WILSON, N.C. – “Emerge,” the 2011 Barton College Senior Art Exhibition, opens on Sunday afternoon, April 10, with a reception from 2 p.m. – 4 p.m. in the Barton Art Galleries. Gallery talks by the artists will be held on Wednesday, April 20, at 4 p.m. Both events are open to the public at no charge, and the community is invited to attend. The exhibition will run until Monday, May 5.
On view will be the work of 11 talented seniors: Zachary Brown, Alyssa Damroth, William Carter, Evan Fulks, Elizabeth Macon Harmon, Danielle Langis, Tiffany Lievense, Cameron A. McIntosh, Maritza Paulino, Anna Margaret Roberts and Catherine Wilson. The exhibition will focus on ceramics, graphic design, painting, and photography produced by these talented young artists.
Zachary Brown
Brown, a native of Concord, plans to graduate in May with a Bachelor of Science degree in Art Education.
He describes his oil paintings in the upcoming exhibition as dark narrations on various individuals’ mysterious past, present, and future. Each work illustrates a moment in the life of a stranger, whose deeds and intentions are left up to the imagination of the viewer. Some pieces allow the viewer a passive experience, and others put the viewer in a more interactive role.
“For instance, the work ‘Intrusion’ allows the viewer an outsider’s discovery of a man committing a despicable deed, while the work ‘Always be a good boy, don’t ever play with guns’ aggressively places the viewer in the shoes of the victim,” shared Brown. He added, that much of his work is the antithesis of Norman Rockwell’s, in that Brown does not paint the world prettier than it actually is.
“It has been a pleasure to watch the rapid growth as an artist that Zachary Brown has achieved,” said J. Chris Wilson, professor of art and design. “Zack’s work is always informed and driven by his desire to achieve a personal voice. He is a self-motivated, hard-working young artist and is prepared to continue studio production after graduation, as he has demonstrated that he can work independently. He has begun to see the beginning of an emerging career in art through the commissions and sales of his paintings that have occurred. I believe that Zachary Brown will have a bright future as an artist and a teacher.”
Brown is the son of Donna and Jeff Brown of Concord. Following graduation, he plans to seek a teaching position in art and looks forward to attending graduate school to pursue a Master of Fine Arts degree in the near future.
William Carter
A native of Durham, Carter plans to graduate in May with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with concentrations in Design and Photography.
Carter’s portion of the exhibition will focus on recent work in photography and graphite as well as digital design work. Unique framing and matting will complete Carter’s work, while also showcasing a broad skill set that ties the individual compositions into the gallery space as a whole.
A recent European tour of the British Isles and France this past winter was the catalyst for some of Carter’s photography to be included in the exhibit. “Will has experimented with a wide variety of media throughout his Barton College academic career and has assimilated both techniques and artistic strategies into his artistic vision,” said Mark Gordon, associate professor of art. “He will present a body of work based on his recent travels to Europe, with unique visual variations of such iconic images as the Eiffel Tower and St. Patrick’s Cathedral.” Carter explained that one of his color pieces named “Eiffel,” is a composition constructed of three photographs of the Eiffel Tower. “These photos are not creating one larger image, but are simply three different angles of the tower in the evening sky,” he shared. “The lights of the tower and the sky in the background created an analogous color palette, and the colors were emphasized with photo editing software.”
Following graduation, Carter plans to continue work in the graphic design field, which includes a position at 243-SIGN, a sign company in Wilson. This experience will allow Carter an outlet to further develop color theory, photography, as well as improving his craftsmanship. Carter is also considering graduate school after a year or two of experience in the field.
Alyssa Damroth
An art education major seeking a Bachelor of Science degree, Damroth plans to graduate in May. Currently from Kinston and originally from Long Island, N.Y., she joins her peer artists for the 2011 senior art exhibition.
