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from the editors
Dear Reader, We are proud to present the second issue of Dinner + No Show, which will showcase the talents of artists and writers in the School of Art + Art History at the University of Florida. We strive to create a supportive, inclusive community by encouraging art history and studio students to bridge the gap between disciplines through collaboration. The publication is divided into two portions: Dinner focuses on the final product of a student’s work, while No Show explores the creative process. Student artists and writers have produced an abundance of creative works throughout their time here, yet their innovations and research are not formally documented as a collective body of work. Since the university does not have a public arts program, this publication provides art and art history students with the opportunity to showcase their work to a larger audience. Dinner + No Show is filled to the brim with a diverse array of outstanding artwork and writing. We are amazed at what we were able to accomplish with the help and contribution of so many talented students. With utmost sincerity, we hope you enjoy our second issue, like a delicious meal paired with your favorite wine. Warmly, Dinner + No Show team
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in the eyes of the beholder
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reclaiming the rose
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the art of pleasure: a sexual dichotomy between man and woman
from the environment to the self: looping lines and flowing forms
state tree: questioning florida’s ecological and cultural identities
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building a body
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expressions of gender: revealing the pain of adhering to beauty standards
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becoming an artist: a process of self discovery
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from pens and paint to salt and sanders
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reimagining the landscape painting: florida under the microscope
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architecture and anatomy
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unhappy meals: protest and consumerism
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psychotropic moments in isolation
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unpeeling the layers of presley I
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english undergraduate fourth year writer
unhappy meals: protest and consumerism artist Hannah Kline drawing undergraduate third year
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“Using aesthetic approaches can be effective in disseminating critical perspectives on the current state of the world and imaginings of what it could be.�
Hannah Kline Dodging Bullets is Not in our Curriculum (2018) printed poster
February 14th marked the one-year anniversary of the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida that encouraged activists to push for better and stricter gun control legislation. Hannah Kline designed a series of three posters for the rally in Tallahassee in February 2018. Kline’s posters read: “DODGING BULLETS IS NOT IN OUR CURRICULUM” stained with blood; “HELP,” the L replaced with the highly contested AR-15; and the words “NEVER AGAIN” below children walking in a line. Kline’s work calls on the state to stop being complacent in gun violence, especially given its manifestation as “school shootings,” which are a specifically American phenomenon that currently threatens the lives of children, students, and teachers everyday. There is a rich history of art within activism, as the two exist in a symbiotic relationship with one another. There have always been posters in marches and activist movements, which Kline sees as a forbearer to graphic design. She says that activism has inspired her to be more direct in her art, and make things that are a call to action. Employing the visual is important in communicating and spreading a message or a movement. Using aesthetic approaches can be effective in disseminating critical perspectives on the current state of the world and imaginings of what it could be. Art can move us emotionally, which is necessary to propel us towards social change. Kline’s posters were available at the rally in exchange for donations to Marjory Stoneman Douglas. She distributed 200 posters and raised a few hundred dollars. She then took her posters to March for Our Lives in Washington, D.C. to demand
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Hannah Kline Help (2018) printed poster
Hannah Kline March for our Lives Rally in Tallahassee (2018) photograph
unhappy meals: protest and consumerism
the government take action on gun violence. Kline’s large-scale piece McDonalds (40” x 40”) speaks to the overwhelming nature of consumerism. The colors are bold and bright shades of pink, blue, yellow, and red. The famous golden arches are featured in the center of the composition, as a hand swipes a credit card through the middle of the ‘M’. Two construction workers set the bottom of the arch in place, hinting at the fast-paced construction of business and nature of capitalism. Their presence also speaks to the way consumerism is constructed- it does not simply exist but is created and maintained. Ronald McDonald’s head eerily floats at the bottom of the arch, mouth agape with a smile. Figures and objects float like a surrealist landscape, one of the American interior. The black and white image of a man’s head eating a burger appears above the credit card, referencing iconic 50s advertising and portraying a distinctly American image. The prominent imagery featured in the composition is from the TV shows Spongebob and Yu-Gi-Oh! These elements contribute to the fantastical and dreamlike quality of the piece. They also speak to the ways in which advertising is targeted to children and how they are co-opted into the model of consumerism. Patterns of behavior are learned during childhood, and children are taught to desire material goods, attain them, feel momentary satisfaction, and then start the process over again. McDonalds itself is also nostalgic
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Hannah Kline McDonalds (2018) digital illustration, multimedia
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for those who grew up in the early 2000s, recalling memories of playpens and a toy with every Happy Meal—one that will inevitably be disposed of quickly and replaced with something else. McDonaldization is a sociological term referring to the ways in which sectors of American society have adopted the traits of fast food restaurants, specifically efficiency, calculability, predictability, and control, thus resulting in complete homogenization and mechanicalization. McDonaldization has spread from American corporations to the rest of the world through globalization, leading to an influx of American companies in other countries, dominating foreign economies, leading to further homogenization and Americanization. Kline is also interested in the ways that corporations advertise based on scarcity, leading people to impulse buy things they don’t need to gain that momentary pleasure. The piece is mixed media, digitally made in Illustrator with some collaged photo of the hand and credit card. It was illustrated with a tablet, printed, and mounted onto wooden panel and painted over again to create the overwhelming quality of the consumer landscape.
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art history undergraduate third year writer
in the eyes of the beholder artist Inés Cochrane painting undergraduate fourth year
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“The series then focuses specifically on the phenomenon that we experience as part of the human condition in which we almost cannot help but to find faults within ourselves that then create insecurity.”
Inés Cochrane Untitled (2018) mixed media on canvas
There is always something about ourselves that we wish we could change – whether they are physical attributes like our weight or the shape of our eyes, or psychological traits like constant anxiety. In this series of paintings, Inés Cochrane, a fourth-year painting major, explores the nature of insecurities, focusing on some of her own, and how these come to manifest.
The first aspect you notice about her works are their size; except for the smaller studies she’s done throughout her painting process, the main works are quite large. They command the viewer’s attention and draw you in for closer readings. Also grabbing one’s attention is the color palette Cochrane uses; the paintings are mostly red, turn to: or tones and shades of red. Red often connotes different mental states as page 161 well as feelings of anger and passion; to learn more it is therefore a multi-functional and about Inés symbolic color. Red is also the color of Cochrane’s blood and bodily tissue and therefore processes carries with it a carnality that marries well with both passion and anger. The series then focuses specifically on the phenomenon that we experience as part of the human condition in which we almost cannot help but to find faults within ourselves that then create insecurity. Regardless of what these are, or how small they are in
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InĂŠs Cochrane Untitled (2018) mixed media on canvas
InĂŠs Cochrane Untitled (2018) mixed media on canvas
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reality, we often imagine them as large, glaring, ugly parts of ourselves that occludes others from seeing us without them. For this reason, Cochrane shows us specific instances of self-consciousness at such a large scale, demonstrating how easily we may, for lack of a better term, blow them out of proportion. Their exaggerated size also creates a discomfort for the viewer, prompting him or her to confront their own displeasures about themselves. Cochrane renders her subjects with a spectacularly grotesque realism, which result in works that on one hand may be difficult to look at, are on the other hand incredibly engaging. Initially, her works were more abstract; therefore, the shift to representational subjects not only demonstrates her artistry, but allows one a different kind of viewing experience. In exploring her themes through specific examples on large-scale canvas, Cochrane reinforces the overwhelming influence one or two perceived insecurities can have on a person’s self-identity.
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Jenna Bray Validation is for Parking (2019) acrylic ink on mohawk paper
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art history undergraduate third year writer
reclaiming the rose
artist Blake Konkol art history undergraduate second year
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“To perform the “in-between,” one refuses the norms of drag culture and normative society as well as embraces the aesthetic beauty of a gender fluid performance.”
Blake Konkol Untitled (2019) photograph
Bright white, hot lights illuminate the scene: the artist, Blake Konkol, modeling in a studio behind a small, portable mirror, whilst standing atop multicolored rose petals. In each photo, Konkol adjusts his pose. He begins by posing submissively, averting his gaze from the viewer to objectivize his form and look towards the mirror on the floor. The pose emphasizes the idealized feminine characteristics of his form and performance of gender. In the next photograph, not only is Konkol’s gaze redirected towards his viewer, but so is his torso. This more assertive, masculine stance engages with the viewers’ gaze through posture and eye contact by ignoring the mirror and making eye contact with the viewer. The final pose is the most dominant, with the artist’s stance immediately directed at the viewer. turn to: His gaze is completely engaged with page 153 the viewer’s and is paired with an erect, dominant stance. Despite the to learn more adjustments Konkol makes to become about Blake more upright, it goes unnoticed as the Konkol’s processes series progresses and the composition of each photograph becomes more tilted. This tilt recalls the societal rejection of irregularity due to the way it portrays a world that cannot accept this gender performance as it would an expression of normative gender. A light filter overlays each photograph, emphasizing the significance of editing one’s appearance physically and digitally so that it can be shared and consumed.
