2021 Senior Art Show

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Senior Art Show

2021


On the cover:

Dreaming of the Sawtooths Emory Gaddis Acrylic paint on canvas sheet [74.8 x 141 cm]


Featured Artists

Layla Bagwell….……………………………………………………………… 5 Spencer Baird…………………………………………………………………. 9 Paige Bergmann…………………………………………………………….. 13 Annika Camarillo……………………………………………………………. 19 Walker Coyle…………………………………………………………………… 22 Charlie DeBoer..……………………………………………………………… 26 Dina Dhanasiri….……………………………………………………………… 29 Emory Gaddis.………………………………………………………………… 35 Gavin Geffros……………….…………………………………………………. 39 Louisa Goltry…………………………………………………………………… 44 Ben Hanson-Kaplan..……………………………………………………… 50 Honggeol Kim…..……………………………………………………………… 54 Ethan Hurt…….…………………………………………………………………. 58 Nick Liebich…………………………………………………………………….. 62


Featured Artists

Owen Marchant……………………………………………………………… 66 Nola Mercadante……………………………………………………………. 70 Rose Murphy…….…………………………………………………………….. 74 Victoria Nguyen..……………………………………………………………. 79 Ryan Parks……………………………………………………………………… 84 Charlie Paul…..………………………………………………………………… 88 Emma Pietsch….……………………………………………………………… 91 Bekjigit Saldarov…..………………………………………………………… 94 Jacoby Smith……………….…………………………………………………. 97 Faye Stokes..…………………………………………………………………… 101 Haiming (Ruby) Wang..…………………………………………………… 105 Julia Watson..…..……………………………………………………………… 110 River Woodruff……..…………………………………………………………. 113 Taavi Zoller..…………………………………………………………………….. 120


Layla Bagwell

“The artworks in my exhibition all focus on the theme of my self expression and how that expression has been shaped, informed, or oppressed by the circumstances around me. I wanted to have pieces that were celebratory, but also pieces that were influential. These artworks focused on conveying meaning through messaging.”

Sign of the Times Collage [37 x 27 cm]

“A collage composed of various headlines from the year 2020, intended to inform and invoke emotion in viewers regarding the rollercoaster of a year it has been. 2020 is commonly referred to as being the worst year humankind has experienced due to the constant stream of bad events. This piece aims to capture the essence of one year in a singular art piece, by means of chaotic juxtaposition and a rough timeline format.”


Phases

Watercolor on paper [51 x 34 cm]

“This piece is inspired by modern propaganda and protest posters. The saying written on it with ink is representative of the common harmful narrative associated with queer people coming out, which is that they are simply going through a phase. I found that the moon was a simple way to represent the message I was trying to get across in a simple but effective way.”


Hues of Music Acrylic [46 x 67 cm]

“This piece is a recreation of three of my favorite albums. From left to right, KOD by J Cole, Blue Neighborhood by Troye Sivan, and Coloring Book by Chance The Rapper. This piece, since it is a recreation of already existing art, helped to develop technical skills and help understand varying art styles. This piece has a large element of color and tones, as I made sure to choose covers with similar hues, and line with the division of the covers.”


Shattered Self Image (Series)

Glass collage, acrylic paint [64 x 74 cm]

“This piece is a set of mirrors, one broken and one left whole to represent two narratives told by society. The broken one represents just that: those who don’t fit society’s mold of what a body is supposed to look like are broken and unvalued. The other mirror is unbroken, including positive reinforcement messages about body types in society.”

Artwork #5


Spencer Baird

N-E-G-U-S

Ipas, Procreate software [28 x 62 cm]

“This work, I completed over quarantine in which I was unable to access normal art supplies. Thus, I attempted to improve my skills on the digital software procreate. After some time working on my brush skills I started working on the pop-art inspired portrait. The portrait was initially created as a floating head of sorts, but the simplicity bothered me. So I simply copied the layer and created an eye catching background to add depth to the piece.”


Consequences from Evil Canvas, acrylic, heavy body acrylic, spray paint, oil pastel [90 x 112 cm] “This is an abstract multimedia piece I created with large inspiration from street artists like Jean Michael Basquiat. The idea for the piece came from a Donald Glover quote in which he states ‘I feel like I am letting everybody down.’ I think the overarching nature of this quote felt very applicable to my current state of mind. Thus I tried to incorporate symbols of chaos and struggle to help encapsulate themes of failure and anxiety. The abstract nature lends itself really well to storytelling like this as many icons can be interpreted in a variety of ways. ”

One lucky night.

Acrylic, spray paint on canvas [153 x 187 cm] “This work took initial inspiration from Japanese street artist Masaki. He has the unique style of the ‘bleeding’ eyes created by dripping spray paint. This was a style I wanted to emulate in the recreation of a great photo of Kanye West. The spray paint creates wonderful texture and depth to the somewhat simple subject matter. The monotone color palette allows the color of the portraits to catch the viewer's eye. Overall this is one of my personal favorites and was very fun to make!”

Gas Mask of the Future (2020)


Devin is in a new dress.

Sweatshirt, denim, corduroy, fabric swabs, Sashiko thread

Twin

“This work was spurred after doing research regarding the Japanese clothing style of BORO in which Japanese citizens would use patches and Sashiko-style stitching patterns to patch holes in their clothing. After learning the ins and outs of sewing stitches I used geometric organic shaped fabric swatches to add depth and artistry to the otherwise simple hoodie. The work looks to reveal how even simple garments as such can be seen as works of art and created with intention.”

Gas Mask of the Future


Untitled Unmastered 01

Acrylic, heavy body medium, foam, circle blade [60 x 86 cm] “My original intention with this work was to create an abstract contemporary piece that let the viewer interpret the fluidity of brush stroke in a multitude of ways. Inspired by the work of James Austin Murray, the piece makes advances on his style by the use of colors and developing a contrast between the saturated orange and green to entice the viewer. ”

Gas Mask of the Future


Paige Bergmann “My body of work has moved through several different ideas, but they all relate to the theme of myself, more specifically, my memories and realizations that have made me the person I am today.” Lonesome Larry

Acrylic paint on canvas, white and black sharpies [44.5 x 73 cm]

“Lonesome Larry is based on the story of a single sockeye salmon that swam all the way from the ocean to Redfish Lake; the fish was appropriately named ‘Lonesome Larry.’ This acrylic painting uses unsaturated colors to give a cool, gloomy effect to the lake, rocks, and mountains. Bright reds and light pinks were used to capture the sockeye salmon’s brilliant color.”


Juniper

Batik on cloth [50.8 x 38.1 cm]

“Juniper represents the time I spent riding and working with horses at Juniper Mountain Outfitters. This landscape batik uses orange, dark blue, black, and purple dyes to capture the sunset. Beeswax was used to create white spaces. The time spent at this camp as both a camper and a counselor taught me the value of hard work, patience and furthered my love of the outdoors.”


Lost Multimedia piece: magazine clippings, personal photos, pencil on watercolor paper [45 x 59.5 cm]

“The title ‘Lost' represents the loss of memories associated with Alzheimer's. My grandma has Alzheimer's and fails to remember memories that seem to be only yesterday to me. Even though the portrait is of my grandma, it also represents my grandpa and my dad, who are affected by her disease. This influenced the photos that were selected for this piece, a reminder of the time and memories they had with her.”


Grand Scheme

Silver gel pen on black poster board [40.6 x 50.8 cm] “Grand Scheme is representative of how in the grand scheme of things, one event, person, grade, or choice does not dictate how you should view yourself or your future. This is something I personally struggle with and work to remedy every day. I felt this was important to showcase in an art piece because many people think the same way and can connect emotionally. ”

First Friend

Spray paint on cardboard, dog tag, black sharpie [77 x 66 cm]

“First Friend only seemed fitting for an art piece based on one of my first friends. This piece was deliberately kept simple because he was simple. His only wants were food, love, and tennis balls. My first memories in life included this dog. He was my childhood dog and backyard buddy and the perfect “First Friend.” I was lucky to have him in my life for 15 years through many happy and sad times. He truly was the perfect companion.”


