by Hayley Acevedo
The Valdosta National held at the Dedo Maranville Gallery, at Valdosta State University, located in Valdosta, Georgia is host to a wide variety of artists and styles. While the space of the gallery was small, the curator did an effective job arranging the artworks in the limited space. The artworks were placed and paired up according to style and artist, and in between there are single artworks that together help draw the viewer across the gallery.
At first glance the artworks do not seem to follow a collective theme. However, upon further examination, the artworks seem to follow the theme of environmental change, spirituality or the metaphysical.[1] There are 25 unique artists featured, along with 33 artworks in the exhibition. Judging the various styles among artworks will be entirely up to the viewer’s personal opinion on what was successful or not. A select few were definitely placed to catch the eyes of the guests.
The first painting to catch my attention was Self-Portrait as Boil, by Joshua Brinlee. A boil is used to describe the cooking of crawfish or lobster in the south. Brinlee used photography and AI to create an unusual composition involving his face being made entirely out of cooked crustaceans. When viewing this artwork, I immediately got sick to my stomach looking at the surreal, grotesque, mutilated version of a man’s face warped by AI and seafood. The bold reds in the cooked crustations and the red gingham pattern of the table cloth behind the head of the man make it look as if he is being offered up on a table to be eaten by the viewer. It was a bold move by the curator to put such an intense artwork near the front of the gallery, setting the tone for the entire exhibition.
I heard Sara Gevurtz’s Inorganic Plains Still 2 before I saw it. I was annoyed by how loud it was on the tv used to display it. The artwork revolves around an airplane gradually getting closer to the viewer, and in the end the sound of the airplane is blasted through the speakers. The animation starts off as one airplane coming closer into view until its fully into frame. Then the animation resets, and the plane is then projected on more sections of the screen and the process repeats itself until the tv screen is filled with 9 frames of the same plane gradually getting closer to the viewer and off screen. The artist used digital media to render and animate the plane and background, unlike many of the works on display which use a more traditional form of media. Other than the noise of the animation being loud, it can show that airplanes are problematic to the environment by the fact that they are noisy and release smog into the air. On the other hand, the plane on the screen looks like it is crashing into the viewer, which could also reflect the current situation regarding the increase in airplane crashes. However, the viewer may find it challenging to understand the piece, which requires extensive outside knowledge.
Another artwork that grabbed my attention and was well deserving of its number one prize in the exhibition was Jason Stout’s Sunroom for the End of the World. The painting has highly saturated colors depicting an empty room with light reflecting in from outside and from the lights on the roof. It looks as if every color imaginable was used to portray this post-apocalyptic room, filling the absence of life with color. The artwork looks reminiscent of the Pop Art style with its use of bold color, simplicity, and pattern. The painting also seems to play off the idea of loneliness and emptiness given the room being an empty space. The artist seems to be predicting how it will feel at the end of the world when everyone is gone. Stout’s skill brings the viewer in with the colorful palette, and keeps them engaged so that one focuses on the deeper meaning behind his painting.
Overall, the Valdosta National Exhibition was a definite success, offering a well-organized and immersive experience. The curator skillfully balanced the diverse yet cohesive artworks, guiding visitors through the gallery with a seamless flow that kept their interest piqued. Many pieces highlighted the influence of the environment and political climate on artistic creation, with some works directly addressing global issues. Others subtly explored how societal factors shape individual and cultural identities such as Sunroom for the End of the World. By combining a variety of styles and mediums, the exhibition prompted visitors to engage with the artworks on a deeper level, encouraging them to reflect not only on their physical qualities, but also on the narratives, politics, and personal perspectives tailored to each piece, making it an intellectually stimulating experience different for everyone.
[1] Micheal McFalls, Professor of Art 2025, Juror’s Statement for the 37th Annual Valdosta National (accessed February 6, 2025)