Without|Within: BA Spring 2021 Capstone Exhibition Catalogue

Cover illustration and design by Morgan LaCasse

Contents Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Nathan Brzycki. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Emily Christensen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Thor Cramer Bornemann. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Jingyi Dong. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Sarah N. Duncan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Joshua Fraser. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Evan Halada. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Sharon Hoang. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Mary Hunsader . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Brianna Jean . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Karina Kessler. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Emily Klesel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Laura Kray. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Morgan LaCasse. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Sam Maret. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Sara Ohlin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Gram Peterson. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Lalita Prachanty. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Jenna Schlenz. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Love (Kristen) Soun . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Emma Stalker. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Maddie Stumbaugh. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Corra Thompson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Alex Tuthill-Preus. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Maya Ulrich . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Kaylah Vogt. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Lujia Yu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

5 7 11 17 21 25 31 33 35 39 45 51 55 61 65 71 77 79 81 87 93 97 103 111 117 121 125 129

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INTRODUCTION Without|Within is a collection of artworks that explore relationships between feelings such as fear, anxiety, grief, and hope. The artists in this exhibition use artmaking as an outlet to think, reflect, come to terms with, and navigate our world—inside and out. Without|Within includes diverse media such as painting, film, digital art, mixed media installation, drawing, printmaking, photography, bonsai design, comics, illustration, sculpture, animation, sound, and moving image. A catalogue accompanies the online exhibition including artist statements and additional images, as well as a YouTube channel featuring the moving image works.

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Endurance, 2021, Digital art, 10 x 12 inches

NATHAN BRZYCKI In this series, Symbiosis, I use my Wacom Tablet and Clip Studio Paint digital software to depict three portraits of animals with animal skulls and muscles attempting to merge with and corrupt the animals, as they break free. The series is inspired by my fascination with combining the regular and the absurd, through animalistic or feral ways. This series takes a somewhat more realistic approach on this concept compared to my previous work, giving this series a more intimate and closed off feeling. I also find this line between death and life very intriguing, combining those elements and contrasting those elements against each other, which is something I navigate in this series.

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Embrace, 2021, Digital art, 10 x 12 inches

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Continuance, 2021, Digital art, 10 x 12 inches

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Productivity, 2021, Digital drawing, 1255 x 1000 pixels each

EMILY CHRISTENSEN emilychristensenportfolio.weebly.com

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Tomatoes, 2021, Digital drawing, 1000 x 1364 pixels each

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Untitled, 2021, Digital drawing, 1600 x 1000 pixels

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stumbling through the window (detail), 2021, Documentary archival winter footage and music, 23 minutes

See the entire film on the UMN Department of Art YouTube Channel in the BA 2021 Capstone Films playlist

THOR CRAMER BORNEMANN stumbling through the window emerges from a feeling of transition, isolation within small spaces, and the physical change of the environment around me. As something that may qualify as “slushwave”, I directly attempted to translate the visual and physical experiences of slush, snow, and ice into something the ears can take in through a music format. This could all be seen as a metaphoric and subconscious representation of the current transitional period I am going through in my life as well, as I continue onward as an artist and as the seasons change once again.

This project expands upon my skills as a musician and a sampler. The act of taking music from outside sources and molding it into something new with a fresh context is fundamental to my work and I see this as a direct extension from the sampling techniques on my last album, with karaoke accents. Stumbling through a window shows my developed fluency in the art of sampling and worldbuilding, and wears my creative interests on its sleeve. @will_dj_your_coma

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stumbling through the window (detail), 2021, Documentary archival winter footage and music, 23 minutes

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stumbling through the window (detail), 2021, Documentary archival winter footage and music, 23 minutes

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Wind, 2021, Digital illustration, 6.8 x 6.8 inches

JINGYI DONG This series of work portrays three common natural elements, wind, water, and fire. These digital drawings are inspired by my experiences in nature and my memories of traveling before the Covid-19 pandemic. I use lines and grids in this series to explore the power and beauty of nature.

