Mel Griffith
Viewpoints Editor
Want to experience fresh, locally grown College of Wooster art? Independent study manifests differently in every department — and for the studio art department, I.S. involves displaying your final project in the Ebert Art Center. Each week, from last week through the end of May, there is a new art exhibition associated with senior studio art students; the final week of exhibitions is hosted by junior I.S. students.
This week’s exhibition (the display will be down by the time this paper is published) featured Devin DeLaney and Isabel Taccheri, whose projects are responses to trauma and mental illness, respectively. DeLaney’s pieces and their materials feature repetitive processes, which in her art production function to produce “mindless mindfulness,” a sort of meditative state where one is engaged in action without requiring thought. In this state, one is uninterrupted by anxiety or overstimulation. This illustrates one element of recovering from trauma through art. Taccheri’s pieces embody specific manifestations of mental illness, demonstrating the phenomenological experience of mental illness.
Next week, alongside Anna Kruse and Adrian Rowan, Tilly Alexander’s exhibition will be installed. Featuring countless collections of repurposed items (like found bullet shells, tissue paper from the library, used sewing patterns, clay-stained plastic bags, hand-me-down clothing, et cetera), Alexander’s project embodies process art as an expression of lived life. She describes her project as “making stuff.” Repetition, cycles, meticulousness, accumulation of clutter, homemaking tasks and continued consciousness in daily life are a few concepts ingrained throughout the eventual exhibition.
The following week, alongside Derek Dickey, Chelsea Carlson’s project on ‘liminal space’ between artist and audience will be displayed. She wonders, “how does the effect of music change for both artist and audience based on how the liminal space changes, or if one of the groups is removed?” Her project will be displayed with both photo and video, emulating the different situations she addresses in her project.
Each artist designs their own exhibition, ensuring a dynamic and unique experience every week. While this article only touches on a few artists, every exhibition is a valuable opportunity for the College community to engage with both art as a whole and with artists and their work. Consume art.
Studio Art Exhibition Dates:
April 3, 2016 — April 8
Isabel Taccheri
Devin DeLaney
April 10, 2016 — April 15
Matilda Alexander
Anna Kruse
Adrian Rowan
April 17, 2016 — April 22
Chelsea Carlson
Derek Dickey
April 24, 2016 — April 29
Joyce Lee
Hannah Ayers
May 1, 2016 — May 6
Colin Perez
Natalie Shreeve
Hannah Webb