 "Photo: MIchael Furman")
Whispers and wide smiles encircled Myhren Art Gallery Thursday evening for the opening of the Bachelor of Fine Arts exhibition. Surrounded by the flash of cameras, fan favor and family support, DU’s soon to be graduates’ art took center stage to welcome all to their self-created worlds.
The show features a wide array of work from students graduating from the the DU School of Art and Art History (SAAH) including photography, sculpture, installations, mixed media and painting.
The show included B.F.A. students Matthew Contos, Rachel DeBoard, Courtney Jeffery, Rachael Maisel, Brigette Nelson, Jillian Pate, Jennifer Schneider, and Caley Shoemaker.
Rupert Jenkins the editor of the Victoria H. Myhren Gallery says that though the show lacks a theme, it draws strength from uniformity in professionalism.
According to Jenkins, the B.F.A. shows offer different voices from year to year. While last year’s show was heavy on organic and tactile materials, such as tree limbs, paint and earth, this year the emphasis was placed on harder surfaces like Plexiglas and a bicycle. The show also featured two sculptural installations, one of ceramics and one of lint embedded in metal grills. The show seemed to emphasize photography despite the fact that none of the artists are photography majors.
Caley Shoemaker’s “Self,” photograph series was inspired by the work of Carl Jung and explores the connection of the mind and the body. Black and white crevasses of the human body lined with little white lines of cursive script illuminate the connotations of growth.
Courtney Jeffery, a studio arts major with a concentration in ceramics displayed a looming wall of neutral and highly textual pottery cups on the left wall of the gallery’s entry.
Last year she received a PINS grant which motivated her instillation for the BFA show. She said cups provide a functional vessel that is approachable to all sorts of people.
“With the ‘Peru Cup Series,’ I wanted to tell the story of and document my experience,” she said.
In Ayacucho I was overwhelmed with a variety of emotions, I was so excited to be there and eager to learn about the community’s history, but it was also extremely painful to see the daily struggles,” Jeffery said.
“I used each cup form to express those emotions that I can not accurately put into words. I also hope to bring awareness to this hidden community in Peru so that viewers can better understand the issues as well as celebrate their resilience.”
“Overall I was very inspired by the locals’ intense passion for art and positive attitude and I hope to communicate this with viewers,” Jeffery said.
Matthew Contos chose to work with 2009 B.F.A. DU grad Marie Janiszewski for the Liberators project. The two collaborate through the artist cooperative Kinda Collective which led to the creation of IRUS an international art exchange.
“‘Liberators’ was born from a conversation about the humility of asking someone for help, and the responsibility that results from helping another,” Contos said. “In this conversation, we recognized the idealism of altruism and were inspired to create a platform for meaningful relationships to form.”
‘Liberators’ is a 6-foot Plexi glass box that visitors nervously skirt tailed around Thursday evening eagerly peeping the participant who stood locked in place holding a blown glass globe. The sphere may not be removed which requires participants to take one of three options; take full responsibility of the sphere by waiting patiently, ask others for help or they must drop the sphere and end the performance.
“Whether a participant’s involvement depends on the collective objective, or the consideration of another, the social interaction between participants and viewers demonstrates the significance of the piece.”
“The display case and the sphere are not of primary significance. For us, the relationships that are formed around these physical objects become the artwork.” said Contos.
The show will be on display at Myhren in the Shwayder Art Building located at 2121 E. Asbury Ave. until June 5 and is open 12 to 4 p.m. Monday through Sunday.
“In terms of fostering the arts community on campus, incoming and prospective students would be much better served if the campus tours included a visit to the gallery and the art building on their way to the Ritchie Center,” Jenkins said.
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