|
Painting
minors put on a major show
“Fresh Paint” may be the first show of its kind but, according to Savannah College of Art and Design painting department chair Josh Yu, the newly established painting minor exhibition will become a biannual traditional for the college and the department. “The purpose for organizing the first painting minor show is to promote our excellent students, faculty and programs,” said Yu. “Students have an opportunity to show their work in a professional gallery and gain experience.” Brett Osborn, a member of the SCAD painting faculty and overseer of the exhibition, agrees with Yu’s assessment of “Fresh Paint.” “It gives a venue for talented students who have other fields of interest,” said Osborn. “It gives us a showcase for quality work from students who may not feel they have the opportunity to exhibit.” Osborn said he only accepted work that showed both a technical proficiency and a personal voice. “Therefore, I have a very diverse but interesting selection to exhibit,” he said. “I think [audiences] will react to the show as they would to any students exhibition at SCAD — thought-provoking and well-crafted. They probably will not be able to differentiate between majors and minors … A good painting is a good painting — whether abstract, representational, thin, thick, theoretical or playful. I’m hoping there is no difference between minor shows and major shows because, as faculty, we demand the same from both sets of students.” This quarter, there are 34 painting minors. According to Yu, a few of the students are double majors, five have two minors and one has three minors. “I think that is great for students to learn more when they are in school,” he said. “After they graduate, they will have more opportunities than others for their career options because of their [diverse] professional knowledge and skills.” Sequential art major Jason Kofke declared a minor in painting spring quarter 2003. “Painting keeps me thinking out of the box,” he said. “I try to pull that into my sequential work and vice versa.” Of his five oil paintings in the show, Kofke said, “Most are about machines and humans — the natural and the industrial. I analyze our interaction with common machines that surround us but blend in and become our environment. Most of my reference is from the alleys and streets here in Savannah, but I also use references of more natural setting from my hometown in Florida. I’m just reacting to the change of environment and seeing if anyone else feels the same way.” Work by Kofke, Eoin McDonnell, Haynes Riley, Crystal Kanney, Chris Osman, Lauren Wade, Joseph Scannell, Rachel Kettenacker and Katie Campbell is included in “Fresh Paint.” “ Fresh Paint” is on display Feb. 2-17 in Hamilton Hall, 522 Indian St. A reception will be held Feb. 6, 5-8 p.m. |
 |
||||
