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Stacy Gever Blog #2 "Saved"

This exhibition was called, "Saved" by Jody Servon and it displays photographs of objects that people have saved from deceased ones. I noticed that though all of the saved objects are random and small enough to be held, there really was no pattern between the objects. However, most of them looked like they were from the same time period. If I could guess, I would say this time period would be the years around World War II and even earlier. The artist frames all of these simple photos and puts glass in the frame, making these objects appear to have even more value and force the viewer to look harder at objects that one may normally only glance at. This way of displaying these objects work, but I would have even enjoyed to see the people who now own these objects in the photos. I'm sure there would be a vast difference within the type of people who all have this one aspect of their lives in common.

I took a photo of the "Wendy's" to-go cup. It in intrigues me because I don't understand why someone would want to keep this object. It doesn't seem to have value and I wonder why it does. Even though it is the most generic looking object in the gallery, it was the only object that really stuck out in my mind after I had left. The colors are red and yellow, and I wonder how old this cup is. The style hasn't changed much, and I wonder what kind of food was in their in the first place. I also wonder if the worker at Wendy's who put the food inside this cup had any idea in his or her mind that a picture of it would be taken and placed inside an art gallery.

The only thing I can say about this particular object that I had chosen is that I want to make a story out of it. Possibly it was a war veteran's first meal on American Soil after the war had ended, and it therefore had special meaning to him. Of course, his relatives want to support his legacy and his duties as a veteran so they kept it. Simple objects like this are special when they are saved. I love when objects are out of date. The reason is because once an object no longer has a purpose, it becomes a piece of art, and stays a piece of art forever.

The art walk was an overall great experience. All of the exhibits were unique. I was not expecting to see so many different types of art. There were paintings, drawings, quilts, photos, sculptures and more. The bands that were there were great too. They made the atmosphere more comfortable to walk around in.

The exhibit in the basement was my favorite part of the art walk. I liked how it was one big theme that went together as opposed to a whole bunch of different themes. It was so much fun to see how many different ways the artists made bowling pins. it reminded me of a hobby my dad had where he made bird houses out of anything he could find laying around.

One of the artists at the art walk named Tawnya Hemsarth is a wedding, children, and family photographer. Her artwork is very creative, and she has a distinct style that is all her own. I like the way she decides to photograph brides in common, everyday areas that other photographers wouldn't think of doing.

Anna Powlus - Assignment #2

The Art Walk-in was really neat. I loved the building inside and thought it almost seemed like a piece of art itself. I loved seeing all the different artists' works. I loved the pottery display on the middle floor, but I unfortunately didn't catch the artist. It was also pretty cool to see work from students and professors.

I really loved the bowling alley art done by the 3D students. It was fascinated to see people's inspiration and take on a bowling pin. The display looked great. It was so interesting to hear people around me saying which ones they really liked and which ones they found disturbing, such as the bowling pins made into weapons. I especially enjoyed one particular one that was done with mosaic flowered pottery pieces. I also liked one where the pin was sliced and the pieces were askew.

I went to the WalkIn with my sister and my two nieces, and my older niece became fascinated with Richard Lilley, who was painting a picture during the show, so that was who we chatted with. I thought he was quite talented, and he does things with a brush that I could never achieve, but I doubt I would ever have a real desire to own a piece of his work. Lilley told us that the painting he was working on (which included a waterfall and a train), was inspired by a trip to Ricketts Glen State Park (if you've never been there I highly recommend you go). While there is no trains there, and we knew this, he said he put the train in because he "likes trains."

I attended the Art Walk, and it was the first time I've ever gone to an Art showing/walk like that. It was very interesting, I enjoyed the laid back atmosphere and seeing so many different kinds of art work. I, especially, enjoyed the second floor. There was such a variety of artwork. I thought it was very interesting to see artwork I even recognized. And I wish I had money because I would have bought something!

In the basement was an old style bowling alley. There were pins everywhere made out of everything; cellophane, cardboard, and actual pins. I loved the big cardboard ones in that went up the lanes made out of cardboard. On display were more pins, they were crafted into different things. One was a green cannon, and there was one that looked like a flip out sword. It was very interesting and very creative.

Tawyna Hemsarth was a photographer at the art walk. On display she had a few albums from different weddings. I enjoy photography a lot, and I loved her pictures. I asked her about her photography, she said she does wedding, children, and family photography. Some of her testimonials said she was "different from other local photographers". She said she likes to capture the emotion of the bride and groom while blending the guests in as well to create beautiful albums for the bride and groom to cherish always.