Love In Colors

Hurricane Island

Watercolor on watercolor paper [33 x 44.5 cm]

“Hurricane Island represents my time spent at Hurricane Island Outward Bound. A 22-day adventure where I learned to sail off the coast of Maine. The use of muted oranges, blues, and grays represents the vast ocean and sunsets experienced off the coast of Main. The swirls represent movement and change within the clouds, water, and myself. ”


Blue-Eyed Girl

Pen and blue colored pencil on paper [30.48 x 21.59 cm]

“Blue-Eyed Girl represents the color used to showcase the eyes in this piece. It is said that the eyes are the window to the soul. This is why they are the only item on this piece in color. Blue was the color of choice as it represents my eye color. It is sometimes hard to express and share my emotions with others. The messy and mysterious drawing of Blue Eyed Girl showcases these feelings.”


Annika Camarillo “My overarching theme of all my works represents the use of technology in the past." yarn and sticks

Yarn and knitting needles

“An independent artwork taken on over the course of the year. I acquired and self-taught the skill of knitting. In this artwork, it demonstrates the different stitches and patterns I had practiced and finally combined them to make a hat. This artwork is titled,“yarn and sticks” it was inspired by a conversation with my father while knitting. I came to realize and hope to share with my audience that even a yarn and sticks is technology, and it is amazing all the things you can do with these two simple tools. In my overarching theme of all my works it represents the use of technology in the past. In the past making clothes was a sacred practice for many people and would take days to make intricate patterns, and even to dye and collect the materials. We often forget about this because of the mass production of goods, and we no longer have “time” to do these things. During COVID I’ve found knitting to be almost meditative as I can focus on one thing. It also feels nice to have a new skill, that I can practice and get better at.”


Shadow

Colored pencils [23.7 x 37.3 cm]

“This piece titled Shadow represents the shadow of technology and industrialization. This is the most extreme consequence of technology and the worst side of it. It is hand drawn to show how technology will lead to destruction. I felt I could best represent this eerie feeling and loneliness, in the medium of colored pencils. The colored pencils allowed me to explore with shading and using opposite colors in the color wheel to highlight the colors of the buildings. I also played with dimensional art and how to use shapes and to create 3D dimensions. Throughout my artwork I have random letters and symbols in green, and wanted to create a matrix type of code. This was to show how with technology the veil between reality is broken down. As this was my first artwork I did not feel very comfortable and confident in my artistic abilities. I tried different mediums and played with shapes and had many drafts and practices for this artwork. Throughout these drafts my final changes in medium and theme to what it is now. Using colored pencils allowed me the flexibility to erase or hide something if I messed up.”


Kovid Keys

Old computer keyboard, google slides, colored pencils

“A conceptual artwork, made up of a keyboard, with individual keys showing different messages written by friends and family on how they are doing during covid. Each message consists of an individual having a five minute free write to jot down whatever is on their mind. The piece titled Kovid Keys refers to how all of us must check in with ourselves and others and find meaningful ways to stay active. This piece serves as a reminder to take care of yourself by using creative outlets. The keyboard was found at a local thrift store, and the rest of the materials were from home. My inspiration for this art was that I always felt that I was on my computer during COVID. I felt that technology and online meetings, school have become such a day to day thing that we lack the same care we had for ourselves and others. My sister had recently bought a computer keyboard that had drawing on each key that inspired me to see if I could draw on a keyboard. The drawings on the keyboard linked to the google slide presentation survey to show how we still use technology to connect. It is not a happy or sad piece but I want it to create awareness and allow others to reflect on themselves.”


Walker Coyle

Untitled (2020) Medium

Untitled (2020) Medium

Baldy During Three Seasons Watercolor on paper [65 x 30 cm]

“A watercolored landscape painted to depict Bald Mountain in Sun Valley, ID. Inspired by three photos I had taken of the mountain during very different seasons. The piece is three separate panels to show the true distinct beauty of each season. I decided to paint the contrast of the spring, fall, and winter to represent both the beauty in the different colors of the seasons and symbolize the grace in change. I mixed the colors to make it appear further away and as if the vegetation had blended.”


“My Exhibition is centered around the things, places, and people that have come to shape and define me. As I’ve grown up I’ve lived in multiple places and cycled through many interests. I feel as a person I’ve been the product of constantly trying new things." Formula 1 on Rainbow Road Acrylic paint on watercolor paper [36 x 54 cm]

“An acrylic painting created to recapture iconic childhood memories and contrast them to my current 18 year old interests. The combination of Mario Kart’s Rainbow road with a Formula 1 race car represents the growth, change, and consistencies from our youth. The vibrant acrylic colors work to make the art pop and give it the aesthetic of an early 2000’s video game. This is meant to draw the audience back to a time of ease and transport them to happy memories of the past. My work was inspired by astronomer and artist Lucien Rudaux, who was known for his paintings of simple yet beautiful outer space.”


Michael Coyle Oil pastel on paper [57 x 78 cm]

“A painting created with oil pastels which depicts a draped flag behind my Grandfather while he was deployed in Vietnam. The oil pastels where used because of their effectiveness in blending and shading, in order to show the dirt, sweat, and strain of war and conflict. The flag is prominent and bright to illuminate the patriotism he expressed to me growing up and the pride felt in his military service. The art is realistic as to not blur the intense emotion, horror, and reality behind his service.”


Ageusia

Photography and photoshop [21 x 29 cm]

“A series of three photographs created to reflect the bleakness of food following COVID-19 infection. The photographs will document the process of creating and eating a cheeseburger, my favorite food. I used field of depth, focus, and light manipulation to show the detail of the sandwich making it look as appetizing as possible. The photograph in which the sandwich is being eating is out of focus, flat, and black and white to represent the unexceptional taste of food after having COVID.”


Charlie DeBoer

Vacation

Photography and editing software [20.5 x 25.5 cm]

“In this photo that I took on a vacation in Hawaii I used color correction to add more contrast throughout. This photo reminds me of family. Our vacations are some of the most memorable times of my life and they allow my family to spend more time together. This trip was the first that my oldest sister had gone on for a while, so this was especially important to me. The extra contrast represents a difference between this trip and the ones previous to it.”


Flying

Photography and editing software [19.5 x 25 cm] “For this piece I used a photo that I took when landing in Los Angeles. This photo reminds me of all the fun times I have had with my family and friends in the city, so I chose to make this photo more vibrant to represent the experiences I have had there. Overall I made the photo darker so that the lights would stand out more. The photo originally had a yellow tint, after I got rid of this the lights stood out much more throughout the city. I also dulled the color of the plane engine so it would be less of a focus.”

The transfer of knowledge Paint on an old iPhone [6.75 x 11.5 cm]

“This is a painting of a brain on a computer component. I created this to symbolize the evolution in society and how the sources of information for humans have changed over time. This is also to show how processing information has changed. This is important to me because I have a big interest in new technology and each little advancement that is made. For this exhibition I used an old iPhone 4 that I had and painted as my only materials. This piece was meant to be simple yet have an easily understandable meaning.”


home in the foothills Colored pencils [20.5 x 30.5 cm]

“This is a colored pencil drawing of the foothills in Boise, Idaho. I drew this because these foothills remind me of my home, they have always been visible wherever I go in the city, so they remind me of many meaningful experiences. I used a photo of the foothills that I took from the window of my house, this adds another layer of nostalgia to it for me. I hope that people with similar backgrounds as me will feel the same way when they see it.”


Dina Dhanasiri Eccedentesiast

Black and white pencils drawing on 70# paper [35 x 28 cm]

“This art is inspired by artist called Sebastian Eriksson, who create artwork inspired by his story regarding his psychological problems. The use of the pencil is to create black and white to illustrate the dark, loneliness, and sensitive motion. The message behind a melted person’s face with a mask and a wide-open mouth is humans are sensitive and full of confusion. People not being confident in themselves and started to wear masks toward each other.”


Untitled 1 & 2


We’re better together Plaster sculpture [15 x 12 x 10 cm]

“Reflecting on the current natural disaster situation that we humans are facing due to the actions we took inspired me. The only way to solve the problem is to work together, and I presented this action showing three hands holding on to each other. I used body language instead of words because body language is global, meaning the message can reach everyone regarding their race, religion, and gender. Everyone can understand the importance of communicating, caring, and helping each other.”


Irreversible

Acrylic on canvas [45 x 35 cm]

“This art is called Irreversible, inspired by Salvador Dalí's artwork, The Persistence of Memory, which has a melted clock as the artist's signature. The sea and waves represent the continuation of life. The melted hearts and trees express the feeling that has been lost and unable to take it back. The key message behind this painting is that human emotion is fragile; just an unthoughtful word can turn into a knife that impacts the feeling, so be careful when using them.”


