LHU exhibit showcases work of three student artists
Graduating Senior Art Show in Sloan Gallery
April 23, 2012
On Wednesday April 25th, at 7 p.m.in the Sloan Hall Fine Arts Gallery, the Lock Haven University Art Department will host the opening reception for the art exhibition of works created by graduating Lock Haven University art majors Rachel Degler, Sarah Prewitt, and Helen Rogers. The exhibit will include drawings, photographs, fashion design, and graphic design. The reception is free and is open to the public.
Rachel Degler states that “fashion is a powerful art”. It is part of our expressive culture as human beings. Many emotions and stories can be felt and told through what we wear on our bodies. Rachel Degler tells her story through a ready-to-wear clothing and jewelry collection as well as a through photography. Her fashion collection was inspired by the place where Degler grew up and the lifestyle she was raised in.
Growing up on a farm she was surrounded by nature and the easiness of the country. The collection features that easiness by including a variety of separates and dresses infused with beautiful floral, ruffles, and fringe. The jewelry portion of the collection features pretty floral designs while also glorifying the white tail deer. Along with fashion design, Degler also combines photography with fashion design as her inspiration. The hard edged photographic series shown with the collection contrasts nicely, giving an effective balance of hard and soft.
Sarah Prewitt’s charcoal drawings show el toro, the bull, leaping from the spine of a female figure. It is part guardian, part tormentor. In another image a veiled figure cringes while soft folds of cloth suffocate. In another with pastel on paper, she has created a female-like form. Carefully rendered is the dull matte light that reflects off the pseudo metal surface of the shape which suggests woman, machine, and vessel.
Prewitt also presents images informed by her studies in psychology including some images with Rorschach-like ink blots. The colorful patterns appear to be formed from splashes of ink. Into these she layers text to give voice to the vivid spots that rest in painted and photographic layers. Through various mediums, Sarah Prewitt provides images rich with metaphor and symbolic meanings. She writes that, “as a woman of Spanish heritage”, she seeks to depict the interaction between genders and the stereotypes in patriarchal society using charcoal, pastels, and conté.
Helen Rogers majored in Graphic and Online Design at LHU and is showing design, digital art, and photography. Her digital art focuses on creating unique symbolic forms that represent specific individuals’ creative unconscious. She believes every person is unique and her goal is to show this individuality through her mandala forms. Through photography, Helen captures images of simple, everyday objects aiming to show the mundane in a different light. She wants her viewers to find something beautiful in everyday situations.
The exhibition runs through May 11, 2012. The gallery is open weekdays from 8 a.m. until 9 p.m.
Lock Haven University is a member of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE), the largest provider of higher education in the commonwealth. Its 14 universities offer more than 250 degrees and certificate programs in more than 120 areas of study. Nearly 405,000 system alumni live and work in Pennsylvania.
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