Featuring work from artists and photographers Luojie Bin, Miranda Braemer, Carolina Cohen, Alexis Frorup, Rowan Gjersvold, Hannah Sjovold, AnaMarie King, Jody Mancuso, Anya Martinez, Madeline Miller, Alisha Rao, Jamison Rohan, Bixia Yang, and Shiyu Zhao. This exhibition was on view in the Katzen Arts Center rotunda April 17-May 1, 2024.

 

Luojie Bin

Major: Film and Media Arts and Studio Art

Based on Chinese mythology and the fact that it’s the Year of the Dragon, I chose this theme for my artwork. I hope this piece from the east can dispel negativity and bring good fortune to everyone. Personally, it represents my journey of reconnecting with my cultural roots. For the audience, it offers an opportunity to experience Chinese mythology. However, this artwork is crafted using metal wire, enamel paint, glue, and wood panels. Both metal wire and enamel paint, the primary materials, were sourced and transported from China.

From initially being interested in casual and unstructured creative endeavors, I have evolved to incorporate societal issues, historical backgrounds, and cultural contexts into my work. Now, I prefer to create art with a narrative behind it, finding joy in crafting stories through my artistic expressions.

I enjoyed Luis Silva and Scip Barnhart’s classes the most. In both courses, I found the freedom to explore and the technical support I needed for my creative endeavors. I never felt any anxiety about completing assignments; instead, I could immerse myself fully in my current projects.

Photo: Elena Zimmerman

 

Miranda Braemer

Major: Studio Art & Creative Writing
Minor: Art History

I feel that I've come a long way as an artist and as a person, and this work reflects that. As a queer person, religion is a struggle, but I wanted to make space for queer folks within religion. I used mythology that the LGBTQIA+ community tends to gravitate toward, such as Greek mythology, and mythology that has traditionally been used to discriminate against the community, such as Catholic mythology. In this way I wanted to combine the good and the bad,the joy and the sadness, and the deeply personal spirituality that everyone has a right to.

Since arriving at AU, I have found myself becoming more sure of my work and branching out beyond traditional methods. I no longer stick to acrylic painting as the only medium and method I make art in. My favorite class at AU was Drawing As Research—it expanded my understanding of what drawing could be and greatly inspired me to make some of my best work.

Photo: Elena Zimmerman

 

Carolina Cohen

Major: Psychology & Studio Art

This project is based on researching Panama's everyday life through art, revealing beauty in overlooked moments. Inspired by personal experiences and cultural heritage, this project offers a fresh perspective on seeing life and other people, inviting audiences to discover the extraordinary within the ordinary.

I seek to evoke emotions and familiarity through a fishing net made with jute twine, a 51-second video of the net-making process, a 3D printed, hand painted Diablo Rojo Bus, and three linocut prints on paper. I’m creating an immersive experience, fostering a deeper connection to Panama's rich tapestry, and the vulnerable human experience.

This project represents a continuation of my ongoing exploration of human interaction in daily life but with a new direction toward providing insight into the essence of everyday existence while celebrating the beauty hidden within it.

Since coming to AU, I have been able to understand my style, inspirations, and influences. My favorite class was a Painting Studio class. It was the first class where I created a body of work that really resonated with me.

Photo: Elena Zimmerman

 

Alexis Frorup

Major: Studio Art
Minor: Creative Writing

My capstone is centered around celebrating my natural hair journey and origins by exhibiting the tools, accessories, and experiences surrounding that experience in my artwork. In the past, I chemically straightened my hair to feel “prettier,” but over the past few years, I have been breaking away from that idea and returning to my natural hair. As a result, I have returned to the same products, tools, and accessories I used in my childhood. I have a lot of nostalgia for the hair products I used as a kid, and I want to explore the overlap of the products and styles I used then and now. To do this, I use mediums such as printmaking and paper-cut silhouettes because these mediums are cathartic to me, just like the feeling of taking care of your hair can be.

