I
n the early spring, it appeared as if it would be like most every other year: an exceptional group of talented seniors would each have their work reviewed, and with the help of their Portfolio class professors, I would select work for
our annual portfolio book. But the catastrophic monkey wrench known as Coronavirus changed the status quo.
The students were thrown for a mighty loop: those in the studios had to
evacuate them swiftly (some leaving works in progress behind), art supplies became hard to find and computer labs were shuttered. We had to proceed, like everyone, to function in isolation. Our only visual contact was through little Zoom squares on our computer screens.
But as a testament to the resilience and pluck of these young artists, and
the dedication and inventiveness of our remarkable faculty team, the graduating class pulled through, creating works of joy and pathos, beauty and stunning ambition, all assembled here with dazzling variety. Go figure!
In many ways, the unexpected shift inspired a level of concentration and
seriousness, often difficult to maintain during a normal spring semester in an undergraduate’s senior year. Many of the young artists represented here had artistic breakthroughs created out of necessity and plumbing the depths of their souls. Illustrators, cartoonists and figurative painters have a special storytelling gene in their DNA, which oftentimes is heightened during intense challenges. I hope the students' achievements are clear as crystal on these pages. Their personal voices will be what makes them truly original and important in the visual culture of our future.
We are all very proud of them, and wish them all the best as we see the
brighter days, hazy on the horizon.
This year, the covers of our two publications are a nod to our lives in the
boxes—crazy, uncomfortable virtual dreams, comforting and disturbing, yet still full of life. . . . As the great Roman orator Cicero said, “Where there is life, there is hope.”
I would like to thank the Senior Portfolio BFA Illustration and BFA Cartoon-
ing faculty who helped in the selection process: Nicholas Bertozzi, Steve Brodner, Chris Buzelli, Marcos Chin, Josh Cochran, TM Davy, Henrik Drescher, Lisk Feng, Frances Jetter, Anthony MacBain, Ruth Marten, Marvin Mattelson, David Mazzucchelli, Gary Panter, and Yuko Shimizu.
I also need to give special thanks to Carolyn Hinkson-Jenkins, who was the
departmental “Rock of Ages” through this storm; to Gerard Newland and Stephanie Kim for the initial formatting; to the Visual Arts Press for their final designs; and to Curtis Edwards, who organized all the digital files for our reviews and held my virtual hand through the complex undertaking of creating this collection.
Thomas Woodruff
Chair, BFA Cartooning, BFA Illustration September 2020
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