Bachelor of Fine Arts Senior Exhibition May 5 - 9, 2014
Reception: Friday, May 9; 5-7PM
The 2014 Bachelor Fine Arts Senior Exhibition features students graduating with degrees in 2-Dimensional Art and 3-Dimensional Art from the Betty Foy Sanders Department of Art at Georgia Southern University. The exhibition includes the following artists: Sara Adams Alexandra Arnold Jennifer Burnett Sarah Caitlin Coonce Courtney R. England CW Langub Nathan Miner Kenneth Olowoyo Whitney Reddish Sean Teeling Toni D. Todd Rolston M. Wilder III
Sara Adams Artist’s Biography Hailing from South Georgia, Sara Adams is a graduate of Georgia Southern University, earning her Bachelor of Fine Arts in 2D Studio Art in 2014. Working primarily with pen, marker, and a bit of mixed
media, Adams’ illustrations engage the viewer with bright colors and thought provoking imagery. She is inspired by the standards set on people by mass media, the unrealistic ideal of perfection, and how people are considered inferior because they don’t appear a certain way.
Big Life Artist’s Statement Like most people, I became transfixed on the media for what I should be like, admire, and ultimately what I should consider acceptable as far as physical appearance. In my illustrations, I’m taking a personal view of the world around me to describe how someone who isn’t an “ideal beauty” perceives various moments in everyday life.
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In each drawing, I am portraying a person who is in a constant state of uneasiness, due to physical size, despite the fact that the figure is never shown, only their view. This perspective provides the chance to understand their moment at hand on a more personal level. Within each drawing, unforeseen images create discreet patterns on objects to enhance the perception of the situation.
Plus Your Luck, 2014 Prismacolor Marker and Pen on Paper 18” x 24” Don’t Sit Down, 2014 Prismacolor Marker and Pen on Paper 24” x 18”
Alexandra Arnold Artist’s Biography Alexandra Arnold was born on in 1992 in Atlanta, Georgia. Arnold received her Bachelors of Fine Arts in 2D Studio Art degree from Georgia
Southern University in 2014. Working in drawing, painting, and printmaking, Arnold’s work has appeared in multiple exhibitions, and is included in private and public collections.
Mother Artist’s Statement Growing up, I was the youngest, in a family full of women. These women inspired me in a variety of ways, and undoubtedly influenced the formation of who I am today. The connection between the women in my family has always been a strong one. Many a time, I’ve looked in the mirror and seen pieces of my mother looking back at me or found a dusty family photo that pulled me in before I even knew whom it was that I was studying. Looking through old photos has always been an event in my family, one that lasts for hours, and is often filled with storytelling and a sharing of memories and life lessons. Using family photos of these women as references, my works are a reflection of me. In my artwork I use images that I’ve observed from a young age,
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taken from boxes of photos at my grandmother’s house or from the mantle in my mother’s living room. Each photo is soaked in stories and memories, many that aren’t my own. In my drawings, using pen and colored pencil on layers of translucent sketch paper and imagery of myself, my mother and, my grandmother, I attempt to recreate these “memories”. Awkwardly spaced compositions, a repetition of similar patterns, and figures that are slightly offset between layers help the drawing to begin to feel less like the original photograph and more like my own unique interpretation. With a combination of lithography and screen-printing, my prints consist entirely of portraits and patterns. Each pattern is personal to me and originated as a textile found in
my apartment while each portrait depicts an influential woman in my life. I screen print these patterns onto paper using light or muted colors and then layer the dark, velvety, portrait style lithographs atop them. Through my mixing of materials and contrasting values, I highlight the difference
Around the Table 1976, 2014 Colored Pencil and Pen on Tracing Paper 18” x 24” Mom and Me 1976, 2014 Colored Pencil and Pen on Tracing Paper 18”x 24”
between the two types of imagery while also combining the two. The final cohesive piece is a “family photo wall” of the framed prints saturated with a nostalgic feel that aims to pull the viewer in much like the original photographs did for me.
Jennifer Burnett Artist’s Biography Jennifer Burnett was born in Dahlonega Georgia in 1991. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in 2D Studio Art degree from Georgia Southern University. Burnett has exhibited her work in several juried
exhibitions at the Contemporary Gallery at Georgia Southern’s Center for Art & Theatre. Additionally, she has been involved in campus art festivals and student art sales. Burnett maintains her studio in Statesboro, Georgia.