Describing herself as an ever-evolving artist, Damroth shared that her goal for this show was to find innovative ways with which to communicate personally with her audience. Damroth has worked to establish emotion and personality in her pieces, allowing the viewer to peer into specific times of her life. Hints at Damroth’s childhood and her instilled culture present themselves in specific supportive imagery. Whether literal images of the artist are used or formations of emotions are displayed, Damroth maintains a connective thread throughout her collection.
“Positive and negative energy collide to form tension in each of the pieces,” she continued. “In addition to the contrasts of energies is the impact of the events depicted. I have used the juxtaposition of uncertainty with absolute emotion to bring life to my art.” Along with the narrative chosen, multiple mediums are used to highlight the pieces displayed.
In “Drown,” Damroth said she indulged in a dream-like format, allowing the silk to hide or subtly display the images depicted. In sharp contrast, her drawn self-portrait “Babushka” is showcased with various and bold values formed from the overlapping of India ink, graphite, paint, and charcoal.
“Damroth strives to mesh photography, abstract mark-making, and traditional studio techniques,” said Susan Fecho, professor and chair of the Department of Art and Design. “This creates a unique multimedia collage that aids the viewer to view past the subject into the illusionary. Damroth often utilizes herself as the subject to produce hushed introspective works that capture a transient moment for the individual spectator to ponder.”
Following graduation, Damroth plans to use her skills as an art educator, instilling in her students the importance of finding a personal narrative as they communicate through art.
Evan Fulks
A native of Logan, Utah, and currently of Wilson, Fulks is seeking a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with a concentration in Photography. He will join his fellow students in the Barton Art Galleries to exhibit his most recent works, showcasing his exploration of nineteenth century techniques, including ferrotype and salt print.
Fulks has been focused on replicating the original formulas from the mid-1800s for use in his recent body of work. He shared that his intention is to present a juxtaposition of nineteenth century aesthetics and a modern view of the world, using motifs common to the nineteenth century in order to address the fragility of life, as well as a more personal exploration into self-identity and his relationship with the world around him. He explained that pieces like “Aspiration” subtly satirize the dichotomy within photographic processes, as falsehoods and trickery are often used to present a scene and which may be contrary to reality. He shares that his work also hints at a more personal struggle for identity, frequently presenting the photograph as a false or parallel reality, an idea manifested through the production of archaic processes. Other pieces, such as “Ideation” and “Modus Operandi” pay homage to the nineteenth century outlook toward inherent flaws and the preciousness of existence.
Fulks is the son of Bonnie LoSchiavo and Dr. Steven Fulks of Wilson. Following the completion of his undergraduate studies in December, Fulks plans to continue his education at the graduate level in either photography or book arts. He hopes to continue his nineteenth century interests as a major part of his graduate study.
Elizabeth Macon Harmon
A native of Durham, Harmon will graduate in May with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with a concentration in Photography. Through her works in the “Emerge” exhibition, she has chosen to explore multiple focal points that move the viewer’s eye throughout the compositions.
She has developed her skills of design and composition through a variety of different media, including painting, drawing, and graphic design; however, her long-time passion is photography. She enjoys creating visually interesting and aesthetically pleasing images. “The viewer will find that a prominent motif within my work is the imagery of telephone poles, which relies heavily on line, a recurring art element,” Harmon explained. “Utilizing the art element of line, I have applied alignment and misalignment of the subject and focal points to give a more dynamic composition, and I have employed repetition in order to emphasize visual rhythm. I am inspired by the idea of ‘use what you have’ — an important concept in collage.”
“Macon’s ambitious photo-collages have a surprisingly strong visual impact due to their large scale combined with a dynamic arrangement of her repeated linear motifs,” shared Gordon.
After graduation, Harmon plans to return to Durham to seek a job opportunity where she can continue to express her creativity.
Danielle Langis
Langis, from Farmingdale, N.Y., plans to graduate in May with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree that includes a concentration in Visual Design.
