SNC art students’ final Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) show is not only an accumulation of skills gained, but also a display of conceptual advancement. For three fine arts students, Shafer Smart, Josh Patten, and Ian Weiczorek, their BFA is a showcase of their final work as undergraduate art students.
On Dec. 1, Senior Shafer Smart created a sculptural installation in the Garage Door Gallery of the Holman Art and Media Center.
The atmosphere he created was serene. “The feeling I search for in my work is an uncanny calmness, in which you reach a sense of peace but there is an eerie feeling that lingers,” Smart said.
His work tapped into minimalist influences both conceptually and architecturally from exposure to artists over the SNC Summer Art Workshops. Smart’s history with street style art also played into these sculptures with intersecting found materials. He uses recycled wood, metal, and even salvaged trees.
“Being able to make art that comes off the walls and pokes out of corners was a cool way for my urban taste and background to make its debut in an art gallery and come to life,” Smart said.
Smart’s piece titled “You’re Up” consisting of aspen trees up-rooted and installed upside-down out of the ceiling hit home for many students attending. The uncomfortable structures reference loss, both in general and in tribute to Smart’s good friend and SNC alumn John Wilkins.
“It shows that even though they are gone and something’s off, they are still rooted, they are still there, and still in their circle. Aspens are strong and all connected underground to create a family unit.”
The first BFA show of the semester was Josh Patten’s on Nov. 17. The Tahoe Gallery on the third floor of Prim Library was filled with an array of paintings, charcoal drawings, and pastels. These works were an exciting display of Patten taking on the challenge to learning to paint and draw in a year, while it takes many a lifetime. Patten formed a unique style that is honest and encouraging for all viewers to practice making, free from expectation. In his talk, he describes breaking free from realism as a challenge and accepting abstract and child-like work. The process of growth and satisfaction in his work is an ongoing practice, “of trying to understand form and work faster, practicing gesture and translating shape into two-dimensional format,” he said. For subject matter Patten looked to music as well as his peers who had “ a heavy positive impact,” influencing him on a personal level and with his artwork.
Coming up on Dec. 8 in the Garage Door Gallery Ian Weiczorek will host his reception at 5:30 pm. His show consists primarily of ceramic sculpture with mixed-media elements. He pushes the boundary of ceramic medium in unique ways that entice question from the viewer. His theme surrounds the controversial food industry particularly in Western culture, exposing mutations from chemicals and consumption of popular culture habits.
Wieczorek’s post-apocalyptic landscape loudly exposes issues he is not happy with. His artistic process is a continual attempt to understand by creating and responding repetitively, building small pieces that assemble to make a whole. He hopes the viewer will experience something new and different.
Wieczorek used “rat poison, specifically Barium Carbonate in glazing select pieces,” he said. This method expresses his concern about carcinogens in Round-Up, a common pesticide used for corn, grains, and more.
“Mansanto products are Round-Up Ready or Ready-To-Kill,” Wieczorek said.
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