From Sept. 14 to Oct. 5, the Bridge Gallery in Brodie Hall featured the work of six talented student artists in a showcase entitled "Art Scholars Exhibition."
Senior Minerva Campbell, junior Aileen Connorton, senior Alyssa D'Anna, senior Yuki Kawae, senior Jennifer Tayne and senior Steve Vollo are the students whose work was chosen through a faculty-based nomination and voting process, which also awarded each selected student a scholarship from the School of the Arts.
Gallery coordinator Kawae showed his piece entitled "AMERICA (Rugged Individualism)." The American flag is crafted from two-by-fours, nails and paint, using a chainsaw and hatchet - essentials of the rugged country lifestyle.
Kawae said he enjoys working without the constraints of one particular medium to create what he calls "organized chaos."
"I will use anything to fulfill my purpose, my message," he said.
Campbell displayed both two- and three-dimensional pieces, including two portraits: one in black and white and the other in dizzying color. Demonstrating that the creative process is ongoing, she made multiple bases for "Strange Fruit" in an effort to find the best way of presenting this intriguing sculpture.
"Building Blocks" reveals her love of making and playing with toys. "This is my excuse to do that in a mature way," she said.
Juxtaposing these sculptures were Vollo's oil paintings. He employed a subdued color scheme and delicate application of paint, making his portraits and figures stunningly realistic.
Vollo said he considers many of his displayed pieces to be studies, as he focuses on large-scale work in the genre of magic realism. In his words, "Its representation is very real, while at the same time it pushes certain things to where they seem uncanny in a way … they're almost poetic."
With the exception of her self-portrait, the majority of Connorton's work is abstract and bursting with color. She said that in the past she had worked exclusively in pencil, so when given the opportunity to paint, she immediately began using bright colors.
"I love being messy and textures inspire me," she said. This enthusiasm is especially evident in "Violin," where she incorporates sheet music in the layers of paint.
D'Anna's artistic style reflects the distinctive properties of differing media. She combines painting and photography in "Aperture," in terms of both subject and materials.
D'Anna's watercolors portray expressive and colorful abstracted scenes, such as the "Fontana del Moro." Her oil painting, "Wet," depicts a street scene in a painterly style; the paint is left thick and textured, emphasizing shape more than line.
Tayne's work centers around the theme of self-expression with an emphasis on gestures and emotion. In "Mirror Mirror," she exaggerates the figure in a way that resonates with how many women see themselves in the mirror. Her unique style is especially visible in her watercolors, combining loose washes with controlling pen lines.
"Like all artists, I admire everything around me," she said. "The things that affect me, I pull together and put back out on paper."
Though the show has now ended, following fall break, the Bridge Gallery will exhibit the artwork of students who studied abroad in Italy over the summer. More information can be found at sota.geneseo.edu.