by Felicia Martinez, Ashton Collett and Vincent Fronczek
While the faculty show from the last two months showcases the level of skill CMU’s art professors have, the upcoming student show helps to demonstrate what the students of CMU have learned over the course of their education. This show, which was juried by the art department’s faculty, brings together two and three-dimensional works in a variety of mediums.
There’s very exceptional art to see during the show’s run. While much of this work had not been labeled or signed before t the time we visited the exhibition, we were still able to draw conclusions from work. However, due to this, we were unable to obtain names for some of the work. The Juried Student Show opened Nov. 14 and had an official reception on Dec. 2 at the CMU gallery.
One of the more notable themes among work in this exhibition was an abstraction. There are several abstract works across all mediums, some with more tangible subjects than others. One such piece is “Dreams (Nightmares)” by Rikki Cook. The sculpture features a giant wooden conch shell laid out on a twin mattress, accompanied by crumpled sheets and a melatonin bottle. This piece also has an audio component; there are both calming and jarring sound effects coming from inside the shell itself. This piece can be seen as surrealist due to the subject matter; however, a hefty amount of contrast is present between the shell and the sheets. It can throw a person off at first glance due to how much the shell stands out in work.
Randy Hyde and Jennifer Allen were both able to submit works simply titled “Animation Portfolio” of various concepts for their work, which included both character designs and plotlines for future action. These works are unique; the viewer can see the creative process in various stages throughout the portfolios.
CMU’s graphic design department also submitted work for this show. The ARTG 333 course entered a work titled “Dia de Los Muertos,” after the holiday of the same name. The work features several unique skulls, known as calavera or sugar skulls, against a monochromatic background. The skulls themselves are brightly colored, and reflect how sugar skulls are typically decorated. The work resembles a poster, which helps distinguish it as a product of graphic design.
However, because of the volume of work, it seems like it was a difficult decision for the faculty on what works to include. This also made it difficult for us to pick art to review. From what we know of the jurying process, it can be long, and there can be disagreements and debates on what work to include. Whether or not this was a successfully juried show, work speaks for itself. This is a very eclectic show, and it demonstrates the skill artists have continued to build upon during their time at CMU. The Juried Student Show is open from now until Jan. 28th, it is located at 437 Colorado Ave.
