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BY NICK GAW

In print | Published September 21, 2006

Coming back to Swarthmore, the “What did you do this summer?” question is guaranteed to arise. Inevitably the answer is impressive. Swatties do great things, and some of the proof is hanging on the walls at the Kitao Gallery.

The Kitao Gallery’s first exhibit of the year showcases recent student art and is a great reminder of what Swarthmore students are capable of. The exhibit features the work of eight students, from first-years to seniors, and is as diverse in medium as it is in theme.

Claudia Seixas ’10 has two untitled paintings on display. One, a vibrant figurative work depicting a Native American ritual, is impressively stylized and detailed. Her other painting, an abstract work depicting white forms seemingly floating in green and blue masses, is simple and powerful.

Allison Cappuccio ’08 brings a series of untitled photographs to the gallery. They depict the natural world superimposed onto the feminine body. The photographs are striking and arresting, and give insight to the body and the natural world.

Jessica Thomaston ’10 says that she submitted her two oil paintings because: "I wanted to be done with them. They’re never really finished. "These abstract studies in color and form are different from some of her paintings in realism, which she hopes to display on campus sometime in the coming semester.

Meredith Leich ’08 has a comic on display that she made at a camp this summer. A series of strips, the work was posted about once a week in a counselor restroom. “Through the Looking Glass” is now electronically accessible at http://aloha-glass.livejournal.com. Her work is sure to ring true to anyone who has ever been to summer camp.

Sasha Raskin ’09 submitted two series of "Works in Water. These photographs, taken in St. Petersburg, are depictions of the city as viewed through water. “Series I” was taken using water as a reflecting surface while “Series II” views architectural forms through water on a window. “Solid buildings, upside down and wavering through glass and water really appealed to me, and spoke to the state of St. Petersburg, Russia and the world in a totally unexpected way,” Raskin said.

Blake Roberts ’07 presents two untitled paintings, each abstract still life. Roberts’ style involves thick layering of paints, which creates an animated three dimensionality in his work.

Nicole Oberfoell ’07 exhibits a collection of photos called “Southeast Asia: From the village to the city and everything between.” “The photos in the exhibit were taken from my wanderings when traveling alone in Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar, and with my abroad program in Vietnam,” Oberfoel said.

Cheryl Tse ’09 said that she is “still looking for that balance between content and form. While I want my photographs to be as aesthetically pleasing as possible; it’s important to me that a message gets across, or that a story is told,” she said. Tse’s “Chinatown 2006” is a beautiful narrative of identity in a culturally diverse environment.

The exhibit was put together very quickly in an effort to showcase extracurricular student work that often doesn’t have a place for display at Swarthmore. Lauren Stokes ‘09 and Tara Miller ’07, the Kitao Gallery’s co-coordinators, began soliciting for artwork when students began arriving at Swarthmore this fall. “I’m really happy with how the exhibit turned out,” Lauren Stokes ‘09 said. "We were worried that it wasn’t going to come together, but a lot of great artists submitted at the last moment."

The gallery is in the process of planning for its season and already has some great shows lined up. In addition to student work from art classes, the gallery is planning another open show later on in the semester. Possibilities for other exhibits include a show by a Philadelphia-based Swarthmore alum and perhaps even a lighting installation.

For anyone interested in giving input, the Kitao Gallery is accepting applications for board members until Sept. 27. Although the exhibit is now over, the works of art will be hanging in the Kitao Gallery during Qüb’s opening, giving Swarthmore students one more chance to appreciate the accomplishments of their peers.

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