The great thing about finishing an art degree is that you get to show the public the results of all your hard earned efforts. Students in University of Louisville’s Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) program for Fall 2011 are breathing a sigh of relief that they have completed the program and you can view their impressive body of work at the Hite Art Institute galleries located in Schneider Hall. The BFA Thesis Exhibition features paintings, photography, sculpture, video and works on paper. This exhibition not only showcases their completed work, but it also announces their introduction to the community as emerging artists and designers.
The student artists are Jessica Atchley, Becca Closterman, Betsy Green, Amanda Haas, Crystal Rae Ludwick, Amanda Nichols, Mitchell Noah, Molly Passafiume, Jason Shelton, Lindsay Smith and Rachel Waters.
Two students were given the William Fischer Outstanding Student Award which is a senior project grant given to BFA candidates to complete their senior show. The students are Amanda Nichols (2-D Studios) and Molly Passafiume (3-D Studios).
Amanda Nichols paints beautiful ruins. She concentrates on the cracks and peels that naturally happen to surfaces over time and magnifies this deterioration in her large-scale paintings. Amanda cleverly employs the trompe l’oeil (deceive the eye) technique leaving the viewer curious as to if the cracks are real or not. They are and they aren’t. Although her overall composition is an illusion of decay, the paint is built up in such a way that it only adds to the realistic imagery. In her statement she says, “I am exploring the purpose of paint which alters our perception of a surface, and the temporality of paint which is subject to decay like all things in nature.” Initially, the UofL Art Department faculty wanted her to paint her creations directly onto the wall for the exhibit, but being as though she only had about a week’s time frame, she choose to show her original canvases instead. However, it leaves her with an idea to explore in the future.
Molly Passafiume works in ceramics to create forms that you could stare at for hours. They taunt you with their energetic textures that beg to be touched. Molly incorporates hand-made paper into her sculptures, which adds to their beauty and allure. While these are not classical ceramic shapes or forms, they still demonstrate the techniques, time, and preciseness of a skilled ceramist. Her statement says, “Process and material are crucial to the growth of my forms and my ideas. My process is organized and deliberate, but the wood firings create an unpredictable, serendipitous surface.” This unpredictability has clearly worked in her favor.
The Fall 2011 BFA Thesis Exhibition is at the Hite Art Institute Galleries in Schneider Hall on the Belknap Campus/UofL and will be on view Dec. 1st through the 21st. It is free and open to the public.
Gallery Hours:
Mon.-Fri., 9am- 4:30pm; Sat., 10am-2pm; & Sun., 1-4pm
