Over this past weekend, the Bertha V.B. Lederer Gallery in Brodie Hall hosted the Fall Senior Art Exhibit. The exhibit featured many artistic mediums ranging from digital photography to paintings to metal work and showcased the talent of some of Geneseo's most gifted art students.
One of the most noticeable pieces was a set of large paintings entitled "Summer" and "Winter" by Emily Gibbons. The medium for this project was oil and plaster on canvas, which produced a rich, textured effect. "Summer" featured a nude female form on her stomach surrounded by warm, vibrant colors in a natural setting. It was positioned over "Winter," which contrasted greatly in terms of its color scheme, content and overall feeling; the girl in "Winter" wrapped in dark clothes and set against a frigid background, her hands at the edges of the canvas as though attempting to escape or keep from being crushed by the oppressive atmosphere around her. The contrast between "Summer" and "Winter" was intense and made for a very interesting visual display.
Another beautiful painting (done in pastels) was "Childhood Trauma at the Ground Round" by Ashley Wyand. The picture featured a frightening interpretation of a clown at a family restaurant, as seen through the perspective of a child. Cold red bricks and withering balloons dominated the background, against which Wyand set the large, looming face of a sinister clown, his features grotesque and exaggerated, including a cruel smile, an oversized, bulging red nose and deep-set dark eyes. "Childhood Trauma at the Ground Round" was an interesting work, both artistically and psychologically.
There were also several examples of digital photos at the exhibit, one of the most memorable of which was John Zolna's "Brook." The work was a highly detailed shot of ice flows in water in a forest in wintertime. The shot was done in low sunlight, creating an interesting contrast of colors. "Brook" was not only an entrancing picture, but excellently captured the essence of winter in both its content and design as well.
Metal was another unique medium used in the exhibit, as seen in Matt Long's project, "Torso." Long constructed a human torso out of rusted metal cords and pieces, half skeletal and half muscular. Its reddish color gave the effect of flesh, making "Torso" seem all the more realistic and eerie.
The Fall Senior Art Exhibit was a successful show, displaying the talent of some of Geneseo's most gifted art students to students, faculty and community members. More information about upcoming events at the Lederer Gallery can be found under the "Galleries" link at geneseo.edu/~sota.