Embracing the Question - ETSU

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mbracing the Question

A Conversation with Eclectic Artwork Curated by Lauren Whipple

About the Curator

Lauren Whipple is a student in the Department of Art & Design at East Tennessee State University studying studio art. She is currently a volunteer at the Reece Museum, where she runs the social media accounts. When she isn’t working on her coursework, she can usually be found watching movies and skateboarding. Her work can be found on Instagram @artistlaurenwhipple.

Catalog Design by Lydia Myers and Lauren Whipple

Embracing the Question: A Conversation with Eclectic Artwork

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mbracing the Question: A Conversation with Eclectic Artwork is a virtual exhibition featuring eight works from the Reece Museum’s permanent collection. The

inspiration and title for the exhibit comes from Elizabeth Leigh Knowles’s lithographic

print Embracing the Question. These eight eclectic works are connected through the idea that evocative imagery invites the viewer to critically engage with and to “embrace the questions” that each artwork seems to pose.

Embracing the Question: A Conversation with Eclectic Artwork

Embracing the Question from the Tempe Suite Elizabeth Leigh Knowles 1995 lithograph print 24” x 18”

Embracing the Question inspired this exhibit. Although a print, this piece has a painterly feel to it. A figure reaches their hands out to a sphere — hair blowing as if the sphere is expelling energy of some kind. Does this sphere posses energy and if so, why? The ethereal qualities of Embracing the Question invite further investigation of the artwork.

Embracing the Question: A Conversation with Eclectic Artwork

Scarecrow

from the Tempe Suite Jed Thomas 1995 monotype print 24” x 18”

Scarecrow features a figure with what appears to be a bird perched on top of its head. The figure seems to display a puzzled expression on its face. Perhaps the figure is pondering its own existence and purpose ... maybe because the figure is failing to scare the crow?

Embracing the Question: A Conversation with Eclectic Artwork

Untitled Gail Cadoniga 2000-2005 relief print 11” x 15”

This untitled print appears to depict a head as it spirals and disappears into the horizon. The lack of facial feature raises the question of who this figure is or represents. What is the figure thinking about that is causing the literal disappearance of their physical self?

Embracing the Question: A Conversation with Eclectic Artwork

A Religious Person Jim Collins 1970 woodcut, paper, wood, wire 21 ¾” x 17 ¾”

This piece presents a cryptic figure wearing an indistinguishable garment with a cross visible on its chest. The rough relief aesthetic that defines the figure is juxtaposed with a bright, floral background.

Who is this figure and what is its relationship with religion?

Embracing the Question: A Conversation with Eclectic Artwork

Hushed

from the ETSU-GC&SU Print Exchange Jennifer Anderson 1999 lithographic print 11 ¼” x 7 ¼”

Hushed portrays a figure in an undefined space with ethereal qualities. It is aesthetically similar to Embracing the Question, the first work in this exhibition. These two works by different artists might cause one to wonder why the two pieces are so similar. Are they exploring a universal topic that isn’t explicitly stated?

Embracing the Question: A Conversation with Eclectic Artwork

Modern Myth Marc Snyder 2004 relief print 15” x 11”

Modern Myth features a figure, stylistically resembling a GrecoRoman statue, wearing an astronaut helmet. The figure’s expression is neutral, stoic — like a statue. Why does this apparent sculpture require a helmet? Does the helmet hint at a sentient being?

Embracing the Question: A Conversation with Eclectic Artwork

Melancholy Angel

from the ETSU-GC&SU Print Exchange Heather Gabrielle 1999 lithographic print 7” x 11”

Melancholy Angel is a print containing two unique images. On the left is a flower surrounded by text. The text is vague and tells a story of loss. The image on the right shows a sullen figure’s face.

Melancholy Angel seems to explore the mystery of death through its otherwise peaceful imagery. Is the work an attempt to answer or deal with that mystery?

Embracing the Question: A Conversation with Eclectic Artwork

Blue Knows All the Words JJ Cromer 2014 paper, wood, glass 8” x 10”

This mixed media piece has many interweaving elements guiding the eye across the artwork. However, these complex lines all lead to the central element: the eye gazing directly at the viewer. The title, Blue Knows All the Words, implies that the eye, supposedly named Blue, knows all. Is Blue the all-seeing eye in this work? Who is Blue, and what power does it possess?

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A Conversation with Eclectic Artwork A Conversation with Eclectic Artwork Curated by Lauren Whipple Curated by Lauren Whipple