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Blake Konkol Untitled (2019) photograph
Blake Konkol Untitled (2019) photograph
reclaiming the rose This analysis is entrenched in American stereotypes surrounding gender, including the aesthetics of old Hollywood actresses. However, drag artists, including Konkol, utilize these stereotypes in a transgressive manner, thereby blending gender performance and expressing fluidity in the normative gender binary. Specific gendered features are highlighted in this performance of “partial drag” to disrupt the acceptance of gender norms in both society at-large and within the drag community, which continues to perpetuate assumptions of the normative gender binary. Konkol states, “the in-between can be aesthetically pleasing and beautiful,” and celebrates the fluid form. Drag performance is always transgressive, even if it is based in normative gender performance; this basis is queered to disrupt the original, restricted form of normative gender expression. This series A Rose by Any Other Name, rejects the aesthetics of mainstream drag and normative gender constructs in this self-exploration of gender play. To perform the “in-between,” one refuses the norms of drag culture and normative society as well as embraces the aesthetic beauty of a gender fluid performance. A Rose by Any Other Name challenges the normative binary system of gender through performance, costuming, and makeup. This transgressive act of revealing portions of the “in-between” highlights masculine and feminine gender expression and reject the normative notion that because an individual is born a certain way that they must act that way. Gender is multifaceted. It is a social construct that is expressed through multiple layers of performance and costuming. It is intentional. It is built upon the past.
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Shannon Moriarty Passion (2018) Dreamland (2018) above, left: photoseries
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painting undergraduate third year writer
sugar-coated artist Jordyn Goldklank drawing undergraduate fourth year
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“I was really drawn to baking and cake decorating.�
Jordyn Goldklank Eye Candy (2018) detail
Jordyn Goldkank’s recent series of work is composed of several motifs surrounding sweets, the human body, and the myriad of subjects that connect them to each other. Goldklank’s interest in body image and objectification, she says, stems from her own body transformation, a loss of about one hundred pounds during her transition into the UF Drawing program. “I’ve always been fascinated with drawing as playing, or as something cathartic…as a young girl that was not very interested in sports, I was really drawn to baking and cake decorating.” These early interests carried into her professional art career in a variety of ways. In her piece Calorie Diary, Goldklank sculpted and decorated a cake out of the pages from five years’ worth of My Fitness Pal entries, which she soaked in vanilla extract and covered in caulking paste and polymer clay. Goldklank uses the symbolism of cake decoration as a way of pointing out the different ways that people dress themselves up or are socially aware of how they look. “We try to look a certain way that we are told is most attractive or most appetizing, most easily digestible, basically for the public or for men. Women’s bodies are made to be a spectacle and are constantly objectified, constantly compared to objects like food, like cake or snacks. It’s really devastating how many girls are fed these kinds of messages by society or by advertising.” Many aspects of Goldklank’s work lends itself to the younger female audience, such as her color palette. Goldklank says she is drawn to colors typically associated with childhood or girlhood because they make
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Jordyn Goldklank Some More S’mores (2018) mixed media
Jordyn Goldklank Eye Candy (2018) mixed media
her feel connected to her years as a teenager, growing out of the confidence of childhood and into the self-surveillance and struggles of being a teen and of being morbidly obese. Goldklank enjoys using these brighter colors in conjunction with her sweetly-scented materials in order to draw the viewer into the piece, inviting the audience to take a closer look and find the more somber messages behind all the sugarcoating.
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Many of the titles of her works also allude to this idea, using the modern, colloquial treatment of language, such as the new use of the word “snack� to mean a good-looking person, to highlight the absurdity of the female body being compared to processed foods. Goldklank’s titles are purposefully chosen to be a play on words or a double entendre as a way of making the more cynical meanings behind the works more palatable or humorous. One of her most recent works, Eye Candy, is a largescale installation piece: a multimedia collage that embodies many of the ideas that motivate her artistic practice, including concepts of gluttony, desire, illusion, and body objectification. The installation combines images of desserts with various depictions of parts of the human body, mixing them until it is hard to separate one from another. The base of the piece is a digitally printed wallpaper, which Goldklank installed onto the wall of her studio. She then decorated the paper with additional renderings of the figure and painted over some of the imagery with modeling paste, hiding sections of these uncomfortably isolated body parts with fake icing and sprinkles made of scented wax cubes. The rhythm and repetition of the forms and illustrations within the work aim to overstimulate the viewer, normalizing the way the body parts become akin to the other items in the piece and bringing up a discussion about the cultural assimilation of body objectification, particularly in influential elements of our culture such as advertising and social media.
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art history undergraduate third year writer
the art of pleasure: a sexual dichotomy between man and woman artist Taylor Collings visual arts undergraduate third year
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“The woman is thereby represented as the main focus of the canvas, empowered and emboldened in her position as an independent figure.�
Taylor Collings Pieces (2018) acrylic on canvas
When Taylor Collings, a junior pursuing a Visual Arts major and an Art History minor, began working on her final project for her WARP class during the Spring semester of 2018, she stumbled upon a UF psychology study centered around the female orgasm within the context of heterosexual relationships. Immediately, she knew that she wanted to focus on the woman’s sexual pleasure in her piece, aptly titled Pieces. Often in discussions centered around reproduction, the male orgasm is understandably deemed necessary for the sake of producing offspring, but it ultimately results in the neglection of the female orgasm, which is frequently dismissed as unessential during intercourse. While such an argument may seem acceptable within a biological context, Collings wanted to instead draw attention to the female orgasm and the woman’s sexual pleasure during intercourse, regardless of its level of ‘importance’ in the reproductive process. “Women deserve to orgasm! We’re the ones who are going to be carrying the child, so we might as well enjoy the process.” Indeed, Collings powerfully delivers on her statement in Pieces, an abstract representation of a couple going through the motions of intercourse. From the way in which the figures are positioned to the rest of the imagery surrounding them, the artist prioritizes the woman’s sexual pleasure and heightens her importance as part of the reproductive equation. One immediately notices how Collings has placed the woman in a position of sexual authority, one that is already far from the usual image associated with the
the art of pleasure: a sexual dichotomy between man and woman reproductive process. Rather than placing the woman in a more passive role with the man on top, the artist instead depicts her actively taking control of her sexual pleasure. She is seated with her back facing her partner, as though implying that his presence plays a minimal role in her actual achieving ultimate satisfaction. The woman is thereby represented as the main focus of the canvas, empowered and emboldened in her position as an independent figure. The positioning of the figures alone is enough to get the message across, but Collings engages with her viewers even further and adds various visual symbols that reiterate the equal importance of both the man and woman during reproduction. Most notably are the flowers that replace the figures’ heads and the bee buzzing around them, whereby Collings juxtaposes the balturn to: anced relationship of a bee and flower page 147 during pollination to that of a man and woman during intercourse. In both to learn more instances, the equal participation of about Taylor both parties is essential in reaching the Collings’ processes end-goal. Not only that, but the puzzle piece outlining the couple’s silhouette is Collings’ way of playing with the idea of two people coming together as one, because it takes multiple pieces to complete the puzzle. Perhaps most intricate to Collings’ message would have to be the manner in which the final product was displayed at the WARP Show itself. For starters, the artist moved away from
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traditional standards of exhibiting artwork and left the canvas unstretched, a decision that she believed helped emphasize the raw and honest tone of the composition in its entirety. That, combined with the bright colors used, created a welcoming space that drew viewers in and made them feel more comfortable in taking a closer look. Most importantly, however, was Collings’ choice of placing a smaller print of Pieces on a foam board alongside the large canvas. On this print, the artist had cut out the woman’s silhouette in such a way that the remaining negative space took the shape of a missing puzzle piece, and what seems to have been a minute detail ends up tying everything together. In continuing to toy with the metaphor of a puzzle when depicting the union of a man and woman during intercourse, Collings challenges the stigma surrounding the passivity of the woman and instead reminds viewers of the valuable role she plays in reproduction. Without her, the man’s supposedly important orgasm becomes futile. Just like a puzzle, one may look at Pieces from a distance and perhaps ignore the many hidden messages that Collings has so beautifully scattered across the canvas. Upon closer inspection, however, the composition begins to unravel before the viewer’s eyes, and the whole image is now seen through the lens of the many individual ‘pieces’ that formed it. What better way to celebrate life than by intricately painting its very beginnings?