Samantha Campenni Assignment 2

Blog Assignment #2

Overall I enjoyed the range of artwork available to view. I especially enjoyed the gentleman who was painting upstairs. It was interesting to see how he applied each shade in separate layers, and as he progressed the image came into view more and more clearly. I did not really appreciate the bluegrass music that was playing, but that's not a style of music i normally appreciate. There were some paintings in the hallway of what I perceived as dying tied up animals which I found dreary and depressing.
In the basement I admired the amount of time that went into creating each of the bowling pin sculptures. I found the mosaic of mirrors to be eye catching as well as a blue, green, and white layered cardboard bowling pin. The sliced pin was interesting but didn't really keep my attention, I didn't feel as though a lot of thought was put into it.
My favorite artwork display was by Larry Ney II. I found it interesting how the image was visable but blurred vertically. It brought my attention to the one clear portion of the piece. Each piece displayed something different, but each simple, a tiger lily, a lilac, each isolated in there individual beauty.

Angie Musselman Assignment #2

Jody Sevon's exhibit was very interesting and moving. In her lecture she showed a collection of her work that she made during the time of her father's death. These images were sad. She used just legs and feet to represent herself and a crow to represent her father. This brought her to do her collection "saved." She took photos of peoples' objects they had saved from deceased loved ones. They were all different but worked together. Lorene Delany-Ullman wrote poems to go with them. Hearing her read the poems while viewing the photos with pure white backgrounds gave me a strange and sad feeling. They all individually tell a story. She displayed the pictures in large frames. Without hearing the poems you wouldn't get the effect she is trying to cause.

This is Mammie's Teacup. The colors of the teacup are striking. They are very bright. The photography and camera work if fantastic. It seems as if you could reach out and grab te teacup right out of the frame. The background is pure, crisp white giving the cup you're full attention.

At the lecture the poem that accompanied Mammie's teacup explains it very well. It tells it is the only part of the full tea set left. While viewing the picture I noticed how alone it really was visually. This put more emphasis on the fact that the owner of it is gone and it is left behind, alone without the rest of its set. This reminds me of my mom and dad's expensive tea set. They have had it my entire life and gone from a full set to just a few stragglers. I hope there will be some of it left when they are gone that I can hold onto and remember this very moment.

Justin Miles #2

The art walk-in was a pretty good time. It's definitely better than what I would have been doing. There was a pretty nice turn out of artists and spectator's. There was also a lot of different food there. I didn't try any because I am trying to cut back but it looked very appealing and good. I liked how there weren't very many open places you couldn't walk anywhere without art being there which gave me a lot to look at. I didn't really enjoy the music to much however. I think maybe some music where only instruments would be played would have been more appropriate since the musicians there were obviously told not to be to loud.
I think the sculptures in the basement were great. I am not really a fun of sculptures because I feel there is a limited amount of emotion you can express by making a sculpture. The sculpture is usually used as a symbol to represent something or used for something. Some of the different things I saw in the basement did really catch my eye because of the different colors used and how it was made.
There was alot of artists there that caught my eye but there was really one in particular. I actually forget the lady's name unfortunately I did have here business card but I lost it. I really enjoyed her pieces because besides her landscaping work all of her pieces had phrases on them. I really respected that because a lot of people dont like words in pieces because the point of art is to express them by using something else. The way she used different phrases she made it so that the words captured the picture and enhanced it even that much more instead of using the words as a crutch.

Julie Farnan- Assignment #2

On the evening of Thursday, February 18th I attended the New Moose Exchange on West Main Street, Bloomsburg. I was very impressed with the show and was blown away by the endless amount of talent in one building. I was drawn in by the layout of the show, the way in which every corner held more and more interesting art kept me intrigued and wanting to wander around more and more. I loved all the good food and thought it was really awesome how the Bloomsburg community all came together to produce such an awesome event.

The downstairs exhibition done by the Sculpture students was captivating. The creativity each student put into their bowling pins

were unique and expressive. The atmosphere of the old bowling alley added to the student pieces. I felt almost as if I was in a dream when i walked down the bowling alleys and stood next to pins as tall as me! I know a lot of students in the Sculpture class and also had Professor Mueller last semester so I

was really eager to see their work.

One artist whose work really in

terested me was a woman by the name of Michelle Conner. She is a young, independent photographer who specializes in wedding, and family photography. Her favorite, however to work with is animals. I

was captivated by her photos and fell in love with her animal shots. She received her associates degree at the Antonelli Institute of Art & Photography. Most of her work is done outside, all depending on what the client demands. All her income is based on selling her shots. She attends art shows, and other exhibitions to get her name out into the public. She says she loves what she does and that it was a huge challenge to make turn her hobby into a legit career, but she did it and it can happen if you set your mind to it.

