For seven art students at Eastern Oregon University, an opportunity of a lifetime just began. The EOU Junior Exhibit opened at Art Center East on April 5 and will remain open until April 27. Located on the corner of Penn Ave. and 5th St., Art Center East is a great place for students to have their first show. The tall ceilings, large rooms, and a fireplace create an ambiance that allows any work to look its best.
The students whose work is on display include Mariela Caldera, Hannah Flower, Christina Gillis Nunez, Meredith Matthews, Alexander Navarro, Hannah Smith, and Olivia Starks. Each of these students has developed their own unique style, creating a gallery that you won’t want to miss.
Christina Gillis has four photographs from The Overcoming Series, which display a woman with her body exposed in the forest or an open field. The woman is dirty or covered in paint in three of the four photos. The photos are aptly named: “Silenced”, “Vulnerable”, “Surrender”, and “Endure.”
Olivia Starks has seven photographs taken on black and white film in the series No One’s Watching, in which intimate moments that would normally take place behind closed doors are photographed. The photos themselves are untitled, but display themes of depression, self-esteem, and forbidden love.
Hannah Flower has a painting titled “Trapped Response,” which has a bit of an Alice in Wonderland quality to it. It features a variety of shapes and objects in exaggerated sizes. For example, there are two men on either side of a Chinese finger trap near the bottom of the painting.
Alexander Navarro has three photographs titled “Fight or Flight”, “Grip”, and “Consumption.” Each photo has been carefully arranged to create exactly what Navarro wanted to portray. In his artist statement, he details his process of coming up with the initial idea for the photograph, setting it up, posing the props, and then finally taking the picture.
Marciela Caldera has a painting titled “Collections,” which shows a variety of objects ranging from a map to a vase of flowers. Ordinary objects were made abstract and interesting.
Meredith Mathews has a piece titled “This is the silence of astounded souls. There is only the moon.” This piece was made out of Indian ink on polymer paper and features a woman, naked, walking through a forest of trees with no leaves. There are several large owls flying among the bare trees and girl. This piece takes up an entire wall and reaches almost to the ceiling.
All of these pieces together showcase the talent of the art students here at Eastern Oregon University. Support your fellow peers and attend this gallery before it closes on April 27!
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