Student exhibit displays diverse talent
Artworks Gallery show features four art students’ personal interests, experiences
Posted on January 24, 2008
JMU’s artWorks Gallery is one place on campus where students run the show.
Under the direction of graduate advisor Sam Hunter, art students choose what programs will be featured in roughly five to six student shows each semester in artWorks. A converted industrial loft, this sophisticated gallery provides undergraduate art students with a professional quality space to show their work. It is a must-see for every student with even a peripheral interest in art.
The current show features four student artists whose works reflects their personal interests and experiences.
Senior Dan Alvarado’s “The Bush Effect – European Perspectives Towards U.S. Culture, Society & Politics” is a collection of paintings featuring unnervingly literal condemnations of Bush and American culture, though Alvarado insists that his message is not anti-Republican. It simply captures popular European sentiments.
“I try to show a straightforward message,” Alvarado said. “Its not like you have some crazy Democrat coming out with these ideas,” rather the ideas have gained prevalence in Europe in reaction to U.S. foreign policy.
Senior Jenny Baker’s “Photos as Data” presents a series of candid photographs that capture viewer’s interactions with the camera. At a previous artWorks exhibition she installed a black box where she hid with her camera, snapping the unwary public as they reacted to her lens.
“A lot of people thought it was a motion sensor,” Baker said. “[This show is more of a] social study instead of an individual picture as art. It’s the start of something that’s going to be really interesting.”
With photos providing a simple, intimate study of human behavior, the former sociology major’s work bridges the gap between two seeminglydifferent interests, creating a personal story that enables the viewer to see through the artists’ eyes.
Senior Nancy Daly’s minimalist manifesto, “Art Is Everywhere,” captures the spirit of her exhibit, “The Art of Florence,” a series of photographs documenting the prevalence of graffiti in the Tuscan capital.
“Nothing’s really safe, not even the oldest buildings...especially if you have to wait in line for something,” Daly said of the various locations she was able to find graffiti. “Artists were putting it up... it’s a different style than in New York.”
The photos, taken as part of her digital photography class, present a quirky alternative to the often gang-affiliated symbols associated with tagging while simultaneously subverting Florence’s high-art pretensions.
Senior Denise Kanter’s “Painted Pieces” allows the viewer an autobiographical journey through Kanter’s growth as a painter.
“It’s a learning process for me,” Kanter said. “I was good at drawing but didn’t know how to paint [until coming to college.]”
Although she has no formal background in art, Kanter’s paintings are emotionally resonant; her poignant use of light and color enhances her impressionistic style.
The artWorks gallery is an invaluable community resource that JMU students are privileged to have at their disposal. These four talented artists showcase the power of art as an outlet for all issues, from the most personal to the most political and their exceptional show explains why such a unique opportunity has been cultivated for JMU students.