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Water, 2021, Digital illustration, 6.8 x 6.8 inches

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Fire, 2021, Digital illustration, 6.8 x 6.8 inches

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invitation to pause (detail), 2021, Mixed media, 8 x 5 feet

SARAH N. DUNCAN In invitation to pause, I combined six painted framed mirrors with woven fibers to create this front-fence installation. As spring returns and with it the anniversary of the beginning of the pandemic, what has unravelled and what is coming together? What do I see reflected? My body, a neighbor, the ground? In the invitation series, I’m exploring the idea of hospitality in this time of extreme domesticity. @sduncan235

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invitation to pause, 2021, Mixed media, 8 x 5 feet

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invitation to pause (detail), 2021, Mixed media, 8 x 5 feet

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invitation to pause (detail), 2021, Mixed media, 8 x 5 feet

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Sanitary Insanity, 2021, Short film, 7 minutes and 15 seconds

See the entire film on the UMN Department of Art YouTube Channel in the BA 2021 Capstone Films playlist

JOSHUA FRASER I first record bits and pieces of film and in the process start molding an idea out of what has been recorded. Once an idea has formed I record the missing shots and re record shots that could be better. This piece is inspired by covid time and the unrest I can’t seem to get around over the past year. This film takes themes that I have explored in a few past works and pushes them to an even more experimental place in film.

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After Thought, 2021, Stop-motion photography

See the entire film on the UMN Department of Art YouTube Channel in the BA 2021 Capstone Films playlist

EVAN HALADA I’ve always been fascinated with the relationship we have to roses. They exist within nearly every culture and their meaning changes by color, height, species, season, or display. Using this series, I wanted to explore how, as individuals, we perceive the rose and project meaning onto them based on the context they exist within. By manipulating the roses that exist within this series, I also hope to manipulate my audience’s perception of the rose in a way that surpasses the means of this project. I suggest that people who see this work begin to question their perceptions on the world around them and recognize that meaning is only created via perception. evanhalada.com

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Eyes on you, 2020, Ink on paper, 4.5 x 5.5 inches

SHARON HOANG In Your Illusion series, I am using inking as primary medium, playing with lines and negative space to tell the narrative about “human fears” and “the illusion” - express human fears in actual shapes and forms that people could actually see.

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Hand down, 2020, Ink on paper, 9 x 6 inches

Silence, 2020, Ink on paper, 9 x 6 inches

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Roses, 2021, 2020, Oil on canvas, 20 x 16 inches

MARY HUNSADER I am a watercolorist foremost, but I like to also work in oils, acrylics and mixed media. My work is brilliantly colored washes that build into very realistic landscapes, still lives and portraits. I live in St. Paul, MN but lived in Southern California for many years and the vibrant hues of the Southern California environment made me realize that watercolors were the most powerful and simultaneously delicate medium to portray the beautiful and mesmerizing scenes I saw all around me.

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Churchill Downs, 2018, Watercolor and acrylic on canvas, 9 x 7.5 feet

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Como Park, 2020, Oil on canvas, 16 x 20 inches

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Como Park, 2014, Watercolor on watercolor paper, 11 x 13 inches

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untitled, 2021, Photograph, 14 x 9 inches

BRIANNA JEAN @bbbriannajean

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untitled, 2021, Photograph, 14 x 9 inches

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untitled, 2021, Photograph, 14 x 9 inches

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untitled, 2021, Photograph, 14 x 9 inches

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Somewhere Foreign, 2021, Acrylic on canvas, 24 x 32 inches

KARINA KESSLER Creating a painting is as much a physical experience for me as it is a mental or spiritual one. Many paintings I create are reminiscent to places I have been in my life (physically and emotionally) and the thoughts and feeling I had whilst there.

My process begins by referencing images, to develop a basic understanding of what the landscape looks like. After a while I set the photos down and let my mind and hand take over, expressing my emotions and reflecting on my experiences. The final piece almost never turns out how I originally envisioned it, but I find beauty in that process.

Why landscapes? They are my way to try to capture the essence of what I find so beautiful in this world. I hope to be able to look at my paintings and travel into the space – enjoying the scents, the sounds, and the overall beauty. @the_colors_ofmymind

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Returning Home, 2021, Acrylic on canvas, 24 x 32 inches

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Familiars: Earl, 2021, Linoleum cut print, 5 x 7 inches

EMILY KLESEL Emily Klesel is a student of environmental science, entomology and printmaking. In order to connect these three areas of study, much of her artwork uses scientific theory on animal behavior, ecology and domestication as allegories for themes associated with health, the human body and environmental justice.

