{"id":1300,"date":"2021-05-05T19:49:27","date_gmt":"2021-05-05T19:49:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.valdosta.edu\/artcriticism\/?p=1300"},"modified":"2021-05-05T19:53:32","modified_gmt":"2021-05-05T19:53:32","slug":"2021-vsu-senior-showcase-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.valdosta.edu\/artcriticism\/2021\/05\/05\/2021-vsu-senior-showcase-review\/","title":{"rendered":"2021 VSU Senior Showcase Review"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Jessica Smidley<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The \u201cLiving\u202fin\u202fColor\u201d exhibition features 20 art students graduating from Valdosta State University with the idea of exploring the use of art as communication. The exhibition contains a wide variety of mediums and art styles supporting the individual talents of each graduate. The graduates are diverse in background and personality that signifies the uniqueness of Valdosta State University students. The introduction notes, \u201cOur title \u2018Living in Color” represents each one of us as individuals and unique artists, and although these colors are different, we still can find the allure in them\u201d (Dedo Maranville). The \u201cLiving in Color\u201d exhibition gives these artists an opportunity to show their favorite and most representative works to show the range and depth their artist have developed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

The exhibition is only available online due to the pandemic, and while this is a bit disappointing, the beautiful and navigable website makes it possible to see the show. Emphasizing individuality, each artist gets their own page where they have a biography, artist statement, and spread of work to fully demonstrate the artists to the public. With little opportunity to create an interesting in-person gallery, the website was all the more important, and the site\u2019s design (including an eye-catchingly colorful grid of profiles taken by graduate Hannah Wyrn) draws one in to explore more. At an in-person exhibition, it tends to be easy to take the art in before learning about the artist, but the website puts the artist themselves in the forefront. Organizing in this matter makes sense when individual expression is one of the themes. This way it is like each artist has their own little exhibition because each page feels different and like a personal reflection of the artists. Looking at Sophia Dong\u2019s page, there is a love of the ocean permeating each piece, and on Jennifer Delabra\u2019s page a passion for symbolism and natural materials is evident. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

One artist the Living in Color<\/em> exhibition features is Isabelle Redenius. Redenius has been training as an artist for many years already, attending art magnet schools from a young age. In ninth grade, Redenius began working with silkscreen and focusing on printmaking. The work she makes combines many kinds of media including printmaking, collage, drawing, and painting to express herself fully. Her style is a mix of comfort and discomfort. She mixes the Pop Art, florals, and feminism she loves and uses them to challenge herself. Many artists, including myself, are deeply afraid of showing their sketches because they feel incomplete and too thoughtless, making them feel deeply personal, and Redenius takes this difficulty and turns it into a positive experience for her, where she can try to understand herself even more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n