MFA show

My favorite set of work are the large scale mixed media photographs in the first room to the left after you enter the gallery. My thesis exploration deals with minutiae and all the beauty in the ordinary that's overlooked due to socially constructed associations and conditioning of society. These are prohibiting factors that keep us from forming our own pure interpretation of something based on its actual form and essence. This body of work inspired me in the sense that the content of the pieces form a juxtaposition of the formal qualities of the media they are representing. At least this is what I derived from it.. The flat areas of color sharply contrasting the photograph of the texture in the painted brushstroke provoked me to think of the minute qualities they are commenting on. I also see a clear commentary on authenticity of media due to the interesting use of photography to blow up the contours that paint creates when applied heavily and the method of keeping the actual applied paint as flat, graphic, and geometric as possible. I really enjoyed this piece and it has inspired me to further my research in the area of minutiae dealing with almost a sort of role reversal & it reignited my interest in the exploration of how the juxtaposition of two things can take away so many learned associations that each entail on their own but in the actual juxtaposition how much more meaning can be derived.

I'm also attracted to the pieces in the main room on the right wall—the series of paintings/drawings on small canvases, cardboard, paper, panel, graph paper, etc. This body of work seems to be celebrating contour and form through the highlighting of line quality and subtraction of positive space with the use of tape in some. This was my interpretation of the pieces and I think a lot of my interpretation in art has actually evolved since the elaboration of thesis. I'm interested in seeing more galleries after forming such strong opinions about my thesis topic and practically living thinking about it and how it may affect my perception of things (& perception is also dealt with heavily in my research).

commenting on the set up of the exhibition itself.. I think the addition of the partition walls in the main gallery room is a great idea because I feel it keeps everyone's work equal in that there are none that have a more special treatment or space in the room. Usually, to me, the back wall of the main gallery room seems to be the most revered because it's the first wall you see, and coincidentally, the first body of work you see. It also adds more wall space so the pieces didn't feel too cramped like the BFA show we last saw. There wasn't a lot of confusion in whose work is whose and I don't feel that any were shown up or shown down due to the surrounding works, but like i said, equal in value & importance.