In her series, Familiars, Emily takes a more personal approach on these concepts by exploring her relationship with her pets. By lovingly etching and carving the forms of her animals through the process of printmaking, Emily attempts to create a conversation on the mental health benefits of caring for something other than yourself. The ritualistic nature of printmaking is also explored in Familiars with the stone lithographs of Chloe and Marcy. The lithograph attempts to communicate the process of grieving and healing by adopting a new dog (Marcy) to take the place of a recently deceased dog (Chloe). The practice of printmaking became very soothing for the artist in order to “process” the period of transition. @bugwitch_prints

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Familiars: Chloe, 2021, Stone lithograph print, 9.5 x 11 inches

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Familiars: Marcy, 2021, Stone lithograph print, 9.5 x 11 inches

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Familiars: Earl, 2021, Linoleum cut print, 5 x 7 inches

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The Symbols We’re Born With, 2021, Ink and acrylic paint, 16 x 18 inches

LAURA KRAY My piece The Symbols We’re Born With is inspired by self portraits. Just as we cannot choose the face we are born with our date of birth is accompanied with innate inescapable symbols. This concept is explored through my own rendition of a self portrait. My piece features all of my own innate symbols: my chinese zodiac, astrological zodiac, elemental sign, gender and the flower of the month I was born in. The combination of all these symbols results in a self portrait that is devoid of my actual face.

In my piece Shelter in Place I utilized watercolor painting and collage techniques to achieve the layered texture in the work. The piece is inspired by the covid pandemic and the shelter in place mandate. The tortoise is a play on the mandate as tortoises are always in a shelter in place.

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Shelter in Place, 2021, Watercolor paint, 14 x 16 inches

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The Narrative, the Self and The Journey (Part 1), 2021, Watercolor and sumi ink on paper, 3 x 3 inches each

MORGAN L ACASSE The Narrative, the Self, and the Journey is a three-part series of self-portraits, including both literal depictions and symbolic representations in the form of retro televisions and Fiat 500 cars. Placed within a ten by ten grid, the small watercolor and semi ink paintings each measure three by three inches.

Its repetition and scale explore the balance between anxious obsessiveness and the comfort of reiteration. Inspired by pixelated graphics and computer animations, The Story, the Self, and the Journey complements my typical digital illustration and design work. @morguedesign

morguedesign.com

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The Narrative, 2021, Watercolor and sumi ink on paper, 3 x 3 inches each

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The Self, 2021, Watercolor and sumi ink on paper, 3 x 3 inches each

The Journey, 2021, Watercolor and sumi ink on paper, 3 x 3 inches each

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The Narrative, the Self and The Journey (Part 2), 2021, Watercolor and sumi ink on paper, 3 x 3 inches each

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Lucid Page 1, 2021, Digital, 706 x 1000 pixels

SAM MARET In Lucid, I use my Drawing Tablet and Clip Studio Paint. By using bold ink lines and minimal colors, I seek to create a story with an introspective and dreamlike feel. This short zine is inspired by my own experiences with lucid dreaming, as well as the creative and mental struggles I face in day to day life. The story reflects my thoughts on dealing with mental illness and my struggle to keep control.

My previous digital work has used similar visual cues and themes of mental health, but Lucid has expanded upon my approach to visual storytelling as seen in said work, as well as takes a more personal and thoughtful approach to the subject matter. @levorite

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Lucid Page 2, 2021, Digital, 1412 x 1000 pixels

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Lucid Page 3, 2021, Digital, 1412 x 1000 pixels

Lucid Page 4, 2021, Digital, 1412 x 1000 pixels

Lucid Page 5, 2021, Digital, 1412 x 1000 pixels

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Lucid Page 6, 2021, Digital, 1412 x 1000 pixels

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Lucid Page 7, 2021, Digital, 1412 x 1000 pixels

Lucid Page 8, 2021, Digital, 1412 x 1000 pixels

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Untitled, 2021, Plaster on wood panel, 3 x 3 feet

SARA OHLIN This work explores the barriers between intentional and unintentional movement. I wanted to create piece that represents this past year. While applying the plaster to the wood I was unsure of where it was going to end up during the creation process. This painting illustrates the unpredictability that this world holds. Compared to my previous work this piece takes the viewer on a journey of uncertainty throughout each movement and each stroke.

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Lonely as fvck, 2021, Stop motion experimental short length visual piece

See the entire film on the UMN Department of Art YouTube Channel in the BA 2021 Capstone Films playlist

GRAM PETERSON This film is a showcase of my current abilities with stop motion animation. I made this film to test my skills and to see if I could convey emotion through my animation. @futchiman

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Kaleidoscope, 2021, Digital, 2550 x 3000 pixels

LALITA PRACHANTY I create illustrations using traditional and digital techniques inspired by religious imagery and themes of rebirth. They often center on the complexity and messiness of an individual’s experience through original characters situated in surrealist, fantastical narratives. These narratives include experiences like learning how to move on from the past and trying to redeem oneself.