Pluck & Apply Artist’s Statement In a culture full of ‘selfies’ and ‘#hashtags’ many of my peers don’t even realize how many ways they alter themselves. Through these changes they create illusions of what they think to be beautiful. Women in particular are captured in a neverending cycle of hygienic alterations to achieve beauty. My work is two-dimensional representations of objects and figures to depict a comparison between self-inflicted revisions and natural features. Devoid of environment, high in
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contrast and gritty realism confront the viewer in my series composed of colored pencil drawings on black paper and oil paintings. I seek to expose the artificial modifications failing at covering and containing the natural body. My images have an aurora of awkwardness to match the vulnerability of these private moments that expose areas of our insecurities. By exposing that artificial beauty will eventually fail and return to nature I hope for my viewers to realize they cannot rely on cosmetics to find their real beauty.
Covergirl (detail), 2014 Colored Pencil on Black Paper 25” x 19”
Brush, 2014 Colored Pencil on Black Paper 19”x 25”
Sarah Caitlin Coonce Artist’s Biography Sarah Caitlin Coonce, born in 1990, was raised in several different states, and currently resides in Statesboro, Georgia. She earned her Bachelor of Fine Art in 3D Studio Art with a minor in Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management in 2014. Sarah is passionate about the natural world around her and
gains inspirations for her art by observing organic structures and detailed life cycles. Using ceramics and jewelry, Coonce communicates her perspectives on the interconnectedness of systems, the natural environment, and global cultures through abstraction. Coonce’s work has been featured in several juried exhibitions, art sales and charity events.
Interconnected Artist’s Statement I incorporate jewelry and ceramics together in an attempt to translate the emotions felt when I look at scenes in nature, those snapshots from my mind’s eye while experiencing nature, such as the nuances of color in a sunrise, information in layers of rock that tell of an ancient ocean, or just the distinct pattern of interesting botanical forms. I use fine, white stoneware so that the smooth surface
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can easily translate my surface designs. I carve varied lines to create a visual rhythm and sense of motion, along with abstractions of botanical and other organic formations. I use shells I have found when visiting the ocean during different phases of my life to create impressions in the surface of the clay; this is highly significant to me because each mark represents experiences that have influenced me the most.
My carved ceramic dome forms are meant to signify still frames of a natural cycle, and I collage various
Ceramic jar with woven silver on foot and rim. Impressions made into the clay by carving and pressing shells. Ancient Mediterranean woven chain pattern in fine silver.
“frames� together using fine woven silver chain to reflect on how each system is ultimately interconnected.
Courtney R England Artist’s Biography Courtney England was born in Newton, Kansas in 1979. She earned her Associate of Arts degree from East Georgia State College in 2009, and a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a double major in Two-Dimensional and Three-Dimensional studio art from Georgia Southern University in 2014. England exhibits her work nationally
including solo exhibitions at the Arts West Gallery in NC, The Kalmanson Gallery and East Georgia Art Gallery in GA. Her sculptural work won Best In Show in the “Salon Des Chaises” exhibition at East Georgia Art Gallery. In 2013/2014 she was awarded the Betty Foy Sanders Department of Art Scholarship for excellence in the visual arts. England resides in Hinesville, GA with her two children.
Disquiet Artist’s Statement My paintings reflect perceptions during moments of anxiety, what someone sees and feels when they are alone in a seemingly empty room. I work to create tension and anxiety with gestural mark making, irregular composition, and intense color. There is physicality to my paintings, a sculptural element, which forms when paint is applied and the viewer is able to see the marks of the brush or smear of the palette knife. The sculptural quality is furthered by varied texture, applied prior to
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painting, which limits the amount of fine detail and obscuring the clarity of the space. Within the space, I use shifting points of view, creating restless and uneasy compositions that push the viewer off kilter. The lack of balance, along with the use of strong light and color, evokes a disquieting feeling. I work within a limited color palette, manipulating low key value and high contrast to give a sense of dramatic atmosphere. The shapes and forms within my work blend representation with abstraction, allowing for further interpretation.
Untitled (Pink), 2014 Oil on Hardboard 16” x 16” Untitled (Green), 2014 Oil on Hardboard 24” x 24” 7:16 am, 2014 Oil on canvas 24” x 20” 7:15 am, 2014 Oil on canvas 24” x 20”
CW Langub Artist’s Biography CW Langub was born in Gwinnett, GA in 1991. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in 3D Studio Art from Georgia Southern University in 2014. Her works in jewelry and ceramics
employ organic imagery and design. In addition to exhibiting her work in campus galleries, Langub participates in sales of her work through ArtsFest, Jewelry Guild, Club Mud and in the Savannah Arts Fest. She maintains her studio in Statesboro, GA.
Botanical Mapping Artist’s Statement Places I have been and aspire to visit impact my ideals, each holding a unique influence on my life or a set of memories. These cultures and flora are in such places as Guatemala, Florida, and the Philippines. The flowers from those countries or states embody the places themselves in the vibrant colors and organic shapes and are what I use as the
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focus of my art. In making the pieces using a white clay-body it created a blank canvas, which was essential for the vibrant glazes used to convey the flowers unique organic composition. The works I created in Botanical Mapping are meant to be utilitarian in nature as many of them are cups, saucers, and bowls but they can also be used as engaging ornamental décor.
Britain The Tudor Rose, 2014 White Stoneware 4”x 6.5”x 7.125” New Zealand Kowhai Flower, 2014 White Stoneware 7”x 5.75”x 4” Philippines Maid of Orleans, 2014 Florida Orange Blossom, 2014 White Stoneware 4.25”x 6.5”x 5.125” Japan Sakura Blossoms, 2014 White Stoneware 3.125”x 6.25”x 5.625”
Nathan Miner Artist’s Biography Nathan Miner was born in Schenectady, New York in 1991 and grew up in Connecticut. Throughout his life illustrative contemporary artists and many Japanese and American comic book artists have inspired Nathan. Miner’s first artwork commission was a jacket design for a
motorcycle enthusiast group based in Bridgeport, Connecticut in 2004. In 2007 he moved to Georgia after receiving an art scholarship to pursue his studies at the Savannah College of Art and Design. Miner completed his Bachelor of Fine Arts in 2D Studio Art at Georgia Southern University with an emphasis on illustration and drawing in 2014.
Domain Artist’s Statement Nature’s limitless power is both dangerous and beautiful. I capture these two characteristics and bring them to life in a bizarre way. I want to remind people that we are still dependent on nature’s mercy and that the elements around us will always remain out of our control. Illustration has always been my focus and passion in art, and for the past couple of years I have grown to enjoy infusing an illustrative style into my paintings. My recent works are large scenes that are
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created with acrylic, gouache and colored pencil on illustration board. Each work represents a snapshot of a larger world. My narrative paintings show a domain where nature has even more mysterious secrets. Nature’s dominance in each piece is meant to bring a feeling of uneasiness to the viewer. I entice my audience into exploring my work further in their imaginations by creating compositions that are dramatic and dynamic. I use color, tone and light to make solemn or vivid surreal imagery of creatures that are disproportionately scaled
in their environment. The wildlife is the prominent subject in the paintings, and any human element is intentionally limited in the space. The emphasis on the size of the animals naturally forms a veil of mystery about the message behind my artwork. While taking references from real life photos and locations, I use such material to create imagery fitting to my needs. I like to force the eye to move around the scene in order to pick out different engaging sections of a greater narration. My work stays grounded in reality, while simultaneously intriguing the mind.
Deforestation, 2014 Acrylic, Gouache and Watercolor 40” x 30” Deep Discovery, 2014 Acrylic, Gouache and Watercolor 40” x 30”
Kenneth Olowoyo Artist’s Biography Georgia based visual artist and fashion designer Kenneth “Kenny” Olowoyo received his Bachelor of Fine Arts from Georgia Southern University in 2014, double majoring in Apparel Design and 2D Studio Art, with a concentration in drawing, painting and printmaking, and a minor in art history. Olowoyo draws inspiration from the world of fashion and art history’s nude tradition. Initially, Olowoyo’s portraits were based on editorial photographs taken of fashion
models. As his practice grew, he has shifted his gaze towards everyday people- an inclusive view. Olowoyo’s research, “Fashion, Materiality, and Composition: A Study in Identity and Perception” explores fashion from multiple viewpoints based on the subject of his photographs’ identity, personality and how they are perceived. As a contemporary artist--Olowoyo engages the social constructs centered on clothing and how it relates to our perception of other people and how we view ourselves.
Dressed/Undressed Artist’s Statement My paintings portray real people referenced from photographs that my friends or I have taken. Through their fashion, my paint application and compositional devices the subjects express universal themes such as sexuality and power as well as emotional themes such as selfacceptance, confidence and isolation.