Break the chain

Pencils and color pencils on paper [20 x 20 cm]

“This artwork is inspired by the idea that there has to be a person who is brave enough to back off for the team when they are in an argument. The magazine represents the fragility of the relationship. The matchstick represents a person, and the part that burns is people in the team fighting. The green matchstick represents the leader who steps back and listens to the teammate, and stops the fight so that the conflict does not get all over the team and burn the rest of the matchsticks.”


Bewilderment

[12.5 x 12.5 cm]


Emory Gaddis “Growing up in Idaho, the outdoors have always been something that have represented a great part of my identity; I have made some of my greatest memories in the outdoors and these experiences in nature have significantly shaped who I am today.” Daydreaming

Acrylic paint on canvas [23 x 31 cm]


Serenity at Sea

Acrylic paint on canvas [30.5 x 40.6 cm]

“This acrylic painting of a seascape aims to capture the serene and surreal feeling of the ocean after a stormy summer day. After a trip to San Luis Obispo in 2018, the refreshing feeling of the ocean on a cloudy day inspired me to recreate the calm and tranquil emotions I felt on the trip. The neutral colors and smooth brush strokes create a calm feeling that allows one to imagine the refreshing salty air and the serene sound of the waves crashing against the rocks.”


Out of Reach

Colored pencil, acrylic paint, found pressed flowers, found New York Times and Express newspaper clippings on paper [38 x 28 cm] “This multimedia collage aims to demonstrate the failure of humanity to take care of planet Earth, as it is through our own actions as a society that we are destroying the environment. The left hand, representing nature, is trying to reach the right hand, which represents climate change and environmental disasters caused by humans. The rip between the two hands creates tension and conveys how the true beauty of our planet will eventually be out of our reach forever.”

Harper’s Hummingbird

Colored pencil, watercolor pencil on paper [35.6 x 34.3 cm]

“This colored pencil drawing of a hummingbird is in memory of Jim Harper, a family friend and talented artist who inspired those around him to enjoy life and appreciate nature. The use of bright colors exemplifies the emotion of happiness, which Harper would bring to those around him. This piece highlights the concept of life, shown through the flying hummingbird and the bright flower. Jim brightened the lives of everyone around him, so liveliness and happiness are exemplified in this piece.”


Dreaming of the Sawtooths Acrylic paint on canvas sheet [74.8 x 141 cm]

“Inspired by Renan Ozturk, the bright and colorful style of this acrylic painting aims to capture the vivid and lively nature of the Sawtooth Mountains. Being present in this place inspires, motivates, amazes, and recenters someone’s soul. Strong, complementary colors were used to create boldness that helped capture this mountain range’s vivacious essence and to create a dreamlike feeling that is centered around the beauty of the Sawtooths.”


Gavin Geffros

TheViewMaster

Alcohol markers, Photoshop [73.38 x 52.92 cm]

“Each of the artworks that make up my exhibition all revolve around the theme of ‘The World Back Then,’ which explores nostalgic elements, retro culture, and parts of my childhood. ”


Pixelated Mario

Perler beads, painted canvas, frame [36.78 x 29.2 cm] “I based this piece on the game Super Mario Bros. 3 from 1989. I presented the piece inside of a small display case with a blue painted canvas board making up the background. I also used foam dividers to make each of the Perlerbead characters pop out and create a 3D effect, much like what is visible in the game." Untitled (2020) Medium

Untitled (2020) Medium

Rubik Pac Man

Rubik’s cubes, wood framing [38.1 x 34 x 8.5 cm]

“I was inspired by Giovanni Contardi, who did this style of art but with much larger pieces. I also framed the pieces in wood, as during the 80’s when Pac-Man came out, wood was a popular aesthetic at the time. The pieces are also not completely accurate to their in-game counterpart; tweaks had to be made to accommodate the color limitations."


Blickel, Gameboy Version Pixel art (made in Aseprite), frame [54.4 x 25 cm]

“This was a piece that I created based on both the Gameboy and a retro video game that I created myself. While the physical Gameboy frame isn’t of my design, I created each of the characters and scenery seen on the Gameboy screens myself. This was presented as a set of four, because the game I made had four worlds, and each Gameboy has a unique world being played. The Gameboy screen colors are also authentic to the real system. The four pieces are all framed together for cohesion.”


A Wild Sprid Appeared!

Alcohol markers, ink pen [45.7 x 61 cm]

“I wanted to capture the emotion of a child exploring the forest and searching for animals. This was what the original Pokémon video game series was based on, and thus I wanted to capture that emotion in the piece. The Pokémon is of my own design, made to emulate those made by Ken Sugimori who designed much of the earlier Pokémon designs. Sprid is the name of the character that appeared in the piece.”

Passing On

Watercolor, ink pen [45.7 x 61 cm]

“Thomas the Tank Engine was a large part of my childhood, which in part was presented to me because my parents introduced me to the franchise at an early age. I captured this image by having an older gentlemen show Thomas, who is a symbol of childhood, to his presumed child or grandson. The colors were chosen to emphasize the child’s youth, and the man’s old age. Fans of the show might even recognize the older gentlemen as Sir Topham Hatt, which is symbolic for parents passing their childhood onward.”


Toys at War

Photography printed on canvas, toy army soldiers, sand [36 x 29 cm]

“I based this piece on the idea of presenting a realistic war scene made up of army soldiers. I created the scene with the toy soldiers in a bucket of sand to give some realistic terrain for the piece. I did want a central character for people to focus on, so I made the focal point a solder with a radio facing the camera. The rest of the scene was burled to allow focus on the foremost soldier that it was a toy, not a person, blurring the line between fiction and reality.”


Louisa Goltry

Untitled (2020) Medium

Untitled (2020) Medium

“Each of the pieces in my body of work relates to the factors that influence our identity, including global, environmental, and historical context, as well as individual choice.” Cosmology of Self

EZ Cut Block, ink, rice paper [17.5 x 17.5 cm]


Scouring the Static Cloth, dye, wax [60 x 70 cm]

“This piece was influenced wildfires in the United States at the time I made it. I explored the dramatic role that natural disasters play in determining our fate through a contrasting color scheme and techniques that created a crackle effect in my final product. The leading lines I created with a wax resist process communicate destruction in unison with reconstruction.”

Decapitated Flower

Newspaper, recycled plastic, egg carton, glue, tape, wire, cardboard, ribbons, plastic tiara, plastic leaves, plastic water bottle, bubble wrap, tinfoil, straws, aluminum cans, foam, lightbulb, computer chips [65 x 65 cm]

“This piece allowed me to explore using a wire armature to display the pluralist identity of people in natural and industrial spheres. This piece built thematically off of the batik I made, but collaging found objects and recyclables forced me to engage with the concept of chaos in a 3D form. The five conservation principles of “refusing, reducing, reusing, rotting, and recycling” waste informed the shape and design of my piece.”


400 Million Fetuses Photopaper [20 x 30 cm]

“This installation refers to the one-child policy in China from 1979-2015. The imagery of boiled eggs is a reference to the disproportionate number of female births prevented by the policy, providing a discourse on the role that gender plays in defining our reality within our global and cultural context. I turned to Marcel Broodthaers style of personifying discomfort t h ro u g h h i s a s y m m e t r i c a l installations as inspiration for my piece.”


Shadowy Perception Photopaper [20 x 30 cm]

“After viewing Kumi Yamashita’s shadow art in a museum, I felt inclined to use the techniques of shadow art to encapsulate individual agency over one’s identity and gender identity in particular. I used a single light source to create a series of images composed not only of solid shapes but also by the silhouette of their shadow. The prominence of the shadow changed depending on how far objects were from the light, and I maintained a set distance in each photo in order to convey unity.”


Last Stand

Wood, fabric, leather, feathers, aluminum, acrylic paint, graphite, bullet shells, puzzle pieces, tissue paper, playing cards [50 x 40 cm] “This piece is a continuation of my experimentation with white space in my body of work, where the subject matter is pictured in the margins between blank canvas space. The collaged depictions of Native American history I used…have many dark values and tones, accentuating the contrast with white spaces. The incomplete narratives about people offered by history surfaces in this piece and I incorporated texture as a means to free these narratives from a fixed state.”

Bibliography of artists used in this collage: William H. Powell. (1855). Discovery of the Mississippi by De Soto. [Oil on canvas.] John Gadsby Chapman. (1840). Baptism of Pocohontas. [Oil on canvas]. John Vanderlyn. (1847). Landing of Columbus. [Oil on canvas]. Cassily Adams. (1896). Custer’s last fight. [Colored lithograph]. Fritz Scholder (1976). American Landscape. [Lithograph on paper]. John Gast. (1872). American Progress. [Chromolithograph].