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Taylor Collings Pieces (2018) acrylic on canvas print on foam board
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art history undergraduate fourth year writer
architecture and anatomy artist Brett Taylor drawing undergraduate fourth year
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“Taylor thereby uses his art to have discussions with himself, which proved to be especially important as he started becoming more confident in his sexuality.�
Brett Taylor Bodybuilding 6 (2018) multimedia collage
Originally applying to UF with the intention of studying and creating scientific illustration, Brett Taylor had intended to reflect on and incorporate his experiences as a patient within medical settings into his art as a way of revitalizing typical anatomical/physiological scientific illustrations. At the age of eleven, Taylor was diagnosed with a rare bone cancer—Adamantinoma. It affected the bones in both of his legs, to the degree of having them replaced with cadaver bones. The bone transplants kept breaking, which resulted in Taylor being in a wheelchair for four years and losing the ability to walk for five years. During his time spent within the bounds a hospital room, he “learned the importance of art,” passing the time with doodling/art-making. Moving into his undergraduate studies as a Scientific Illustration major, Taylor took classes in other mediums like sculpture, which “made [him] miss drawing.” This led to him finding the happy medium (no pun intended) between drawing and sculpture—printmaking. The compromise is largely reflected in his present body of work, as most of the pieces use techniques screen-printing, intaglio and relief. While his medical history became his main inspiration and drive to create, Taylor came out as gay during his sophomore year of college. Thus, his realization of the parallels between these two parts of his identity and experience was recognized. This combination of bodies and buildings plays with the idea of construct as both an abstract and concrete matter—the construction of
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Brett Taylor Bodybuilding 5 (2018) multimedia collage
Brett Taylor Blueprint 2, Blueprint 6 (2018) hand-carved woodblock print on yupo paper
buildings stripped down to basic horizontal and vertical lines and the construction of society and its exclusions. Sexuality as well as physical disabilities are often “othered” by our heteronormative and discriminatory society. Taylor thereby uses his art to have discussions with himself, which proved to be especially important as he started becoming more confident in his sexuality. Through Taylor’s work, the viewer is confronted by grids and different hues of blue, as well as allusions to the body and architectural structures. In his Blueprints, there is a collage of upright, flipped, and upside-down structures meshing together along with physiological
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depictions of legs, either highlighting musculature, the blood vessels, bones or other tissue. Alongside his use of only blue and white, his lines are sharp and crisp. These elements allowing for an immediate contrast that creates a very neat and sterile aesthetic about the works, an artistic decision inspired by the “clean aesthetic of a hospital.” Thus, these works immediately refer back to his experiences within healthcare through his visual representation of them. This is further solidified in his choice of the color blue, specifically because blue and white are recognized internationally as the symbol of access. The grid is a very present and important aspect of Taylor’s work, and he utilizes it as a way of “limiting his process,” since the lines force him to work within confined constructs that mirror his experience of having grown up in Palm City, Florida. He describes his hometown as being “small and conservative,” thus queerness is likely not reflected within the town’s culture. These “constructs” carry into how Taylor felt when he was in a wheelchair, as our society still has major strides to make in regards to its accessibility for those living with disabilities. However, even though Taylor highlights the parallels between queerness and disability, he does not want to equate queerness to having a disability. While his Blueprints don’t immediately speak to a sense of queerness, Taylor’s other collection of works, Bodybuilding, moves towards a more queer aesthetic with the introduction of the semi-nude body. In this series, the artist further strengthens the idea that his work is a type of self-portrait, representing significant parts of his identity, as he is now literally inserting himself into the works as photographs of himself in briefs. These images establish more provocative and sexual
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innuendos. For example, in Bodybuilding 5, the artist poses with both hands and feet grounded with his torso facing up and a transparent blue rectangle placing itself in the image as an allusion to the erect phallus. In Bodybuilding 6, the figure is dissected with only the bottom half of the body presented, the legs spread to reflect the v-shaped collage of the structures above it. In Bodybuilding 13, the artist poses straddling a structure. Therefore, these works more viscerally represent a queerness while still maintaining major themes of architecture and constructs. While the poses flirt with and seduce the viewer, they still maintain a sense of rigidity and structure because of the lines maintained in the positioning of the body. There are also still clear horizontals and verticals kept within the angles of the figure’s torso, arms, and legs. A quote from the artist I think best summarizes his work is: “I make art to understand what I’m doing.” Taylor works through two major parts of his identity in his art: his past battle with cancer and being homosexual. He acknowledges and addresses the fiercely prominent constructs within society that discriminate against people who differ by having disabilities as well as identifying with a sexuality outside of heteronormativity. As he began making art to have conversations within himself, Taylor encourages others to have these same conversations. As viewers scan and contemplate his collage of bodies and buildings, Taylor hopes that they will walk away questioning the societal norms and extensions of accessibility.
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Brett Taylor Bodybuilding 13 (2018) multimedia collage
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art history, chinese, linguistics undergraduate second year writer
psychotropic moments in isolation artist Maddie Boyd painting undergraduate fourth year
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“There is something about what she sees in these snapshots that awakes an internalized feeling not fully understood, but that compels her to reinvent through painting.”
Maddie Boyd Yellow Painting (2018) When The Party’s Over Series oil on canvas
There is an ever-evolving discussion on how the imagery in captured moments makes one feel. We can easily become transfixed within a framework and it leaves us wondering what exactly that unexplained emotion was and why in this instant we were taken there. I felt that way upon my first encounter with Maddie Boyd’s painting series of self-exploration through candid moments. This understanding would help me as I delved deeper into her as an artist and person. Maddie Boyd is a senior painting major with an art history minor and graphic design certificate. Her series centers around loneliness and solitude, expanding into the hidden atmospheric qualities of more private, voyeuristic moments. Boyd’s intention is to capture reality as it presents itself to her or through an envisioned inspired idea which she seeks to reveal. Through her painting, she purposely highlights certain compositional elements such as texture, lighting, and color to centralize the figure and produce a psychotropic effect for the viewer. What I find compelling is her journey of self-discovery and how it directly correlates with the series subject matter, acting as a key element in how the scenes stand out. Boyd explains that through her art she is searching through loneliness, grasping for something that isn’t there. She uses these captured moments as a form of “psychotherapy,” subconsciously in pursuit and gaining greater awareness into her own self-identity and issues with emotional expression. She explained to me that upon many occasions she would often stop her friends when out, so she could take a
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Maddie Boyd Red Painting (2018) When The Party’s Over Series oil on canvas
picture of a scene which drew her attention. There is something about what she sees in these snapshots that awakes an internalized feeling not fully understood, but that compels her to reinvent through painting. Most importantly, Boyd does not publish the photos she takes which hold the inspiration behind her work. She feels that including the photos will create an unintended form of comparison between them and her portrayal, devaluing the pieces’ impact, which will subconsciously create an environment sought out to notice the differences, an instinct all human brains are wired to do. We find patterns that aren’t there and make hidden connections out of random arbitrary fabrications. But Maddie Boyd wants her audience to revert from the intensity seen with photo-realism and become elated by her representation of small moments of stillness and detachment we too often tend to forget. Some instances of these luring moments include a time in which she and her brother were at their aunt and uncle’s house in North Carolina, relaxing in a hot tub and smoking cigars. She ponders the fact that this was their first time visiting without their parents, a mixture of the nostalgia of past losses and new growth into independence. Another moment happened in her friend’s roommate’s bedroom where she watched him light a bowl. And one more showed itself when she was at Dia Beacon in New York, walking through a Bruce Newman scene and being captivated by the impact of
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Maddie Boyd Purple Painting (2018) When The Party’s Over Series oil on canvas
Maddie Boyd Reaching for Something That’s Not There (2019) When The Party’s Over Series oil on canvas
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geometric lines and how the scene became stronger once there was a figure to complement it. She is drawn to the effect of LED lights in each image combined with how she may be participating in the narrative which usually involves some form of alcohol, drug, or an after-party climate, all fusing into a composition which fascinates her. I believe Maddie Boyd is just beginning to explore herself and her abilities in art, touching the surface of opportunity through what she finds within her pieces. She has been embarking on a journey with no clear start or end to uncover what story she is trying to tell if any at all. Yet the alluring truth is that it will only grow more as she experiences the life around her and visualizes herself in the complexity that is our reality. This is what intrigues me most about her work and inspiration; the unknowingness of the series’ raw unpredictability and what places it will take her the more she seeks out. One can attest that there never really is an end to self-understanding as well as studying who we are and our place in the world. Life is defined by change, and its ever-present nature is hard to avoid which makes this artist’s muse a unique trace into her life as she sees it and is constantly affected by its perplexity.
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Maddie Boyd Blue Painting (2018) When The Party’s Over series oil on canvas
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Maddie Boyd Green Painting (2018) When The Party’s Over series oil on canvas
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Selina Wagner Drip (2019) above: graphite
Selina Wagner Your Own Worst Enemy (2019) left: graphite
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unpeeling the layers of presley I artist Micah Lomel painting undergraduate third year
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“Only one face can be seen; the face of the figure in the back is burned out and instead replaced with a white space, thus reiterating a merging of the sisters.�
Micah Lomel Image 5, Presley I (2018) photo collage
While Micah Lomel has painted since age five and considers paint her first concentration, she has also explored other mediums, including photography in black and white photo series titled Presley I. Focused on her sister Presley, who is seven years younger, the photo series of spliced images melds childhood photographs of both Micah and her sister, converging to the point that viewers may believe it is the same individual in each photograph. This serves to bridge what Lomel views as the “biggest divide” in their relationship, which is reiterated by their display in frames in a mode similar to typical family photographs. The final image of the photo series appears similar in shape to that of a Polaroid photograph and is rooted in time by the label “Micah + Chick 2/5/16” at the bottom. Viewers can see a figure of a young girl wearing glasses and a flannel in front of an ambiguous background that seems to be a public space both girls would have likely had access to. The predominant figure of the work is superimposed onto a photograph of either a child Micah or Presley, with her arm outstretched into the negative space of the left side of the image. Only one face can be seen; the face of the figure in the back is burned out and instead replaced with a white space, thus reiterating a merging of the sisters. According to Micah, as Presley is in middle school, the latter frequently hears stories of the decisions Micah made at her age, which subsequently impacts her behavior. As evident throughout the image and the series, Micah and Presley’s looks and personalities are compared, leaving Micah’s impression and behavior a “guiding legend,” but paradoxically a source of comparison, as well. By intentionally combining the two figures, the
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Micah Lomel Image 7, Presley I (2018) photo collage
Micah Lomel Image 6, Presley I (2018) photo collage
elder sister comments on the pressure Presley possibly feels to meet the standards she had set, but said standards also serve as a course of dialogue for the sisters. Ultimately, Lomel’s decision to print the series of combined childhood photographs and display them in 4”x6” frames, like family photos, reiterates her intention of bridging the divide in the sisters’ relationship: their age gap. This form of display both literally and symbolically unifies the Lomel sisters and solidifies the commentary of Micah’s effect on Presley’s childhood.
