By Katherine Ogletree
Every chance to witness the externalized dreams of your mentors is a chance to learn about them. The Art Faculty Exhibition at Dedo Maranville Gallery was a unique look into Valdosta State’s talented professors. Art has a way of connecting us all, so this intimate look at the way your professors personally utilize their talents is a huge bridge. It connects students to teachers in a way that’s uniquely different from classroom demos, or assignments. A couple of the pieces that stood out to me the most were The Fall of Icarus by Hollis Barnett and A Place at the Table by Craig Hawkins. They dedicate their life’s worth of knowledge to helping students find what inspires them, so I love seeing the passion behind the skill through their personal works.
The Fall of Icarus has Hollis Barnett’s name written all over it. He is an encyclopedia of 3D art knowledge, knowing more than books and the internet combined. In the two classes that I studied under Professor Barnett, the one thing that never failed was his mastery of working in the third dimension. I n his piece The Fall of Icarus, the wings were cast from real bird remains. He describes his disgust with the ‘gift’ his neighbor gave him; the prior mentioned dead bird parts. However, soon he begins to see the potential behind the strange offering. This is proven once again within his artist statement when he says, “…I decided it would be a technical challenge to cast the delicate wings in bronze. Once I succeeded at making a mold of the wings, I experimented with several ways of constructing a surreal composition in mixed media.” In doing so, he accepts the challenge that it presents, and created beautiful artwork from it. This piece personifies the complete awe-struck nature of Professor Barnett’s relationship with his craft. The pedestal that was chosen to hold the piece was taller than all the others around it, nearly raising the mythological character to the viewer’s eye level. The bright light shining on it resembles the hot sun that melted Icarus’s wings, but with its brightness the delicate details of the wings are visible. The smooth finish of the alabaster figure shows the amazing craftsmanship, and the bronze armature cradling it shows his creativity. It’s grounded with a finished wooden cube, cut to near perfection. Barnett’s appreciation for the materials he uses really comes through in his woodwork, so I love the last little touch of the uniquely imagined base.
Craig Hawkins’ belief in Christianity goes beyond my abilities to believe in anything, and it’s truly beautiful. I had seen works previous to these, that were centered around the dependency on technology today. While these works were heartfelt, when the subject matter changed to be something he was as passionate about as his religion, the effect of the artworks increased tenfold. A Place at the Table shows that assured belief and trust he has in his God. In his artist statement, he mentions the process behind the works. He draws continuously throughout the sermon, letting the words of the preacher guide his thoughts to create art personifying the message. Christianity has always been tied to figural art, from mosaics teaching the illiterate about Christ to the glorious decorations of churches by Leonardo da Vinci and Bernini. This contemporary, personalized take on biblical artwork recalls all of that through the movement of the charcoal, the understanding of the human figure, and the visible thought processes throughout the piece. It depicts Christ in a series of positions while breaking bread, a theme which can be traced to many parables and events in the Bible. Two of the most notable are the story of Jesus feeding five thousand people with five loaves of bread and two fish, and when Jesus broke bread at the last super, creating a metaphor to between his body and the bread. Through the combined understanding of the materials and his faith, Professor Hawkins visualized the path of his learning about Christianity through the sermon. This piece demonstrated a passion that I hope to have one day for my artwork.
All together the pieces presented by the professors were an exemplary representation of the talent and passion each one of them has for their craft. Each work was unique to the skill sets of all the different artists. Still, somehow, the breadth of media and themes is unified. Through their passion for their personal works and their passion for teaching, each of these artists helps all their students better understand themselves and their college careers.
[1] Barnett, Hollis. The Fall of Icarus, 2017. Bronze, alabaster, and wood. Dedo Maranville Gallery, Valdosta, GA.
Katherine Ogletree is recieving her Bachelors of Fine Arts, in Art, in December of 2017, and is originally from Buford, Georgia. Katherine is focusing in graphic design and plans to become a flight attendant for Delta Airlines.