My art has changed a lot since being at AU. When I first started art classes at AU, I was making art just to build skill instead of making art that I really wanted to. Now, I am able to be more creative and make art that is personal or create things that are just fun.

My favorite class I've taken at AU is Screen Printing. Although it was stressful at times, printmaking truly has become my favorite medium to work in. I really enjoy working with different layers and color variants that can give a new effect to the same image. I also enjoy seeing all the layers come together to make the image I want. Because of this, screen printing is a cathartic art-making process for me (despite my inevitable hiccups).

Photo: Elena Zimmerman

 

Rowan Gjersvold

Instagram: rpg.ph0t0s
Major: Photography
Minor: Chemistry

My final project is lifesize photography prints inspired by different fashion magazines from the mid- to late twentieth century, and examines three queer people and how they interact with high fashion as both a concept and an industry. The project is to elevate these individuals and bring attention to this underrepresented group. By giving them full control of how they want to dress and express themselves, the photos show true emotion and personality within them.

Since arriving at AU, my art has switched to being more focused on experimental portraits and editorial works, with fine arts photography being my favorite class I’ve taken here.

Photo: Ethan Kauffman

 

Hannah Sjovold

Major: Studio Art & International Studies

My body of artwork investigates traditional Nordic handicrafts as well as my own personal Scandinavian heritage. My paternal grandmother emigrated from Norway to America, and the primary way I connected to my Nordic identity was through her traditional clothing, furniture, and sentimental items from her life there like her knitted sweaters featuring the selburose pattern. Forms of art and artisanry, like handicrafts, are critical aspects of Scandinavia’s cultural heritage, however, globally, artisan crafts are in decline, despite their immense historical and cultural significance. These crafts contribute to a shared sense of identity and personhood that continues to evolve today. My artworks examine facets of traditional Nordic woodworking and fiber arts, taking particular care to evaluate their historical development and contemporary significance, interpreting them through my own identity formation. I’ve been fortunate enough to visit and study in Norway, Denmark, and Sweden, all of which left lasting impressions on me of their physical and cultural beauty. My art seeks to understand constructions of self and home through the exploration of family, heritage, and culture. My Norwegian relatives on both sides of my family are major motivators in my work as I seek to honor these connections. I will be displaying six watercolor paintings, two carved wooden spoons, and a knitted piece with a cross-stitch center.

I didn’t intend to major in visual art when I first started at AU, however, I’m so glad I decided to pursue it. My confidence in my ability to create art has grown immensely and I can now envision a future with art at the center of my life.

It’s hard to decide which art class has been my favorite, but Sculpture classes with Professor David Page solidified my desire to continue to study art. I’ve always enjoyed making and building things with my hands, and taking sculpture helped me realize how much I value that physical process. Professor Page has encouraged me to push my projects and craftsmanship further and that virtually no idea is too “out there.” Through sculpture, I developed my woodworking skills—a craft and medium which quickly became a favorite of mine. I’m looking forward to continuing my interest in this field after graduation.

Photo: Elena Zimmerman

 

AnaMarie King

Instagram: @7avk7
Website: anamarieking.com
Major: Photography
Minor: Marketing

My exhibit is a multimedia installation titled “Photography Pornography Pussy Portrait Peepshow: The Exhibition.” It consists of two main parts: Photography Pornography Pussy Portrait Peepshow: The Experience and Photography Pornography Pussy Portrait Peepshow: The Collage. Through faceless self-portraiture, I critique how the displays of Assigned Female at Birth (AFAB) bodies have developed over time in photographic media. These self portraits will emulate “upskirt” photos—photos taken from an angle that replicates a voyeur secretly putting a camera under a person’s skirt to expose them, an act of stripping away agency. Displayed on a large scale, this assemblage of vaginal self-portraits are either obscured with mosaic-like collage or concealed behind a booth with a curtain to hide the photo from nonconsenting viewers. By obscuring the vagianality of the self portraits, I try to initiate conversations on consent and censorship. The viewer is urged to critique the process of viewing and the historically male dominated narrative creation. I challenge the processes of viewership by having the art view the viewer via video stream through a camera in the collage.

