Current Season

Mark Gordon: Recent Works

Jennifer O'Connell: Familiar Places

Hobson Pittman: At Home & Work

J. Chris Wilson: From Murphy to Manteo

32st Annual Scholastic Art Awards Exhibition

Leslie Fry: Re-Creation

Stasis: Motion from Stillness

Barton Senior Art Exhibition 2010: Seven

Mark Gordon: Recent Works

August 24-September 18, 2009
Opening reception Sunday, August 30, 2:00-4:00 p.m.

"Clay is a universal medium: potters' vessels have formed an essential part of material culture, Gordon says. "Often, in the vessels, Greek or Chinese forms seem to be echoed in my clay shapes." Works presented range from more traditional smooth-surfaced vessels to composite, coagulate encrusted versions. In these latter pieces the surfaces retain a comfortable tension somewhere between chaos and structure. Their forms resemble things one might find in nature, but on the molecular level.

Gordon's inspiration is often derived from an eclectic mix of nature and plant growth, animal skeletons, machinery, scrap yards and through travel. He sees his artwork as a melding of idea and action, of inspiration and impulse. "I approach claywork as the creation, pulling form out of inchoate matter, as an ongoing experiment in seeking new direction through variation," says Gordon. "The physicality of clay, along with its remarkable ability to freeze action and respond to physical impact or retain any fleeting impression, immediately and permanently captured my interest."

In contrast to the vessels, Gordon's installation's in the Lula E. Rackley gallery refer to architecture and industrialization. These works, to Gordon, represent fragments, combined geometries and biomorphic musings. "Geometry, being a form of math, has always served as a universal language for sculpture," says Gerard Lange, Director of Exhibitions at Barton. "Gordon's use of these pure forms has placed the work in a global context, where many interpretations can be draw by evaluating the sculptures from different cultural points of view. Influence of his time spent abroad is clearly evident in Gordon's complex manipulation and integration of these otherwise simple forms."

Jennifer O'Connell: Familiar Places

September 27-October 30, 2009, Virginia Thompson Graves Gallery
Opening reception Sunday, September 27, 2:00-4:00 p.m.
Barton Friends of Visual Arts Dinner, Friday, October 2, 6:00-8:00 p.m.
(Dinner is by invitation only)

Massachusetts artist Jennifer O'Connell's work presents scenes of rooms in her colonial home in Hadley, Mass. Rather than depicting these intimate spaces in natural color, the rooms and furnishings are highly saturated – a rich visual symphony where colors are wrought with emotion. "These scenes are inspired by what the mind conjures, (where) perception is influenced by contemplation," shared O'Connell. Through the color saturation one begins to ponder the emotional state of the artist during the time each painting was executed. This contemplation is reinforced by the sense and evidence of habitation, without actually seeing any people. "Despite the vacancy, there is the feeling that the room has been frozen in the midst of action, and the occupants have simply vanished from view," said Gerard Lange, director of exhibitions of the Barton Art Galleries. "There is a sense of life and activity, but the scene appears to be a moment in which the artist's mind may have begun to wander."

As rooms are presented repeatedly, one can witness changes in decorating and, therein, the passage of time becomes apparent. "As I paint in my home, I am witness to everyday changes which reveal stories," O'Connell continued. Completed over the span of days and weeks, the compositions reflect natural changes occurring daily. Objects in the paintings appear to have been touched and moved, yet the person responsible is absent. In her working and reworking of the scene, O'Connell's rooms cease to be mere domestic genre and start to live and breathe of their own accord. In theses paintings, she transforms the images of her unoccupied private spaces into a self-portrait, where not only her life but the act of living is placed on display.

Jennifer O'Connell earned a Master of Fine Arts degree in painting and drawing from the University of New Hampshire and a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from SUNY Plattsburgh. Additionally, she studied fine art at the University College Chester in England. She has received numerous awards, grants and fellowships, has been exhibited nationally and internationally and is represented by Adam Cave Fine Art in Raleigh, Left Bank Gallery in Wellfleet, Mass., and Oxbow Gallery in Northampton, Mass.