Her exhibited work will include a theatre poster, logos created for various local organizations, and a marketing campaign to promote her candy company “Sugar High.” The marketing pieces for “Sugar High” include a logo, web site, poster advertisement, and product designs. Langis will also present screen-printed t-shirts and tote bags with the “Sugar High” logo.
“My main goal for the senior exhibition was to develop a working portfolio for my design company and to showcase the diversity in my design,” shared Langis. “It is very important for an artist to skillfully create aesthetically pleasing work for every type of client. Though my work tends to be very bold and simple with a fair amount of negative space, it can be altered to meet any client’s needs. My design style has been influenced by pop artists Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein because of their use of bright colors, bold lines, and shapes. I also have been inspired by the general geometric design styles of the seventies and eighties.”
“Danielle has been involved in logo design for local organizations such as the Wilson Active Artists Association, First United Methodist Church, and St. Thomas Episcopal Church,” said Gordon. “Her text-based forms dynamically divided space, often producing a fresh and surprising effect within the picture plane of the composition.”
After graduation, Langis is interested in pursuing a variety of career opportunities in either the business or art world. Graduate study is also a goal in her future. She hopes to eventually pursue a Master of Business Administration degree at North Carolina State University.
Tiffany Lievense
A Wilson native, Lievense plans to graduate in May with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. Focusing on her studio art concentrations of graphic design and photography, Lievense has combined vintage and modern imagery with a delicate, feminine approach in her showcased work for the upcoming exhibition.
Runway high fashion is her theme, and renowned photographers David Bailey, Helmut Newton, Richard Avedon, and William Klein have inspired Lievense’s own style of photographing subjects. She shared that her focus has evolved from an understanding that fashion trends are cyclic, with old and new styles revolving in popularity.
“Tiffany Lievense’s current work revolves around her passion for fashion with her innovative promotional design line,” shared Gordon. “A twist in Lievense’s new imagery forms an incisive critique of the health-related pitfalls of society’s expectations for women’s self-image as seen through the models used in advertising.”
Lievense’s show will include a poster campaign with eating disorder awareness as its theme. “Eating disorders primarily affect young women who have been influenced by the idealized imagery that fashion promotes,” she shared. Her second body of work on exhibit will be a modern reinterpretation of early 1900s fashion photography. The vintage photography displayed next to Lievense’s photography showcases her inspiration with a modern twist. “My creation of art is a product of expression, learning, organization, creativity, and passion,” explained Lievense. “My design’s identity is currently forming, it’s developing, it’s growing, and it’s changing. My art is an advancement of change, ideas, and exploration. My art is an evolution.”
Lievense is the daughter of Darla and Ron Lievense of Wilson. Following graduation in May, she plans to enter the graphic design industry or begin graduate school in North Carolina with a focus in photography or graphic design.
Cameron A. McIntosh
McIntosh hails from Reading, Pa., and plans to graduate in May with a Bachelor of Fine Art degree that includes a concentration in Ceramics.
His works in the show are fine art based production glazed stoneware and will include a sculptural bust, coil and throw vessels, and wheel thrown vessels. “What I find to be most captivating about making and interpreting art is the tendency of a piece of art to evoke many wildly different reactions,” said McIntosh. “The way in which people interpret art can be aided by formal education, yet the innate human need to understand art in personal terms is not taught.”
“During his years at Barton, Cam has explored a wide variety of ceramic processes showing a refined sense of design in his clay-based ceramics,” shared Gordon. “His wheelthrowing skills have developed to a high level through consistent practice, while his handbuilt forms continue to explore the myriad of possibilities of three-dimensional space.” All of McIntosh’s exhibited works for this show were created in 2011.
McIntosh is the son of Brian and Margaret McIntosh of Reading, Pa. Following graduation, he plans to move to the Lehigh Valley area and begin his career as a ceramic artist.
Maritza Paulino
Paulino, a native of Smithfield, plans to graduate in May with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree that includes a concentration in Visual Design.
