On Tuesday, Gallery 100 hosted an opening reception for the intermedia student art exhibit, "Anything Goes." The title seems to be a play off of the mixed art mediums present within the gallery. The pieces are all unique — an amalgamation of digital, video, print and paint.
"Tell Me About Yourself," a digital print collection created by intermedia art senior Corrie Safford, featured nine prints of cartoon-esque portraits and personality descriptors surrounding them. Safford took the time to explain the significance of the piece.
"It was inspired initially by the idea of portraiture and the projection of personality versus the perception of reality," she said.
Safford gathered participants and had each one describe themselves to her in terms of what they saw and how they believed others saw them.
"I incorporated those elements into portrait form," she said.
"Sunset on the Romanovs," a trilogy of digital prints envisioned by intermedia art senior Lindsey Kohl, featured an ornate living room with crimson drapery, an empty table, high-arching windows and patterned carpeting. In each piece, the living room was the same, but as the sun sets across the three successive prints, the coloring darkens.
Kohl said that her work originated from her youthful fascination with the Romanov family. Kohl was attracted by "their story, lifestyle and elegance." Through her work, she wanted to represent how historical icons were burdened with betrayal and tragedy.
"Sunset on the Romanovs" is set in the place of the Romanov murders — the living room of their summer palace.
"I love the idea of a living room without anyone living in it," Kohl said. "When it gets to the sun setting, the lighting and the mood changes."
She explained that the second print is a representation of the murder scene with the absence of gore. The lengthy shadows creeping across the floor add a dangerous atmosphere to the scene and the pops of crimson from sun spots on the drapery and couches seem jarring.
The final print is dark. The sun has fully set, and the moonlight barely illuminates the room. The living room is ensconced in a disquieting darkness. This darkness brings a somber tone to the print.
"At nighttime, it has this ghostly quality with the shadows," she said. "It doesn't look very pleasing anymore."
Kohl explained that she saw it as "the endless cycle." She wanted to depict the repetitive occurrences of historical backstabbing and murder, but how life goes on regardless.
"Unir," a perforated aluminum and yarn sculpture designed by intermedia art senior Sarah Sudduth in collaboration with another student from her class, sat apart from the rest.
Sudduth explained that "Unir" was inspired by a Latin American design class. Sudduth indicated that her piece was based on the concept of "connectivity between environment and structure."
They used aluminum as a representation of structure and green yarn as environment. When asked about the title, Sudduth explained that "Unir" is a Spanish term.
"'Unir' is Spanish for 'to unite' or 'attach' and 'merge'," she said. "We figured it was an appropriate title."
The gallery was a splendid mixture of digital and traditional art pieces. It will remain in Gallery 100 until Friday, Feb. 28.
Reach the reporter at Stephanie.Tate@asu.edu or follow her on Twitter @StephanieITA
