BFA Senior Projects - Class of Spring 2020
Each semester students in the BFA program present their senior projects in a solo exhibition in fulfillment of degree requirements. As these exhibitions are self-curated, they display a wide range of aesthetic, media, and technique by young artists and designers who are pushing the very parameters of what art and design can be. This virtual gallery celebrates the work of our undergraduate students who persevered despite facing unprecendented challenges.
Class of Spring 2020
Jiang Chen Rodriguez, Tessa Cheng, Steven Dellicarpini, Oscar Delgadillo, Cynthia Yadira Gonzalez, Rebecca Johnson, Jessica Landrum, Megan Leach, Francisco Mendoza, James Moore, Gabriel Morales, Luisa Morco, Monica Muñoz, Nancy Nguyen, Samantha Pina, Krisellynne Rulloda, Claudia Sanborn, Leah Silveira, Niles Sones, Isabella Sziraczky
Jiang Chen Rodriguez, BFA Photography
Image (left)
I SEE RED, 2020, Archival pigment prints, 4.5” X 22”
Image (right)
I SEE RED, 2020, Archival pigment prints, 4.5” X 22”
"This body of work is about my experience with anxiety and mental health."
Tessa Cheng, BFA Pictorial Art
Image (left)
#8 Garden Snake: My Mother and Her Familiar(s) No. 1, 2020, Watercolor Screenprint, 11” x 11.5” (Set of 16)
Image (right)
#5 Twins by the Pond, 2020, Watercolor Screenprint, 22” x 17"
"My work exists in an area where the ephemeral is translated into physical form. Utilizing aspects of fluidity and serendipity in my mediums of screen print and watercolor, the resulting artwork embraces nuances of fragility, imperfection, and richness in its otherwise temporal subject matter. As the images warp or bleed into one another, the subjects become something entirely different as the line between reality and perception is blurred in ambiguity. Frequenting materials from the natural world or restored photographs on film, my work can seem both familiar and unexpected as it navigates the transformative qualities of time and space."
Cynthia Yadira Gonzalez, BFA Spatial Art
Image (left)
Pinata- The Child and the Adult Selves are Intertwined, 2020,
Tissue Paper, Glue, Newspaper, Cardboard, Plaster, Chicken Wire, All-Purpose Flour,
Party Hats, Zarape, Candy, 42” x 84” x 37"
Image (right)
What I say to Myself, 2020, Water Color Paper, Water Color Paint, Embroidery Thread, Spray Paint, House Paint, Canvas Drop-Cloth 84” x 108”
"Perdida can mean a few things: a loss, a lost girl, or a prostitute.
In this series of work I wanted to explore sexual abuse in kids, I know this is a
heavy subject but it is a pertinent subject when it is so common. Research by the
Center for Disease Control and Prevention has shown that one in five Americans have
been sexually molested as a child; one out of four was beaten by a parent to the point
of a mark left on their body.
Trauma happens and it is way more common than you might want to think.
My recent work has become a dialogue with my inner disturbed child. Some trauma I
endured in my youth has shaped and skewed my view on the body, the mind, sex, motherhood,
and relationships. This series of work explores how religion and family dynamics affected
my imagination and sense of self. It explores the loss of innocence that came after
everything was said and done, and how I am coming to terms with it.
I always thought my work was highly influenced by my culture and folk art from Mexico,
but now that I have been in school I realize that there are many other artists that
work with trauma and healing. I feel that the more I learn about other artists, the
more my understanding of why I make work expands.
Not only do I create just to make, but I also create to heal."
Jessica Landrum, BFA Pictorial Art
Image (left)
Promise, 2020, Oil on Birch wood, 24x24x1
Image (right)
"Exitus", 2020, Oil on Birch wood, 24x18x1
"This work explores my personal experience of being a woman and internal questions revolving around unity, life, and death."
Megan Leach, BFA Pictorial Art
https://www.meganleachart.com/
Image (left)
Untitled (eye study), 2019, oil paint on canvas, 16" x 20"
Image (right)
Untitled (eye study), 2019, oil paint on canvas, 8" x 10"
"The human eye is such a unique and beautiful part of the face. They are a true indicator
of one’s emotions regardless of what the rest of someone’s face may show. However,
today we spend so much of our time face-to-face with our devices rather than the living
and breathing people around us. Human connection is fascinating in all forms and eye
contact is such an intimate experience that will cause a feeling of discomfort to
some and perhaps ease to others.