She chose to use her art to focus on an abstract visual expression in “Addiction,” a political collage series dealing with drug abuse in teens and the lack of treatment support from the nation’s leaders. Paulino added that the mixed-media collage is intended to symbolize different aspects of drug abuse, and incorporates technology as well as a variety of hands-on techniques to show visual depth and texture. Paulino’s goal is to use technology as yet another mark-making tool. Inspired by the painter Vassily Kandinsky, she strives to illustrate with controlled and methodical techniques. “I intend to communicate my vision by obliterating concrete figures, and exploring abstract mixed-media visual expression through typography, color, and pattern,” explained Paulino.
Paulino is inspired by the beauty and detail of nature and found objects. In another abstract mixed-media collage “Perfection,” she has created a symbolic composition to focus on the hidden beauty behind the female body. “My aim is to portray how the female audience is bombarded with what society deems as perfection; I feel that, instead of women growing stronger, their surroundings are weakening them,” added Paulino.
“Maritza has built a strong and varied body of work, moving beyond the completion of competent product graphic designs to develop a unique and complex individual artistic vision,” shared Gordon.
Upon graduation, Paulino plans to work as a freelance graphic designer in Philadelphia, Pa.
Anna Margaret Roberts
A native of Rocky Mount, Roberts plans to graduate in May with a Bachelor of Science degree in Art Education that includes a concentration in Painting.
She shared that she was first inspired to pursue art after witnessing her grandparents’ talent at an early age. In this show, Roberts chose to demonstrate her understanding of composition and color, as well as its applications with such pieces as Perspective I and II, where the advanced color theory intensifies the meaning of the piece. Roberts said her work centralizes her intent to apply her knowledge and experience toward a future teaching career.
“Exploration in the arts has led to the application of my creative potential in the art studio as well as the classroom,” said Roberts. She believes that creativity is a vital skill, and that evoking it in her students will help them succeed beyond the artistic arena, as it enables individuals to “think outside the box.” This is the keystone to her teaching philosophy as she helps promote innovative solutions for problems in both the classroom, as well as her students’ futures.
“Anna Roberts is presenting a series of paintings showing large-scale details of faces, a part of her investigation into portraiture and character,” said Gordon. “The vibrant colors and dynamic cropping within these compositions highlights the individuality of her subjects.”
Roberts is the daughter of Charles W. Heck, Jr., and Debra S. Walston of Rocky Mount, and the wife of Daniel Roberts of Rocky Mount. Following graduation, she plans to seek a local teaching position, while also maintaining her individual portfolio and becoming more active in the Rocky Mount area artistic community.
Catherine Wilson
Wilson hails from Jacksonville and plans to graduate in May with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree that includes a concentration in photography. She also will have completed a minor in English.
Wilson shared that her work for the exhibition is based on an ever-changing, experimental process that brings focus to the simplicity of form while invoking a complexity of emotions. She added that her work is an interpretation of human behavior and specific mental states. She has incorporated a variety of media, including: lithography, watercolor, silver gelatin prints, cyanotypes, and film negatives. With a heightened awareness of human emotion in her piece “Kentucky Conversations,” Wilson said she chose to depict empathy for vulnerability and loneliness. Panic was the emotion she tapped into when Wilson created “Hijacking Amgdala,” which was based on the “fight or flight” reflex.
“Cate brings to her art a sophisticated melding of concept and image, of complex ideation with striking visual effects,” said Gordon.
“The artwork I construct involves discovering a way of creating compositions outside ordinary standards and displaying art that is approachable, emotionally and physically,” shared Wilson.
Wilson is the daughter of Ginny and Jim Wilson of Jacksonville. Following graduation, Wilson plans to take a year off from school to travel and to earn her private pilot’s license.
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Questions? Contact Kathy Daughety, director of public relations, at 252-399-6529 or email: kdaughety@barton.edu.