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Cachete Hird- Assignment #2

The Art Walk-In was something I never seen before, I absolutely thought it was amazing to have these creative people in one place, musicans, magic, different artists with different crafts. It was a nice experience to go to this event. My friend and I loved the food that was there too! I learned that Harry's Grille was going to have a new chef who is excited about the expansion taking place. The community played a big part with sponsoring this event and I pretty much liked everything about it from the balloon animals to the woven bags.
The basement of the Exchange, first I thought looked like a Retro Bowling Alley. It was amazing since I had no idea that it existed. I loved the bowling pins that were decorated in different ways. My favorite was the purple and green one that looked like it was in a showcase, or something. It was really pretty. There was another one that was mosaic, with different pieces of marble and such. The other one I liked was the bowling pin that was split in half and had the marbles inside. It looked like it would be a retro like pin dish! I loved all the different displays in the bowling ally lanes but those were my top 2 faves!
One of the artists whom I spoke with was Abigail Smith Kurecian. She is a potter and produces different things like mugs, bowls, canisters and coasters... etc. It was such a great experience to speak with her about her work. I fell in love with one of her mugs she had on display, funny because the other day I realized I wish I had a bigger one, and there on her display she had the perfect mug I wanted! She started working with clay when she was young during Saturday morning classes at her local in high school. When she was in college she started working with clay again. Her pottery had many different color schemes that made it looks so attractive, she told me how she has a background in painting and illustration. She was very influence by everyday colors and lived in Arizona for many years which influenced her work. I actually purchased the mug I saw this weekend. its awesome to have a product I seen at the Art Walk-In and have met the artist!

Olivia DeFranco- Assignment #2 (b)

The exhibition, "Saved," by Jody Servon had a beautiful layout. It was all very cohesive and each piece had a white background with white framing. I think that was a good choice on her part because it allowed for the picture to really pop out at you. Most of these photographs have a poem that narrates what the photo is about. Her writer, Loren Delany-Ullman read her poems aloud for us while the photos were on slideshow. I enjoyed this part of the exhibition very much. I think to make it better they could have somehow read the poems to you when walking around the exhibition, whether it be on some type of MP3 with headphones or maybe just a speaker. All in all though, I think it was a successful exhibition and I really liked her ideas behind the photos.

The piece I chose was "Grandma's Necklace." This photograph really captured my attention because of the beauty it held. I love the shininess of the light blue colored oval pendant that drops at the end- it looks like a teardrop. I was attracted to this photo as well because of the length of the necklace. Jody Servon photographed this necklace very fashionably and I think the white background with the white framing really allowed for the piece to pop out at you. I like the 3-D effect of this photograph too, it really makes you feel like you can just reach to grab the necklace out.

My interpretation of this necklace was it was inherited from someone's grand-mom. I think this necklace holds a lot of meaning behind it and was probably in the family for a very long time. The necklace might have had a poem that went along with it, but Loren did not read it out loud during the artist's talk. To me, this necklace was passed down from generations past and is probably worth a lot of money. The antique look of it really makes me think that it is an old piece of jewelry. I think it is one of those "saved" items that will never leave this family.

Olivia DeFranco- Assignment #2 (a)

The Art Walk-In was a fun experience. This is the first one I have been too and I enjoyed it very much. The Silent Auction was probably the most interesting to me. I think it was very captivating and moving having all the art work around you and placing bids on whatever you'd like. It was also fun to walk around the main lobby and look at all of the surrounding pieces that artists have brought in. I enjoyed looking at the photography and I also thought it was neat how some of the artists were actually creating new pieces right in front of our eyes. I can't think of a part that did not interest me. There was so much going on it was hard to now be impressed by the setting around you.

The installation was a cool experience as well. I like seeing what students create and I find it very impressive. I am currently taking 3-D Design so it was neat to see everything set up the way it was. The sculptures were also very appealing. What I find most impressive about this part of the Art Walk-In is the creativity found in each student. The differences in taste and the pieces in general are my favorite part about this. Each work said a little bit about the student, which is nice to think you are getting to know a little bit more about them just by observing their pieces.