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Micah Lomel Image 4, Presley I (2018) photo collage
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Micah Lomel Image 2, Image 1, Image 3, Presley I (2018) bottom left, top left, top right
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Hilman Chan Dolly (2017) above: mixed media
Hilman Chan Waiting (2019) left: pen and ink
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deconstructionism and the true self-portrait artist Rebecca Matson painting undergraduate third year
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“By using her own image, she can better synthesize a self-identity that does not ignore flaws or strengths but instead reconciles the two into a natural and wholly human image.�
Rebecca Matson A True Self-Portrait (2018) oil on canvas
Rebecca Matson, while not having any formal artistic training pre-university level, has always been surrounded by art and artists. She gains strength and inspiration from her family, her mother being a painter and her older brother having successfully completed a Fine Arts degree. Rebecca is now a junior painting major at UF, and her large-scale works Singularity and A True Self-Portrait demonstrate a talent worthy of recognition and exploration. Both paintings were created and submitted in response to prompts given in an introductory painting class. They were intended to have a certain degree of dialogue between them, a centralizing motif Matson has identified as Deconstructionism, referring to the idea of everything being defined by its relation to everything else; nothing is absolute, and constant shifts in these relations mean the Self is an ever-changing thing as well, generated anew by its surroundings at any given moment. To Matson, there is a comfort in the knowledge that things change. Matson utilizes her own likeness in each work. Not only is she always available to herself for capturing visually, but the painting of the self presents its own set of challenges and rewards. Painting someone, Matson posits, is deeply personal and requires a focus on details and imperfections one might otherwise choose to overlook about oneself. By using her own image, she can better synthesize a self-identity that does not ignore flaws or strengths but instead reconciles the two into a natural and wholly human image.
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Rebecca Matson Singularity (2018) oil on canvas
A True Self-Portrait certainly embraces this wholly human image, especially because it captures the artist displaying a genuine moment of somber emotion, dramatically yet organically lit from below, and magnifying the close-up to the scale of 48� x 48�. The lighting present in the piece presented a unique challenge to Matson, as it cast the upper lip into shadow and highlighted other areas generally unremarkable in portrait renderings. The resulting piece displays an excellent chiaroscuro, further intensifying the uneasy feeling communicated by the almost-anguished portrait face. The black background echoes the sentiment of helplessness presented by the lighting and intensely mournful face, resulting in an altogether harrowing image for viewers to observe and empathize with. Matson enjoys the idea of non-idealized portraiture; a portrait of herself, naked and crying, is authentic in its vulnerability. The challenge of Self-Portrait lay mainly in the balancing of the facial expression with the lighting from below. Adding too much brightness to a certain area or attempting to even out light tones and idealize the true image could drastically reduce the effect of the facial expression, which was the motivating reason to depict the scene at all. If one area was repainted to be lighter or darker, all other areas concerned with lighting had to be reworked at the same time to ensure an even amount of attention and an authentic interplay between the light and the shadows. The black background had to be distinguishable from the figure’s dark brown hair, which was its own lighting challenge. After working and re-working the piece, the current version of SelfPortrait was achieved. Emotion is a very important element to Matson, whose
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Rebecca Matson A True Self-Portrait (2018) process
end goal in creating works is to invoke emotions of all types from her viewers. Where Self-Portrait manifests a more specific emotion through the display of a somber, crying face, her piece Singularity is more open to the viewer’s interpretation. The figure here is not magnified to a dramatic degree but is instead painted as retreating away from the viewer into the waters of an ocean. There is no face on display to communicate emotion, but the tension between a clear, gently-rippling sea and a storm-filled sky, paired with the interruption of a single small figure, provide enough to invite emotional interaction. The work is reminiscent of Caspar David Friedrich’s Monk by the Sea, and in the same sublime vein it allows viewers to either feel a sense of disconnect and despair, or of acceptance and an embrace of the expansive power of nature. Matson had never portrayed water in her works before, beyond a simple horizon line around a shore. Working to portray the refractions and ripples, Matson discovered that conveying water requires its own trials of reworking color and shading, and ultimately relies on utilizing color lines that would never work alone but together create a cohesive and readable image. The storm clouds, taking up a majority of the top half of the vertical composition, presented a different challenge altogether. When no amount of re-working seemed to do the trick, Matson resolved for one last attempt. Placing gray paint onto her hands, she smeared the clouds directly onto the canvas with her own fingers and palms. The finger streaks are still subtly visible,
deconstructionism and the true self-portrait
creating rolls and nuances in the storm clouds and providing an impressive air of authenticity. The two selves Matson displays in these works—the close-up, despairing self and the far-off, enigmatic self—certainly place into visual imagery the concept of Deconstructionism and its ever-changing self. They rely on their background environments, lighting, and bodily positioning to communicate cohesive portraits that convey emotion and invite viewers to respond in turn. Matson successfully created two visions of the Self that ring true and inspire viewers’ reactions, ranging from engagement to empathy and beyond. She will continue to create large-scale works of lone figures in vast spaces, thereby exemplifying ingenuity in the process of their creation.
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Tesa Aguilar Untitled (2019) above: acrylic on canvas
Hayley Suraci Untitled (2018) left: acrylic on canvas
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art history + visual arts undergraduate second year writer
from the environment to the self: looping lines and flowing forms artist Sami Rose Mark drawing undergraduate fourth year
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“The whimsical shapes in her five collage pieces work together to invite the viewer under the waters of Florida and to encounter an abstracted version of the aquatic organisms that dwell there.�
Sami Rose Mark Circulating Contamination (2018) multimedia collage
Born and raised in Gainesville, Florida, Sami Rose Mark is influenced by the natural world of springs and plant life that has surrounded her throughout her life. The subject matter that permeates her mixed media creations recalls the movement of water as well as aquatic creatures, taking the form of flowing, organic shapes in her artwork. Though both artistically and academically inclined from a young age, drawing since elementary school and excelling in subjects like math and science, Sami Rose emphasizes that art has been the only subject to truly challenge and call to her. The fourth-year drawing major continuously explores different topics, colors, techniques, and materials, but rarely strays far from the natural forms that interest her the most. In her studio, Sami Rose discussed several of her works with me, allowing me to encounter her pieces as a viewer as well as to listen to in-depth and passionate descriptions of the artworks directly from the creator herself. Four out of the five components of Sami Rose’s Crystal Current Series were displayed on the wall of her studio when I visited. The four works, traditional in their rectangular and mounted format, each feature abstract, flowing forms with characteristics ranging from leafy to feathery to cocoon-like in a color scheme of blues, greens, and violets. The fifth component of her series is a two-dimensional collage installation that crawls across the wall when displayed and is a conglomeration of the same flowing forms that comprise each of the other four pieces. In this series, Sami Rose explores the water of local springs and rivers. Organisms of the
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Sami Rose Mark Reflections Series (2018) multimedia collage
springs, such as water lettuce and eelgrass, become abstracted into tangles of thin lines, cutout shapes of photographs of the water, and watery ripples of watercolor. As I viewed the pieces, I wanted to run my fingertips through the feathery strands and grasp onto the more solid structures. The water that appears murkier in one work turns clearer in the next, relieving my eye from the busyness of the intricate forms. The whimsical shapes in her five collage pieces work together to invite the viewer under the waters of Florida and to encounter an abstracted version of the aquatic organisms that dwell there.
turn to: page 131 to learn more about Sami Rose Mark’s processes
In her piece titled Circulating Contamination, Sami Rose magnifies one of her signature organic forms so that its colors and patterns span the entire collage surface. The piece, featuring a variety of colors, predominantly blues, greens, and reds, appears like a tiled mosaic or a slice of agate. Here, Sami Rose examines the topography of Florida, utilizing aerial photographs and topographical maps in her creation of the piece. Though the work submerges the viewer in a field of colorful, fluid lines, it carries the important message of environmentalism, recognizing the effects of human activity on land and water in the images embedded in the piece as well as in the title.
from the environment to the self: looping lines and flowing forms
Sami Rose’s Reflections Series veers away from the environmental theme and towards self-representation, though it still employs her flowing, organic forms as a vehicle for her to express her ideas and experiment with collage. This time, she uses more vibrant colors to reflect her upbeat personality such as yellows and pinks. Her forms have a twisted, rope-like quality and appear to be infinite in length, simply passing through the works as they enter in the bottoms of the pieces and exit out the tops. Cutouts of personal photos from her phone blend into the colorful folds of the forms. The more one looks at the works, the more personal details one can uncover as just beneath the bright colors lie images of her eyes, her cat, and her garden. Sami Rose Mark’s artwork possesses a captivating quality as one is drawn into the many elements of her abstract collages. The viewer’s gaze gets trapped in her forms, tracing the many moving lines within each piece. She strives to convey themes of unconventional beauty in nature including decay and erosion in her artwork, though is pleased that the abstract quality of her work allows viewers to form their own interpretations of each of her pieces. From speaking with Sami Rose, her enthusiasm for the art she makes is clear, mentioning how the completion of one work drives her to immediately spring into the production of another. Operating within this cycle of creativity, she says that she can see herself working with these same shapes and subject matter for many years to come. It will be interesting to watch these organic structures transform throughout Sami Rose’s artistic production.