Hobson Pittman: At Home & Work

September 27-October 30, 2009, Lula E. Rackley Gallery
Opening reception Sunday, September 27, 2:00-4:00 p.m.
Lecture by J. Chris Wilson, Professor of Art, October 20 2:00-4:00 p.m.
(Lecture is open to the public free of charge)

Born in the rural Edgecombe community of Epworth near Leggett in 1899, Hobson LaFayette Pittman showed artistic promise at a very early age and was encouraged to pursue his creative talent by his first art instructor, Molly Rouse. He attended the Carnegie Institute of Technology in 1925, continuing his studies at Columbia University. In 1928, Pittman was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship and traveled to Europe for the first time where he visited major art museums and completed a series of watercolors. From then on, Pittman traveled between the United States, Europe, and the Orient, teaching and studying painting.

Although he never lived in Edgecombe County again, Hobson Pittman took the memories of his home-place with him. Often devoid of people, these paintings of spacious Victorian rooms and southern gardens are romantic and nostalgic, and hearken the sense of a distant memory. "He often would exaggerate the massive windows and doorways he remembered from his childhood, that seemed larger than life," shared Buddy Hooks, director of the Hobson Pittman Memorial Gallery in Tarboro. The stark wooden homes with 10 and 12-foot ceilings, enormous doors and windows provided strong elements to mix with Pittman's imagination creating compelling and somewhat mysterious scenes. Pittman once shared, "I have always been interested in painting things of the past - things I have loved and still do. Things I feel and understand." The quiet ambiance of the scenes is often deafening in the solitude, which is depicted. Charged by the subtle mix of interior and exterior lighting, one gets a sense that the world has stopped turning in a moment where a youthful recollection is pondered by a mature mind.

From the late 1950s until the end of his life, Pittman used a riotous palette of color. Throughout the course of his life, blue-greys, fawns and taupes, muted greens and wines gave way to tangerine, watermelon, turquoise, hot gold and chartreuse. Likewise, his subject matter waxed and waned covering all sorts of styles and genre. It was for his floral still lives that Pittman won notoriety in the 1920s and 1930s. In these canvasses, one can sense the influences of Henry McFee, Yasuo Kuniyoshi, Fernand Lèger, and the German Expressionists. "If I have made any contributions to painting, I firmly attribute it to a concentrated study of the masters," said Pittman. "I try very hard not to be biased in my opinions or in my appreciation, but to be tolerant of all types and periods of good painting."

Pittman earned high regard throughout the United States for his oils, pastels, and watercolors. He was also considered one of the best art instructors in the nation and was sought by numerous colleges, universities, and art organizations to lecture and teach.

Pittman's career was sparked by numerous awards, and his works are included in many public collections including the Corcoran Gallery and the Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C., the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City, the Philadelphia Museum and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in Philadelphia, and the North Carolina Museum of Art in Raleigh. Works in this exhibition are on loan from the Hobson Pittman Memorial Gallery, located within the Blount-Bridgers House in Tarboro.

J. Chris Wilson: From Murphy to Manteo

November 8-December 9, 2009

In his paintings, Wilson presents an intimate detailed view of the splendor of the North Carolina landscape. Such an endeavor has often been the subject of photographs and etchings, but never before has there been as diverse a look at the natural environment undertaken in oil. The breadth of images in the series reflects an intense devotion to the state and the ideology of being from North Carolina. "I suppose, in retrospect, this entire journey began when I started to see myself as no longer a South Georgian and began feeling that I was now a tried-and-true North Carolinian," said Wilson.

The paintings in this series did not materialize overnight, but have been developing for over a decade. Wilson's intention is to produce 100 scenic views of North Carolina stretching across the state following US-64, literally from Murphy to Manteo. "My objective," said Wilson, "was to seek what I considered to be the most visually impressive and interesting natural scenery whether that scenery was created totally by natural forces or by the hand of man."

Wilson's paintings began to take shape after returning from Japan, where he taught at a sister institution to Barton College. Having been previously exposed to Japanese wood block printing, Wilson found inspiration in the work of Ando Hiroshige, who produced serial prints focusing on scenic views along important rivers in the country. Returning to America, Wilson felt driven to produce his own series of works eliciting his home environment.

Rivers have had a long-standing history for serving as transportation routes. Wilson contemplated this notion and considered painting scenic views along the Tar River, which runs past his Edgecombe County home. Deciding there was not enough visual variety along the Tar, however, Wilson looked to a different artery of transport for his inspiration: US Highway 64.

The exhibit displays both studies for the monumental series as well as completed paintings. The latter of these are tremendous in scale, completely covering some of the galley walls. These large canvasses draw the viewer in filling their visual field creating the sense that one is actually there, standing in nature.

"Wilson has captured the essence of land," said Gerard Lange, director of exhibitions at the Barton Art Galleries. "From rolling hills, to rushing water, to pensive mist-filled fields, one can become lost in the scenes as a Romantic poet might in their own introspections."

In the paintings, Wilson has highlighted the grandeur of the land and also captured the emotion of bearing witness to the land. The result is a quite personal yet telling portrayal of North Carolina. It is Wilson's hope that the viewers of his works will walk away with a heightened awareness of their state. "Perhaps these works may contribute to a new sense of appreciation for the essential good of the North Carolina landscape," he said.

32nd Annual Scholastic Art Awards

January 24-February 19, 2010

This marks the 32nd year that Barton College has served as host and regional sponsor for the National Scholastic Art Awards for the Eastern/Central North Carolina Region. The featured speaker for the awards ceremony is Kat Hendrix, senior manager of the Affiliate Network of the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, the national not-for-profit organization that presents The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards.

Entries from all 50 states are submitted for competition in the nationally renowned Scholastic Art Awards program. The program, created for middle and high school students, is designed to encourage student achievement, to recognize and applaud our fine art teachers and to emphasize the importance of the visual arts in the school curriculum. Barton College is proud to host the Eastern/Central Regional District in North Carolina, representing 62 counties from the piedmont to the coast.

Contributors to the program include the Visual Arts Department of the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools, the Wilson Chamber of Commerce, Stan Corbett of Corbett Reproductions, Framer's Alley of Elm City, and the Office of Enrollment Management at Barton College.

The Scholastic Art Awards entries for the Eastern/Central North Carolina Region are received at Barton College during the first week of January. This year, approximately 1,875 artwork entries and an additional 90 portfolios were presented for judging.

Two hundred and two pieces were selected as Gold Key Awards for the exhibition as well as 15 portfolios. Digital images of these finalist art works will be sent to New York City for judging against other regional winners for the national exhibition held in June at the Corcoran Gallery, Washington, D.C. Also sent to New York will be the works of five American Vision Award (Best of Show) nominees, including: Katie Tolley, grade 12, Durham School of the Arts, Anna Lynch, grade 12, Whiteville High School, Matthew Schmitz, grade 12, Durham School of the Arts, William Brooks Anderson, grade 12, West Forsyth High School, and Ola Wienclawska, grade 10, R.J. Reynolds High School.

Additionally, there were 190 Silver Key Awards chosen from the individual entries submitted as well as 25 portfolios.

From the Gold Key artworks, the jury also selected works for additional regional awards to be presented at the ceremony including the Barton College Award to Layden Gellatly, grade 11, North Lenoir High School; "The Wilson Times" Award to William Brooks Anderson, grade 12, West Forsyth High School; the North Carolina Art Education Association Award to Anahi Gomez, grade 8, Zebulon GT Magnet Middle School; the Governor's Student Achievement Award to Elizabeth Spaulding, grade 12, Whiteville High School; the Emerging Vision Award to Celesta Hauser, grade 8, Clemmons Middle School; and the Edward C. Brown Award, which honors the long-time director of the Barton Scholastics Program, to Simone Simpson, grade 10, Durham School of the Arts.

Key recipients from Wilson county by school are as follows:

Forest Hills Middle School, Teacher Lori Robbins: Juan Anguiano (SK), Alex Dixon (2 GKs), Christian Hampton (SK), Chandler Hauerwas(SK), Kelsey Lineberger (2 GKs), Amanda Tipps (GK).

