Several senior art majors have their theses up for display in the Art and Communications Building as the semester comes to a close.
The exhibit, titled "Longing, not Loathing," opened on April 4 and will be on display until April 25. The exhibit features the work of ten artists.
The art is split between the two Fogelman Galleries on the second floor of the Art and Communication Building.
The exhibit displays a diverse selection of art, from photographs to sculptures. All works of art fit into the theme, "Longing, not Loathing" in very different ways.
Stephanie Britt, senior art major, set up a living room installation in a corner of one of the galleries. In it were sofas, candles, hanging photographs, decorated end tables, a lamp, a rug and a television playing old home movies.
Britt's piece, titled "A Memoir," was created to honor her mother who died when she was 14 years old.
"My mother was my hero and at the age of 14, I lost her," Britt said. "I stood there and realized how different my life was about to be. In this body of work, my main focus is to honor my mother's memory and her presence as it remains with my family today."
The furniture was chosen to create a living room environment that would seem welcoming to the audience.
"It resembles my mother's style," Britt said. "Some of the items in the 'living space' were my mother's."
"A Memoir" also had pictures on the wall with Britt's mother.
"My photographs concentrate on memory and presence," Britt said. "I place her in my recent photographs to capture memory and her presence with me today."
Christina Ridley, senior art major with a concentration in photography, submitted seven photographs in the exhibit. Her piece, titled "Atmospheric Pain," is comprised of pictures that were taken in her home and old apartment that depict a subject either hiding or in pain.
"I get very intense migraines and that influences my art," Ridley said.
All of her photographs in this piece depict a form of pain or distress and use techniques to express that. For example, some of her photographs use digital double exposure, an effect where one photo is superimposed onto another, to make the pain seem more atmospheric.
Also, she depicts her subject hiding in several photographs, either behind her hands or with the use of a blanket, which helps to capture her pain.
"There are a lot of photographers in the show," Ridley said. "We all use our art to communicate with our audience. It's really cathartic."
Ridley believes that the variety of art helps make the show more diverse.
"I think each artist brings a different style and technique, and that's what makes the show," Ridley said.
Amanda Comerford, a junior studio arts major, enjoyed viewing "Longing, not Loathing."
"The sculpture work was really nice and the way artists Kevin Sutton and Gregory Allen Smith presented it in the space looked great," Comerford said. "The photography worked very well alongside the sculptures."
Comerford noted that there was enough space to walk around to see the art in other views.
"I was moved by the piece about missing a family member," Comerford said. "I could relate to the piece, and she really brought me into her life and the environment that she grew up in."
Comerford feels as if all of these pieces can stand alone just as well as they work together.
"I believe people should always look at artwork," Comerford said. "Not only to support the arts or artist, but to experience the emotions and depth of a piece of work that has its own definition just for that individual."
Shannon Charnes, a University of Memphis alumna, graduated last fall with an art degree with a concentration in photography.
"I think it went really well," Charnes said. "It developed into something much stronger than it was originally supposed to be."
Charnes was very moved by Stephanie Britt's "A Memoir," as she related to its message.
"'A Memoir' really touched me because Britt added her mother into recent images to show how she is always with her," Charnes said. "My stepdad died earlier this year, so her work touched me and showed things that I have been feeling."
Charnes feels as if everything came together very well to form the theme of "Longing, not Loathing."
"I feel like a lot of things are about what the artists are going through, what they have gone through or things they see wrong with the world," Charnes said. "They long to make things better rather than loathing or hating it."