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art history + history undergraduate third year writer
state tree: questioning florida’s ecological and cultural identities artist Palmer Crippen plant science + visual arts undergraduate third year
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“The strategic placement and manipulation of the commercial items allows them to complement the natural forms and, more times than not, mimic them.�
Palmer Crippen State Tree (2019) detail
Palmer Crippen’s current body of work explores “landscape paintings,” which he describes as three-dimensional, mixed media sculptures that are meant to hang on the wall. This body of work combines three of his academic interests—plant science, artistic production, and South Floridian history—into a visually immersive and interactive experience that encourages audiences to explore the hidden relationships between Florida’s tourist-driven landscape development, ecological cliturn to: mate, and stereotypical status as the United States’ own, as Palmer phrases page 125 it, “continental paradise.” to learn more about Palmer Crippen’s processes
Palmer’s most recent work, State Tree, seamlessly mixes an array of natural and unnatural materials, shapes, and colors together to create a new landscape of American orientalism. The base of the artwork is a lone, Floridanative tree that is approximately seven feet tall and four feet across from branch to branch. The roots of the grey tree twist around one another to form a mesmerizing spiral; meanwhile, its branches powerfully extend upward and outward. At first, this natural power seems overshadowed by the aesthetic weight and vibrancy of the apparent ornamental man-made materials. However, upon closer inspection, the man-made materials converse with
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Palmer Crippen State Tree (2019) mixed media, found objects
Palmer Crippen State Tree (2019) detail
the natural elements. The strategic placement and manipulation of the commercial items allows them to complement the natural forms and, more times than not, mimic them. This imitative dance manifests itself in multiple ways, such as in the bottom right-hand side of the tree, where a plastic palm tree satirically and fruitlessly attempts to mirror the natural essence of the grey tree that it “sprouts” from, and in the front middle of the tree, where a pom-pom becomes what Palmer calls, “artificial [Spanish] moss.” The most important by-product of this materialistic conversation is the artwork’s dynamistic qualities.
state tree: questioning florida’s ecological and cultural identities
In State Tree, movement is created in three ways. First, the curvilinear lines of the hanging elements (Spanish moss, sea shell necklaces, lei, and a deceased glow stick) mitigate the angularity of the branches they rest upon and thus, grant viewers a smoother visual transition to different sections of the artwork. Second, the carefully perched “flying” objects (a plastic sun, pelican, fish, tropical birds, and palm trees), which appear to dispel gravity, similarly dissipate the viewer’s understanding of the artwork’s kinetic and potential motion. This physical illusion creates a dynamic viewing experience that leads the viewers’ eyes up and around the artwork in a manner like watching a moving carousel. Lastly, the intricate overlapping of commercial maps, brochures, and floral shirts with the natural Florida-native tree bark creates an innate sense of movement and evolution within the uprooted tree itself. This inherent duplicity and merging of forms within State Tree undermines the historic and aesthetic presentations of Florida as an immutable tropical paradise of kitsch; this subversion is best expressed by the ironic beer koozie that reads, “it’s better in the woods.” Moreover, Palmer subverts the viewer’s understanding of Florida ecology by juxtaposing man-made reproductions of iconic, albeit introduced species (palm trees and coconuts), with the natural forms of less renowned, yet native Florida species (Spanish moss, Sable palmetto, and Florida Live Oak). At its (tree) core, State Tree investigates the ambivalent relationship between Florida’s contemporary cultural identity, tourist-driven aesthetic, and landscape development. In Palmer’s original concept, he sought to make the commercial items ooze out of the
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Palmer Crippen State Tree (2019) detail
state tree: questioning florida’s ecological and cultural identities
tree like a disease. However, as he was working on the project, his vision was altered; he aimed to “intertwine the man-made and natural materials… [to have them] compete for the forefront.” As such, Palmer hopes to leave the relationship between the man-made and natural materials open to interpretation. Nonetheless, the relationship between these two competing elements will change over time as the natural elements will both decay (leaves) and grow (mushrooms and fungi). Therefore, the embedded meanings in Palmer’s mixed media “landscape paintings” will always be in a state of evolution and development, just like the cultural shifts he aims to explore.
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Drew Scanlon Self-Portrait as a Slut (2019) stoneware, flock, rope, surgical stainless steel, glitter
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Lexi Peterson Crossing (2018) graphite pencil and charcoal
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art history undergraduate third year writer
a world of her own
artist Juana Diaz printmaking undergraduate fourth year
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“Diaz flourishes in a world of multiplicity, and because of this, printmaking becomes the perfect medium for her to express her designs.�
Juana Diaz More Strawbs Skely! (2018) carved woodblock
Juana Diaz is a fourth year printmaking major who has succeeded in building a world of her own. Her prints are loud and dynamic, and by merging seemingly mundane objects with fantastical elements, she gives new life to the ordinary. Diaz began her creative journey early in life after being given a sketchbook in third grade. From then on, she doodled relentlessly, slowly creating the characters of Space Bear and Friends, an unusual cast of characters ranging from a sprinkle vomiting rainbow to an intergalactic bear in a spacesuit. It’s this combination of sweetness and strangeness that add to the imaginative quality of her work. Diaz is an expert in branding and creates art that is instantly recognizable as her own. Diaz has grown up alongside her creations, and as her art has transformed, so have they. Before college, her work lived inside countless journals where she sketched enchanting characters. The personalities of these characters developed with time, such as Sam the glum bunny in a hoodie and Space Bear, the explorer of galaxies. Diaz has always been interested in creating fantasy worlds and has pages upon pages of landscapes filled with donuts, rainbow and swirling lines. As she began to explore the medium of printmaking in college, Diaz has combined those two aspects of her art. Many of her prints include a centralized subject she’s fleshed out over months, engulfed in a whimsical landscape. She cites one of her earliest influences as the surrealist artist Salvador Dali. Her surrealist tendencies are evident in Welcome to the Heart Stabilizers Club. Welcome to the Heart Stabilizers Club is beautifully nonsensical,
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Juana Diaz Space Bear (2018) screenprint
Juana Diaz Space Bear and Friends (2018) pen, ink, and gel pen on handmade book
Juana Diaz Welcome to the Heart Stabilizers Club (2018) screenprint
where elements that have nothing to do with each other come together in perfect harmony. A contorted hand is strapped to a tiny jetpack, another hand pries open an eye attached to a cheeseburger, and giant sparkly teeth surround them. The composition is sharp and angular all the while situated on an explosive background that evoke the feeling that these objects are rising up from the ground. A fluffy stream of smoke spews from the jetpack and curls around the sentient hamburger, drawing the viewer’s eyes around the composition. Thin lines emanating from the hand contribute to the explosive feeling while thick blocks frame the tooth.
a world of her own
This technique of alternating thin and thick lines and using the contrasting textures of billowing smoke with sharp objects creates a dynamic compositions. Much of Diaz’s work is in black and white, but when she does use color she’s attracted to saturated blues, green, and red, as well as pastels. More Strawbs Skelly! has a simpler composition then Welcome to the Heart Stabilizers Club but is as equally wondrous. In this piece, strawberries and a skull float through whipped clouds. Skulls are prevalent throughout her work and though a viewer may feel inclined to look for a deeper meaning, Diaz’s love of skulls relates more to her interest in graphic lines and angular shapes. Her skulls aren’t memento mori, but a celebration of the unusual. This concept of form over meaning is what makes Diaz’s work successful in transporting the viewer to a fantasy world. By using unusual elements without a deeper meaning, the work facilitates a visual escape from reality that focuses on aesthetic beauty and whimsy. Diaz flourishes in a world of multiplicity, and because of this, printmaking becomes the perfect medium for her to express her designs. The boldness of her work and interest in intricate lines allows her to excel in printmaking. In Diaz’s studio the inner workings of her mind are splayed across the wall, and much like in the fantasy world of her art, her studio serves as a curated haven for words, designs, and inspiration. There is a sense of chaos in Diaz’s studio, but on closer inspection a visitor will see how intentionally placed every aspect of the studio is, truly being her own “controlled mess.” In order to create, Diaz immerses herself in design. Multiple sketches, finished prints, quotes, and little pieces of artistic inspiration line her walls. By placing
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Juana Diaz Untitled (2018) process
a world of her own
different versions of the same piece all around her, she is constantly thinking of ways to improve her work. Diaz is drawn to films that have a similar fantastical quality as her work. She cites Atlantis, The Iron Giant and the films of Studio Ghibli as influences. The bright graphic quality of Diaz’s work calls the viewer from across the room to take a closer look, and an immense amount of detail is present even in her most minimal pieces. Often times, the ordinary motifs such as food Diaz uses are warped and transformed, hiding in the background or serving a function that exists outside of our reality. The objects in her art are not chosen for their symbolism, but for the aesthetic value they’ll bring to the composition. In terms of viewership, Diaz creates work for her own sake. She describes living with “emotional motion sickness,” feeling as though your mind is racing while the world moves in slow motion. She’s an artist whose life and wellness revolve around creation and is able to concentrate her own chaotic energy into her artistic process with beautiful results.