Caged Bird

Grout, adhesive, glass, paper [60 x 75 cm]

“Consciousness of history is a factor of self-identity. I sought to unpack this idea in relation to my theme through a mosaic because assembling individual pieces of glass into a cohesive pattern developed the aspect of collectivism that relates to my theme. I incorporated excerpts from Maya Angelou’s poem, Caged Bird, and the 14th Amendment to deepen the audience’s interaction with the piece and reflect on the ways words and visuals can complement one another in art.”


Ben Hanson-Kaplan “The aim of my exhibition show is to pass along the message that the threat of climate change is not looming, but very real and imminent.” Lush Furnace

Watercolor [25 x 33 cm]


Looming Darkness

Mixed-media collage, sharpie, graphite pencil [21.6 x 27.9 cm] “The piece illustrates the current relationship between man and the natural world. It includes a legislative building to show the importance of legislature. Again, I present this theme as a call to action for the government to combat climate change. The red letters written on the side of the buildings feign graffiti art. The graffiti art also relates to the medium used in my spray painted art piece as it a symbol of revolution and change. Ominous colors are used to dampen the mood of the reader.”

Present and Future Spray paint [50.8 x 76.2 cm]

“I am spray painting earth from a person in space’s POV, looking at the earth from a removed perspective. This art piece will serve as a representation of the future, of where we are headed. The issue of climate change is of higher importance than other issues as it is an existential threat to the human race itself. Visually, I aim to make the painting shocking but also beautiful. I hope that it will invoke emotions of mild panic and make the reader feel responsible for the damage to the earth.”


Donald Trump and the Black Sharpie Watercolor, colored pencil, pencil [35.6 x 25.4 cm]

“This exhibition piece was created in retort to the contemporary response to the deadly Hurricane Dorian by the president of the united states Donald Trump. The lines in my work all lead towards the center of my piece focusing the viewer’s eye to the subject matter. The piece is a satirical political cartoon hence the depiction of Donald Trump and the use of a speech bubble. The text shows the inability of our government to take significant action against the danger of climate change.”


Fiery Flowers Photograph [27.9 x 35.6 cm]

“I took this photo while on a hike in the Boise Foothills. The colors of the original photo were much more tame and relaxed, while the colors after the edits are jumping out at the viewer. This photo is supposed to symbolize the artificiality in our modern world and how it is taking away from the beauty and value of nature and the outdoors. I achieved this by making the photo look much more artificial by increasing the contrast of the photo as well as accentuating the darks and lights. I used the Adobe Lightroom software for this photo.”


Honggeol Kim “I wanted to create an accurate representation of the personality trait that derives energy from inner life rather than from social events. I strived to illustrate qualities of introspection, solitude, and self-awareness in various mediums.” The Intuitive Listener

Collage, paper [45.5 x 60 cm]


The Observer

Ambience

“I created a color-field painting to reveal the frustrating part about being an introvert: emotional overwhelm. This artwork is heavily influenced by Mark Rothko in which I tried to communicate basic human emotions through form and color. I used pure colors of blue, red, and white to illustrate the overflow of conflicting emotions. I focused on giving it a glossy texture so that it seems like it mirrors the face of a viewer, as if they were looking into their own inner world.”

“I explored pointillism to express the observant nature of introverts. The cool, deep shades of dark blue paired wonderfully with different tints of purple and portrayed an evening sky that would represent the stillness and calmness of introverts. I dabbed dots of pure colors juxtaposed on one another to achieve tonal gradation from the city to the sky. The numerous tiny dots are symbolic because it conveys that introverts often notice little details that others might miss.”

Acrylic on canvas [40 x 50.5 cm]

Watercolor on canvas [30.3 x 36.5 cm]


Detachment Paper clay, wire

“I created a paper clay sculpture to show how introverts interact with others. Like Alberto Giacometti's sculptures, I wanted my long, skinny human sculptures to show how vulnerable we humans are. The simplicity of those figures gave them a very expressive quality; the lack of detail seemed to convey a desperate sincerity. Since introverts gain energy in solitude and quiet, in the back of the figure is a box/room with a clump of clay, where they would return to recharge.”


Downcast Reflection Acrylic on wood [51 x 40.7 cm]

“I explored the conventions of abstract impressionism to portray emotional sensitivity. I focused more on the energetic intensity of the colors to create the reflection of emotions. Also, painting thick daub of colors with a palette knife created layers that I used to imitate the depth of emotions. Through this painting, I wanted to remind myself and others that the recognition and appreciation of emotion provide meaningful insights about ourselves. ”


Ethan Hurt “All of my pieces of work have attempt-ed to encapsulate the theme of contemporary issues in international politics.” The Right to Life

Photo with acrylic paint and paint pen on black posterboard [60 x 50 cm]

“My first piece which focuses on the Anti-ELAB Hong Kong protests was a mixed medium photography piece meant to appear as an artwork that you would see at a protest or hanging from the wall in some alleyway. I wanted to assume the perspective of a protestor against the Chinese and Hong Kong government; thus, I centralized ideas of anonymity and oppression through the uneasy red slash in the middle. The supporting words are there to evoke images within the viewer.”


The Lesser of Two Evils

Acrylic paint and paint pen on wood board [46 x 46 cm]

“The COVID-19 pandemic affected everyone differently, but for this piece I wanted to show the horror domestic abuse victims faced when the first lockdown began. Iconography dominated the symbolism for this piece to demonstrate the relationship between the woman and man. The cartoonish style was meant to show how others tend to disregard and make light of these kinds of situations in favor of larger stories.”


Je Suis Liberté (series)

Digital art made with Krita on glossy paper [20 x 25 cm]

“This series of photos was based on the beheading of a french school teacher and the subsequent conversation about the freedom of expression. The order of the photos was meant to represent a story about how the French government took away the freedom of expression as a result of the bloodbath encountered initially. Strong imagery in each photo was meant to evoke a sense of violence and restlessness from the viewer.”


The Iranian Nosedive and the Explosion of The People Acrylic paint and digital paper made with Krita on white card stock [60 x 45 cm]

“This artwork referenced the events of the UIA-752, but more importantly how the shifting of Iran from a culturalist to militarist state is “sapping” the people of their traditions. Color was the preeminent element in this piece with a lot of the motion of the more colorful aspects “escaping” out of the piece. This was to express how traditional Persians feel like their nation is losing their way in response to Western combatism.”


Nick Liebich “Each art piece has a different view on waste, and added to the theme of wasteland.” Drowning in Waste

Wood sculpture, plastic trash, styrofoam, acrylic paint [11 x 7 x 14 cm]

“My intention was to show how much waste humans produce and to symbolically show how we are drowning in our own waste. The big waves made of trash symbolize the man drawing in the ocean of trash and they are crashing down on him. I hope this piece helps show how much waste humans create and how it will eventually catch up to us and we will not be able to dispose of the waste properly.”


Shriveled Sawtooths

Model magic, acrylic paint, dirt [24 x 18 x 4 cm] “This piece is supposed to symbolize fresh water use. Humans use water irresponsibly and water is a finite resource. I want to show the our natural lakes in the mountains and all of our fresh water resources will dry up if we do not change our habits. The cracked dirt was supposed to show the dried lake bead and the black and brown mountains are supposed to show the plantless mountains because all of the vegetation has died.”

Rhinos Redness

Birch wood, wood finish [6 x 2 x 3 cm]

“This wood carving shows how poaching is hurting the rhino population and we are killing these beautiful animals. I created a rhino without a horn and painted blood dripping to show how the rhino is being poached for such a little part of its body. A rhino is a big beautiful animal humans are killing taking its life for profit. This piece is supposed to show that rhinos are more than just their ivory and that is just one thing that makes them special so we should poach them.”


Dammed Beauty (left) Krita photo editing [11 x 8.5 cm]

“This piece was supposed to depict the beauty that is being blocked by dams. I wanted to show a beautiful natural landscape with a river and mountains because ruined by a huge concrete wall. It symbolizes how dams disrupt the natural environment and take away from natures beauty. Because the dam is so big it is the focal point of the piece and it takes away from the natural beauty like it does in real life.”

