by Chelsea Selph
On April 7th, 2024 an exhibition titled “Spectrum” was opened to the public at Valdosta State University’s Dedo Maranville Gallery. This exhibition is being held to display the talents of Valdosta State University’s seniors in our art programs. The title “Spectrum” is to exhibit the multitude of art forms used by the students in this show, everything from ceramics to printmaking. Seven students from VSU showcased their talents in this exhibition, and now you get to be introduced to their works.
When walking into the gallery, many pieces will catch your eye. There are huge photographs on the wall, paintings, a few ceramics shelves, and even more. The piece that immediately caught my eye, though, was in a corner of the gallery. Just over a dozen transparent orbs hang from the ceiling containing small prints, the work of McKenzie Simpson. These print-holding orbs are part of an installation titled “Our Bubble”. Simpson focuses on the concept of home in her pieces, mentioning how different “home” can be defined for each viewer in her artist statement. Viewers can walk around the bubbles, peering into them and seeing Simpson’s definition of home. It feels almost as if you are walking into a stranger’s house, feeling a well of emotions and connecting them to your own experiences.
Continuing to another artist, we have Gabby Fogarty who focuses on her love of music in her art. Her prints stand out the most among her work, lining up nicely and the colors complementing each other.. Blossom and Glow, two graphic designs placed on banners, pull your attention to the center of all of her artwork on showcase. The lines and shapes accentuate the figures in front of them, captivating your eyes to flow all over the piece and back around to the figures giving it harmony. The effort shown in her work translates to her love of music.
Dalin Bergman’s Next Chapter is a ceramic mosaic that screams at you. It begs for your attention, making you view it at different distances to truly appreciate it. This piece was crafted by placing singular ceramic tiles together like a giant paint-by-numbers. Bergman relates her pieces to Alzhiemers, a disease struggled with by her family. All of her artwork goes with this theme, showcasing memories of her that will last forever in the form of art. Not only will the artist have these memories of what was created, but the memories of the creation as well.
In the corner of the gallery, Bailey Brown has placed their art. A television sits in the corner, playing a video used to aid in mental health, the theme Brown has chosen. The video, made by Brown, has a series of affirmations and breathing exercises. There are also a plethora of photographs of nature, each one showcasing elements and principles of design clearly and precisely.
Taking a turn and walking down a different theme, we have Adjani Williams who chose to draw upon horror in their artwork. Turmoil: Struggle is an encaustic painting with relevance to Williams’s theme. The bold red is reminiscent of gore and there are stringy red tendons connecting back to a form resembling a heart. Focusing on abstract art, Williams has nailed that in his encaustic paintings.
Phylisicia Lundy shows us psychology through her Form series. A set of photographs that exhibits differences and feelings in the form of poses. Lundy also focuses on individual experiences in a person’s life and how they can reflect on others surrounding them. This idealogy shines brightly in her photography and graphic design pieces that let viewers see into cityscapes and buildings in an almost ad format while also viewing an underlying post-modernism theme in each work.
Lastly, there hangs a set of photographs by Gonzalo Malagon who emphasizes the lack of walkable cities in our world. His photography targets the roads and hard infrastructure in today’s world. The pieces, albeit artistically aesthetic, hide an unsettling feeling that spotlights his view on how unwelcoming this infrastructure makes life.
Spectrum entrancingly brings all of our senior’s artwork together, allowing viewers to walk through the gallery and experience a bit of each person, hitting the mark for the theme on the nail of the head. Spacial-wise everything fits, the gallery doesn’t feel empty and allows each student enough space to not feel cramped either. The back corner of the gallery has always been the hardest area to incorporate nicely into the exhibitions, but having Brown’s mental health work there fits perfectly. Guests can view everyone’s work and be treated with the video playing breathing exercises as a mental break from any stimulation. Overall, Spectrum is an exhibition I encourage all to see before it is gone.