New art is on display at the “Hallery” in the Lory Student Center. The new exhibit features political, personal and whimsical art made by seven employees of the LSC Arts Program. Some of the artists study art while others create art for fun.
Jackson Aldern, a junior majoring in art with concentrations in painting and graphic design, created his piece “Immigrant” about the current political atmosphere.
“After Trump’s imposed travel ban members of our own campus were stranded across an invisible line, unable to continue their pursuits benevolent and valuable to the whole CSU community,” Aldern said. “I wanted to paint something addressing the establishment’s uneducated and inhumane treatment of immigrants and, in doing so, start conversation around their representation in everyday life.”
Aldern was also the artist behind the most recent exhibit in the Hallery titled “RIGHTEOUS.”
Sophomore journalism major Bethany McCabe used her photography concentration to bring light to her brother’s struggle with hemophilia.
“Seeing how hemophilia has affected my brother has made me a passionate advocate to educate about (the disease) and I hope to show that through my photography,” McCabe said.
Todd Underwood, a junior art major with a concentration in painting, chose to deal with the idea of the sublime, which often shows up in art historical studies of landscape paintings. Underwood, however, took a more abstract approach to the idea.
“It seeks to combine awe and terror through color and texture,” Underwood said.
Sophomore forest management major Sean Kovatch explored a more spiritual idea in his work titled “Savor Your Sin.”
“The mystery of what awaits beyond death eludes us all,” Kovatch said. “Some say to indulge in feelings of ecstasy is sinful. However, in a world where the future is uncertain, to say the least, learn not to avoid your guilty pleasures but to dive into them.”
Elsa Riffe, a senior majoring in French language, literature and culture, took a more whimsical approach in her piece titled “Bacon.”
“Bacon could be interpreted as a statement about the sexualization and objectification of women, but sometimes a picture is just a sexy pig because the world needs more sexy pigs,” Riffe said.
Riffe said she wanted to explore her artistic abilities and ideas outside of an academic context.
“Bacon was an opportunity to create a piece that didn’t hold deep conceptual meaning, that was free from the pressure of imposed guidelines or expectations that restrict the artistic process,” Riffe said.
The work will be featured in the Hallery for the rest of the semester and can be viewed during regular LSC hours. For more information about the Hallery and other work done by the LSC Arts Program visit lsc.colostate.edu.
Collegian reporter Ashley Potts can be reached at entertainment@collegian.com and on Twitter @11smashley.
