Editor’s note: This article was initially published in The Daily Gazette, Swarthmore’s online, daily newspaper founded in Fall 1996. As of Fall 2018, the DG has merged with The Phoenix. See the about page to read more about the DG.
April 10th marked the beginning of the annual Senior Thesis Exhibition Series at the List Gallery, where senior Studio Art majors get the chance to display their talents to the rest of the campus in a formal setting.
Lisa Patusky ‘14 kicked off the series with her sculpture and drawing exhibit, “In Formation,” on April 10th. See The Daily Gazette’s interview with the artist here.
Samantha Goldstein ‘14 exhibited her paper and porcelain sculpture in “Night Gallery,” which opened April 17th. She uses “forgotten materials” and explores how simple objects such as newspaper and tissues can be repurposed in different contexts. Her paper sculptures use illumination to create a gentle sense of otherworldliness and possibility, and this effect seems to harness the magic of night. “[Nighttime] is an opportunity to take risks you would not take in daylight. Daylight is embarrassing; you can see all your blemishes in the day. Those things are softened at night and things just feel possible […]. If someone leaves my show and thinks twice about picking up a newspaper, I’ll be proud. I want to share my discoveries about material. If I am successful, people will know me better, know what makes me feel calm and safe, and even if those specific things that interest me are not interesting to others, I hope the work feels honest.”
Luke Arnone ‘14 makes porcelain ceramic vessels and explores unexpected and unusual solutions to what he calls “problems of function.” An engineering and studio art double major, his work blends both artistry and functionality; rather than put handles on his cups and vessels, he covers them in perforated ceramic shells or designs them to have indentations with which to hold them. “I like exploring the dualities between the interior and exterior form; the way you can see part-way through the exterior form and to the interior vessel […]. I’m going for not necessarily an intuitive interface with the piece, but once you figure out your way of holding something, you have a stronger connection to an object than you would a mass-produced piece.” His show “vaporware” opens April 24th.
Lucy Whitacre ‘14, whose show, “geo-scape,” also opens April 24th, uses the imagery and patterns of nature and landscapes in an intimate way in her ceramic pieces. “I’m really interested in light and planes and how I can achieve creating these spaces for the viewers,” she said. A studio art major with minors in environmental studies and art history, she brings both organic and architectural sensibilities to her work. Whitacre’s goal is that viewers will see their own personal locations or sites in her works – “[I hope they] remind them of places they’ve been, or sites they hope to see.” She thinks of her works as “a fusion of [sites and places] and memory,” and she hopes her viewers will “take away this kind of sense of imagination and ability to work with me in my abstraction.”
