Precisely That: 2008 Senior Honors Thesis Exhibition Harnett Museum: April 18 to May 9th 2008, Artspace: April 25 to May 18, 2008, Joel and Lila Harnett Museum of Art, University of Richmond Museums Precisely That: 2008 Senior Honors Thesis Exhibition is on view concurrently in two locations, from April 18 to May 9, 2008, at the Harnett Museum of Art, University of Richmond Museums, and April 25 to May 18, 2008, at Artspace Gallery @ Plant Zero, Richmond. The senior honors thesis exhibition is the capstone experience for graduating studio art majors in the Department of Art and Art History at the University of Richmond. This year’s exhibition includes art works by Anne Hazel, Stephanie McBride, Haley McCall, Alicia McCarty, Rafiya Naim, Natsumi Oba, and Kimberly Wirt. OPENING RECEPTION There will be an opening reception and preview of the exhibition on Friday, April 25, from 7 to 10 P.M., at Artspace Gallery @Plant Zero, Zero East 4th Street, Richmond. This event is free and open to the public.
Artists’ Statements: Anne Hazel: “Extended Completion is a visual discussion of the implications when actions are interrupted, blocked, or transformed. With multi-channel video production this body of work feeds off the empty space between the two video screens, communicating either the inability for an action to complete itself or a transformation in material.” Stephanie McBride: “Now with EVEN MORE Tingle…Batteries Not Included is a look into media conditioning versus biological instinct. My digital prints explore the realm of sexual curiosity, repression, repulsion, and obsession. The amorphousness of sexual desire and fascination directly translates into the disjointed subject matter and presentation of the artwork. Why are the effects and consequences of sexuality considered to be good or bad?” Haley McCall: “Through a portrait study using a variety of photography and printmaking techniques, I reveal that from any age a young woman can maintain a very intense and mysterious attitude. In Unveiling Gazes my subjects are from contemporary times; however, they are presented with an antique aesthetic resembling photography’s earliest techniques. By creating cropped compositions with only the subject’s face as the image, I bring the viewer closer to the young woman’s eyes, which provide the primary outlet for her gripping expression and emotions.” Alicia McCarty: “My thesis, entitled Indecent Exposure, focuses primarily on the nude female figure in my representational oil paintings. I concentrate on the censorship of nudes and their perceived sexuality in our culture by concealing, eliminating, or blurring parts that are often considered “indecent” in the media.” Rafiya Naim: “Delving into my collection of Pakistani imagery and reflecting my personal view and identification within Pakistani society, I construct digital collage-based images through technology in my thesis, Washed Up. This visual information is from imagery I accumulated while growing up in Karachi, Pakistan. All of these elements I have fragmented and merged together to portray my view of particular cultural moments of Pakistan.” Natsumi Oba: “In my thesis, titled Are You There?, I am addressing ways of perceiving space. What is space? My work is an exploration of the substance, existence, or non-existence of space. Through printmaking and drawing, I use two-dimensional media to study three-dimensional space.” Kimberly Wirt: “My thesis, titled The Downtown Plan: Gentrification of the City of Richmond, addresses recent and on-going construction occurring throughout the city of Richmond and its effects on poor and lower class minorities in the city. My work emphasizes the transitioning city as largely minority neighborhoods are gentrified into middle class developments and establishes grounds for dialogue among communities in Richmond.” The honors studio art majors work throughout their senior year to prepare for this exhibition. In the fall, the students focus on creating a cohesive body of work that supports a developed thesis. The spring semester is spent organizing the exhibition by completing their artwork, refining artist and thesis statements, documenting their artwork, applying for fellowships, and engaging in critiques. The yearlong course was taught by Tanja Softic', Associate Professor of Art, Department of Art and Art History, and Richard Waller, Executive Director, University of Richmond Museums. Throughout the undergraduate studio art program, students are required to take classes in a variety of media. By their senior year, each student has a diverse portfolio of work and has begun to develop a personal style. The senior thesis class provides an opportunity for the students to use what they have learned to create their own work and present it in a professional manner. The art produced for the senior thesis class is created specifically for the final exhibition. Precisely That was organized by the University of Richmond Museums and Department of Art and Art History in collaboration with Artspace Gallery, and is sponsored in part by 12 12 Gallery, Richmond.