Fresh Off the Block
The Herron School of Art and Design presents their newest contributions to the contemporary art world
The opening reception for the Herron School of Art and Design student final exhibitions promised a peek into the future of contemporary art. Naturally, I was intrigued.
As soon as I stepped foot inside the Eskenazi Fine Arts Center, a Nick Cave-esq soundsuit of found objects took the stage. It looked like a carefully curated pile of trash, but the more I inspected the details, the more the suit took on its own life. It almost seemed to breathe, this massive creature of sticks and stones, wire and scraps of cloth. I was afraid to get too close, in case it gobbled me up and transported me to another dimension.
The theme of extra-ordinary and fantastical things was prevalent throughout the whole body of undergraduate work. Displays from each of the Herron School’s programs, including Illustration, Sculpture, and Digital Design, dealt with growing up and finding oneself in this strange world. Fantasy can sometimes be seen as a form of escapism, but Einstein might have had the right idea when he encouraged children to read fairytales. Imagination is one of the most elusive yet powerful tools of human consciousness, one that I fear is dwindling in the age of social media and its constant pandering. But I have faith that Herron’s undergrads will go on to rescue us from the humdrum existence of the daily grind through their vibrant and creative storytelling.
My mind sufficiently warmed up by the undergraduate body of work, I moved on to the MFA thesis show at the Herron School’s main campus. The galleries inside the building on W New York Street have been hosts to national and internationally recognized artists, and provided an immaculate backdrop for this year’s graduate exhibitions.
Contemporary art constantly evades definition, less secure in its categorical nature as Impressionism or Rococo or other historical classifications. It seems to encompass everything from bananas on walls to blank canvases worth millions. Perhaps the only uniting factor is that it provokes the full spectrum of discussion, sometimes even bordering on violent debate (in my personal experience). Contemporary art makes us question what we know and call “art”, and the MFA show at Herron situated itself within that dialogue quite successfully.
Every single piece I saw had substance; an underlying message or question that was clearly connected with the visual experience of the work. In the Berkshire, Reese, and Paul Gallery, a huge flowing wall of news articles chronicled the headlines about the devastating conflict in Palestine, demonstrating how the infinite scroll of media can overwhelm us with information. Another piece was a series of memorabilia boxes, each holding different objects representing the hierarchy of needs. I felt it accurately addressed the complexity of metamorphosing into new versions of ourselves.
If contemporary art reflects contemporary issues, I would gather the main concerns of Herron students today are how we can figure ourselves out in a world that constantly pulls us in too many directions at once. The desire to be authentic and accepted, inclusive and informed, to say the right things and be the right way can lead to an almost apathetic existence, where we isolate and guard ourselves against the world and its intolerable pressures. But as another ingeniously constructed work at the show revealed, we are inextricably linked to our world, being constantly shaped and molded by it. We are not ever truly alone.
That particular piece was made of over 500 porcelain eggs positioned in a starburst pattern on the floor. Each egg was unique in color and texture, and I learned from the artist that rather than painting each one individually, she placed different materials inside the kiln as she fired the clay. The eggs then took on the designs based on whatever surrounded them, leaving them with beautiful marbled surfaces reminiscent of galaxies or coral reefs. A perfect metaphor for no matter how adamantly we consider ourselves to be alone, we are not. We are always surrounded by people and environments that shape us into who we are. These pressures can be intense, but instead of attempting to escape, perhaps we can learn to embrace the fire, and appreciate our unique yet united reality for the mystery it is.
It was a pleasant evening, and my appetite for good art was ultimately satisfied. I look forward to witnessing the evolution of contemporary art at the Herron school and its students. I’m confident we are all in for quite a treat.