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Blake Konkol art history undergraduate second year writer
transferring memories and emotions onto tangible space artist Montana Wilson drawing undergraduate fourth year do not like
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“These themes of opposition and instability are reinforced with the placement of physical space in the composition.�
Montana Wilson At The Dining Table (2018) mixed media
Montana Wilson is an artist driven by her life experiences as an individual who has constantly been affected by changing family dynamics and physical homes. Her work reflects both connection and disconnection from members of her family and other figures in her life who have influenced her. Wilson focuses on the ties she has to her family in her art, in addition to settings in which she has and continues to grow, such as her grandmother’s yard. Interpersonal connection is a highlight of her body of work, specifically the familial relations spurred on by hardship. One familial figure who has especially contributed to Wilson’s development as both an artist and an individual is her grandmother, who appears in multiple works and whose faith in God is a motif in Wilson’s work, as well. Growing up with two maternal figures, Wilson benefited from the personal experiences and subsequent wisdom of both her mother and grandmother. Nevertheless, the loss of her grandfather, a prominent father figure, greatly impacted Wilson. She had lived with her grandparents until her mother got married, so losing her grandfather evidently affected her artistic production, so much so that the loss reinforced opposing motifs of separation and togetherness within her family dynamics. Through her time with her grandmother, Wilson has been exposed to a greater understanding of her family’s religious beliefs, particularly her grandmother’s experience with Christianity. Even though her grandmother grew up religious, she moved away from her faith earlier in her life. When moving back into Christianity, she reestablished her relationship with the Lord and passed these experiences down to Wilson, who works
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Montana Wilson Untitled in process 2 (2018) above: mixed media
Montana Wilson Untitled in process 3 (2018) left: mixed media
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Montana Wilson In the Backyard (2018) mixed media
Montana Wilson At The Dining Table (2018) mixed media
on comprehending her place in the religiosity of her family. Evaluating this mindset is also expressed in Wilson’s work; symbols such as her grandmother’s bible present themselves in her art, exemplifying the connectivity of their relationship through religion. One of the most intriguing aspects of Wilson’s work is the duality of space. While the artist’s preferred medium is a two-dimensional amalgam of drawing and paint, she splits a three-dimensional space into two canvases to further analyze and display the differing perspectives of the space. The artist utilizes anchor points of the scene, such as the sewing machine in
transferring memories and emotions onto tangible space her dining room table piece. In this work, the sewing machine is seen both in the perspective of the artist as well as from the perspective of the grandmother. This concept of separation creates a dialogue, or lack of dialogue within the pieces themselves, and even the cooler color schemes emanate silence and distance. This silence is an aspect of the works that calls the viewer’s personal relationships and their aspects of distance and togetherness into question. With that being said, Wilson emphasizes her art is a creation for herself and that viewers are second hand to her process, so she accepts that not all viewers may understand the dynamics and purpose behind her work. Wilson’s perspective is created through the combination of multiple two-dimensional pieces in a three-dimensional arrangement, whereby the viewer gets a more immersive experience through this unique architecture. Moreover, the artist not only combines multiple two-dimensional pieces in opposition to each other but also emphasizes the motif of the home through the construction of scaled down, wood-constructed homes that frame the paintings and drawings themselves. These constructions reinforce Wilson’s emphasis on stability and frailty; the architectural motifs are sturdily constructed yet create a sense of fragility in their smaller dimensions. Further, Wilson physically connects the canvases through this usage of wood. One of the pieces exemplifying this connectivity is a work displaying two scenes that are connected by a joining corner. This physical connection subsequently highlights the connection between the individuals depicted. Montana Wilson’s artistic process finds its beginnings in memories and photographs of family and friends.
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Montana Wilson Sweet Berries Part 1 (2018) acrylic, pencil, and ink on paper
Since much of her work is driven by the dynamics between her and her family members, memories hold a special place in Wilson’s mind throughout the creative process, and photographs capturing specific moments in time are also elemental to the genesis of new works. The artist begins a painting after recalling an instance with her family or stumbling upon a photograph from a time with her grandmother. From there, she works to translate that image into paintings that reflect the simplicity of the moment while simultaneously conveying the complex dynamic between the subjects. Wilson’s work seeks to understand the duality of situations, thereby drawing inspiration from incidents in which she and her family bond or connect. The
transferring memories and emotions onto tangible space
transference of memory or photograph to canvas allows Wilson to further evaluate the interplay of subjects within the timeframe of the captured moment. From this analytical painting, she uses the canvas as a foundational element to create a sculpture encapsulating the event. The dimensions and construction of the final piece are based on the artist’s emotions toward the event that is displayed on the canvas. The three-dimensional sculptures often resulting from this process somehow create a literal space through which distance and absence can be seen within the paintings themselves. These themes of opposition and instability are reinforced with the placement of physical space in the composition. While photographs and memories do comprise a fair amount of Wilson’s inspiration, some of her works find their foundational elements in the emotions of an event and the way that event has transformed in her mind over time. This impression of events drives novel artistic production in that the emotions catalyze the translation from memory to canvas. With this process, photographs do play a role in recalling the memories of the artist, often being hung on her studio walls to create a space reminiscent of Wilson’s family and friends. Montana Wilson works to display the dichotomies of fragility and stability, family tension and support, strength and shortcomings, and silence and dialogue within her body of work. She puts her heart into each piece and draws from personal experiences to channel her inner thoughts and evaluations of the world around her. She truly is an artist fueled by a passion for what she does and utilizes her artistic ability to evaluate her ever-changing family dynamics and physical homes.
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Maddie Haggbloom Royal Cello (2018) above: fused glass, purpleheart, maple wooden stand
Maddie Haggbloom Pastime (2018) left: fused glass, walnut wooden stand
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Hope Scheff art history + history undergraduate third year writer
reimagining the landscape painting: florida under the microscope artist Palmer Crippen plant science + visual arts undergraduate third year do not like
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“This process of material fusion requires an understanding of the materials’ traditional forms, in addition to a penchant for out-of-the-box ideas.”
Palmer Crippen collecting materials
Palmer Crippen’s current body of “landscape paintings” melds and juxtaposes found organic and manmade objects into surreal compositions that explore the contemporary consequences caused by Florida’s historically simultaneous urban elevation and its aesthetic and ecological devolution into America’s last frontier—a (pseudo-) tropical paradise of plastic pink flamingos and palm trees.
As a South Florida native, Palmer’s creative process begins with his personal experiences and fascinations with the juxtapositions and inconsistencies that he finds inherent within Americans’ oxymoronic perceptions of South Florida as paradisiacal and venturous. To explore these disparate conceptualizations of Floridian identity Palmer uses found objects of both manmade turn to: and natural origins. Since first bepage 93 ginning this body of work two years ago, Palmer has amassed a stockpile for more insight into of Florida kitsch that includes iconic Palmer Crippen’s items such as, beer koozies, Disney completed works souvenirs, bug spray, floral shirts, sand castle kits, Florida maps, shell necklaces, fishing gear, and college football memorabilia—most of which he accumulated by visiting local repurpose stores. Additionally, Palmer uses non-Florida native plastic botanicals, such as plastic reproductions of coconuts, palm trees, lei flowers, banana leaves, oranges, and (real, albeit dead) love bugs, to poke fun at
reimagining the landscape painting: florida under the microscope
Florida’s environmental stereotypes—as all these iconic Florida-associated natural items are in fact non-native, introduced species. While in the studio, musing over a pile of haphazardly arranged found objects, Palmer explained that depending on the initial sketch of an artwork, the art creation process may begin either with the application of manmade materials to a backboard or botanical base, or a scavenger hunt for the artwork’s natural components. The natural materials in Palmer’s compositions are always Florida-native species, such as Sabal palmetto, pine trees, air plants, Spanish moss, pine needles, Grapevine, pinecones, Beautyberry, and bark from Southern Live Oak. As such, Palmer’s artistic production is predicated on the seasons and the availability of certain renewable materials, in addition to his aesthetic vision for each individual artwork. To collect these natural items, Palmer tours specific sites on the University of Florida campus. Yulee Pit, for instance, is where the artist primarily gathers Spanish moss and bark from fallen Southern Live Oak branches, whereas Batram Woods is where he gathers smaller, uncultivated native Florida plant materials, such as Sabal palmetto, Sabal minor, Beautyberry, and Southern Live Oak. The frequency of these expeditions ranges from every two days to every few weeks depending on the season, resource, and anticipated quantity needed for production. On his hunts, Palmer brings a canvas bag to collect materials and a hammer to break bark off fallen branches. Due to his artistic scavenger hunts, Palmer has gained an exceptional knowledge of the
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University of Florida’s campus in relation to its availability and type of natural resources. Once Palmer has collected an artwork’s required manmade and natural materials, he begins a structural and scaled-down prototype of the final artwork. This prototype serves as an aesthetic and physical trial run for the final artwork, as it allows Palmer to experiment with the gravitational limits of his vision. During the construction of the prototype, Palmer carefully plays with, transforms, and overlaps the manmade materials with the artwork’s background and natural elements to create a melded composition upon which the disparate items flow into a naturalized commercial landscape. This process of material fusion requires an understanding of the materials’ traditional forms, in addition to a penchant for out-of-the-box ideas. After the prototype’s completion, Palmer tours the campus again in search of the final composition’s botanical base. Like in the production of his prototype, Palmer uses an array of tools, such as staple guns, hot glue, hammers, nails, rubber bands, tape, and wood glue, to transform, transfer, and overlap the found objects from the prototype into their final orientation on the finished artwork. Palmer’s methodological reuse and collaging of found materials parallels his thematic development, as each artwork within his Florida collection matures preexisting themes and motifs to create a unique, complex, and inquisitive body of work that questions the benefits and legacies of naturalized commodification on Florida’s urban and ecological landscapes.
