Above: In for It by Jennifer Williams
Review By Alexa Acosta, Collin College alumna
Diversity, diversity and more diversity! The Collin College Individual Student Art Show, held June 12- July 2 at the Spring Creek Campus, featured many talented and diverse students who demonstrated a true understanding of visual arts.
The exhibit had a large range of subjects and media, which attracted a wide variety of audiences. Pieces ranged from human body sculptures and still life to abstract paintings and a little something from pop culture.
Placed strategically around the center of the gallery, the sculptures indirectly moved one around the space. The mix of drawings and paintings on the wall, with different colors and dimensions, allowed for an easy transition from one piece to the next.
“Crystal Vase “ and “Citrus in Foil,” Watercolor
Artist: Ida Yavari
Student artist Ida Yavari demonstrated her mastery of watercolor through the detail of her still body pieces. She created photorealism in her paintings. Watercolor is not a forgivable medium, and there is no turning back once the pigment touches the surface area. In fact, in watercolor, there is no true white. The absence of color only exists by preserving the raw surface area itself and not applying pigment. The amount of white space, light and reflection space remaining in her pieces displayed her technique and control over such a meticulous medium.
“The Waters of Anthemoessa,” Oil Paint
Artist: Peyton Baker
As a lover of painting, I particularly appreciate good use of color. In the piece, “The Waters of Anthemoessa,” Peyton Baker created a vast range of colors with a very small color palette. That is quite remarkable.
The hues and values created with the minimal amount of color allowed the figure to appear 3D. These variations also traveled throughout the painting and were incorporated in all areas, even the subject’s skin tone.
“The Malaise ,” Pen and Prismacolor Marker
“Heretics,” Intaglio Print
Artist: Derrick Hamm
Adding to the diverse group of artists at Collin College was Derrick Hamm, whose drawings emphasized line, pattern and texture. Using only minimal patterns he created 2D pieces that had an illusion of perspective while simultaneously appearing to have one dimension. His subjects were interesting in themselves, as he created images within branch-type textures. Very interesting work!
“The Hustle ,”Bronze
Artist: Caleb Riney
In “The Hustle,” Caleb Riney created a detailed bronze sculpture of a young girl in movement. Achieving this movement while maintaining visual and physical balance displayed his understanding of the proportions of the human body and his control over this metal.
“The Old Man,” Charcoal
Artist: Tracy Anderson
Talk about photorealism! “The Old Man” by Tracy Anderson in charcoal is impressive. The contrast in the different skin tones, clearly emphasizing where the light hits the subject’s face, made the painting to come to life. It seemed as if the subject was staring directly at the observer regardless of location.
Into TV and pop culture? From a scene of “The Lego Movie” to the tardis from “Dr. Who,” there was a little something for everyone. These pieces, although made with entirely different media, fit well with the quality work presented throughout the gallery.
The Individual Student Art Show was a job well done for students in the Collin College Art Department.
Alexa Acosta is a 2014 Collin College alumna and Phi Theta Kappa All-USA Academic Team member. After living in Puerto Rico and attending a visual arts school for six years, she acquired a passion for everything involving creativity and art, specializing in acrylic painting and human anatomy. Acosta will begin at Southern Methodist University in fall 2014, where she was awarded a nearly full-tuition scholarship.