This series captures the idea of naïve idolism placed upon a conjured and impossible being that can only exist within one’s fantasy. A sort of hopeful admiration and envious desire to become an individual straight from a storybook fantasy born without any flaws whatsoever. This miserable attempt at becoming a fictional and idealized person by forcibly changing one’s self is the conversation my series explores. @croviidae

lprachantyillust.carrd.co

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Ventures of a Folk Hero, 2021, Digital, 1000 x 1000 pixels each

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Alternate Realities, 2021, Digital, 2550 x 3000 pixels

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LET’S PLAY!, 2021, 35mm film, 11 x 7 inches

JENNA SCHLENZ These photographs included in my exhibition were an experiment of different lighting, backgrounds, and Lightroom and Photoshop editing.

My favorite thing to do is take photos on my multiple thrifted 35mm film cameras and taking them straight to Lightroom. Playing with different contrast levels and distortion and collages is very fun and I loved working on my senior exhibition. @jennaschlenz

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AFTER HOURS, 2021, 35mm film, 11 x 7 inches

HELLO?, 2021, 35mm film, 11 x 7 inches

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PARANOID, 2021, 35mm film, 11 x 7 inches

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Cambodia Feel the Warm (detail), 2021, Video, 3840 x 2160 pixels

See the entire film on the UMN Department of Art YouTube Channel in the BA 2021 Capstone Films playlist

LOVE (KRISTEN) SOUN As an advertising and art major, I dedicated my capstone project to create a promotional video for tourism in Cambodia. With almost 10 million foreign tourists visiting every year, Cambodia has become one of the top destinations to visit in Southeast Asia. Cambodia offers more than just authentic culture and rich traditions, but also wonderful travel and education experiences. Regardless of your traveling purposes and interests, you can enjoy full experiences in Cambodia including cultural, ecotourism, adventure, backpacking, wildlife, business, foods, cruise, education, pilgrimage, education, wellness and so much more. Located in the heart of Southeast Asia, Cambodia is home to great tropical forests, ancient ruins, religious, world heritage sites and most beautiful beaches in the world. I hope this project will help you learn more about the top places and things to do when visiting Cambodia.

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Cambodia Feel the Warm (detail), 2021, Video, 3840 x 2160 pixels

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Fancy Dancer, 2021, Digital photomontage, 5 x 8 inches

EMMA STALKER These digital photomontages created in Adobe Photoshop were inspired by the rock climbing community. Within the last year, there have been several professional and Olympic climbers sharing their stories about their mental health struggles with anxiety, depression, eating disorders, and insomnia.

Focusing on athletics for the enjoyment of them or the emotional and physical benefits of being active rather than what an individual’s body looks like, should be the goal of recreational activities.

Rock climbing is an inherently dangerous sport, so it is imperative that individuals take care of themselves and fuel their bodies appropriately. These three images highlight the amazing places in Minnesota that I have climbed at and serve as a way to express gratitude for my body, the environment, and the ability to safely take part in a physically and mentally demanding sport.

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Hidden Agenda, 2021, Digital photomontage, 5 x 8 inches

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Sacred Biscuit, 2021, Digital photomontage, 5 x 8 inches

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how am i supposed to know myself?, 2020, Acrylic paint on canvas, 36 x 52 inches

MADDIE STUMBAUGH Maddie Stumbaugh is an interdisciplinary artist and student located in Minneapolis, MN. While they explore various mediums including ceramics, drawing, digital illustration, animation, and printmaking, Maddie primarily works with acrylic paint on canvas to create vibrant, yet simultaneously dreary, figurative paintings that navigate conversations of interpersonal relationships, deep-seated emotions, and factors of identity. Maddie’s current body of work serves as a catalog of their own experiences navigating new sectors of her life while entering into adulthood. It is through the use of vacant spaces, amorphous figures, and evocative facial expressions that Maddie discusses topics of gender, sexuality, religion and the ways in which these identities intersect and overlap one another. @maddiestumbaughart

maddiestumbaughart.com

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and i wonder if you think about me too, 2021, Acrylic paint on canvas, 36 x 48 inches

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they’ve been visiting for a while now, 2021, Acrylic paint on canvas, 18 x 24 inches

tell me what you’re afraid of, 2019, Acrylic paint on canvas, 18 x 24 inches

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through three years, 2019, Acrylic paint on canvas, 12 x 18 inches

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trying to be mindful, 2020, acrylic paint on canvas, 16 x 20 inches

if you didn’t raise me to be this way, then who did?, 2021, Acrylic paint on canvas, 36 x 60 inches

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feeling disconnected, 2020, Acrylic paint on canvas, 18 x 24 inches

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nothing more, nothing less, 2021, Acrylic paint on canvas, 16 x 20 inches

death and the maiden, 2019, Acrylic paint on canvas, 18 x 24 inches

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Duality, 2021, Mixed media on paper, 22 x 30 inches

CORRA THOMPSON Corra Thompson is a mixed media illustrator from northern Minnesota.

