Art student presents senior showcase in Weber Gallery
0Written by Abigail Gibson
On Monday, March 2, senior Allyson Gibson displayed her artwork in the Weber Art Gallery. Post-impressionist painter, Vincent Van Gogh, once said, “I would rather die of passion than of boredom.” Gibson has a passion for art that not only has became a mode of expression, but has shaped her reality.
Gibson’s art show featured a variety of two- and three-dimensional work, including ink, pencil, wire, watercolor paper, canvas, paper mache, and found objects. The senior art show is required for a graduating art major and is a reflection of the student’s interests and achievements.
In addition to studying art, Gibson is also a business major. Gibson is a member of the Pink Ladies breast cancer awareness organization, president of the Differing Sexualities Alliance group, and is a resident assistant.
“Through the sunsets I have painted, the pomegranate series of work, the matches on the body, scarf and the sculpture, Mediate, all pertain to the warming sensation that is associated with the color red. In the pomegranate series, Meditate, and the high heels sculpture, Stereotype, relate the use of red symbolizing nature, passion, and blood. I am able to use implement elements of nature through the pomegranate series by having the fruit depicted in various ways; I am also able to show passion and blood through the mark making fluidity of the works. The sculptures Mediate and Stereotype convey the use of nature by relating to the body in how we move and what we wear. These sculptures depict passion and blood through the use of red in how the red in Mediate is internal, comparable to in a body, and how the red thread binds and is weaved around the high heels in Stereotype,” said Gibson.
During the artist reception, Gibson spoke briefly about how passionate she is about her work.
Gibson said, “During the time of creating my work, a lot of my life has been impacted by several events. The major influences in the work I produce are everyday life, the presence of time, feminism, and nature. Different things I come in contact with on a daily basis like textures of different fabrics, hair, foods, and trees; makeup, what stereotypes society and some place on women, how light reflects off the skin of people, fruit, and in the city, all effect what influences my mind and what I portray. My personal experiences in life, whether that be my rigid and fragile times or my positive and active moments, all of this is shown in my work. I have learned to be more patient with myself by allowing my creativity to expand and also not limit myself to certain possible outcomes. I have come to be with comfortable creating work that is more nonrepresentational.”
“I also enjoy applying dramatic tendencies of setting, emotion, and sensations within my art through implied objects, forms, symbolism, and also through different values of color. I use color to emphasize symbolism of relations, reference power, motivation, and boldness,” said Gibson.
“Art is my passion, and business is my drive. In earning these two degrees, I am able to have a successful and content balance of accomplishments in my life,” said Gibson.
“Through all the years that I have known Allyson, she proven to be a point of light. She is a young woman of good humor and passion. All of these elements are reflected in her artwork. Anyone looking at the work in Allyson’s exhibit will be able to engage Allyson in a personal, meaningful way. She is very generous in sharing her insights, her care, and her gifts in presenting her work,” said Patricia Kowalok, professor of art.
“Art is one way for me to escape from reality and become truly consumed in expression. Creating an artwork is this consumption of focus, drive and inspiration to create lines, brushstrokes, and formations,” said Gibson.
“My goals are to continue my education in art and earn my master’s in fine arts to teach art at the college level. I have always wanted to be able to help people. I feel like this will be one way I can do that, by advising and challenging student in the arts. I cannot imagine a day without having some sort of artistic and creative involvement. I also hope to grow on the skills of painting, drawing, sculpting, and pure creation that I have acquired throughout my college career,” said Gibson.