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Palmer Crippen collecting in Bartram Woods
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Sarah Bass art history + visual arts undergraduate second year writer
from pens and paint to salt and sanders artist Sami Rose Mark drawing undergraduate fourth year do not like
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“A multitude of media and techniques overlap one another to create the abstract forms exhibited in Sami Rose’s works.”
Sami Rose Mark Wilting Foliose (2019) detail
With her inherent artistic flair, scientific curiosity, and surrounding natural environment from which to pull inspiration, Sami Rose Mark goes through an extensive process to produce each of her artworks. Thorough research, sketchbook development, and imaginative experimentation transform her subjects of interest into works of art. Inspired by artist Tara Donovan’s use of unconventional materials to create meticulously assembled organic structures, Sami Rose approachturn to: es her art in a similar manner, page 87 focusing on details of texture, repetition, and pattern. My interview for more insight into with Sami Rose introduced me to Sami Rose Marks’ her working environment, where completed works work-in-progress sketches are continuously being contemplated and painting techniques being tested. In her artwork, Sami Rose makes use of all the artistic tools available to her, from traditional materials such as watercolors and pens to modern technology such as Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. She collages all her materials together to produce art pieces that exhibit her diverse artistic skill sets. To create her projects titled Crystal Current Series, Circulating Contamination, and Reflections Series, Sami Rose layered photographs that she took, manipulated, and transformed with intricate lines of ink and washes of watercolor paints. In some of the
from pens and paint to salt and sanders
works, she also incorporated altered scans of images, including scans of the sketches and studies that she made in preparation for these final works. During the interview, Sami Rose showed me her colorful palette of dry watercolors, which she mentioned she prefers to wet watercolors in a tube, for their endless ability to be reconstituted on the palette with a bit of water. As we spoke, she demonstrated how the mixing of rubbing alcohol with the watercolors creates a loose, watery effect, meanwhile warning me of the harsh fumes that rubbing alcohol causes to waft through her studio. Salt is another material with which Sami Rose has experimented to test different textural effects in her artworks. A multitude of media and techniques overlap one another to create the abstract forms exhibited in Sami Rose’s works. Moving onto new projects, Sami Rose has researched organisms such as lichen, moss, and fungi in Gainesville. She has made studies of these organisms and has taken reference photos to aid her in her experimentation with different color combinations, media, and compositions. As we discussed her artistic process, she pondered the potential of each of her small, preparatory pieces clipped onto her studio walls, considering the effects of the different elements that were added to each consecutive piece. She was open to listening to my opinion of the works as I voiced my gravitation toward the simple, connecting circular shapes drawn onto one of her pieces. Since the interview, she turned those pieces into thickly layered collages, entitled Wilting Foliose, to which she applied a hand sander, another unconventional tool that Sami Rose has employed in
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Sami Rose Mark preparatory work
from pens and paint to salt and sanders
her artistic production, to erode the collage surface. In the future, Sami Rose would like to explore more with installation work, breaking beyond the borders of a frame, even working in three-dimensional media, like clay. Though currently inspired by the environment of Florida, she can imagine her future work being influenced by the geography of other locations that she may encounter. A great amount of preparation is put into each project taken on by young artist Sami Rose, as she has learned the importance of preparatory work in relieving the pressure placed on the final piece. Despite the many artistic thoughts that constantly multiply in her brain as well as the growing collection of materials in her possession, Sami Rose keeps an organized and tidy studio, allowing room for all her sketches, scans, and studies. Sitting in her studio, the space felt prepared and waiting for supplies to be scattered and art to be created. With the mixture of an imaginative mindset, interests in subjects of natural science, and thorough planning and experimentation, Sami Rose Mark continues to learn and make artwork that keeps with her characteristic style while featuring new and creative elements.
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Nancy Penaranda Krystal Flower (2018) above: photograph
Nancy Penaranda Winter Starr (2018) left: photograph
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Nancy Penaranda art history undergraduate fourth year writer
the blue print
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“The imprint of urbanization by the cyanotype is also able to express the idea of a fluid blueprint, overflowing into the environment.�
Isabella Guttuso cyanotype process
With the increase of human development and an ever-growing population, the environment is suffering major destruction and diminishing under the weight of urbanization. Isabella Guttuso looks into Florida’s environment and landscape and how it has developed over time, focusing on the blueprint of mankind spreading over Florida’s topography. To begin her process, Guttuso goes through archives of aerial surveys taken from the 1930s-50s from the Florida Department of Agriculture, looking for different ratios of agriculture to urbanization. The majority of the locations she chooses are from the Everglades, Central and South Florida, where she has noticed urbanization has had the greatest effect on the landscape over time. After she has made her selection, she digitally scans the image onto both fiber paper and a transparency paper. On the fiber paper, developed areas are deleted and in their place a white space is left. She then goes to the dark room and paints cyanotype onto the image, letting it bleed out from the deleted urban areas to the surrounding environment. After this, she places the transparent image that will act as a negative on top of the image with cyanotype and goes outside. The cyanotype chemical is light sensitive, leaving an imprint of the image from the transparency onto the fiber paper. From there, Guttuso brings her image back into the dark room where it will be rinsed with water and set to darken overnight, from which the dark Prussian blue color will form. Guttuso’s interest in art and the environment led her to pursue a way to merge them. Her process looks into the contrast of the natural form with the manipulated. She uses photography as a medium to capture the environment in a historical context. Knowledge of
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Isabella Guttuso Untitled (2018) mixed media on fiber paper
documentary photography inspired her realization that photography is a snapshot of time that you can continue to reference. She states that her project “pulls from an interest in landscape architecture and how things have altered and developed over time”. She looks into Florida’s environmental history, exploring its topographical history and urban footprint. Through her prior experience in the darkroom at UF, she understands darkroom processes contain a blend of chance and control, a quality that she admires. “Digital can seem far removed, hands-on brings back the tension between the manipulator and the process”. Guttuso uses cyanotype, a light sensitive chemical that will produce a hue once exposed to sunlight. This blue she describes as reminiscent of the classic blueprints of master plans. And while many chemicals of the darkroom are harmful to the environment, she chose cyanotype for its non-toxic effect on the environment. The imprint of urbanization by the cyanotype is also able to express the idea of a fluid blueprint, overflowing into the environment. After graduation, Guttuso plans to continue her interests in the environment and topography to pursue a Master of Landscape Architecture degree at UF. She believes that art can be the strongest tool for activism, and in her case, a visual tool to incite conversation on the effects of the blueprint of mankind.
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Isabella Guttuso cyanotype process
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Marina Sachs Telling myself it’s not as hard as it seems (2019) above: digital print of a 35mm negative scan
Marina Sachs Get a grip! (2019) left : digital print of a 35mm negative scan
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Maria Kuran art history undergraduate third year writer
becoming an artist: a process of self-discovery artist Taylor Collings visual arts undergraduate third year do not like
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“In fact, her Pieces artwork represents a turning point in her blossoming career, one in which she allowed herself to feel more connected to her art.�
Taylor Collings That Feeling (2018) oil on canvas
Prior to her decision of becoming a Visual Arts major, Collings struggled with finding her place at the School of Art + Art History upon arriving to UF. Initially, her passion for the arts went all the way back to elementary school, and it was her first-ever art teacher in middle school that truly made an impact on her. She then began investing more time into developing her talent for the arts and even submitted her work to a few competitions, some of which she received awards from. However, Collings’ journey within the arts came to a pause when she transferred to a public high school, where the arts program was not prioritized and only one professor monitored roughly forty students per class. In addition to the common trials and tribulations everyone undergoes throughout high school, Collings had to take matters into her own hands and discipline herself without proper guidance, and the pressure of it all became a challenge. “For me, art classes in high school lacked a lot of direction, and that was reflected in my own technical advancements and overall mindset about my future in the arts.� Collings felt as though she had lost her identity as an artist, and it affected the choices she made when receiving her acceptance from UF. She originally did not even consider majoring in the fine arts, instead choosing to pursue a degree in Art History. Of course, that path did not last long, and Collings naturally sensed a disconnect in her choice.
becoming an artist: a process of self-discovery
“I just got really frustrated with studying art and not being able to make it.� After weighing out her options and contemplating what she wanted to do, Collings realized that it was a simple decision to make, based heavily on her reclaimed passion for the arts. With that in mind, the artist swiftly switched her major to Visual Arts, although she did maintain a minor in Art History, as well.
turn to: page 41 for more insight into Taylor Collings’ completed works
The process of becoming an artist was certainly a challenge for Collings, but since her transition to becoming a Visual Arts major, she has grown quite significantly and is slowly but surely cementing her artistic path. In fact, her Pieces artwork represents a turning point in her blossoming career, one in which she allowed herself to feel more connected to her art and reestablish her passion for it. As discussed in the Dinner article, Collings left the canvas unstretched when it was hung up on display at the WARP Show, and it was also left unstretched during her painting process. Applying brushstrokes onto a loose canvas certainly altered the creative process for Collings, because she felt more connected to her piece. This is because her decision of leaving the canvas in
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a more vulnerable state than it would traditionally be in allowed her to be more careful with her brushstrokes, thereby creating an honest, more organic product. She also spent her time working in a hidden room on her own, no one bothering her as she painted, with nothing but a loose canvas nailed to the wall keeping her company. Collings also made sure to pay attention to the details and perfect every last one of them, some of which were the beeline and the puzzle piece outlining the couple. To ensure that the lines were properly executed on the large canvas, she had a smaller-scale version of Pieces projected onto the canvas and worked from there. Through that meticulous process, she formed an even deeper and more intimate connection to her work, and as she spoke of it, it seemed as though that period of having no direction never even existed. Presently, Collings has begun selling prints of her work and is in the process of completing yet another painting pertaining to the female body. The blue, abstract form taking over much of the canvas is similar in shape to the abstract forms in Pieces, with Collings’ preliminary curvilinear lines outlining a lot of the form’s feminine qualities. The artist claims that there are certainly underlying themes of femininity and sexuality that were also present in Pieces, but she is still unsure as to what the end result will be. Nevertheless, she has faith in her abilities and believes that the painting will guide her in telling her exactly what it is she needs to paint onto it.