Beauty Everywhere (next page) Photography series [11 x 8.5 cm]

“I took photos of a white flower growing in the dump. All of the trash and waste that the flower follows my theme of wasteland well and it shows how much humans really do waste. I wanted to take a more positive approach on this piece and show that despite there being so much waste we can still find beauty in the darkest places. This flower signifies happiness, purity, and growth in a very dark, gross, wasteful scenery. There is a lot of symbolism because it shows the beauty in dark hopeless places.”



Owen Marchant “My exhibition is a selection of works that are all thematically concerned with my own experiences with the outdoors and the ways in which I document those experiences.”

Balme Pass

Watercolor [128 x 55 cm]


Canvas Lense

Acrylic on canvas and found canvas pad [50.8 x 40.6 cm]

“This artwork is an acrylic painting inserted into a found canvas pad packaging. It serves to highlight canvas as an integral tool in the artist processes. Being both durable and probable, it is something that the artist has many times taken backpacking and into the backcountry to do plein air art. By placing the painted landscape into this canvas pad it dedicates a portion of the artist work to the material itself.”


A.I. Interpretations Acrylic on canvas [14 x 4 cm]

“This acrylic demonstrates the complexity of a landscape painting as seen through a digital A.I. technology. This painting is made from a photograph taken in the beartooths that was painted and then put through an AI interpretation software to once more be painted. What is displayed is the two acrylics with the left one being composed from reference of an actual photo with the left acrylic one referencing the AI interpretation. It's purpose is to speak on the individuality of a landscape view and how all mediums for recreating these views ultimately distort and change our interactions with them.”

Three Rules

Printed photography [27.86 x 12.76 cm]

“This artwork is three printed photos. Each photo aims to depict an object that is used to aid the artist's own backpacking trips in a product studio format. By juxtaposing the objects often found in wilderness in dirty environments with the presence, background and environment it brings focus to the importance and integral nature of these objects as tools for survival. This objects while not directly a part of the artist art making processes they are prudent in the creation of plein air art.”


C-19 Zion

Acrylic on canvas [45.5 x 37.2 cm]

“This piece is an acrylic painting that depicts a mountain that lies outside of Greater Zion. This piece was painted on site outside of Apple Valley, Utah. The title is a reference to the situation in which it was created during the quarantine in the result of the outbreak of Coronavirus across the world. The piece demonstrates the societal impacts the virus had and how even though the world was held at a standstill the natural beauties of the world remained the same.”


Nola Mercadante “My theme for this exhibition was ‘Self Image,’ and so the works I present are representative of myself and how I view myself.” Despair

Ink on paper, digital [21 x 30 cm]

“Inspiration for this piece came from very different places. The first was my desire to learn new skills and experiment with new mediums. And so, I decided to use both traditional drawings, in a cartoonesque art style for the self portrait that I’m not familiar with, and digital medium, which I had no prior experience with. The second place of inspiration was the very intense feeling of despair that I had during a political event that threatened my rights as a member of the LGBTQ+ community.“


Healthy Coping Ink on cardstock [65 x 40 cm]

“Inspiration for this piece came from the fact that I am a very anxious person, and so I have taken on creating skills and art to cope. During the creation and planning of this piece I was very anxious and stressed, and so I decided to learn origami. I have a deep affinity for frogs and the fact that the origami version of them is mobile meant that they were perfect. I created the frogs in different colors and patterns to bring me some joy. I still create frogs when stressed.”


Month by Month

Ink on paper, vinyl on paper, watercolor pencils on paper [15 x 21 cm]

“I created this art piece because I take inspiration from a lot of different places: TV, books, photos, sights, textures, anything that evokes a sense. And so, at the start of quarantine in 2020, I decided to take up a bullet journal to help organize my life and to provide a creative outlet. Each month I created a new spread with a new theme based on what I was currently obsessing over. The result is something that I find very dear and personal, but arguably lacks consistency on any front.”


Memory Destinations Acrylic on plastic on cork [65 x 40 cm]

“This piece was inspired by the fact that I have lived in eleven different places, four states and eight countries. It is my belief that these different locations provided me with a variety of different experiences that shaped who I am and what I value. And so, because of this idea, the places that I have lived are intrinsic to my ‘Self Image.’ Additionally, paint chips are something that fill me with a sense of nostalgia, and so it made sense to me to use them as my medium.”


Rose Murphy “My exhibition consists of five pieces that fit under the theme of being stuck.” Quiet Man

Whiskey bottle, wire [22 x 10 x 10 cm]

“Quiet Man Whiskey wrapped in structured wire conveys the trap that alcohol can present for some. The structured and linear wire wrapped around the bottle appears as a cage. The bottle is empty without a lid to depict its use. The colors of brown and mustard yellow compliment the feelings of disgust and shame that accompany dealing with substance abuse issues. By only using the wire to highlight the trap involved with substance abuse issues, the main message of this piece is clear.”


Man and Money

Canvas, clay, mirror, pennies, acrylic paint [25.5 x 10.25 x 20 cm]

“Systematically and institutionally those with greater wealth have been favored over those who have less wealth. In this piece the pennies that cover the magnifying glass symbolize this better treatment as it allows the clay figure to be seen at a larger size. However, when not looked at through the microscope, the person is viewed at a smaller size. Again, depicting this lesser treatment due to lesser wealth.”


Clouds

Adobe Lightroom [25.5 x 20 cm]

“Downtown Spokane presented in an idyllic manner through photo editing depicts troubles involved with the idealization of situations. Though this is a beautiful image, it is not reality, it fails to convey the degradation of the buildings that is evident in the original photo and poverty present in the city. Often, these edited images cause viewers to idealize the location and are disappointed when confronted with the realities of it.”


Consequences

Apple and photo tool [32 x 13.75 cm]

“An apple with lungs carved into it depicted in pictures as it decays overtime conveys the destruction of lungs as a result of smoking for an extended period of time. Carving was done on an apple because as the apple decays it will darken in color and shrivel up, similar to how lungs begin to appear after smoking. Additionally, the decline in the appearance of the apple/lungs directly juxtaposes the saying that “an apple a day keeps the doctor away,” because after a person begins to smoke, no matter how healthy that person eats, their lung function has the possibility of being inhibited.”


Lost

Charcoal and cold press paper [101.6 x 71.12 cm]

“Depression diagnoses have been on the rise in teens with the evolution of social media. With this artwork I hope to convey how depression can cause a deterioration of one’s identity. This piece highlights how depression causes a dissolution of oneself via the tears that smear down, blurring the subjects identity. Charcoal was used to ensure that my piece turned out in various shades of gray and black, emulating the persistent feelings of sadness and loss of interest that accompany depression.”


Victoria Nguyen “The theme of all my artworks is ‘me.’ I chose that theme because I wanted to represent what I love and support.” Lake Louise Acrylic paint [13 x 18 cm]

“What inspired me to paint this was a road trip I took with my aunt and grandma to Canada. I recreated a photo I took on Lake Louise. This trip was very meaningful to me because it was the farthest road trip I’ve ever taken. It took us around 17 hours to get there, on the way there we stopped by Yellowstone National Park. It was also my first time going to Canada, so I was very excited. Lake Louise was breathtaking and the scenery was just so gorgeous. Everything was perfect. The water was so blue and clear, the mountains looked like they were perfectly placed there, and just overall perfect.”


Gnomes

Acrylic paint, clay, cardboard box, and black light [20.32 x 25.4 cm] “Gnomes represent whimsy, charisma, and childlike imagination. These gnomes in particular were inspired by Gnomeo and Julie , one of my favorite childhood movies. Many people use gnomes as protection for their gardens, but to me, they represent comfort. Their effervescence, bright colors, and simplicity bring me joy. Throughout the process of creating my gnomes, I was able to connect with my younger self.”

When the sun sets Acrylic paint [30.48 x 40.64 cm]

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“The intention for this piece was to exhibit what I enjoy doing. One half expresses how much I adore going outside especially at the beach, watching as the sun set and listening to the waves crashing. The other half displays the beautiful nights outside and appreciating the wonderful scenery. I love going on night walks with my family and just breathing in the fresh air.”


Break Free

Acrylic paint, clay, cardboard box, and black light [15.24 x 30.48 cm] “This piece represents the two sides of me. The dull colored fish is a representation of my shyness. Like betta fish: I am very small. The bright-colorful fish represents my confident side. Betta fish means warrior and I feel like it connects with my theme of ‘me’ because I am shy when I first meet people, but once I get to know them and warm up to them I start to come out of my shell. I decided to try gouache paint because it is an in-between for acrylic and watercolor. The soft strokes fit in with the shy fish and the more bold strokes fit in with the confident fish.”