Since arriving at AU, my art has become bolder, less apologetic, and more value-focused. I do not want to only make pretty decorations that get likes online. I want to challenge myself and the institution with the intent to open minds. I especially enjoyed Screen Printing with Professor Hankin. It was so engagingly challenging. Not only did it require a level of patience similar to working in the darkroom, but the discussions were also very engaging. The history of screen printing in the twentieth century is a testament to how art can be used to change hearts and minds.

Photo: Ethan Kauffman

 

Jody Mancuso

Website: jodylynnphotog.com
Major: Photography
Minor: Dance

My project, “8 Count,” visualizes the overlooked negative intersections between mental health, strength, and strain in dancers. Through the use of close-ups and unsettling quietness, the viewers will feel uncomfortable—a feeling I have dealt with my entire life looking at my reflection because of dance. Mental health is like an 8-count, a repeating cycle of monotony that feels as if it never ends.

My interest in photography has led me to focus on the negative effects of dance on dancers' mental health. In the dance industry, mental wellbeing is often neglected. If you're struggling physically or emotionally, dance instructors tell you to “toughen up” and invalidate you completely. Staring at myself in overwhelmingly large mirrors that distort my perception of reality for over sixteen hours a week, I began to realize how uncomfortable I was in my own body. I didn’t want to be perceived by anyone; I was so hyper-fixated on seeing my flaws.

My favorite art class at AU was Large Format. This class was where I was formally introduced to commercial photography, and realized I want to pursue it as a career.

Photo: Ethan Kauffman

 

Anya Martinez

Website: anyamartinez2001.myportfolio.com
Major: Photography and Graphic Design

“Generation Pandemic” features a series of animated portraits uncovering the experiences of adolescents during the pandemic. Each video playing is meant to portray a sense of endlessness with an infinite loop repeating an animation unique to each portrait. Overall, the series is meant to reflect the dismantling of life as we knew it before the pandemic and the rebuilding our life and our identity

Before AU, I felt quite directionless when practicing art, still experimenting with many different mediums and themes. However, being at AU and taking a variety of art classes has helped me narrow down where I excel and what I'm passionate about. I love being able to work digitally and blend other mediums into the digital space, and through AU, I've gathered the skills and experience necessary to develop a signature style in my artwork and bring my projects to new heights.

My favorite class I've taken at AU was painting. Every week I'd come to class and find myself in the zone, working on my class projects. I loved being able to view other students' work and take inspiration from the painters we studied in class.

Photo: Ethan Kauffman

 

Madeline Miller

Instagram: @madelinesphoto
Website: millermaddie0129988.myportfolio.com
Major: Photography
Minor: Anthropology

My final project titled “Life Through Our Lens” focuses on the experience of living life with a disability, including myself as a disabled photographer. The series consists of twenty-one total images, sorted into three sections, giving each subject a chance to have a strong individual presence while being a part of a unifying message. The section focusing on Katherine Radt portrays the meaning of space for disabled individuals while also showing the use of various disability aids and how their use can fluctuate from day to day. A mix of detail and wide shots show Katherine’s resiliency in using a mobility chair or cane when needed, as well as the aspects of her space that go unseen by others, yet make drastic differences in her everyday life. By depicting invisible disabilities through self-portraiture, I highlight the unseen hardships and loneliness that result from being an able-presenting individual as well as including the significance of photography to my life. Through posing and composition, the feeling of physical and mental discomfort can be felt. Documenting the importance of music for coping with various disabilities including autism, Callie Whicker’s experience is shown within the intimate space of her weekly radio show. Using composition and close-up shots, the overstimulation that can come from neurodivergence as well as the importance of comfortability that comes from a familiar space is displayed through the images.

Doing photography at AU has allowed me to expand the subjects and projects that I work on, giving me the opportunity to try many different types of photography that I had never done before. This helped me grow as an artist. My favorite class I took was Fine Art Photography, as this class helped me break out substantially as my work became more than just photos, but evolved into art.