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Taylor Collings Untitled (2019) acrylic on canvas
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Shannon Moriarty art history undergraduate third year writer
expressions of gender: revealing the pain of adhering to beauty standards artist Blake Konkol art history undergraduate second year do not like
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“The process of body manipulation on display and how the illusion of making oneself a ‘woman’ requires one hundred percent effort.”
Blake Konkol Untitled (2019) photograph
Inspired by drag performances, pop stars, and models, Blake Konkol wanted to become more involved in the drag community through his own performances. He was adopted by a “drag mother,” an experienced drag performer who serves as a mentor and guide in the drag community, who helped get Konkol started on stage after deciding he wanted to perform.
turn to: page 27 for more insight into Blake Konkol’s completed works
Konkol puts many hours into preparing for his performances and in creating “looks,” which include makeup, hair, an outfit, and a performance. Many “looks” are whole units and function as an entire performance and the stage performance aspect is incredibly difficult to capture the entire meaning without being present for it. Konkol finds inspiration for his looks in beauty magazines and in the normative societal standards of beauty. Most of his time is spent doing makeup. It must be done and redone until it is, as Konkol stated, “exactly how I envisioned it.”
In some performances, like those highlighted in this untitled series, Konkol creates works that bring attention to issues in beauty culture, such as eating disorders and body dysmorphia. He emphasizes the performance of body manipulation in drag and gender play through these images. The process of body manipulation on display and how the illusion of making oneself a “woman” requires one hundred percent effort. This effort is even more important in a
expressions of gender drag performance. Konkol stated, “without going over the top nobody notices what changes you made.” For example, some concealer and mascara are easily unnoticed, but “beating one’s face” by contouring each bone, drawing exaggerated eyebrows over top one’s eyebrows, which have been literally glued down with a glue stick, and removing all color from one’s lip to draw on lips of a desired shape and size does not go unnoticed. In one series, the aftereffects of corseting are displayed alongside the artist’s adjusted waistline. The after photos were taken one hour after removing the corset, revealing deep impressions on the skin long after removal. This series illustrates just one step the artist takes in drag performance, conforming to the unrealistic and dangerous, ideal silhouette and also removing the appearance of male genitals. Smoothness is a feminine ideal that the artist painfully achieves through corseting and “tucking,” arranging one’s male genitalia so that it is not visible to give one’s form a feminine appearance. The artist utilized photo editing techniques and physical performance to blur his face, expressing the pain experienced by forcing oneself to mold to the ideal silhouette perpetuated by societal beauty standards. This series recalls ideas surrounding gender fluidity, a prevalent topic in Konkol’s highlighted work, by capturing moments of bodily transformation. Additionally, Konkol’s performance includes wearing a wig, which is a sign that one’s preparations have culminated, and the look is completed. Looks function as a whole unit and the final step before performing us putting on one’s wig; Konkol stated that once you put on your wig, “you’re a woman.”
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expressions of gender
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Blake Konkol Untitled (2019) photographs
Jordyn Goldklank War and Piece (2019) acrylic on paper
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Olivia Masih Strung Out Reality (2019) wire and string sculpture
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Jordan Kriseman art history undergraduate third year writer
building a body artist Inés Cochrane painting undergraduate fourth year do not like
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“Each work and discovery regarding the materials and process informs the next work in the series, and therefore mimics our own journey with self-imagining and self-construction.”
Inés Cochrane Untitled (2018) oil on canvas
While Inés Cochrane studies painting, her works in this series have textural three-dimensional elements that enhance their subject matter and create a more visceral reaction in the viewer. Much of her process was based off of her own feelings while she was working, and she used this series to explore the practice of art-making itself. As other artists have questioned before, she tried to figure out how much detail to add to each piece before it was done; instinct proved to be the best tool for determining when a painting was finished.
The focus of this series began when she added a mouth to a more abstract painting a few months ago. From that point, she continued working with the red color palette and depictions of bodily features. Some of the first paintings specifically of works relating to the body were studies of wounds and scars; during this time, she created a molding turn to: paste that has since become an important component of her works. As she aims to page 13 examine the insecurities humans have of for more insight themselves and how those are projected into Inés onto the world, it is fitting that she utiCochrane’s lizes the thick paint, brush strokes, and completed works other materials to showcase the artist’s hand; she is thereby able to reinforce the idea that we often create our own worst images of ourselves. Along with the molding paste, Cochrane uses canvas itself as a formal material. For some works, she cuts the canvas, creating gash-like shapes. In the large
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InĂŠs Cochrane Untitled (2018) mixed media on canvas
InĂŠs Cochrane Untitled (2018) mixed media on canvas
building a body
painting of the woman’s torso, she has even taken this a step further, by sewing another layer of canvas on the primary one, so that there is an outer-layer created; when viewing the painting from different angles, you can see the canvas coming off the painting, as if the body is materializing into reality. The molding paste, canvas, and a varnish all work together to create incredibly realistic renderings of human bodies and wounds. In painting features related directly to the body, there is automatically an association created for the viewer of him or herself. The life-like quality Cochrane has achieved demonstrates the ways in which we often create our own worst versions of ourselves and insecurities, with one thought often spiraling into another. Each work and discovery regarding the materials and process informs the next work in the series, and therefore mimics our own journey with self-imagining and self-construction.
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Index
artists, in order of appearance
+ Hannah Kline: hklineart.com, @hklineart page 11-17
+ InĂŠs Cochrane page 19-23
+ Jenna Bray: jennabray.myportfolio.com page 25
+ Blake Konkol: @alison.st.james page 27-31, 153-157
+ Shannon Moriarty: smoriartyphoto.myportfolio.com page 33
+ Jordyn Goldklank: jordyngoldklank.com, @jordyngoldklank page 35-39, 159
+ Taylor Collings: @finding.spring page 41-45, 147-151
+ Brett Taylor: bretttaylorprints.com, @bretttaylor_prints page 47-53
+ Maddie Boyd: @madelineboydd page 55-63
+ Selina Wagner page 65
+ Micah Lomel: micahlomel.com page 66-73
+ Hilman Chan page 75
+ Rebecca Matson: @becca.matson page 77-83
+ Tesa Aguilar page 85
+ Hayley Suraci page 85
+ Sami Rose Mark: @samirose_art page 87-91, 131-135
+ Palmer Crippen: palmercrippen.com page 93-99, 125-129
+ Drew Scanlon page 101
+ Lexi Peterson page 101
+ Juana Diaz: @cobracommstudio page 103-109
+ Montana Wilson: @mgrace121 page 113-121
+ Maddie Haggbloom: @maddhaus.studios page 123
+ Nancy Penaranda page 137
+ Isabella Guttuso: isabellaguttuso.wixsite.com/isabellaguttuso page 139-143
+ Marina Sachs page 145
+ Olivia Masih page 159
writers, in order of appearance
+ Alex Rasmussen page 11-17
+ Jordan Kriseman page 19-23, 161-165
+ Shannon Moriarty page 27-31, 153-157
+ Maddie Haggbloom page 35-39
+ Maria Kuran page 41-45, 147-151
+ Hayley Suraci page 47-53
+ Lexi Peterson page 55-63
+ Tesa Aguilar page 67-73
+ Emily Rainbolt page 77-83
+ Sarah Bass page 87-91, 131-135
+ Hope Scheff page 93-99, 125-129
+ Anna Martell page 103-109
+ Blake Konkol page 113-121
+ Nancy Penaranda page 139-143
Acknowledgments
Our deepest gratitude to everyone who contributed to the publication in any capacity, whether they submitted their own artwork and writing or they assisted our editorial and design team. Thank you to our incredible professors and graduate assistants for inspiring us with their work and mentorship. Finally, we would like to thank University of Florida Student Government for funding this publication; we greatly appreciate the support and contribution.
Production
editorial team + Hayley Suraci + Maria Kuran + Jordan Kriseman + Lexi Peterson + Shannon Moriarty + Alex Ramussen design + Marissa Volk
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