The Bully

Charcoal, colored pencils, and powder charcoal [18 x 19 cm]

“This piece represents the effects of bullying. Charcoal and colored pencils help convey the message. Charcoal gives off a sorrowful mood. Pastel colored pencils give an innocent mood. The orange has mold and the banana is bruised to showcase their sorrow. The shadow hand represents a bully from the past.Sprinkling of loose charcoal represents the spread of bullying.The message of this piece is that one doesn't know what one is dealing with, and that bullying is not a solution.”


Everyday is a new day

Canvas, fake flowers, wooden letter, photos, and yarn [45.72 x 60.96 cm]

“This piece is a representation of my life so far. The ups and the downs. The downs are shown in the black and white image. This connects to the theme of me because everyday we grow and mature one day at a time and the lock and yarn represents that though all the bad and good I am still me and I am still connected with my inner self. The “V” represents me because my name starts with a ‘V’ and my life revolves around being me.”


What goes on in the brain? Paint pens on black canvas [27.94 x 35.56 cm]

“The inspiration was my dad getting a brain tumor taken out. Different parts of the brain give the body different signals. The situation is very stressful and caused a whirl of emotions: sadness, happiness, creativity, and anger. My dad has experienced all of these emotions as he is very weak and cannot walk due to the side of the brain that was affected. The left side controls speech, but he has overcome that. He is such an inspiring person.”


Ryan Parks “All of my pieces throughout this exhibition try to make social commentary on relevant contemporary issues.”

Video Game Champion Sketch with graphite [33.0 x 35.6 cm]

“My first piece takes inspiration from Norman Rockwell’s Marble Champion, but applies the same intention to a more modern childhood activity. This piece displays a girl beating a boy in a seemingly male dominated activity. This piece takes Rockwell’s initial theme and applies it with a completely different setting and medium. I used multiple stock images to help create the characters.”


Football Heroine

Pastel Pencils [45.7 x 30.5 cm]

“In this exhibition piece I took major inspiration from Rockwell’s Football Hero. Rockwell’s initial piece showed themes of bravery and perseverance as the football player received treatment for injuries, and I applied those same themes in this piece. The modern twist to my piece is that the football player is a girl, which was not a common thing in the 1950s. This is meant to display a more inclusive society, while also paying homage to Rockwell’s original piece. I kept a lot of the initial stylistic choices that Rockwell initially used, such as the use of negative space in the background, the positioning of characters, and the sun placed between the characters. I used stock images to aid the development of the characters.”


Freedom to Protest Pen and Ink, Colored Paper [33.0 x 55.9 cm]

“In this exhibition piece I took inspiration from Rockwell’s Freedom of Speech. In this artwork Rockwell displayed democracy in everyday life by showing a man from a small community speak and state his views. In the present day it can sometimes feel more difficult to have a voice, as the country has become very polarized and divided, so to modernize the idea I showed a protest in action. Protesting has become the more modern way to have your voice heard, and I display this with a diverse crowd of people all actively engaged and passionate. I made a pen and ink sketch of all these characters and made a collage of them on a dark blue backdrop. I used several stock images to aid the creation of these characters.”


Abuse of Power Pen and Ink [25.4 x 30.5 cm]

“In this piece, I got inspiration from Rockwell’s Murder in Mississippi as it connected very well to contemporary event that are relevant today. I wanted to display a police officer using unnecessary force on an unarmed minority. I displayed the civilian as a non-threat in this piece and the police officer as the aggressor. I also made the backdrop a more suburban neighborhood setting to display the unnecessary nature of the policeman’s actions. I used multiple stock images to develop the characters and the setting.”


Charlie Paul “My body of work has a central theme of Latin American culture.” Búsqueda De La Salvación Oil Pastel on Paper [46 x 33 cm]

“Búsqueda De La Salvación depicts a man walking towards a church in the middle of a vast and empty desert. I sought to create a piece that reflected the importance of religion in Mexican culture and the commitment and resolve of those belonging to faith. I used mostly pastel shades to reflect colors of the desertscape and soft tones in the sunset. These qualities helped symbolize solitude in the setting sun over a lonely church symbolizing salvation.”


Alzamiento Paper collage [42 x 30 cm]

“I created this piece in hopes of representing the strength of Chile’s people during a time of such chaos and unrest in their history, in the early autumn of 2019. I felt as if the use of multiple overlapping elements in a collage would reflect the unrest and disarray in Chile, drawing the eye to different elements. I used a photo of protestors standing together as inspiration, and used them in the foreground to represent their strength and unity in trying times.”

La Crianza

Spray Paint and Acrylic on Wood [51 x 41 cm]

“Inspired by popular street artist Banksy, I created this piece with the intention of representing the movement against femicide and violence against women in much of South America, and in order to represent the generational responsibility held by men in society. I used color and formative technique to create symbolism in the color of the text and the bleed effect I created with the spray paint. The color red represents danger and intensity, while the pink represents the women of this movement.”


La Mente Del Poder Digital Collage [43.5 x 28 cm]

“For this piece, I set out to depict the resilience of South Americans, this time in Venezuela. I again wanted to utilize the collage medium to incorporate many parts that told a bigger story, and knew that I could do this well if I did so digitally. The symbolism in the piece comes from color and placement, each image having an intentional placement on the bust of Maduro. I am most proud of this piece as it required extensive time and research to learn a medium I had never used before.”


Emma Pietsch These four art pieces are based around my theme of human anatomy. All of these pieces are a reminder to take care of one’s self, learn more, and be respectful to others. Healthy vs. Ill

Color card stock paper and Elmer Stick Glue [30.5 x 30.5 cm]

“This was the first work I did using paper and glue to create a contrast between ill and healthy lungs. I was inspired by Shelley GarciaI and her use of layering to create details and shadows in the lungs. The use of opposite colors for the lungs was to make a dramatic contrast. I wanted to create a fragile feeling and feeling of responsibility for one's own body. I wanted the viewer to feel they were looking at their own lungs and reflect on the choices they have made that affect their body.”


Torture in 1942 Germany

Graphite pencil and Strathmore Sketch Paper [22.5 x 30.5 cm] “I moved away from one organ in the human body to the body as a whole. I was inspired by Cathy Riley’s detailed drawing of human body parts. I used graphite pencil to depict the experiments of humans during WW2. My goal was to express the pain, darkness and loss during this time. I did not want to show the exact torturing or the faces of the people, out of respect for those who died and to not glorify the actions of the Nazis.”

Devolution of Humans Photography and Photoshop [26.5 x 26.5 cm]

“I decided to use photography and adobe photoshop for my third medium. I was inspired by Howard Schatz and his editing and photography skills. My goal was to express the concern of technology’s consequences to the human body. The use of minimal shadows was to help decrease the work of adding shadows as well as highlighting the change in posture for more use of technology. I want the audience to get off their phones more often and genuinely interact and experience society.”


Uncovering of Lines

B Mix White Stoneware Clay and Acrylic paint [18 x 15.4 x 12.5 cm]

“For my last piece, I decided to create in a three dimensional medium. I was inspired by the game Operation and the artist Auguste Rodin. The blue lines represent veins, the red lines represent arteries and the yellow lines represent the nerves. The use of the black line against the dark colors was to make the hand seem like it was in surgery. I wanted the viewer to see the sculpture and learn about the structure of their own hand.”


Bekjigit Saldarov “My theme is Kazak culture, and its ornaments of freedom.” Creation of Kazakh Tutankhamun

Paper [35 x 23 cm]

“My piece represents several cultures. The cultures are Kazakh, Mayans, and Egypt. The reason why I did this is that I always wanted to see something unique that considers different cultures in one art piece. The inside part is Kazakh culture because in Kazakh culture there are a lot of curved-shaped signs, Egypt is the Tutankhamun, and the Mayans are the outside part that represents Mayans’ symbols. Mayans have a lot of signs that represent different meanings like sun, night, and ext. This symbol means the night sign.”


Totem of Kazakhstan Paper [29 x 23 cm]

“This artwork is an educational artwork that educates other cultures about other cultural symbols. I am taking the totem from the Haida tribe and Kazakh ornaments to show that these two cultures represent a story about their tribe or their country. Kazakh symbol is called” ou” this ou put on cloth on special traditional days; specific ornaments represent a story, for the totem pole is a story that happened in that tribe. I want to combine to show a story, of Kazakh a heroic story from the two.”