James B. Hunt High School, Teacher Amanda Lange: Anna Batts (5 GKs, 2 SKs).

Sallie B. Howard School, Teacher Peter Varisano: Naniqua Coleman (SK), Crystal Martinez (2 GKs, 2 SKs), Javeta Neal (GK), Rayne Ozier (3 GKs), Ajahni White (2 GKs).

Springfield Middle School, Teacher Charlotte Rouse: Chelsey Smith (GK).

Wilson Visual Arts Academy, Teacher Bobi Gregory: Becky Lee (GK), Monica Sullivan (SK).

Leslie Fry: Re-Creation

February 28-April 2, 2010

Leslie Fry's artwork, displayed in the Virginia Thompson Graves Gallery, can be viewed as a response to humankind’s impact on the environment and how this impact changes over the course of time. Upon entering the gallery, the first work one sees is a large installation extending out from the far wall towards the center of the gallery floor.

The large mass is actually a conglomeration of smaller fragmented sculptures of miniature buildings, human likenesses, tools, trucks, animals, and plant life. The different gray tones of the sculpture create a chiaroscuro effect, almost like a large three-dimensional drawing. One may get the sense they have walked into the carefully arranged remains from a collapsed building or archeological site. But, following the mass back towards its source, all the elements are arranged as though they are spilling forth from a crisp, white wheelbarrow. Inside the wheelbarrow, a video documenting Fry’s creative process along with images of industrialization and nature is playing, evoking themes of regeneration.

This installation, titled Excavating Shadows, is used by Fry as a jumping-off point for creating her artworks. It represents the beginning of a cyclical process of creation, destruction, decay, and rejuvenation. “I am looking at visions of destruction in our ever-changing world,” said Fry. “I see possibilities for re-creation and resurrection.”

Along the walls are many relief sculptures mounted into wooden frames resembling shipping crates. The forms and images therein are comprised of similar forms that appear in the installation. An unmistakable reference implied by the crates is some sort of archeological recovery of the debris and preservation of the artifacts.

In front of the back wall on pedestals, recurring images appear again, this time reproduced in gleaming cast bronze. “The work evokes an alchemical and transformative process,” continued Fry. “I am metaphorically creating gold from lead, turning the raw into the refined, bringing shadows into light.”

“This work invokes a sense of growth and change,” said Gerard Lange, director of the Barton Art Galleries. “The work could be viewed as Fry’s response to urbanization or the reclamation following a natural disaster, but there is also a sense that the artist is taking the viewer on her journey of creation: finding beauty in the detritus of past generations, reclaiming those artifacts and then edifying those objects as art.”

Fry holds degrees from the University of Vermont and The Milton Avery Graduate School of the Arts at Bard College. She also attended the Central School of Art and Design in London. Between 1988 and 2002, she taught studio art at the University of Vermont, St. Michael’s College, New College of Florida, and in the M.F.A. program at Vermont College. Fry was born in Montreal, and she divides her time between studios in Winooski, Vt., and St. Petersburg, Fla.

Stasis: Motion from Stillness

February 28-April 2, 2010

The artworks in Stasis: Motion from Stillness are all composed of video but, instead of using video cameras to capture motion in a cinematic way, the artists have used the camera as a still photographer would, motionless and unmoving. The results of the experiments range from pensive meditations and colorful kaleidoscopes to stacks of televisions used like children's building blocks. Regardless of the content, there is an overwhelming sense of contemplation and meditation that binds the artworks together.

Patrick Holbrook, one of the artists in this exhibition, is an instructor at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. He uses the human body and peoples’ mannerisms as points of departure. Particularly, the artist is engaged in examining human action and the residue left from that action.

In Markers, Holbrook documents various artifacts used to reserve one’s parking space in the snow-filled streets of Chicago. Waste bins, traffic cones, and other bulky items are placed in the road to reserve the spot until denizens return at the end of the day.

