Hunter Pope is a senior at Valdosta State University (VSU), finishing her dual degrees in Art and Psychology. After graduation, she plans to move to Boulder, Colorado to attend Naropa University to pursue her Masters in Art Therapy.
Hunter Pope suffers from Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome, a physical manifestation of her anxiety. She experiences an unstable world every day, and her artwork allows others to view a world out of control.
Pope’s artwork has been displayed in several groups shows and published in the Valdosta State University’s Literary Arts Magazine, known as the Odradek. Most recently, Hunter placed third in the 2016 Southern Regional Honors Council Conference Juried Art Contest and Exhibition, while also placing in the 13th Annual Georgia College Art Competition for her graphic and printmaking work.
She is currently working in paint, ceramics, and photography to express her loss of control in her own life. By emulating artists, such as Gerhard Richter and Shadow May, Pope hopes that her work will begin to elicit emotions that allow the viewer to recall the moments in life when he or she had little to no power.
I suffer from Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome, a physical manifestation of my anxiety that includes side effects such as vomiting and dizziness. I experience a constantly shifting space, and my artwork has become a way to express my desire for control. When I create art, I use it as a tool for self-help through the use of color and expressive mark making/texture.
Artists such as Gerhard Richter, Cy Twombly, and Franz Kline explore the canvas using gestural marks and strong bold colors to express their thoughts. I am employing these methods within my own work creating large-scale nonobjective and abstract paintings that capture my emotional state during a time in my life when it felt most unbalanced.
Ceramics allows me to express my desire for control in a different medium. Through ceramics, I create forms that become a canvas for expression, giving me room to carve and create tactile marks on my pieces. My thrown forms reveal thought out ideas, while my sculptures consist of thrown forms coming together in a chaotic pattern.
Artists reveal parts of themselves each time they create. As an artist, I want my audience to view my works and see how it applies to their own lives. As humans, we strive day to day, and I want my artwork to reveal my personal struggles.