The Kazakh Mountain View Paper [12 x 5 cm]

“This art piece represents the beauty of the Kazakhstan mountains and how they look when sunset occurs in the background. I first used the picture to get used to the drawing, and then I cut out the clouds and added the sun rising. That's when I was inspired to draw this. I also tried to make the colors combine but, I don't have the skills. However, I was trying to accomplish that by sketching my artwork repeatedly. In the end, I considered decreasing the size to give more variety to my exhibition pieces.”


Kazakh and native American horse blanket Embroidery [25 x 25 cm]

“This artwork combines imagery from two different cultures. The horse blanket is used daily by native tribes and Kazakh people. This artwork shows that two different cultures have similarities, although the two cultures live in other parts of the world. The blanket design is from the native tribe and the ornaments, which represent freedom, are from the Kazakh culture. This image will acknowledge Kazakh culture and native American culture and show viewers that common ground exists.”


Jacoby Smith “A common theme between the pieces are represented through the alteration of the natural world.”

Barren Ridge

Acrylic Basic Paint on Watercolor paper [32 x 50 cm]

“The piece depicts an impression of George Edmond Butler’s Bellevue Ridge which was created during the Neo-Romantic age in 1918. Rather than only creating a piece that represents the harsh critique of society by the realists, two pieces contrast each other. The same scene displays the raw beauty of the world and enhances life through the sun’s appearance. As the gray hue victimizes the simple world and reminds viewers of human destruction and its consequences.”


Pentimento Poppy

Personal Image / Oil Pastel / Structured Canvas - Laminated [40 x 50 cm]

“The piece is a form of alteration art creating focus on certain elements. This Pentimento Art blurs reality and forms picturesque depictions of art compositions. The printed image is covered in oil pastel blurring the surrounding world and centralizing the dog. The hazy background yet calming presence of the bold black Labrador blend together inspiring different perceptions of the wild. This multifaceted approach invites viewers to appreciate natural life and block out surrounding factors.”

Ad Mare (At The Seaside)

Basic Watercolor Paint / Light Grain Paper / Thin Colored Pencils [23 x 30 cm]

“This work is an altered depiction of Eugène Boudin’s Cliffs of Etretat which was created in 1890 during the French Post-Impressionism. The piece conveys a beautiful and natural seaside that includes harmonizing shrubbery. The landscape holds a hat and glass alluding to future states. Contrasting arbitrary items such as the hat and glass express the human alteration of the natural world. The once glowing French seaside was transformed by Bourgeoise for artificial profit.”


False Hope

Colored Pencils / Diluted Watercolor Mix / Found Images / 20 lbs Bond Paper [23 x 30 cm]

“This conceptual artwork explores the realm of current man made issues and global dilemmas. Rather than highlighting the beauty of the outdoors, the collected trash and waste hide what should be shown underneath a beautiful sunrise and rose. Viewers relate to the products and are encouraged to question the message. How can a flower atop mistakes not be hope? The contrast of the words and flower display false hope and reveal what must be changed in the world today. The piece sparks controversy.”


Wilderness Freedom

Personal Image / Oil Pastel / Acrylic Paint [20 x 24 cm]

“The work was developed to create a lasting image of what freedom should look like in the wilderness. The vast landscape image is covered with acrylic and pastel in certain places to enhance beauty and life. The shadowing trees and stretching sky are reflected in the water that the viewer is placed in. The unrestricted position allows the trees to appear freely in the jagged mountains that mimic the chaotic world. The ashen hue is left alone to stress beauty in lively features.”


Faye Stokes “The artworks in my exhibition all relate to my theme ‘Societal Deconstruction,’ which focuses on examining parts of society that deal with social change, norms, standards, movements, etc.”

Holding Our Dark Reality Paper Mache on Plaster Cast [20.3 x 9 x 5 cm]

“This piece is of a hand holding a black sphere representative of earth. The hand is covered in newspaper articles about the climate crisis and the ‘Problem of Our Planet.’ Together, the hand, articles, and black sphere work to represent how climate change is placing a toxic hold on the future of our planet. The placement of the hand wrapping around the sphere encourages the audience to consider actions that they can take in order to hold their own future.”


SELF

Acrylic Paint on Mirror [78 x 43.8 cm]

“This piece is of a distorted self-image in the mirror that reflects how standards set by society distort our self images and senses of identity. The figure’s body is blurred together in the chest area, and its face is distorted both in terms of facial structure, eye size, and color. When the audience views the piece, they see themselves as this figure in the mirror, allowing both audience interaction and provoking conversations about body standards”


Power and the Femine (Series) Acrylic on Canvas, Cotton Thread [22 x 30.5 cm (Each)]

“This piece is a set of two canvases, connected by thread representing an internalized struggle. In the left canvas a woman is lying back, being pulled by the embroidered thread towards the woman facing away and standing independently with internal ties to the struggling female figure. The relationship between these two canvases represents the internalized struggle women face against oppression, hyper-sexualization, and the internalized male-gaze even after these issues have been confronted.”

Phases

Acrylic on Canvas [45.7 x 61 cm]

“The three faces in this piece stretch between one another, showing the different phases of feelings that young people in the United States are experiencing as a result of living through trauma at young ages (the pandemic, mass shootings, etc.) and becoming numb to it. First experiencing anger (left), then numbness (center), and lastly hopelessness (right). The color usage is symbolic with negative/sad feelings, and the pure black background works to show hopelessness via a void-like surrounding.”


Cómo Florece la Esperanza “How Hope Blossoms”

Acrylic/Spray Paint on Wood [111 x 182 cm]

“This piece is a wooden wall made to reflect modern protests, most notably the West Bank Wall, with regards to issues in my country. The wall shows black painted fencing reflecting the US-Mexico border, and a stock line that represents for-profit prisons piercing a person’s chest. From the falling line blooms flowers, representing hope, and a hand reaching over from the top of the border wall to latch onto that hope. The piece ends with the phrase ‘How Hope Blossoms’ translated to Spanish.”


Haiming (Ruby) Wang “The overarching theme of my exhibition is how to view the Chinese culture from an eastern perspective, because of my unwavering affection for China.” The starting Photography [20 × 25 cm]

“The terracotta army is a perfect embodiment of funerary art buried with Qin Shihuang with the purpose of protecting him as an emperor in the afterlife. Instead of photographing any individual warrior, the panoramic shot of the mighty and majestic military array would better display his achievement of the first time unifying the central plains in Chinese history. The black and white tones of the entire work carry the significance that the Qin dynasty is the beginning of the five thousand years of civilization and centralized feudalism in China.”


The Nightmare of Luxury

Acrylic on canvas board [35 × 46cm]

“The Potala Palace depicted in the painting is the residence where Dalai Lamas have lived for generations, which stands on the top of Tibet just as the Lama’s absolute supreme regime over the region. The night view full of stars and galaxies was painted as sumptuously as luxurious as possible to indicate their life of extreme enjoyment. Inversely, I intended to use the palace as a symbol to imply the compulsory exploitation and inhumane abuse towards the serfs who yearned for freedom and equality”

Traverse the Ancient Jiangnan Watercolor on cotton paper [13 x 19 cm]

“Unlike the royal gardens in northern China, which have a heavy imperial and repressive atmosphere, the classical gardens in Jiangnan clearly reflect the ancient Chinese outlook on nature and value. Gardens were built based on water, surrounded by water mist, giving out an ethereal beauty and harmony. This artwork captures a feeling of going back thousands of years to the time poets gathered here to pursue elegant Confucianism life, free from worldly disturbance and strife.”


⾰命 (Revolution)

Cardboard, Purchased plastic peach blossom, Found newspaper, Found photography images [30 x 60 x 3 cm]

“This artwork aims to satirize the catastrophic impacts of cultural revolution on China’s economy and population. The five upright figures in the middle are the culprits leading the nation to pursue unrealistic Proletarianism, confiscating personal assets. Inspired by the poem “The peach blossom spring”, sharing the similar idea of a utopian society state, the bloody peach blossoms reveal the urgent chaos of that day, in which civilians have lost their mind and put the essential education and work aside.”


Home Forever Photography [30 x 35 cm]

“The photos were taken at dusk on the first day I woke up at the quarantined hotel. I was in a trance, forgetting where I was, and the silence in the room enveloped me with contemplation, but the bamboo forests outside the window and the fragrance of cypress trees and magnolia wafting in reminded me that I was finally home. Though that feeble beam of light was the only light source in the whole piece, I adjusted it even dimmer than the actual scene to match the calm in my heart and emphasize this longlost tranquility after being trapped abroad.”


