Campus Journal: Emerging Artists' Work On Display

Emerging Artists' Work On Display

April 11, 2007

Two outstanding exhibitions, the 2007 Senior B.A. and B.F.A. Exhibition and the 2007 M.F.A. Thesis Exhibition (I), will be on view at The Art Gallery beginning April 21.

Showcasing the artistic talents of students graduating from UNH’s department of art and art history, the exhibitions include a wide variety of artistic work—painting, ceramics, photography, drawing, and printmaking. Both exhibitions will open with a preview reception on Friday, April 20, from 6 – 8 p.m. The artists will be present for the reception, which is free and open to the public.

The 2007 Senior B.A. and B.F.A. Exhibition features works by five candidates for the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, including: Jason P. Bombaci, of Concord, NH ; Maggie Cedarstrom of Meredith, NH; Chris Hobbs of Hampstead, NH; Ryan Murphy of Cambridge, MA; and Nathaniel Raymond of Exeter, NH. In addition, the exhibition will highlight the work of candidates for the Bachelor of Art degree in studio art, including: Colleen Murphy of Woodstock, VT; Matthew Perdoni of Durham, NH; Alexandra Ross-Raymond of Salisbury, NH; Lauren B. Rowe of Rochester, NH; Matthew Soltesz of Madbury, NH; Ryan Tirrell of Durham, NH; and Jocelyn Toffic of Dover, NH.

The 2007 Senior B.A. and B.F.A. Exhibition will be on view through May 19, but will be closed to the public May 3 – 7.

As the culmination of an intense program of study, the students enrolled in the B.F.A. program draw upon their own experiences and interests to develop a strong body of work to exhibit in The Art Gallery. Through both abstract and representational means, these artists explore the visual relationships among form, light, and color.

The subjects of their work range from familiar settings to imaginary spaces, from figurative to landscape to still-life arrangements. Bombaci has created a series of paintings based on three primary locations—his studio, his living room, and a dilapidated greenhouse. He painted in each location at the same time of day to capture the particular light and color at that time.

Cedarstrom creates larger-than-life-sized self-portraits—while they reveal familiar physical features, they also explore a deeper psychological and emotional world. Hobbs’s paintings of empty chairs in sparse interior spaces evoke a quiet, contemplative mood, while Murphy’s imaginative compositions, with figures placed in both interior spaces and the landscape, are based on direct observation and past memories. In contrast, Raymond’s black-and-white prints, although loosely based on landscape, are both ambiguous and atmospheric. His monoprints imply a depth of space while acknowledging the flatness of the picture plane.

Selected images from the 2007 Senior B.A. and B.F.A. Exhibition: