“My work is for the people that are a little eccentric,” said Gloria Townsend as she answered questions in preparation to show work in the Valdosta State Senior exhibition. Townsend is graduating from Valdosta State University in 2022. She, along with many other art students, have had the pressure of balancing school life and creating their art. When in a classroom Townsend works at her own pace and world. Often found to be quiet while working with her headphones on; she will still have a friendly conversation with anyone who approaches. Her slight awkwardness is endearing as she is asked what she is working on and asks back the same question with sincerity. Townsend may be shy in person but her art is not. Her interest in horror, fantasy and representation shine through. She identifies as a queer black artist and is inspired by stories, fiction, animation, and providing representation for people like her.
Jenifer Arellano – Mendoza is a student at Valdosta State University that is displaying her work at the In Situ exhibition. Starting her journey in life, the artist grew up in Brunswick, Georgia. The area that Arellano – Mendoza grew up in was not easy, which taught her how to be strong and independent. Growing up in this type of lifestyle made her want to connect more with others, especially minorities. With her parents being immigrants, Mendoza wanted to break the cycle of having things they usually did not have. Her first step in that was being the first person in her family to go to college. So, she used art to express herself and her feelings. Mendoza stated how she used photography as her words when she could not speak for herself. Before college, she was shy and did not know how to express her feelings when a loved one or friend passed, which also resulted in her not creating art. The artist felt as though she had no purpose to make art and no voice in art that helped with these issues. Attending VSU gave her that opportunity to learn more and process things she held back. The school gave her a fresh set of eyes and constructive criticism from her peers to improve as a person and artist.
Throughout the body of graduating seniors, their hometowns range from across the country to around the corner. Register is one of the students that did not have to venture far to find her way to Valdosta State University (VSU). While some students had to look far and wide to find the right art program, Register happened upon VSU while she was in high school in Echols County, Georgia, a mere forty-five-minute drive from Lowndes County. Being from a small town, she was brought up within a culture of traditional Southern views that were based firmly in the Christian (primarily Baptist) belief system.
Upon her arrival at VSU, Register’s work primarily consisted of illustrations in black and white. Through her time studying art and learning new media, Register now includes a wide variety of color schemes and cohesive elements that help draw viewers’ eyes around a composition. In the beginning, Register mentioned that the absence of color in her work came from a place of self-doubt and hesitancy in her own work; throughout her time in the art program, her classes have helped her to experiment with color and gain confidence in her compositional choices. She also now includes printmaking and typography as key elements in her work to help get her messages across more clearly. With her love for printmaking, she can experiment with color more and find which color schemes fit well with each piece.
The Senior Show contains three of Register’s pieces, Molding Me, Woman Enough?, and an illustrated booklet that shows Register’s journey through therapy. Woman Enough? is a textile based mixed media piece that contains many posters, draping fabrics, typography, and an original print. The center of the piece has the words, “AM I FEMININE ENOUGH?”, and the heading of the piece displays the single word, “femininity.” Register explained that each element displayed a different side of gender expression that needs to be talked about or explored. The prints were meant to display some of the biggest insecurities she had while growing up while being told that those things were the only characteristics that made her feminine. Her piece helps challenge the idea that body parts are not the only thing involved in expressing femininity. Although she did not speak about the fabric, they could possibly reference the fashion used by many to express their femininity or hide the body parts that are associated with the idea of being feminine.
The second work, Molding Me, is in the same style, but has a completely different meaning. In Molding Me, Register emphasizes the text and fabric rather than the illustrations. The focal point of the piece are the words, “Every time I see flowers, I think of you;” these words are meant to represent the inspirational figures in Register’s life that have had a huge hand in shaping who she is today: her mom and her grandmother. She chose the phrase “every time I see flowers, I think of you” because both these influential women are gardeners. The two quilts also symbolize the women’s love for sewing that they are currently instilling into Register. This piece normalizes honoring elders and expressing gratitude rather than making a postmodern statement.
Although there are many ways in which Register differs from her mom and grandmother, seeing that homage to her upbringing is still a refreshing take on childhood expression. Last, but certainly not least, is her smallest piece. This untitled piece is a book containing illustrations of her journey through therapy and healing her past trauma. Although small in stature, this work makes the largest statement. During recent times, many people have struggled with mental health issues; seeing someone document their struggles and recovery encourages viewers that have struggled with the same issues by creating a sense of familiarity. By making such a postmodern piece, she is helping to destigmatize the topic of mental health so that everyone will be able to seek help without shame or fear
Raegan Register, Woman Enough?, 2022, Dedo Maranville Fine Arts Gallery, Mixed MediaRaegan Register, Molding Me, 2022, Dedo Maranville Fine Arts Gallery, Mixed Media