My hope is for these paintings to encourage a way to gain back that intimacy of eye
contact and human connection. A way to see into one’s soul and in return have a clearer
vision of those around them and how they might be feeling."
Gabriel Morales, BFA Photography
https://moralesgabe24.wixsite.com/website
Image (left)
Bio-mugshot, Inkjet print on foamboard, 18" x 24"
Image (right)
end Time, 2020, Inkjet print on foamboard, 14" x 18"
“In the year of our Lord, 2045 is photographic depiction into the future. Inspired by the writings of the Apostle John who was exiled by Rome to the Isle of Patmos. There he authored the Book of Revelation which outlines a reality where all mankind will worship an evil dictator. The Orwellian model of socioeconomic control and persecution to the non-compliant is manifested by outside spiritual forces working in the hearts and minds of humanity. This dark glimpse of a future reality is influenced by the art of World War 2 propaganda, media and social conditioning. The act of freewill and choice has never been more imperative for the eternal souls of mankind."
Nancy Nguyen, BFA Pictorial Art
Image (left)
Rebirth, 2020, Oil on canvas, 48 inches
Image (right)
Untitled, 2020, Oil on canvas, 48 inches
"Nancy’s work explores the parallels of life on earth and life after death. There is a conversation between contemporary issues in modern technology and natural order. Her recent work focuses on the concept of death, how death becomes a part of the living process, engaging from the beginning till the end. The process of working from a non-precomposed environment helps narrate her idea. The paintings become intuitively dependent on an internal dialogue between the physical space of politics and economy and the spiritual world. Death becomes part of the grand motion of living."
Krisellynne Rulloda, BFA Pictorial Art
https://krisellynnerulloda.github.io/
Image (left)
Untitled, 2019, Oil paint on canvas, 24”x18"
Image (right)
Delicacies, 2020, Oil paint on canvas, 24”x18"
"Paintings can be mysterious through the build up and scraping through layers of paint. Unique color combinations and forms are unearthed through the image by chance, creating unrecognizable subtleties among the familiar. The work acts like a touchable dream which never occurred but feels as if it may have in some way."
Leah Silveira, BFA Photography
Image (left)
Opus 01, 2020, Archival Inkjet Print, 4x6 in.
Image (right)
Opus 09, 2020, Archival Inkjet Print, 6x4 in.
"lim·i·nal
relating to a transitional or initial stage of a process.
occupying a position at, or on both sides of, a boundary or threshold.
I began this body of work by taking a walk. I do this on a weekly basis, every Sunday.
On these journeys to and from the church I attend, I experience many small, insignificant
moments. These moments occur when I’m walking to church, while I’m exploring nature,
and in my everyday life. This body of work, Liminal Space, was created to capture
the small moments on my journeys where I feel most connected to something larger than
myself. There have been many times in my life where I feel disconnected to my faith,
the people in my life, and my greater purpose. To this day I still face these struggles
when it comes to my Catholic faith.
No matter where I am along my journey, these special moments haven’t left me. When
I am lost in the beauty of nature or walking down the street, there are things I notice
that make me appreciate where I am in my life. These are everyday, insignificant things
that end up becoming an anchor. And it is these everyday things that I believe we
can all relate to in one way or another.
Liminal Space was photographed with 35mm film in order to keep my focus on the moment,
instead of striving for a perfect digital image. Through this work, I have been able
to make peace with my personal faith— it is okay for my faith and journey to not fit
into a perfect, pre-prescribed box, and to have questions, doubts, and difficulties
with my faith. I have chosen to hang the work in a manner that reflects this, by using
differently-sized frames, with most of the images frameless and without borders.
Though I have struggles with my own faith, there are many who have had unpleasant
or damaging experiences with organized religion, through no fault of their own. Through
this body of work, I am creating a space of contemplation, connectedness, and non-judgement,
where I hope some can think of their connection with the divine in safety and peace—no
matter what they consider to be divine. By documenting my experiences, I am seeking
a Liminal Space. This space is open to all, safe, and in-between any particular religion
or creed."
