VIS 2021 Senior Book

Princeton Visual Arts 2021

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as·ter·isk a symbol (*) used to mark printed or noun written text, typically as a reference to an annotation or to stand for omitted matter.

I can’t say there is no “i” in vis, because that is all we had during a continued year of isolation from both people and resources due to COVID-19. Faced with only ourselves, we had to make art in solitude. However, the diversity of exhibitions produced as a result is what makes the program continually unique and exciting.

To represent this collective individuality, seniors were able to literally leave their mark on this year’s vis logo, in the form of an asterisk. Overlaid atop one another, the identity of the individual becomes the identity of the program, and the “i” is replaced with a symbol that represents everyone.

This book is simply a physical embodiment of the art produced during this time. Like the logo, it showcases work from each senior in the program while unifying them under one name.

This is Princeton Visual Arts 2021.* Victor Guan ’21 May 2, 2021

*This book is accompanied by the Princeton Visual Arts 2021 website. To see more, go to https://185nassau.art

Manasseh Alexander ..................................... 5 Beans ............................................................ 13 William Carpenter ........................................ 21 Alex Serna Castillon .................................... 29 Alex Deland, Jr. ............................................ 37 Ilene E .......................................................... 45 Brooks Eikner .............................................. 53 Kevin Feng ................................................... 61 Benji Freeman .............................................. 69 Risa Gelles-Watnick .................................... 77 Sam Grayson ............................................... 85 Victor Guan .................................................. 93 Ze-Xin Koh ................................................ 101 Rachel Mrkaich .......................................... 109 Alejandro Roig .......................................... 117 Luke Timm ................................................. 125 Sophie Torres ............................................. 133 Adia Weaver ............................................... 141 Ayame Whitfield ........................................ 149 Noa Wollstein ............................................. 157 Zhamoyani ................................................. 165 Acknowledgements .................................... 173

v s *Manasseh Alexander, times not roman

“Most people feel on occasion that life is absurd, and some feel it vividly and continually.” — Thomas Nagel manasseh's body of work is fueled by an indulgence into this absurdity.1 in an effort to make sense of his external world, he projects himself into it.2 through his antics, he desires to realize some optimistic epiphany making sense of his existence;3 thus far, it remains elusive.

the absurdity brought about by “...the collision between the seriousness with which we take our lives and the perpetual possibility of regarding everything about which we are serious as arbitrary, or open to doubt.”

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he both projects himself onto and distills himself from it. through ascribing aspects of himself onto the world and reading aspects of himself from it, he becomes the primary subject of his work. a rather elusive one as well, since although he is the main subject of it, his subject as an entity is rarely completely present.

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both in terms of who and what he is, and why he is.

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v s *Beans, Addicted to the Beans 13

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v s *William Carpenter, Midnight Sculptors 21

To sculpt is to pray.

The quarry as a microcosm.

The figure, awaiting sleep, as a sculptor.

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v s *Alex Serna Castillon, The Last Noel 29

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v s *Alex Deland, Jr., Vroom. Vroom.

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v s *Ilene E, 小尾巴 | Little Tail

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An animated archive of the relationship between my mother, Hongjun Li, and my aunt, Manjun Li, through childhood, separations, immigration, and reunions.

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v s *Brooks Eikner, POSTAL 53

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v s *Kevin Feng, I-n-t-e-r 61

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v s *Benji Freeman, bad things are happening: this was my thesis show 69

A series of projections (inverse-photographs) onto wall, screen, pile, and suspension, accompanied by synthesized or gathered sounds. Boundaries between letter, word, text, line, etc. become impossible to discern, leaving behind an incomprehensible signaling landscape. Objects of daily life defy gravity, upended; basic physical rules are tested. Outraged voices and structural crumbling interfere with message transmission and reception.

Where can you step, so that it doesn’t all come crashing down?

Bad things are happening, this is my thesis show. see benjifree.cargo.site for full show.

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v s *Risa Gelles-Watnick, Misplaced 77

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v s *Sam Grayson, Like a Leaky Bucket 85

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v s *Victor Guan, omg so good 93

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v s *Ze-Xin Koh, eggs and ladders 101

this work explores the constructions of space, fabric, memory, eggs, time, mirrors, bodies, & staircases.