Viewing this string of clips, each of a different scene, each being framed around the subject without camera movement, one can hear the city rising up around the stillness of the artifacts. There is a sense of life and activity, but the inactivity is what really holds the viewer’s attention. “What I am doing is exploring the role of documentation, what is being documented and the documenter,” said Holbrook.

Extents offers a different look at evidence of human activity. In this work, the video reveals several different scenes, one of which is the artist’s shoes, damp with water and resting on a wooden floor beneath a window, the light from which is drying them. This video captures the mundane passage of time revealing the quirkiness of human behavior used to accomplish menial tasks.

Holbrook’s Complicit features two videos playing on different monitors. The first is a compilation of scenes of many people clapping against stark backgrounds; the second video is that of a 1960s era clay-mation lion continuously rising to its feet, applauding an unseen antagonist. A final component of this work is a flip clock mounted to the wall, continually changing its tiles.

Standing before the installation, one is met with a cacophony of clicking, clacking, and clapping. Looking from screen to screen, to the clock and back to the monitors, viewers might catch themselves wanting to clap along with the performers. “The common thread in much of my work is an examination of how people are formed by cultural structure,” said Holbrook. “I am looking at how people resist or play along with what it prescribed to them.”

Another work in the exhibition that presents a contemplative look at the relationship of sound and motion is Meditation on the Last Storm of Winter on Lake Superior, by Barton College’s photography professor Gerard Lange. The video depicts storm clouds overhead with rough waves breaking on a jetty, the water rolling onto a pebbled beach. The work is actually a montage of several videos collaged together in the way one might construct a panoramic landscape photograph.

“I wanted to document my favorite spot in northern Michigan, before moving back to the South,” said Lange. “Just like a tourist might document their favorite place, I wanted to capture a wide-angled view of the landscape. This location provided me with a respite from daily hurriedness. I would sit on those pebbles, meditate on the sound and motion of the water and allow my mind to wander.”

Michael Wyshock, the third artist in the exhibition, is a professor at the University of Central Arkansas. His works, although shot from motionless cameras, offer a more non-objective form of video compared to the documentary projects of Lange and Holbrook.

In his Moving Paintings, Wyshock presents a kaleidoscope of color, pulsing back and forth from the center of the projected video. In this work, the artist videos paint, fuels, and pollutants being poured across a surface. He then slices the scene into sections and edits the imagery, forming multiple layers while creating the fractured ebb and flow of color. “My process relies on compositional deconstruction and the rebuilding of visual representations,” shared Wyshock.

A second projected video work by Wyshock shines down from the ceiling into a large shallow tank of water filled with pieces of broken glass. When the video hits the glass, the light is dispersed, and the tank comes to life with motion and color. Gazing into the work is like looking into a crystal ball. One becomes entranced by the desire to find order in the chaos of the shards.

Wyshock uses this aspect of the work to influence his abstract paintings, which he then, in turn, uses as inspiration for other video works. “Watching the disjointed video imagery reveals new combinations of shapes and lines,’ he said. “The canvas and computer become involved in a perpetual dialogue.”

Stasis is the first all-video exhibition to be displayed at Barton College. “This is an important moment for the gallery,” said Lange. “The art world is evolving and has begun to use the fourth dimension - time. Time-based media is a fine art interpretation of tradition video. It is documentary and exploratory in the same instant.”

The concept of the exhibition was first put forth several years ago, and it has taken a long time to organize. Equipment in the display was loaned by The Wilson Times Company, Barton College’s offices of Student Affairs and Career Services, the Willis N. Hackney Library, and Wilson Glass & Mirror, Inc. Many people from the greater Wilson community also donated television sets to be used in the exhibit.

Barton Senior Art Exhibition 2010: Seven

April 17-May 10, 2010

Seven, features the work of seven talented senior art students: Christopher Allen, Kristin Flowers, Pamela Hickson, Stacy McGinty, Natalie Phipps, David Pineiro, and Ben Yansom. With a focus on photography, graphic design, and painting, the exhibition will showcase the burgeoning talent of these young artists as they are ushered into the professional art arena.

