Senior exhibition opens April 19 in Fredonia’s Marion Art Gallery
The poster for the Spring 2019 senior exhibition, “Phantasmagoric,” was designed by Hannah Orlousky.
The spring 2019 senior exhibition, “Phantasmagoric,” opens at the Cathy and Jesse Marion Art Gallery with a reception from 7 to 9 p.m. on Friday, April 19.
On display through April 25, the exhibition includes artwork by Taylor Aversa (drawing/painting), Nijah Brown (animation/illustration), Jamie Guarrera (drawing/painting), Mattea Guldy (animation/illustration), Torry Haggins (ceramics and film/video), Emily Kupp (animation/illustration), Hannah Orlousky (graphic design), Rosalina Pena (sculpture), Michaela Ruggiero (animation/illustration) and Chun-Ta (Jossy) Wang (drawing/painting).
The seniors chose the word “Phantasmagoric” for the exhibition title to reference the diversity of the artwork and fluctuation of this time in their lives. “Phantasma” is a Greek word meaning “image.” Something phantasmagoric features wild and shifting images and colorful patterns that are continually moving and changing.
Aversa describes her painting series “Transfiguration” and “Endearment” as an experiment and a memoir. Her still life paintings are untraditional self-portraits; her palette knife experiments represent memories and her transition into adult life.
In her “Mental Illness Portrait” series, Brown represents some of the most common mental disorders in the United States with dream-like portraits.
Philosophers like Alan Watts influenced Guarrera’s mixed media painting series “Abstracted Retrospect.” Among Watts’ most famous quotes is, “I have realized that the past and future are real illusions, that they exist in the present, which is what there is and all there is.”
Guldy’s film examines friendship and strength in women characters and confronts female stereotypes.
Haggins’ video and ceramic installation is a tribute to her grandmother who raised her and her siblings. Tea sets represent the six family members; the lazy susan underneath signifies the repetitive myriad of daily routines, between work and home, necessary to keep the family functional.
Kupp’s digital illustrations, titled “Portraits de Femmes,” are Rococo inspired portraits of American feminists such as Laverne Cox, Hilary Clinton and Susan B. Anthony.
Orlousky was inspired by designer Alain Bossuyt’s limited color palettes, use of texture and san-serif font choices to design three horror movie posters. By concentrating on a more artistic, and less illustrative, approach she created unique designs free of movie poster clichés.
With her female wax torso sculptures, Pena addresses body positivity and beauty standards.
Ruggiero’s trailer promotes her visual novel “In-Difference.” The story is set in a juvenile detention center with the goal of inspiring a conversation about the turmoil some children and teenagers go through.
With both realistic portraits and abstract paintings that represent music, Wang celebrates his Fredonia musician friends.
The exhibition and reception are free and open to the public. Marion Art Gallery is located on the first floor of Rockefeller Arts Center.
“Phantasmagoric” is supported by the Department of Visual Arts and New Media, Fredonia College Foundation’s Cathy and Jesse Marion Endowment Fund and Friends of Rockefeller Arts Center.
Gallery hours are: Tuesday through Thursday noon to 4 pm, Friday and Saturday noon to 6 pm, and Sunday noon to 4 pm. The gallery is closed on Mondays. For more information or a group tour of the exhibition, contact Gallery Director Barbara Räcker at 716-673-4897 or email barbara.racker@fredonia.edu.