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v s *Rachel Mrkaich, Refractory Planes 109

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v s *Alejandro Roig, Lyin’ 117

I am transmitting to you the nature of the universe!

Your insides your outsides! What lies behind what lies ahead! Your dreams your dreads your dead your deeds! Where does it end? Why does it bend? What is?

COME FIND OUT!

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v s *Luke Timm, Pieces of Pieces 125

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v s *Sophie Torres, Creature of Habit 133

Thoughts

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Process

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Parts

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v s *Adia Weaver, House Horizons 141

house horizons is a virtual capstone reflecting on my ethnographic research on digital identity, as well as myself and my family's experiences with covid-19 and histories of medical racism. I reflect on the development & destruction of collective identity and social space, and use autoethnography, poetry, prose, and photography to explore the possibility of liberatory futures.

welcome home...

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v s *Ayame Whitfield, a song inside 149

a song inside is an interactive story examining how text, image, and imagination interact. a player is set on one of four possible story paths and discovers who and what they are as they explore an abandoned landscape. the story is also cyclical in nature, allowing the player to choose a new path when they finish the first.

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v s *Noa Wollstein, Until Her Last Breath 157

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v s *Zhamoyani, GOSSAMER/ELMWOOD PARK/SECOND PARENT UNTITLED 165

When his estranged Jamaican father Charles returns to East New York, a 15 year old boy named Roy, runs away from his single mother Patsy and younger siblings in order to seek happiness from his father.

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Princeton Visual Arts 2021

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This book was made possible because of the faculty and staff at Princeton’s Art & Archaeology Department and Program in Visual Arts. A tremendous thank you goes to these people who always make sure their students receive proper assistance and advice.

We have the utmost gratitude for the creative learning environment at 185 Nassau.

A special thank you to Martha Friedman, Director of the Program in Visual Arts, for her continual support in this project, and Eric Li for his guidance in the production of what is now the fourth edition of the Princeton Visual Arts book.

Seniors Manasseh Alexander William Carpenter Alex Serna Castillon Alex Deland, Jr. Ilene E Brooks Eikner Kevin Feng Benji Freeman Risa Gelles-Watnick Sam Grayson Victor Guan 174

Ze-Xin Koh Rachel Mrkaich Alejandro Roig Oswald Stocker Luke Timm Sophie Torres Adia Weaver Ayame Whitfield Alex Williams Noa Wollstein Zhamoyani

Faculty Sigrid Adriaenssens Eve Aschheim Colleen Asper Lex Brown Jenny Calivas Laura Coombs MJ Daines Glen Fogel Martha Friedman Su Friedrich Charlotte Glynn Daniel Heyman Rin Johnson Deana Lawson Pam Lins Ani Liu Susan Marshall Troy Michie Moon Molson Mario Moore BJ Perlmutt David Reinfurt Jess Rowland Joe Scanlan Laurel Schwulst Tim Szetela Ken Tam Adam Welch Jim Welling Jeff Whetstone Amy Yao

Staff Marjorie Carhart Alyse Delaney Orlando Murgado Brandon Ndife Michelle Peters Kristy Seymour Nick Sharpe Marion Young

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Princeton Visual Arts 2021 Copyright © Manasseh Alexander, William Carpenter, Alex Serna Castillon, Alex Deland Jr., Ilene E, Brooks Eikner, Kevin Feng, Benji Freeman, Risa Gelles-Watnick, Sam Grayson, Victor Guan, Ze-Xin Koh, Rachel Mrkaich, Alejandro Roig, Oswald Stocker, Luke Timm, Sophie Torres, Adia Weaver, Ayame Whitfield, Alex Williams, Noa Wollstein, Zhamoyani No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior permission in writing from the artist.

Designed by Victor Guan with Eric Li & Nazli Ercan.

Production assistance by Kevin Feng.

Printed by Brilliant Graphics, PA Published by Princeton University Department of Art & Archaeology and Program in Visual Arts

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