Christopher Allen

A native of Rocky Mount, Allen plans to graduate in May with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Art and Design with an emphasis on Graphic Design. His focus for the exhibition has been to create the company "Black Sheep Design" complete with branding and identity, as well as marketing samples. As a result, Allen has incorporated both traditional and digital media utilizing mixed media on paper, acrylic on board, and Adobe Design software (including Adobe Flash) to produce work for the exhibition.

"Graphic design is my way of communicating to the world; I use typography and design principles to evoke responses from the audience," shared Allen. "I use high contrast and high drama in my work to add energy, so that viewers are automatically involved with the visuals. I've always found graphic design to be an interesting art form, along with the medium's ability to grab people's attention from the street or office, using the power of persuasion to sell a product or idea."

Susan Fecho, professor and chair of the Department of Art, said, "Chris Allen's senior exhibition work revolves around the need to develop a professional design identity for his own company - Black Sheep Design. Allen's work demonstrates a passion for design, solid research, and the ability to work in various mediums and formats to best convey an idea."

Following graduation, Allen hopes to secure a position with a large graphic design firm, creating professional level work for both large and small businesses.

Kristin Flowers

Flowers, a native of Wilson, plans to graduate in May with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Art and Design with a emphasis on Painting. Her works in the exhibition will include paintings in oil and acrylics as well as graphite drawings.

"My mixed media paintings and drawings emphasize a sensitivity to color and an approach to composition that poses psychological questions to the viewer," said Flowers. "The experimentation with simultaneous imagery, coupled with a feminine point of view, has led to a body of work that has a narrative communication within each painting." In her work, Flowers includes images relating to the female form such as dresses and pears, along with images of herself. "I pose these portraits with the feminine forms in a compositional structure that often provokes a psychological reaction from the viewer," continued Flowers. "I am trying to create a relationship between the images that are presented, which becomes the goal."

"Kristin Flowers' paintings and drawings are energized with line and form in a way that is visually exciting," shared J. Chris Wilson, professor of art. "Flowers uses strokes to define form and tone to define shape in a way that creates a dialogue between the media and the ground that compels the viewer to engage with the work of art. The overall high value contrast that she typically uses balanced by a controlled color range brings to the work a hierarchy that invites the viewer to reverie."

After graduating in May, Flowers plans to pursue a Master of Fine Arts degree in Painting/Drawing.

Pamela Hickson

Hickson also hails from Wilson, and she plans to graduate in May with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with an emphasis on Photography. Her work, titled "Past h Present," will represent a collection of photographs of utilitarian objects such as old locks, hinges, wooden doors, and barns to show that the past is still part of the present through the continued use of these items.

"My goal is to bring awareness that, when something is old, it does not mean it has to be replaced," said Hickson. "Locks, hinges, and wooden doors are still being used and will be used for many years to come…The texture and shape of the metal and wood shows how time has worn into, but not given up on them. These things are not objects or old buildings left to stand alone, they are possessions needing to be used and are calling out, 'I'm still here.'"

Gerard Lange, assistant professor of art at Barton, shared, "Pamela's work invokes a sense of preservation and perseverance in the timeless quality of the utilitarian objects depicted in her photographs. She is immortalizing the commonly overlooked items people engage themselves with on a daily basis."

Following graduation, Hickson plans to continue her education, and to begin exploring the incorporating of a variety of other mediums into her artwork.

Stacy McGinty

McGinty, a native of Greenville, plans to graduate in May with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Art and Design with an emphasis on Visual Design.

Using the computer design programs Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop, along with hand applied silk-screening techniques, McGinty has created minimalist, abstract designs depicting animals and other subjects simplified for an adolescent audience. Through creative use of typography and flat shapes, she offers a unique approach to design and marketing for children. Her levels of exploration differ with the variety of prototypes that she creates.