I found the work of Michelle Conner very eye captivating. I am a huge animal lover and I think the way she captures the presence of the individual animal brings a new feel to the picture. I also really liked Shene Woodley's work. The colors used to express emotion really caught my attention and I thought that all the pieces on display worked really well together. The artist I talked to, however, was Tawnya. Her work originally attracted me because of what she photographed, weddings. My sister is currently planning her wedding so I wanted to find more information about Tawnya's perspective on weddings and why she chose to mainly photograph them. Tawnya was very sweet and said she enjoyed capturing special moments, which is why she chose weddings as her concentration. She's a very talented artist and I really appreciated her talking to me.

Heather DeFrancesco - Assignment #2

The artist has set up the show in a way that each piece looks as though it belongs with the others. Although each piece is influenced by the subject matter of the others, they can also stand alone. Each image is on a white background and framed with a white frame. I think what makes this exhibition cohesive is the use of the white background and frames on each piece and they are all relatively the same size.
The specific image I chose to discuss was the piece titled “Mom’s Charm Bracelet.” The entire bracelet is gold with few color variations on a white background. The individual charms have little bits of color in a few of them. The artist used photography as her medium. The bracelet is made of round links and the charms are in the shapes of a heart, an airplane, a bible, a roller-skate, and a few others.
Besides the meaning of the memory of mom, this image holds multiple meanings. I think each charm has its own meaning. The heart could mean a caring person, the plane could mean a traveler, a bible could be a religious person, and the roller-skate a fun loving person. As a whole these could all be characteristics that make up that one person or could characterize many people.

Carol Evans - Assignment #2

Jody Servon's exhibition Saved was very appealing to me. The way the photos in the exhibition are set up is very simple and the works influence each other because they are all different photographs of objects that people saved from loved ones that passed away. Each photograph tells its own narrative. The artist chose to frame each work and the objects are surrounded by a plain white background in each photo. It is a cohesive exhibit because each work applies to the theme and it works because they are all shown in the same manner.
The piece I chose to discuss is titled Grandma's Necklace. This is a large photo of a long silver filigree necklace with a beautiful light blue sapphire oval-shaped pendant. This picture must have been taken up close because you can see all the details of the silver the necklace is made of and how the pendant is cut with the light shining and reflecting through it. It shows many different shades of blue and is very eye-catching. I was attracted to this piece because I love jewelry.
My interpretation of this piece would be that this was a necklace passed down from a grandma to her granddaughter which meant a lot to her. The necklace could remind the granddaughter of her grandma when she passed away and could be passed down every generation. Everytime she wore this necklace she could think of the memories they shared and her grandma may have worn this necklace to an important event that she remembers. This necklace must have been saved to represent a great family bond that can't ever be broken and a memory of someone very special.

Sarah Popple - Blog Assignment 2

Jody Sevron created a cohesive and personal art exhibit by photographing belongings of her deceased loved ones. Each picture was different and meaningful. The exhibit was cohesive due to the fact that each picture exposed a random object such as this teacup, a Boy Scout shirt, charm bracelet, and zippo. Nothing was the same. This kept my attention and interest as I switched my focus from one picture to the next. Anyone viewing the artwork would automatically sense the importance of these items to the artist due to the way they were centered and surrounded by nothing but white, including their frames. Each piece initiated endless possibility and wonder in my mind because each item was the center of attention and the visual aspect to a unique, important story.

The picture shown to the right was not only the first of the exhibit but stood out to me the most. I literally had to touch the picture to make sure it was only two dimensional. The white frame and background allowed the teacup and it's shadow to be the center of attention and literally look like it was protruding from the paper. The way the artist used the photography on this particular picture made it known to me that this teacup was somehow very important and stood for something much bigger than anyone would initially think. The shadow was a subtle but important part of the picture because it gave the reality that the item was real in person and now is at least in memory.

The meaning behind this picture is hard to determine due to it's simplicity. We know from the artist that the item depicted belonged to someone she once loved but the memory behind the object itself is deeper and more personal than a viewer can determine at one glance. I think that's the importance of this picture and the exhibit as a whole, the unknown. We can all look at these pictures and think of a story to pair with the objects depicted in them but we never will experience it the way the photographer did. That element of wonder and inquisitiveness is what makes the exhibit successful. 

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my dear students, it is that time.... the blog is closed.....

