Category | Arts & Living

Art majors display modern, chic work at exhibition

Published on November 3, 2009 by Berlin Sylvestre

Daft Punk, good cheese, chic spectacles, grainy photography and artists talking art-at first glance, the feeling of peering into a fastidiously-lit loft fooled guests into forgetting that they were just in a basement on campus. This arresting scene was the backdrop for KSU’s graduating art majors’ showcase.

The first of two presentations in the 2009 Fall Senior Exhibition, held on the bottom floor of the Sturgis Library, was a well-calculated, tasteful manifestation of some of KSU’s most ambitious and inspired art majors. “Everyone who is in the Senior Exhibition class has the opportunity to have their work displayed,” Almenia Candis said

Indeed, 10 visual virtuosos splashed the walls of the art gallery with their sometimes exhilarating and sometimes vexing imagery. The artists were present to share their experiences, including inspiration via imagination, criticism and the trials inside their trade.

“My whole life revolves around art,” Destiny Bramlett said. “When I started college, I knew I wanted a fine arts degree and I’ve never changed my mind.” Bramlett, a graphic design major, displayed original works with stark, intense palettes. Her sexy redesign of Andy Capp’s most famous nosh declared, “Hot Women Like Hot Fries” and her 80s punk rock flyers were resplendently transformed into swanky modern jobs.

Most of these student artists said that the most daunting task after graduation will be getting a foot in the door of the art world. “There is definitely a demand for new emerging artists, it’s just hard for someone to give you a shot,” Bramlett said.

“From picking which brand of yogurt to deciding what to wear, there is always an artist behind [the product] making life more interesting and personal,” Candis said.

Defying reality TV stereotypes, the soon-to-be graduates insist that competitiveness in the classroom is only positive. “We all support and help out one another and, for the most part, we are all really good friends,” Bramlett said.

“The competitiveness needs to be left behind with your high school graduation,” Amy Yochum said.

“There is definitely a camaraderie amongst all of us, because we all know how hard this profession is. The long hours, caffeine and late night mounting take a toll on all of us,” Jon Van Matre said.

Van Matre wowed the audience with his in-your-face digital stylings. His composition for a non-extant body spray, “Swagger,” was so on the pulse of today’s marketing that, had it been a real product, it just might have sold out in the gallery. “I critique almost every television commercial, billboard, print ad, web ad, Web site-everything, you name it,” Van Matre said.

Round one of the senior exhibition, showing through Nov. 9, includes the aforementioned artists and others slated to graduate this year with degrees in graphic design and photography. In this exhibition, the works of Brittany Alsobrook, Destiny Bramlett, Kelly Burns, Almenia Candis, Carol Craig, Billy Linpinsel, Jennifer Menze, Meredith Sommer, Jon Van Matre and Amy Yochum are featured.

The second showing, from Nov. 17 through Dec. 3, will feature artists with art education, painting and drawing majors. In this showing, Morgan Booker, James Gray, Susan Becker Jones, Ranae Kelley, Jessica Killpack, Philip Messina, Donna Shiver, Marcy Starz, Rachel Wade and Sarah Wellman will exhibit their works. For more information on the exhibitions, visit kennesaw.edu/arts.