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What the subjects in my paintings wear is important to their identity, their personality, and how they are perceived, when they are nude, they are stripped of any visual aids, and thus knowing them becomes an intimate adventure. When I compose the image, I exact full control over the focal point, the garments, and the pose of individual. I often overlay images of the subject in order to
explore multiple perspectives and view points. While I paint, I respond to the marks that I make and shift between local color and imagined color to control contrasts in value, temperature, and materiality. This body of work focuses on the male form. Seen through an objective lens some might be uncomfortable with, these figures exhibit a level
Odalisque in Plaid (Tyler), 2014 Oil on Canvas 43” x 36” Symphony in D Minor (Daniel), 2014 Oil on Canvas 49” x 39” Symphony in D Major (Daniel), 2014 Oil on Canvas 44” x 35”
of innate femininity-femininity here referring to the soft gentle, demure, pretty nature society often superimposes on women. I am confronting my viewers with their own biases and issues. If women can be “masculine” and “feminine” and men “feminine” and “masculine”, aren’t we ALL HUMAN, in the end?
Whitney Reddish Artist’s Biography Whitney Reddish was born in Atlanta, GA in 1991. She completed her Bachelor of Fine Arts in 3D Studio Art at Georgia Southern University with an emphasis on jewelry and sculpture in 2014. In 2014, she received the Eagle Nation on Parade Scholarship from the Betty Foy Sanders Department of Art. Reddish intends to build a career in jewelry and small metals by pursuing graduate school in order to learn more about her field of work and
become more intuitive with both the fabrication and design processes. Reddish’s art has been exhibited regionally and has appeared around Georgia Southern’s campus numerous times. She is focused on craftsmanship as well as the viewer’s response to each piece. Whitney’s hope is for her works to build a dual awareness in those who wear it, and those who see it. Her jewelry and sculptures are allegorical statements about navigating stress in a closed or structured system.
State of Affairs Artist’s Statement My jewelry is an exploration of stress and disruption in a closed or structured system. Our current political climate is one of tension and a lack of cooperation that flows into our personal spheres in a variety of ways. I have become increasingly interested
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in how aspects of politics can create suspicion and fear within individuals. Whether it is politician’s lack of cooperation or the constant inclination for control, citizens are blatantly faced with tension that permeates every facet of daily life. Through utilizing government issued coins, I directly reference both the source of American fear, as well
as the basis of national pride. This delicate balance is seen throughout my jewelry. By distorting and cutting a hole into the face of coins I portray a fracture-like pattern that is an indication of, or a response to, stress—A warning of tension. My arrangements are schematic, inviting
Optimism, 2014 US Quarter, Sterling Silver, Copper, Emerald Home Sweet Home, 2014 US Quarter, Sterling Silver Untitled, 2014 US Quarter, Copper
the viewer to move into a space of speculation. By inserting precious stones and metals, I also highlight the beauty and hope still found within our society. Each of these intimate and wearable objects can be viewed as a testament to our history, as well as a desire for change.
Sean Teeling Artist’s Biography Born in West Palm Beach, Florida in 1990, Sean Teeling received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in 3D Studio Arts degree from Georgia Southern University in 2014. Teeling has exhibited his work in several juried exhibitions on campus including the Sculpture and Ceramics building,
award recognition in the 2012 Juried Exhibition, and 2012 Form and Content exhibition at the Center for Art & Theatre Contemporary Gallery. Active in community service, Teeling regularly participates in the Empty Bowl project that raises substantial funds for the Statesboro Food Bank. Teeling currently lives and maintains his studio in Roswell, Georgia.
Technical Flotsam Artist’s Statement In a society obsessed with technology, we have begun to literally embody the saying “Out with the old, In with the new.” The moment any electronic device becomes outdated, worn, or corroded, it is thrown away and replaced. As more time passes, our waste electronics are piling up in places like China, Ghana, and India and are polluting the air, land, and water. Our current way of ‘recycling’ electronics is burning the plastics and rubber away, releasing toxins into the environment, and salvaging what little metal remains.
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My body of work Technical Flotsam examines and explores the ‘reuse’ side of recycling electronics. I have taken several hundred pounds of discarded electrical cords from computers, telephones, televisions, and other modern devices and repurpose and up cycle them into works of art. Inspired by my childhood on the beaches of Florida, I create imitations of marine fauna. The Man Of War is the organism I most fascinated by because of its unique nature. With the appearance of a single organism resembling a Jellyfish, the
Portuguese Man of War is much more. Technically a Siphonophorae, a colonial organism, the Man of War is composed of four highly specialized individuals called Zooids. Separated, the zooids would die off, though by working together they form an
Man 0’ War Ceramics, Reclaimed Electrical Wires, Steel 12” x 6” x 3-7’ (varying heights)
extremely sophisticated creature that has flourished in its environment. I believe that through cooperation, mankind can overcome any hindrance and continue to thrive into the future.