Photo: Ethan Kauffman

 

Alisha Rao

Instagram: @alisharao_
Major: Studio Art

My project focuses on spirituality, religion, and specifically ritual. My intent was to create a project in which I could embody the elements of ritual across three religions (Christianity, Hinduism, and Buddhism) in order to convey the universality of spiritual experiences and practices. I worked with lots of mediums including photography, video art, watercolor, ink, oil paint, and screenprint, in order to convey the diversity in rituals and the elements that are present in them.

When I started at AU, I was very unfocused with my art, and had difficulty connecting with particular themes in my work. I knew that I liked thinking about bigger concepts, but I couldn't connect them through my art making, and often just made pieces for the sake of making them. As my skill has grown, I have started to introduce conceptual thinking into my process, which was difficult at first, but eventually became second nature. This led to me connecting with the particular themes of religion, spirituality, and philosophy in my work.

I would say that my favorite class at AU was an even split between Digital Photography and Advanced Screenprint. Digital Photography was one of the first classes I took here, and it helped me break the ice in a new environment and start with something that I knew a bit about already. I took Advanced Screenprinting in the fall of my senior year. It taught me to love the process of creating again, after spending so long stressing about getting work done, and was one of those classes that made art creation feel meditative and peaceful.

Photo: Elena Zimmerman

 

Jamison Rohan

Instagram: @jamisonmae7_art
Major: Studio Art

My capstone is an exploration of how my own past as an artist has influenced where I am today. Using the media I used during these time periods and references to art history, I seek to tell the story of “The Artist Thus Far.” This work has been monumental to me as a concept for the last two years, closing out four years of education and covering twenty-two years of my life.

Since arriving at AU, my practice has evolved to include printmaking since we have the facilities to do so, and some amazing printmaking professors. My favorite class was Advanced Screen Printing! Amelia Hankin was such an encouraging professor and helped push my printing practice to a place where I feel I can continue my own studio practice. I loved how we learned about the history of print in that class as well as technique. As exemplified by my capstone, art history is the basis of idea development for my own artwork. So learning about the medium while learning its history was very important to me.

Photo: Elena Zimmerman

 

Bixia Yang

Instagram: @bixiaaa.y
Major: Studio Art

I tried to break from traditional print photography by combining mixed media and elements in my photos to make people rethink the possibilities of photography. According to the characteristics of each picture, I add elements that echo each other to strengthen the atmosphere that the picture wants to convey, bringing new visual effects and impacts to the audience. My work consists of four sets of photographs. I want to express a person's journey from hiding themselves, to tearing themselves apart, and then discovering their own uniqueness and possibilities. The photos use a lot of mirror elements to show people's hearts, and what people see from their eyes when they look at themselves in the mirror. I want to capture the look in the models’ eyes as they see themselves as unique and beautiful. I hope the audience can find a resonance of their current stage in their photos.

My art is more mature than it was when I arrived at AU. Since I didn’t have much experience in the arts beforehand, I learned many techniques and concepts about art, and how to appreciate art at AU.

My favorite class at AU was Advanced Drawing, because I was inspired a lot in this class and the professor is super helpful and chill.

Photo: Elena Zimmerman

 

Shiyu Zhao

Instagram: @Littlewh1tez
Major: Studio Art & Graphic Design

In my project, I am exploring a seafood market set in the future, dramatically transformed by ocean pollution. Pollution has caused mutations in marine life, filling the market with colorful, weird seafood. These mutations have not only altered the appearance of the seafood but have also made it more affordable and abundant, turning it into a popular choice among consumers. Because of their unusual appearance, people seem to have gradually adapted to these mutated seafood options, preferring them for their lower prices and greater availability. This project delves into the long-term impacts of environmental pollution on food sources and consumer habits, while also sparking important discussions on sustainability and environmental ethics.

Since coming to AU, I have grown much more confident in my artwork. I have loved almost every single class I’ve taken—I cannot choose just one! I particularly love classes where I can create art independently.

Photo: Elena Zimmerman