By Isabelle Redenius
Shelby Coulter is currently a senior attending Valdosta State University, majoring in Fine Arts. Growing up in the small, humble town of Jackson, Georgia, Coulter attended the only high school in town. It was there she discovered art. Initially inspired by her high school art teacher, Coulter decided to major in Art Education. During her sophomore year of college, she fell in love with the process of creating. It was during this time she changed her major from Art Education to a BFA in Studio Art, with the dream of a career as an Art Director.
Coulter can most often be found in the print studio or the graphic design lab on campus. Even after a short conversation, you can see the drive and determination that sets Coulter apart from others. That intensity doesn’t stop with Coulter herself; it happens to flow freely into her artwork as well. Using her artwork as a means to inform and shock, Coulter also provides her audience with a modern feminist perspective.
During her second year of college Coulter created a linocut print, We Can Do It, which was the beginning of her exploration of feminism and gender inequality through her art. Coulter’s, We Can Do It, is inspired by the abstract work from Pablo Picasso and the feminist icon that is Rosie the Riveter. Bright yellow, blue, red, and white shapes are put together to depict a modernized Rosie with an abstract twist. Following her sophomore year of college, Coulter dove deeper into the art world and found a new love of politics. Considering her small-town background, Coulter was inspired to create work that brought attention to the inequalities present within our society.
Focusing specifically on gender inequality at the beginning of her artistic career, Coulter later broadened her focus to include inequalities based on gender, race, class and sexuality. The next piece that marks the transition into her newer work would be the satirical serigraph, Pussy Grab. The small yet mighty silkscreen print contains a black cat hissing surrounded by a repeating pattern of the phrase, “This pussy grabs back,” in large block lettering. Coulter took the controversial statement, “Grab ‘em by the pussy,” made by current U.S. president, Donald Trump, and used it to create a print that pushed back against the blatant sexism of the statement.
(three out of seven versions)
Following, Pussy Grab, Coulter began working on her Aunt Sam series that shows the final transition of including inequalities other than gender. The Aunt Sam series is one of Coulter’s more propaganda-like works. This work depicts a woman in traditional Uncle Sam attire. Aunt Sam is essentially yelling at the viewer about the harsh reality of inequality in the world. Coulter is describing this work as a series because she is changing skin color, hair color and style to represent a wide range of female individuals. Coulter uses bright colors along with her controversial subject matter to create art that is shocking to her presumably conservative audience. Coulter’s intention is to not only shock her viewers but to raise awareness, and ideally spark conversation about the inequalities found within society.
Although the majority of the work discussed in this article consists of various printmaking methods, Coulter also explores other media in her practice. There are a few of her ceramic pieces exhibited in the show, but the majority of Coulter’s work involves graphic design, printmaking, and photography. The process of each medium varies but allows Coulter to mass-produce her work in a consistent and informative way.
These are just a few of Coulter’s pieces from her current body of work. Due to the current global pandemic the senior exhibition, “In Bold,” is currently on a digital display and can be found here and through VSU’s website.
Isabelle Redenius is a third-year Bachelor of Fine Arts student. Upon graduation, she will be pursuing an MFA in Printmaking followed by a career as an Art Director.