Toni D Todd Artist’s Biography Toni Todd was born in LaGrange, GA in 1991. Todd earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in 3D Studio Arts in 2014. She received an Associates of Art degree from East Georgia State College in 2011. She received the Betty Foy Sanders Department of Art First Place Scholarship and the Focht Scholarship for Drawing in 2013. Todd’s work centers on the combination of many mediums with the purpose of integrating both
two- and three-dimensional elements using drawing as the foundation of her artwork. She has been featured in the Kalmanson Gallery in Swainsboro, Georgia as well as Georgia Southern’s Juried Exhibition at the Center for Art & Theatre. In addition, her work was published in the Miscellany Magazine from the Fall 2013 edition. Recently, Todd was recognized nationally for her work juried into the College Exhibition. She currently maintains her studio in Statesboro, Georgia.
Human Connections Artist’s Statement My work focuses on the emotions people may feel when alone compared with when in a relationship. I am inspired by the dynamics of relationships. I build intimate environments in my images by representing connections through various scenes. I use hand-drawn images of people together, sharing physical space
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and apart, to draw attention to the act of connecting, heightened by solitude. My work uses both positive and negative spacing to engage the viewer’s eye around the image. I enjoy the act of drawing because from a distance it looks photographic but when viewed closely, it shows the material work and the handcrafting that took place. My drawings are illusions much like relationships themselves. The drawings serve as
metaphors of perception and understanding. I manipulate the drawings to manipulate perceptions of the relationship. In addition to the charcoal drawings my work uses a variety of materials such as ceramics, Styrofoam, and metals to create dimensional canvases, curved forms, and distorted spaces to enhance the perception and understanding of the content.
Daydream, 2014 Charcoal on Paper 14” x 16” Coupling, 2014 Charcoal on Paper 14” x 16”
Rolston M. Wilder III Artist’s Biography Ross Wilder was born in Atlanta, Georgia in 1990. He graduated from Georgia Southern University in 2014 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in 2D Studio Arts. In addition to exhibiting his work in campus galleries, Wilder’s artwork has also been displayed in the Visual Arts
Building across his college career as exemplary work. Enthusiastic about community service, Wilder was a regular volunteer at Georgia Southern’s ArtsFest throughout his college career. Ross currently lives and creates his work in Evans, Georgia.
Men of Sound Artist’s Statement The Men of Sound series combines my fondness for drawing the human body with another great interest in my life, music. The intrigue of learning more about people I meet on a daily basis inspired me to create characters for others to ponder about. I combine the human form with musical instruments to create surrealistic portraits. I challenge myself to combine two things that do not logically belong together to create an expressive face that engages the viewer. I want the viewer to feel uncomfortable but still curious when looking at my work.
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Initially, I sketch faces quickly by combining the basic character defining shapes squares, circles, and triangles to achieve a silhouette that I am satisfied with. When selecting an expression or facial type I will favor the ones that look directly at the viewer and are very expressive because this engages the viewer heavily as opposed to a profiled image. I have little interest in portraying a pretty or beautiful face because I want the viewer to look beyond the skin of these characters, to be interested in who they are because of their imperfections rather their beauty.
After a face is confirmed, the decision of what instrument or musical technology I want to use and how it should be implemented is determined by looking for either an instrument that thematically compliments the character or visually compliments the character due to the sharing of similar visual shapes.
Arctic Strings, 2014 Digital Painting 27” x 18” Cave Harp, 2014 Digital Painting 28”x 21” Bay Chimes, 2014 Digital Painting 27”x 18” Jingle Stars, 2014 Digital Painting 24”x 22”
I use a digital painting program called Paint Tool Sai and Photoshop, alongside a drawing tablet to create my work. I chose to use and learn this medium because I love the “look” digital artworks can have, as well as the strength of the tools you gain access to by working in this media.
The Betty Foy Sanders Department of Art (BFSDoArt) at Georgia Southern University is committed to offering quality undergraduate and graduate degree programs that prepare students to become professional artists, designers, art historians, and industry executives. Offering a comprehensive curriculum encompassing the practical, theoretical and historical aspects of the visual arts, the BFSDoArt is recognized as an accredited member National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD) and is pending accreditation from the Accrediting Council for Collegiate Graphic Communications (ACCGC). DEGREES OFFERED: Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Art History & Studio Art, Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in 2D, 3D & Graphic Design, Bachelor of Science (BS) in Graphic Communications Management (GCM) and Master of Fine Arts (MFA) 2D, 3D & Graphic Design
Betty Foy Sanders Department of Art
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