Zeke Conrad

Although I felt like all the paintings look somewhat similar I feel like they all also had their own meaning behind them, which they probably did, but I just didn’t have time to see the lecture. But it was different from what I’m use to seeing in gallery’s, I’m not use to the life size paintings and the way she used the same colors in every picture to make them all have a different effect.I enjoyed looking at them due to the fact that I will have to be doing the same thing throughout the year in my life drawing class.
The picture I chose was probably the one everyone saw right away because it was different then all the others in the room. Other than just a full body painting she singled out the feet of a model and almost made a story with them. Instead of the all yellow paint running down the paper she used a bloody red mess running up the paper to indicate pain or discomfort. It doesn’t seem like it took much other then just pencil to draw the feet and a simple touch of red paint.
I enjoyed this painting the most because of the way she turned the painting around before she dripped the red down the paper. This Painting had the most effect on me because of it being signaled out compared to all the rest, its almost mysterious in a way as well, if you didn’t go to the lecture you don’t know why its just feet so it makes wonder why she singled out that particular body part. I’m also into the darker side or almost evil side of drawings and paintings and this particular painting felt that way and caught my attention right away so I would pick this one over them all.

Dan Snyder: Assignment #1

After visiting the current exhibition by artist Kim Banister I found that her work was unique in appearance and presentation. Starting off, I immediately noticed that some of her pieces were framed and some just pinned to the wall. I thought that presenting without the use of a frame offered a more incomplete, grunge look that really appealed to me. The display made me feel like I was in the studio where the pieces were created. Also her use of frames showed a more complete and sophisticated look, like they were off the wall at home and into the gallery. Moving on, the flow of the exhibit made me feel as though there was a story behind the sequence. It felt like I was being taken on an emotional journey in a way, more so sad than anything. The consistent use of the same colors and material brought everything together very well and all in all contributed more to the feeling of her work for me.

After looking at the entire collection I chose to take a picture of the first piece of work “Red Series #2”. The use of charcoal to create dark and subtle lines focuses one’s eyes towards the human figure in the work. Kim used simple lines to describe the figure in a quick sketch kind of way. Nevertheless, the way the colors melt away from the lines makes one feel as though the medium is not at all fabric or paper, but flesh. The dull and bright tones of the red, green, orange, gray, and black give contrast and depth that oozed together. Also intriguing, the method used to apply the pigments. This was simply done by blowing it on. Then the linseed oil to blend everything together and give the work it’s wet, cut flesh-like appearance.

Moving on, I came to find that the meaning wrapped up in this particular piece of work is abstract and more dependent on one’s current mood or background. However, looking at Red Series #2 I came find that visually it depicted two people holding each other almost comforting one another. When looking at the work I feel as though the colors are weeping with the two captured in the picture, like the paper is living. The grungy primitive use of color draws me further into the emotional aspect of the piece. This all brings together what I interpret to be loss, grief, sadness, companionship, and being able to find comfort in such a grimy, dirty place that our emotions sometimes take us.

Stacy Gever

The new Haas art exhibit is called "Evolving," which holds a beautiful and unique collection of paintings created by artist Kim Banister. The works have an obvious consistency throughout when one first walks in. Each painting is spaced out perfect distances from each other. Each character in the paintings seem like they are floating, and the white walls surrounding each piece give the art even more of a celestial feel. All of the paintings include the colors red, blue, brown, and yellow. The paint in the majority of the pieces are dripping downward, producing a melancholy expression. There are two different women in these paintings: one woman with long, curly, light-colored hair, and the other with short, dark-colored hair. Four of these paintings include males, who give the more dominant impression. The male dominance gives the paintings more of a story. The women seem depressed or lonely because of how close they seem to hold themselves, and because they are looking downward. The men seem like the voice of reason or the gentle hand available to help the women. I could tell that the artist's intention for the couples is some form of love. The women are clenching the men for help. All of the characters in the paintings are nude and truthful. These paintings do work because many candid emotions are being displayed strictly through body position and color. I find the set-up of the paper interesting. Four paintings are framed, and the rest are tacked to the wall. This gives the paintings an extremely raw look, especially because the corners are not tacked.

For the picture of my choice, I chose the foot. This painting stands out to me because it is the only painting without gender or a face. Also, the foot is consistent with the others because it is dripping, yet it is the only painting I saw that was dripping upward. The color red is dominant in this painting. Red and brown are two colors that are natural because all humans have shades of brown and red within their body.

This is my favorite painting. When I saw this, it expressed complete solitude and inner pain. The dripping upward gives me the idea that the person in the painting is finally letting go of earth. The feet both seem completely relaxed, whereas the people in the other paintings seem as if they are deflated and trying to cope. The colors red and brown also remind me of death and the naturalness of human life. The big toe is the only yellow part of the piece, giving me the impression that at least one part of that person remains peaceful and without dreadful thoughts. This painting is not as easy to interpret as the others but it amazes me how even feet can show emotion. This piece is one of the smaller, framed paintings. The framing and glass covering the painting show a glare and I could see my own reflection through it. This makes me feel distant, like there is more to this body part than I can process, and distance in the sense that the person is unreachable and therefore whithering away. The characters in the paintings without frames seem personable, touchable, and in need of some form of help that they can and will attain somehow.

