways of sharing these moments affect our interpersonal relationships? I aim to both reflect on and commemorate these memories through my work. The pieces I create are on a smaller scale, in graphite, colored pencil, and gouache to express the delicateness of memories and preserve a sense of closeness.
Teresa Jiang
Throughout my life I experience a persisting pursuit of the unknown; fearing it— finding it— attempting to understand it. I find just as much unease in not knowing the hundreds of possibilities that arise at each crossroad as I do comfort in knowing that my chase will never come to an end, in the same way that the honey-drip of time slows for no one. I try to express this in my work by creating a universe for each piece; a world which the viewer is not immediately familiar with and can spend as much time as they would like trying to puzzle it out with the information they’re given or the lack thereof. I focus on the creation of worlds in my work, and on generating characters and environments that are not necessarily believable but have depth and nuance. There is no singular medium that I am drawn to, nor a single subject matter or cohesive technique, as the unknown is omnipresent everywhere I look.
Isa Rosario-Blake
My body of work seeks to investigate both the oppressive structures that actively harm marginalized people, particularly those in the global working class, and their experience of living in spite of or actively pushing against international systems that were imposed on their communities. These pieces are intended to place the viewer within a historical context of colonialism and exploitation while challenging our linear understanding of time. There is a loosely understood story told by the works, but my intention is more to demonstrate a pattern of imperialism and resistance. The pieces span from a commentary on the way Europeans exploited the spice trade during the European Age of Discovery to the very recent farmer’s protests in India, which are the largest recorded protests in the history of the world. Through a variety of materials, each piece demonstrates that even though context changes, domination and resistance produce a cyclical story. Several artworks are grounded in a particular historical or cultural context, but the theme of beauty despite structural harm is universally applicable. While the majority of my artwork is 2D and representational, there are some experimental pieces in this exhibition. Finally, I would like to give credit to Frantz Fanon and the Young Lords Organization for inspiring the titles of Scandalous Opulence and Pa’lante: the reinvention of Deminan Caracol respectively.
In my work, I explore the relationship between contrasting elements. How do two components in opposition interact? What causes tension between opposites and how can we break through that tension? I strive to question how contrast divides in order to demonstrate how it can unify. In questioning these juxtapositions, I attempt to expose the complexity of contrast that transcends the black and white thinking we often find ourselves falling back on. Contrast is our way of differentiating between This and That in order to make judgements accordingly, but it doesn’t have to be a dividing line; some of the most closely associated elements are opposites.
The inspiration for my work often comes from the conflicting sensations, emotions, thoughts, and visuals that I experience in my day to day life. Using 2D materials, sculpture, mixed media, and more, creating is my way of exploring these relationships in the world around me. I don’t limit myself to just one medium because contrast is all around us, and it comes in many different forms.
Often ambiguous and potentially disconcerting, I intend for my work to provoke some level of reflection or reaction in the viewer. A prominent example is the harsh shades of red present in my pieces which work to invoke emotion. I hope that my work prompts the view to consider the contrast they see in their own lives.
Zoe Scully
I make work that explores our interpersonal relationships and their effect on self and community. In American society, we often rely on each other to function. Additionally, we may look to each other for support: emotionally, spiritually, physically, politically-- just to name a few. The way in which we interact with each other and rely on each other deeply affects how we view ourselves and our surroundings, that is, our understanding of self and our environment is impacted by the interactions we have with others. To convey this theme, I primarily use 3D media, connecting pieces of a whole and displaying their part and how it is affected by the other pieces. The materials I use often reflect an idea within the bigger conceptual picture with their texture and color. Additionally, exploring new media allows me to explore these new ideas freely, opening myself to different perspectives and emotions.
2020 and 2021 have been highly polarized years, and I, like many others, am struggling to understand my feelings about events taking place. The best way to work through these emotions is to express them through art, exploring just how our relationships have gotten us to where we are today. Ultimately, I am in search of understanding our place in the world and our responsibilities as individuals in our greater community.
Emma Sock
Andrew Wang
I make work about the balance between the control and the chaos in the everyday lives of people. Although most would be comforted knowing that they have complete control over themselves, this is unfortunately not the case. Many aspects of life are left up to chance and luck, and there is not much we can do about it regardless of how hard we try.
Exploring this concept, my work fits into one of two categories. In the first, I use a seemingly random, uncontrolled technique to create work in which the randomness defines the finished product as much as my own work. These pieces focus on an issue, such as artificial intelligence in technology or wealth and privilege in American society, in which people are not in full control of the situation even though they’d like to be.
Secondly, I create sculptural forms starting with a traditionally lucky object, and I twist them in a way that the object is still recognizable, but it is broken down to the point where it would no longer hold any luck. I strive to understand what makes these items lucky. People hold onto seemingly generic objects to bring them good fortune, while avoiding others fearing that they might bring hardship. We often act irrationally hoping for outcomes that we cannot control, and through this series of work such behavior is explored.
My body of work this year explores the vulnerability of human forms. I was particularly focused on dissecting the relationship between societal representation and personal experience for women in the United States. It is so often that we get caught up in reflecting on how far we have come to provide equal treatment in print that we turn a blind eye to the acute day to day struggle of navigating the world as a woman that is still ever-present. Thus, each of my pieces aspires to confront the viewer, to put them on the spot in answering for this reality.
Acknowledging the universal nature of these issues, I utilized a wide range of media in hopes of creating a multidimensional response. I elected to employ hard edges and flat colors in this collection to emphasize the destructive yet natural compulsion to categorize. I also sought to symbolically highlight the relationship between traditional and modern attitudes towards women in many of my pieces, noting the stereotypical implications they hold.
My conceptual process involves digging into the discomforts of being a woman in the twenty-first century. I attempt to portray these distinct feelings of scrutiny, doubt, and isolation through unconventional and distorted images that address the physical manifestations of such emotions. It is important to me to provide the viewer with a certain sense of tangibility or a clear thread to the real world amidst the distortions to validate the issues that they address, and it is my hope that in doing so, my work can evoke both personal resonance and a larger discomfort.
Holly Wei
I make artwork about the intricacies of everyday life. Many people find their daily routine monotonous, and often take for granted the actions and views they are already accustomed to: the people, the stories, and the charms we collide with. I propose to viewers a second glance at the world they live in—to recognize the beauty in each day, whether it be the thousands of cars we drive past or the strangers we will never meet but always run into. My exploration of this concept largely began when I stumbled upon “sonder,” the realization that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own. My hope is to demonstrate just how similar but unique every human experience is, and that although feelings of isolation are inevitable, we in fact are never alone. Stressful assignments and embarrassing incidents might take over some days, but it’s important to remember most problems are smaller than we think. My work is mostly 2D and representational, in order to portray scenes that are visually recognizable to most. For that same reason, I am mostly drawn to mediums such as acrylic paint, digital painting and videography. I also have been exploring new media because I believe my concept is not limited to only several.