She is inspired by the flora and fauna of her lifelong Minnesota home and how nature can intersect with the dialog among discussions of mental health, healing, and overall mental wellness. Using ink, watercolors, and colored pencils as her main mediums, she explores the dual themes of nature and mental health with rich colors and animal, plant, and occasionally human subjects. She is currently working on expanding the interdisciplinary nature of her practice and finding new ways to combine her many interests in nature, mental health, writing, and folklore in her artwork. @corrathompson

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as it ends / as it begins (page 2), 2021, Digital zine, 8 x 10 inches

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as it ends / as it begins (page 10), 2021, Digital zine, 8 x 10 inches

as it ends / as it begins (page 15), 2021, Digital zine, 8 x 10 inches

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My Heart is Yours, 2021, Mixed media on paper, 22 x 30 inches

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Age of the Eschaton, 2021, driftwood & debris, cattail reeds, 12 cathode ray tubes, 9 RaspberryPi Zero computers, composite video cable & religious objects, looping indefinitely, 5’10” x 3’ 6”

See the entire film on the UMN Department of Art YouTube Channel in the BA 2021 Capstone Films playlist

ALEX TUTHILL-PREUS This shrine, created entirely out of debris from Lake Hiawatha, is electrified by twelve cathode ray tubes, displaying footage relevant to various aspects of spiritual symbology & transcendence. It is inspired in part by the work of Professor Sean Connaughty’s works about the current anthropocene as well as artist Nam June Paik & burgeoning interest in spirituality & eastern philosophy over the past two years accentuated by our current “apocalyptic” present and envisioned future. The means of getting individual images on each display required the creation of nine looping media players from Raspberry Pi computers which invited the digital realm into the conversation, the end result being a system relevant to the tradition of alter worship which attempts to remind the practitioner of their ability to connect with the universe beyond the confines of space and time.

This video can be virtually navigated to provide immersion without a physical show. @true.hallicunations

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Age of the Eschaton, 2021, driftwood & debris, cattail reeds, 12 cathode ray tubes, 9 RaspberryPi Zero computers, composite video cable & religious objects, looping indefinitely, 5’10” x 3’ 6”

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i know the end, 2021, Color pencil and watercolor, 22 x 30 inches

MAYA ULRICH This series of color pencil works were inspired by coming of age at the end of the world. In it, am thinking about bodily identities connected with the apocalypse, isolation, and grief in contrast with those that represent liberation, hope, and love. I was also thinking about bodily positioning in the scope of historical cyclicality. Ultimately, the three pieces in this series act in tandem to help me grapple with what it means to be caught in liminal spaces -- specifically the moments at the beginning of the end and at the end of the beginning.

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love + paranoia, 2021, Color pencil and watercolor, 22 x 30 inches

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i see the beginning, 2021, Color pencil, 22 x 30 inches

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Curiosity Like a Cat, 2021, Digital illustration

KAYLAH VOGT The life changing event of global pandemic is an invitation for us to become curious about possibilities of a new normal. Most people claim they are bored because they are indoors often. Yet cats are one of domesticated creatures and they still find a way to remain curious.

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Curiosity Like a Cat, 2021, Digital illustration

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Twoness, 2021, Junipers bonsai, 140 centimeters

LUJIA YU These Bonsai are a combination of photography and Bonsai design. I trimmed these trees with the design concept of Bonsai, and then I shot them with the artistic concept of photography. The first tree is called Twoness, and it is inspired by the concept of Taoism which is Yin and Yang. It is a concept of dualism which combines two things are opposite but related together. Life and death exist in the same trunk to form the unique beauty.

The second tree is called Sword Dance, and it is inspired by its shape.

According to its unique shape, it has been trimmed into an anthropomorphic posture, just like a person dancing a sword. Compared with photography as a means of recording, it is a new experience to integrate the concepts of light & shadow and contrast into it, which enables me to discover the beauty brought by the combination of the two.

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Sword Dance, 2021, Junipers bonsai, 105 centimeters

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