Heather DeFrancesco - Assignment #1

The exhibition currently in the Haas Gallery is titled “Evolving” by Kim Banister. The show is set up in a way that all the images flow from one to another. Larger pieces are intermixed with smaller ones, but there is still continuity throughout the show. As far as one piece influencing the next, this is absolutely true. All the images have the same limited color palette and subject matter of the human body. The materials used to create these pieces are also congruent throughout. The larger images are on large ripped pieces of paper while the smaller ones are framed. This is a very cohesive exhibit due to the repetitive use of materials and subject matter in each piece.
This piece is titled “Reclining Female Figure.” The colors used are black, red, orange, yellow, and some green. The medium used is charcoal, linseed oil, and powdered pigments on paper. To create this piece the artist first drew the figure, then used linseed oil to drench the page, then the pigment is added which is powdered and blown onto the piece. There are smooth, gestural figurative shapes and the pattern is created by the drips of paint throughout the piece.
I chose to discuss this piece because I feel as though the meaning behind it is to show the vulnerability and isolation. The female figure is lying on the ground, arms wrapped around her and looking away from the audience. She looks as though she is lying there just waiting for something to happen. She is all alone. The image is very simply drawn which makes the female body look beautiful. The way the figure is drawn with gesture and the paint dripping down the page creates movement in the piece. .

Angie Musselman Assignment 1

The Kim Banister exhibit was very interesting. All of the works seemed to relate to one another. They were all of people made with the same style. They seemed to be pencil type line drawings with water colors of some sort dripping down them. There was one of just a person's feet where the color streamed in the opposite direction. All of the paintings showed a lot of emotion; most of them seeming painful or sad to me. Most of the paintings were not framed and were very large. They all seem to tell some sort of story of either sadness, agony, or thought.

This painting is a human figure sitting, holding her legs. The colors are a small amount of light blue, a rust orange color, and some black. It is a line drawing of a woman and then water colors are streaming down the figure and off of the paper.

I think this piece is meant to show sadness. I feel this girl may be regretting something or concerned about something. Her face shows that she is thinking about something but her body language shows it may not be good. The way she is holding her body and looking down may be saying she is ashamed of something. The colors are also sad colors, black, blue, and a brownish orange. I find this piece very interesting because of its style and so much emotion. It makes me wonder what is going on in her head.

Samantha Campenni Assignment #1

I was a bit apprehensive going into the gallery I'll admit. I'm not exactly an artist myself and I don't have a lot of background knowledge about these things, so I wasn't sure what to expect. I relaxed after walking a lap around the area, the drawings to me looked simple, just combinations of single lines and pigment. To be completely honest I didn't really know what to make of the nudity. The artist said the figures represent different emotions, which I could understand, but why does one need to be nude to express emotion? Perhaps the nudity was there to emphasize how raw our emotions can be. This was than further emphasized by the lack of frames, each piece in its own right was "raw" as well. Each piece shown displayed these through human form, the fighting figures (Red Series#3) displayed strength, and aggression, while couple #2 to me shows how we console one another when we're grieving or saddened.

I chose to dissect the work "Leaning." This piece utilized charcoal for the drawing with linseed oil over it and then red and blue pigment blown on. the linseed oil creates a drippy effect on both the pigment and the charcoal. I think the linseed with the charcoal also creates some shading in areas, or that could have been done intentionally by the artist with charcoal before the oil was added.

The work "leaning" to me represents a sadness or morning. The figure looks like she has collapsed to the ground, struggling to hold herself up while she is immersed in unbearable sadness. The way the figure is looking down, and the dripping from the linseed oil looks as if she is drenched in her own tears, submersed in her depression and sadness. The tears across her face are red, like blood, to show how severe emotions can cause physical pain. But the painting is hopeful as well, if the figure were to lift her head just a few inches she could rise above the pain and sadness and see past her depression to something better.

Anna Powlus - Assignment #1

I found Kim Banister's exhibition, 'Evolving,' a little startling at first, but interesting overall. As you move through the room, the works could almost tell a story of a woman in a relationship, and then what happens to her and the emotions she goes through after that relationship ends or in a troublesome time, and then how she feels when back in the relationship. This could represent a romantic interest, or feeling accepted and connected to something or someone in her life. The exhibition is cohesive in a number of ways: the colors, mediums used, and the flow of the gallery.