"As an artist, I have always been interested in abstract and non-representational design," said McGinty. "While exploring possibilities for my senior show theme, I began experimenting with designs based on elements of typography. Using letters of the alphabet, I created animals that are the central theme for the children's design company I developed. 'Imagine That,' the title for the company, will offer a variety of products for youth, including room décor items, school accessories, and apparel. The elements I prefer utilizing for my designs include line, shape, and pattern. The repetition of particular aspects of my theme allows me to create a unified body of work, which is significant considering it is designed for a single company."

"Stacy's whimsical artistic voice as seen in her children's décor series has been strongly influenced by literature and popular culture," said Fecho. "'Children should be entertained and inspired by their surroundings,' and McGinty's typography-based animals developed for wallpaper, pillows, and book covers aim to encourage and spark the imagination."

After graduation, McGinty plans to pursue a graduate degree in library science or elementary education.

Natalie Phipps

A native of Durham, Phipps plans to graduate in May with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Art and Design with an emphasis on Photography. Her black and white photographic works focus on the shapes and lines formed by the human body. Cropped views, isolated figures, and delicate folds of the body all provide points of visual interest for the viewer.

"From the time I learned how to use a camera, I knew I wanted to be a photographer," shared Phipps. "I've always loved taking pictures of people, landscapes, flowers, and nature in general. My works express creativity and individuality. The use of the human body is often used in my works. The human body is a very interesting subject with its delicate curves and angles. For the senior show, I chose to use photographs to express the human body in its most natural state, nude."

"Natalie's work explores the human body and the emotions of frailty and empowerment through imagery that can be considered serenely nude or in-your-face naked," said Lange. "As one views the collection of images, they are met with a variety of emotions from quiet empathy to rigid solidarity. The handful of images used in this exhibition are from over 1,000 photographs Natalie took."

Following graduation, Phipps hopes to pursue a career in commercial photography.

David Pineiro

Hailing from Charleston, S.C., Pineiro plans to graduate in May with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Art and Design with an emphasis on Graphic Design and a minor in pre-engineering.

Pineiro will showcase soccer-related graphic design created for the commercial industry. In an effort to mirror a company trade show display, his works will incorporate printed posters, banners, and billboard designs as well as athletic apparel for a company named "Cheeky." Using a combination of media to create crisp geometric designs, Pineiro has manipulated the high technology of computer graphics to co-exist comfortably alongside the more traditional tools of graphite and paint.

"The main goal of this artwork is to create a design that is unique and clearly communicates its message to the audience," said Pineiro. "These designs are the combination of geometric and mathematical as well as psychological thought processes mixed with various subject matter."

"Within his creative process, David Pineiro approaches the design aesthetics with laboratory style, seeking to forge design, light, color, and technology together into mathematical attractiveness," said Fecho. "Pineiro's new work designed for the lifestyle and adrenaline of soccer involved researching the mainstream trends of the international sporting industry."

Following graduation, Pineiro plans to begin a Master of Fine Arts degree in Graphic Design while also pursuing a professional career in graphic design.

Ben Yansom

Yansom, a native of Smithfield, plans to graduate in May with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Art and Design with an emphasis on Graphic Design.

Using a variety of media, Yansom's work focuses on a variety of themes as he showcases 10 company logo designs and associated marketing pieces for the companies. In this work, Yansom portrays his versatility as a designer, as the pieces range in size, concept, and scale. He has even created a nearly life-sized billboard that appears to be freestanding in the gallery. Yansom's reason for exploring a variety of companies and products is because his family owns and operates a successful sign company in Smithfield.

"Graphic design has been a family affair for years and has been part of my life since I was a small child," shared Yansom. "Since 2000, I have worked part time in my family's sign shop and, in that time, I've seen graphic design change and evolve. Now, as I complete my college degree, I look forward to being a part of that evolution."

"Ben Yansom's visual communication skills represent up-to-date market trends for designing unique identities," shared Fecho. "The essence of his art is about translating a business's expertise and product into imagery that comes together as a whole and portrays an added value for the product."

After graduation, Yansom plans to work full time for his family's company, Smithfield Sign Design in Smithfield.

For additional information about the 2010 Senior Art Exhibition, please contact Gerard Lange, senior advisor, at 252-399-6475 or glange@barton.edu.