23 Mar Virtual Art Gallery Features Art Academy of Cincinnati Senior Works
Due to the current health crisis, the Art Academy is taking senior thesis exhibitions virtual! A variety of works are displayed in the Art Academy of Cincinnati Gallery, Chidlaw Gallery, and Pearlman Gallery.
First up, SYNTHESIS. The work is incredible and these seniors put their all into the show knowing there would be a limited audience. We ask that you please share the work of these talented students far and wide.
To experience the full show:
1. Once you enter the gallery, click the circles on the ground to proceed forward in the galleries.
2. There are shows in three areas on two levels. To experience all shows you can:
a. Use the circles on the floor to move from floor to floor as if you were walking through the building.
b. Click the “view dollhouse” button in the lower left to zoom out and move to a different area.
c. Click the “floor selector” button in the lower left to be move to a different floor.
ENTER THE GALLERY
Meet the Artists
Bell’s work examines the female nude from the feminine perspective by using nude self-portraits, nature and space. Being a female artist, the wanted to reclaim the nude and stop the objectification of women from the male perspective. Through research of Western Art history, they shed light on how space is restricted to women’s use as well as how nature plays a key role in femininity. This is then translated into nude self-portraits where they fill spaces with nature. These spaces are the kitchen, the office, the artist’s studio, and the gallery itself.
Flath uses environmental research about the Midwest for most of their references such as how climate change is developing and how local nature has to compensate for it. They use plastic as a symbol for industry and humanity’s influence on the environment, juxtaposing this with the soft and colorful nature of oil painting and textiles. The act of weaving was used differently in each of these pieces: the paintings are most reliant on the texture of the weave and how it relates to paint while the birds decontextualize the plastic and integrate it almost seamlessly with the yarn and thread.
Francis’ work encompasses different aspects of queer-hood through the cis gay male. The work plays with duality of reality and fantasy, which reflects how gay culture has been represented and passed on over time.
Greene is an interdisciplinary fine artist with a focus in painting. They have been working on a series of oil paintings in response to the climate crisis. These works surround a narrative of consequence and revolution.
Miskell is a painter and a sort of jack of all trades artist that works with trash and recycled materials. They utilize these materials as surfaces for paintings, drawings, prints, etc. Their background is in graphic design which established a use of intensely chromatic planes of color that make up a sort of abstract composition usually depicting more trash, litter that they have discovered and found funny.
Paulson’s body of work is a celebration of the empowerment of female energy and the importance of unity for women. Expressive figure drawings and watercolor paintings demonstrates ways they have combined collage and creative writing into their practice.
Stevens’ work focuses on the playful aspects of life and art. Her pieces capture memories that reflect a carefree lifestyle, and the importance of community and relationships to treasure. For her work in SYNTHESIS, she created a group of paintings in which she takes photos with a disposable camera and blows them up on the canvas.
Since the public is unable to experience our seniors thesis exhibitions, we’ve recorded their artist talks so you can learn more about their work. You can view all of the talks from the SYNTHESIS artist on our YouTube by following the link HERE.
Social Distance Gallery is project created by Benjamin Cook, AAC adjunct professor, to showcase BFA and MFA thesis exhibitions that have been canceled or limited in access due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Learn more here.