Senior Show – Art Criticism

McKenize Simpson and Her Idea of Home

By Amy Graham

McKenzie Simpson is from Quitman, Georgia and is a senior at Valdosta State University. Simpson’s work in “Spectrum,” the Valdosta State University’s spring 2024 senior show, focuses on the theme of home as well as bringing printmaking from the two-dimensional space into the three-dimensional world. She uses mixed media to incorporate screen printing into three-dimensional objects. She explains that the theme of home came to be after she was asked about her interior designs and why she created them. Prior to that conversation she thought the interior spaces were just an obsession with colors and rooms. However, that changed once she realized they were connected to her idealized version of home. She explained that home was not necessarily a place, but the people she cares about.

A Spectrum of Art

By: Desiree Rose Bailon

For all graduates, there is a sign of how much they have grown within their studies during their years in college or university. A final showcase of their work and progress is what the senior show is at the end of every semester, just for those whose careers are around the world of art. Spectrum is the title of the senior show of Spring 2024, and it was a wide range of different people with different works from different mediums. The term spectrum have a wide range of meanings, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, where it started from a supernatural meaning to physics to any other way spectrum was used. The logo and introduction card to the gallery is a CMYK light spectrum, which fit the term quite literally in terms of light and color—the physics bringing in the term to literal representation. Why is the term itself be included in this? The artworks from each person spoke for themselves. These are some selected works of art from few of the seniors to give an idea of what their show brought in for the people to see.

Phyliscia Lundy at VSU’s 2024 Senior Exhibition

Written by: Madison Connolly

Phylisicia Lundy, originally from Americus, Georgia, presented multiple series of work in the Senior Exhibition titled “Spectrum” in the Valdosta State University Gallery. All series within Phylisica’s part of the show use photography, graphic design and ceramics and express a common theme throughout all of them. Lundy stated that “humanism, individuality, investigation, and critique” are just a few of the common themes that run throughout her pieces. She explains “I use art as a tool to shed light on certain situations that might need to be addressed.” She talks about the idea of “introspection and extrospection”, “Intro” being the things happening within oneself and “extro” being the things happening outside oneself.

Phyliscia Lundy, Unspoken Truths, 2023

Adjani “AJ” Williams at VSU’s 2024 Spectrum Senior Exhibition

Written By: Torri Byrd

The artist standing besides his ten displayed artworks. — (Adjani “AJ” Williams Pictured with his work)

Adjani “AJ” Williams is a 21-year-old senior at Valdosta State University, originally from College Park, GA. Williams works in multimedia and chose to display a variety of different styles of art in this exhibition. His works are divided between photography, oil painting, and encaustic, but all reflect the same overall motive. When I asked Williams to describe his work in one word, he chose “evocative”, and explained that all of the things he displays are reflective of some kind of ego death. Ego death is in reference to the rebirth of a person from self reflection. Williams summed it up his ego death as having “a renewed focus on painting what I feel- painting ideas or concepts that I cannot explain with words.”

Lakota Merlot- “Farrago” Senior Profile

by DaShaun Lewis

“I’m not sure what my process is. I kinda just let whatever happens happen. I’m passionate about it because it’s basically a hat my life revolves around at this point.”
Lakota Merlot

Lakota Merlot is an artist hailing from East Coast from Virginia to Key West. They were a hobbyist artist, making paintings and writing short stories before they came to VSU. Across their career, they became less involved with the physical and more into the digital, shifting to more digital-based artwork. One thing that has remained consistent was their love of mental health and horror as subjects. Mental health as a subject has always been around but has become much more prominent as a subject in postmodernism. Horror is more rare because of how deep and visceral it can be, but Lakota takes its darker, grungier aspects and humanizes them in their work. One facet of their personal life has become a leading subject in their work: their transition.

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Olivia Parsons

by Gonzalo Malagon

Olivia Parsons, a senior at Valdosta State University is preparing to showcase her work in the Senior Exhibition. Originally from Mint Hill, North Carolina, Olivia has been around art nearly her entire life. Her mother was a self taught interior designer who made sure to educate her children on art. Early on Olivia fell in love with art and being encouraged by her parents is what ultimately led to her decision to pursue art. She grew up near a farm and spent a lot of time outside, and she became enamored by the beauty of nature. The Impressionist movement is a big inspiration for her as it was the movement that brought importance to the everyday moment, and that is something that Olivia often tries to accomplish with her art. She likes to take a moment that lasts for two seconds and extend it so it can be reflected upon for years. A “painter of moments” as she describes herself, Olivia has chosen six moments to put on display at the Senior Exhibition.

Senior Profile: Javian Williams

by Tevin Jackson

Meet Javian Williams, a creative and talented senior at Valdosta State University who will be graduating in May 2023. Originally from Thomasville, Georgia, Javian relocated to Valdosta to improve his artistic skills and expand his knowledge. During his four years at the university, Javian’s artistic style has undergone significant changes. From recreating cartoons to tackling serious issues, his art has evolved.

Valdosta State Senior Gloria Townsend

by Jennifer Delabra

Self-Portrait of Gloria Townsend, Digital media

“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.

Senior Profile / DaMea Hughes

by Layah Duckworth

Copper pendant in the shape of a hamsa with a tiger's eye bezel setting and stamped designs. — *Protection*, Copper Pendant, 2021

DaMea Hughes is a senior at Valdosta State University graduating in May of 2022. She is from a small, country town called Cedartown in Georgia. When asked about the effect of where she’s from on her work, she states, “art really isn’t a big thing there.” She began her college experience as a criminal justice major with art as a hobby. After realizing her passion for art as a career, Hughes changed her major to interior design. However, in the summer of 2021, Hughes couldn’t get enough and changed her major again to strictly focus on her art. Hughes is part of the senior exhibition titled “In Situ”. This is a Latin phrase that translated means, “the original place”. Hughes states that all the seniors have come together during their college career as artists, and created their own original place within the gallery, hence “In Situ”.

Senior Show Profile

by Joseph Mays III

Ta’kesia Parker is a student at Valdosta State University graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Art. Ta’kesia is from Albany, GA where she grew up loving nature and uses it as the theme in most of her work as she enjoys the calmness that is brings. She loves gardening, however pollen makes this difficult, which ultimately makes her go harder with her artwork. Although she tries to focus on the positive things in life, earlier life experiences really shaped the way she approaches her work. As a child, Ta’kesia watched as business owners tore down a massive tree in her community for retail space. This both saddened and enraged Ta’kesia but she was soon able to flip that anger and develop a calm art style.

Upon arriving at Valdosta State University, Ta’kesia began working more with background designs while keeping nature as her center theme. It was also at this time that she grew fond of jewelry making, her medium of choice for the Senior Exhibition.