I chose "Figure in Green," as the piece to focus on, which was produced with mixed media and linseed oil. The linseed oil is what causes the media to become drippy and dark. The work is filled with soft curves of the woman, muted colors, and a green hue fills the area.

I think that 'Figure in Green' portrays a woman deep in contemplation. The way she is wrapped up and intertwined within herself: leg over leg, arms wrapped around, seems to symbolize that she needs to contain herself, maybe to collect her thoughts.

Megan Fuss Assignment 1

Walking into the exhibition you are greeted with two of Kim Banister's paintings before walking through the doors. It draws people in as well as the glass walls allowing art viewers to get a glance of her work before going in. The two paintings before the doors are a warm mixture of pinks and reds in a flower shape. When you walk through the entrance the rest of her works consists of women and couples done in charcoal, pastels, and oil. The flow of the paintings i believe worked well on where each on was placed in the white walled room. I also enjoyed how that most of her work was unframed and had torn edges to give it texture.

I choose painting number 4 which is known as Leaning by Kim Banister. It was done in a mixed media and linseed oil. The colors are faded pinks, blues, and brown/tans. It also has a water color feel to it the way the paint runs down the piece. A woman sits on the ground leaning on her hands looking down at them wearing a tank and what looks to be underwear. The piece shows texture, form and space. The composition of it angles to the lower right corner; while the upper left is open with a mixture of colors. The bottom of the piece and her hands are covered covered in the brown and tans.

The piece "Leaning" gives me the feeling of a girl who is depressed and down trying to get a grip and hold herself up. But she struggles in today's cruel world. No one is there to help her up and comfort her. She sits there feeling defeated looking for the inner strength inside her that will help her through this difficult time in her life. I believe she is looking for the inner strength that is inside all of us that we should never stop looking for even in the most dire times when we feel like giving up the most.

Justin Miles assignment #1

Today I looked at Kim Banister's exhibit Evolving. All of her work was done from charcoal, pastel, and linseed oil except some that use mixed media and linseed oil. She is a firm believer that all of her drawings and drawings in general is a process in developing the finished piece. There's a line drawing then after that comes the layers of the different things the artist is going to use whether it be paint,charcoal or anything else you may use.
Most of the pieces were large in size and those pictures were not framed. There were a few smaller pieces that contained light brown frames.
I personally enjoyed all the pieces. When I looked at the pieces I automatically felt different then I did before I looked at the different pieces. Every piece I looked at I sensed a lot of emotion in them. From all the different positions the figure was in I wondered what was going on. However, my mind would not have to wander to far to sense the emotion in the piece. It was something that I felt right away. Some pieces you really have to think hard about what's happening constantly asking yourself questions to figure out the piece. In this exhibit everything I looked automatically striked a feeling of emotion almost feeling bad for some of the different pieces.

Jaime morris assignment 1

The artist showcases her work like a narrative going from happy and (what seems like in love), to feeling alone and scared. The works are showed in a very simplistic way, the smaller pictures have a plain wooden border, and the bigger paintings do not have a frame which portrays the artists work in a very rustic way. I think the exhibition is very cohesive in that it starts off showing one mood (joyous) and as the paintings progress you get into more emotions (dark and depressed).

I chose this picture because it was the one that stood out to me the most and was very powerful. I love how the artist used neutral colors for the body of the woman and then on top of that she added in reds and blues. The artist used a type of painting method where it made the reds and blues look like they were bleeding or crying which I thought was really interesting. I also loved the woman's positioning, how she is cradling herself and has a depressing expression across her face.

In the painting that I chose it seems as though the woman is feeling alone and depressed. As i expressed in the above paragraph, the dripping method with the reds and blues portray so many emotions which I thought was very creative. Red gives off the emotion of anger and hurt and how the artist has it dripping down the painting makes it seem as though she was hurt either physically or emotionally. It is the same with the blue dripping down the painting, it shows sadness and depression. This painting really caught my eye right away because it shows so much emotion in such an effortless way.