Blessing

Thread, Tassel, String, Hand-sewn fabric, Purchased cardboard [10 x 10 x 3 cm]

“This amulet series, an extension of traditional Chinese folk handicrafts, is the sincere prayer for medical workers on the frontline of the fight against the epidemic as they are exposed to COVID-19 every moment. Drawing on the essence of the ancient text The Classic of Mountains and Seas, warding off evil and trouble, patterns of lotus, peach, kirin, and red carp were used, respectively, on behalf of longevity, security, luck and health. These are the gratitude for their efforts, and I hope they will return daily soon.”


Julia Watson “My work centers around the theme of alternate realities; to me, this theme represents chaos, disorder, fantasy, juxtaposing ideas and unconventional expression.” Dylancemental

Magazine page collage accompanied with jelly bean mosaic on scrapyard wood [61 x 51 cm]

“This artwork demonstrates mental displacement. Mental health was wellconnected to the theme of this exhibition: alternate realities. The main message for this piece was to emphasize the juxtaposing realities between what someone is experiencing within their own mind versus the reality visible from the outside. The title is a combination of ideas including the muse, Dylan Powell, and the words displacement and mental. The jelly bean inspiration was drawn from the mosaic artist Kristen Cummings.”


Peace Flowering in the Heart of Politics

Pencil drawing on magazine page collage [22 x 22 cm]

“This piece represents the power of peaceful protest. Flowers which are symbolic of peace can take root in even the most hardened and lifeless heart. The B&W drawing represents the depressing state of conflict the flowers have taken root in; outside the heart, colors bring life back to the lifeless heart. Flowers blooming in a human heart enforces the theme of alternate realities: encouraging a surreal view of the world. This conflict symbolizes the peaceful protesting in the Vietnam war.”

Hellish Skies

Fine-point sharpie drawing on salt & watercolor painting [32 x 29 cm]

“Fiery skies emulate a grim future; the world has not yet reached this alternate reality of hellish destruction, but this piece warns the audience of the future should they continue their state of disassociation from the natural world. In contrast to the sleek uniform buildings, the chaotic raging skies represent the irreversible damage humans do unto the earth without a thought for future generations. The beacon of hope is the salt, creating a silver lining should we choose to act differently.”


Mural

Acrylic paint mural [150 x 165 cm]

“I have used colorful lighting around the mural to present my work from multiple lighting perspectives which helps with the multifaceted nature of it. Without the colorful lighting this mural demonstrates a more traditional perspective, but with the lighting, it demonstrates the elevated affect lighting has on the audience’s interpretation of the art. This change is color and shape emphasizes the idea of the chaos and fantasy found in alternate realities.”


River Woodruff “The theme that runs through all of my exhibition pieces is the importance of preservation of wilderness through appreciation of wild places.”

Dirt Silhouette

Digital photography


Above and Below Digital photography

“Personal experience led to this photo project, along with a time constraint. I ride this corner often, and every time I go through it I wonder at the abundance of Arrowleaf Balsamroot flowering around it. The curve of the corner and the view of Boise down the drainage are fantastic pieces that add to the spot as well. When the flowers started to wilt, I had to get it done. They make the shot. We went about 45 minutes before sunset, during golden hour, to compliment the vibrance of the flowers, and I had Taavi, an experienced rider with proper body position, ride it for me. The foreground blur of flowers in the top shot compliments the warm sunburst, while the shadow line in front of the bike in the bottom shot goes well with the cooler sky there. Simple saturation and light corrections were all that was needed for bottom, top I altered the shade and luminance of the yellows and oranges slightly for a more cohesive palette.


Whitetail Couloir Acrylic on board

“My intention for the Whitetail Peak piece was to introduce creativity into my outdoor pursuits and try out a new style of painting. I chose the subject while browsing pictures of the Beartooth Plateau in Montana, because I’ll be exploring there this summer. It’ll be cool to see a peak in person that I’ve already viewed through a creative lens. Painting it, then possibly skiing it, could make the experience quite unique. I had never used a knife for a large piece before, so I learned new skills.”

Beartooth Daydream Chalk pastel

In this piece I tried a new medium of chalk pastel. My goal was to take advantage of my previous experience with pencil and pen mountains, but also be able to combine colors and shade more easily. I based this piece off of a photo found online. I chose the specific photo because of its vibrant colors, and the presence of a clear foreground, middle ground, and background. The snow on each side of the peak also presented an opportunity to practice a subject I anticipate depicting in the future.


Twin Castle

Watercolor and digital photography

“This exhibition piece is a painting of a landscape photo on a watercolor paper print of one of my film cameras. The camera will be in the center of the painting, surrounded by the landscape. This represents how central the natural world is to my creativity. The print/painting is 13x19 inches long. In creating this piece, I want to convey the beauty of wilderness, as well as the mediums I use to capture that beauty. I love the analog nature of the piece, from the film camera to the physical print. I rarely see photography portrayed away from social media or the internet, even though the act of taking photos in the wilderness is on the opposite end of the spectrum from those things. That makes this project an interesting juxtaposition.”


Table of Adventures Design, carpentry, pen/ink

“My intention for this artwork was to create a visual depiction of my adventures and misadventures in the backcountry around McCall. I used a map making service called CalTopo to design the map, adding custom layers such as slope angle shading and shaded relief to give the map more depth and relief, so the terrain “pops”. I printed the two maps high res large scale (42x46) on matte paper at Evermore Prints, and then annotated with black pen to denote where I’ve been and what I’ve seen, and orange to represent routes or places I want to achieve. The prints are displayed on a table that I created out of plywood and lumber, with a plexiglass top so that the maps can be used for planning more adventures in the future, and to inspire more artworks that fit within my theme of wilderness.”


Preservation

Recycled scultpure

“Nearly every aspect of this recycled sculpture piece is symbolic. The origin of the sign, as a piece of infrastructure that was created then destroyed by human influence, sets the stage for the meaning of the piece. Secondly, one half of the sign is preserved, while the other is destroyed. This came about naturally through the car damage, but was also accentuated by my efforts. It highlights the destructive nature of human influence. Lastly, the most obvious alteration, the word preserve, is meant to bring the elements together and make clear the need for preservation of natural places as opposed to further roads and development.”


West Central Spring Acrylic on canvas

“This piece stems from my appreciation for spring in the mountains around McCall, Idaho. The fade from white snow on the peaks to bare ground and forest as the elevation drops is a phenomenon unique to this time, and creates beautiful contrast, highlighting the striking vertical relief of the mountains. In order to further emphasize the peaks, I created a sky that is reminiscent of late sunset, with streaky pink and gray abstracted clouds. The subject matter connects to my other pieces well, furthering my theme of wilderness.”


Taavi Zoller “The theme ‘Nature and its Change Over Time’ allowed me to express the negative changes in the Idaho wilderness in a creative and engaging way.”

Held by a String

Mixed media: wood, nails, and string [26 x 64 cm]

“I used string as the primary medium in this exhibition piece because the main idea I am conveying is the lack of connectedness between urban and rural areas, and because string purpose is to connect things it symbolizes that perfectly. I used different colors on each side; one with black only and the other with a much brighter color palette to further establish this theme. The recycled wood background helps the piece feel organic while not taking away from the focus.”


Swept to Extinction

Mixed media: leaves, pencil, and watercolor on paper [47 x 37 cm] “When brainstorming ideas and mediums for this piece I knew I wanted to do something creative and different. Inspired by Banksy’s symbolic and engaging works, I used mixed mediums and powerful symbolism to connect my work to my theme. The leaves symbolize change over time, namely the extinction of animals. I incorporated the man sweeping to illustrate the lack of concern towards animal extinction in our society today.”

Epoxy Rivers Wood and epoxy [25 x 37 x 2 cm]

“This is a simplistic piece that expresses my interest in creative mediums. I enjoy experimenting with new unfamiliar mediums, not only so I can work on new skills but also so I can develop my creative expression. I intended to make wider areas colored green to signify the location of a dam, but when I poured the epoxy the colors blended together and it became much harder to distinguish.”


Glass Seasons

Wood and stained glass [35 x 35 x 20 cm]

“This work utilizes the mediums stained glass and wood to create a unique interactive piece. I used external lighting to project the glass mountains onto the wall behind the piece. This adds a secondary layer to the piece itself. When spun not only does the stained glass mountains on the wood change, but the size, shape, and color of the projected light mountains do as well. The purpose of this is to symbolize seasons changing through another aspect.”




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