Friday, May 26 the 2006 Senior Art Exhibition entitled “The Fluid Self” will open in the Wriston Art Galleries.
An opening reception will be held from 6-8 p.m. The exhibit will feature works from 13 graduating art majors that explore different aspects of personal identity.
“It’s based on the idea that identity is fluid,” said fifth-year art major Justine Reimnitz. “It’s constructed from many different things that present themselves in different mixtures depending on the situation.”
The works all explore different aspects of identity – from the body and sexuality to family and home life – in various media.
Fifth-year art major Dan Harvey stated, “There’s a lot of variety because it’s very specific to the person. People should expect to see very personal artwork.”
Reimnitz spoke highly of her colleagues’ work in the upcoming show. “People should expect a much higher quality of work than what’s been done in the past, and I can say that very confidently.”
She added, “Conceptually, the pieces are a lot more developed. The artists are really well informed this year, and a lot of intellectual ideas are incorporated into the works.”
“The Fluid Self” includes a number of works created specifically for the show and some selections from larger bodies of work done independently.
The different personalities and artistic aims of the pieces in the show provide a stark contrast with one another, creating a stunning amalgamation of ideas and aesthetics.
“I’ve got a series of personal paintings, mostly relating to my friends, my family and issues dealing with paradox and gender,” stated Harvey.
In contrast, Reimnitz has incorporated large-scale photographs taken with a type of camera lucida, a sculptural piece, and electronic sound composition.
This year’s senior art show serves to represent a single moment in the developing lives and personal identities of the senior artists.
“This is only a slice of our work and our lives,” Reimnitz said. “We’re all going to go out in the future, some will keep making work and others won’t, but it doesn’t matter because things keep changing. This kind of precursors that happening.”
“The Fluid Self” will be open in the Wriston Art Galleries until August 6.
Senior artists explore “The Fluid Self