Doug Clapp Assignment #1

Doug Clapp Assignment #1

Upon entering Haas Gallery’s most recent exhibition, it is evident that artist Kim Banister has found a technique all her own. Her pieces depicting the human body all have similar attributes and share the same mediums. The bodies that are shown are primarily female and are only sometimes accompanied by a male figure. When traveling clockwise around the room the first two pieces and the last two are the only ones that show both man and woman together. Positioning of the bodies leads the viewer to believe that these two people are engaged in a relationship of some kind, whether it is the intertwining of bodies and limbs in the first set or the physical contact of a man comforting a woman in the second set. In between these sets, are lone female figures, all resembling one another. Though it’s obvious that the same technique of charcoal lines and dripping an unknown liquid medium are used in all of the paintings but there are two distinct styles of this method. I found that her earlier work from the years 2001-2003 used much darker lines and drippings with a small range of colors, usually lighter sand colors, to medium browns and dark black. In the more recent paintings, 2007-2009 the artist has adopted the use of more color as far as drippings go and lighter lines when outlining the bodies. The more recent technique adds depth and additional room for interpretation to the art.

The piece that struck me most was at the far right side of the room and included a male and female body. The male is standing and bent over a woman that is seated with her knees bent and legs crossed. The charcoal outlines of the two bodies vary in darkness and thickness at different places of the body. These outlines are surrounded by a tan fluid paint or dye. The liquid based color was applied more liberally in some areas, causing the charcoal to drip down and color space below. A light red hue of spray paint accents the tan and shades of blue are also included.

The work has clear interaction between the two figures. It seems that the woman is depressed judging by her posture and facial positioning. The man over her could be comforting her in her saddened state based on his hands on her shoulders. Other interpretations are possible such as the male being an overbearing influence on female depression. Whatever the meaning behind the picture, it seems that this work was influenced by a real life emotion or situation experienced by the artist. It is a great depiction of relations with the opposite sex and the feelings that are caused by these relations. Overall, Amy Banister is exceptionally talented in displaying the human body in a way that shows emotions.

Andrew Protsko Assignment #1

Kim Banister's gallery was titled 'Evolution'. It involved many different portrait-type sketches and paintings of the human form; namely various body parts, entire body portraits, and semi-abstract sketches of babies. She seems to use mostly charcoal and running paints. The pieces featured in the gallery were mainly loosely detailed sketches using this running paint method; this seems to have been achieved with some sort of linseed oil or spirits. The pieces have a certain elegant emotion about them, showing how delicately beautiful the human form, along with the associated emotions, can be.

The above picture was one of my favorites, in terms of technique. The form itself is very simple, with very little shading, save for any done with the paint. The aforementioned paint running technique was used in this one, as well as a few others. The paint itself looked like it could possibly be watercolor, or even oil if linseed oil was used. Pinkish and redish hues were used for more prominent points of the piece, while greens are used for the shading.

Based on the technique and the position of the figure, I read this piece as mildly symbolic of a bittersweet new beginning. The figure looks to be picking herself up off of the ground and pushing herself up, as the locked elbows attest. She is, however, still looking downward, seemingly lamenting something she has lost. The technique of the simple line structure without much shading could mean that this has left her feeling empty or alone. Alone with the paint that is running down the piece, she could be feeling like she is losing herself or going through a great change.

Assignment 1 - Jill Suda

Upon entering this show I, overall, was nervous to see what I going into, nudity for me can be either pretty or grotesque, and upon seeing the image for the exhibit online I was nervous although that image online was very well executed. When walking in, I saw the Venus as a focus and was slightly curious to know why the artist had that placement for the piece. Upon considering the reasons for such peculiar placements for the pieces, I found that the subject of evolving was well proven in the pieces. Its dealing with the struggles of life and how it effects both mind and physical aspects of the body, this is shown in all the pieces of work. The use of no frame, reinforces the viewers mind how "naked" we are in our emotions. That is how I interpreted the show as a whole. And it is not up to me to change it due to the fact it is her work.

The piece I chose was Pyre(Do Not Go Gentle!) The piece is created on paper that was tacked to a wall, the drawing was then placed on the paper using charcoal. After the charcoal was done being used, Kim Banister then used Linseed oil to slowly cause a drip effect on the wok, she then sprayed on the red ink and brown ink to create the colors in the work. The work consists of the shape of a set of feet.

I enjoyed this piece because of the mysteriousness of the work. It seemed that the use of a simple set of feet couldn't possibly show a human evolving, yet upon considering the work further, I found that the use of feet is essential in life, from the time we are born feet are a fascinating. Growing up we are attached to them literally and figuratively. The fact she named the piece Pyre, makes me think she was not happy about standing doing these works so make a joke one noticing the burning of her feet after the process was over, I think this piece was a thought that the artist executed for almost a comic relief as well as a serious tone depending on how you saw it.