BFA 2019 - 2020 BIOLA UNIVERSITY
to the Biola BFA Class of 2020
You were already on track to be a group of students we remember long past your graduation. As one of your faculty members, I noticed you as you came to our department as freshmen – exhibiting a level of curiosity, ambition, work ethic, and creative expansiveness that we don’t always see. These qualities grew as you did, leading to a senior class prepared to be exceptional. And then March of 2020 arrived, and circumstances became exceptional as well. The COVID-19 pandemic abruptly shifted all of our plans and expectations. Classes moved to remote delivery, the campus emptied, and the gallery closed. Daily life was upended and uncertainty defined almost every expected activity, provoking questions we had not previously considered such as – what is the role of art in a pandemic? How can creativity and community flourish under quarantine? And how do we keep doing what we do as artists and designers: making meaning from visuals and materials, and putting that meaning into the world, when we can no longer share space together? While these questions were being felt throughout the worlds of art and academia, they were felt with particular urgency by this BFA class. The week we began our remote delivery of courses was the same week that BFA shows were to have begun showing in the campus gallery. Suddenly, the work that had been progressing with such promise all semester was thrown into a state of uncertainty and a daunting challenge loomed – to give up or to persist? To take the easy way out, and simply mourn that which had been lost, or to do the hard work of re-thinking, re-imagining, even re-making something new?
I’ve never been prouder and more amazed as a professor than by what I saw this group of exceptional students do. In retrospect, I shouldn’t have been surprised. The same energy,
intelligence and creative ambition that had characterized your presence in our department during more conventional times appeared again, even more strongly. All the lessons that, as faculty, we hope to instill in our students – to care about context, to refine your craft, to consider your audience, and to communicate with depth and meaning – were demonstrated in shows that span new approaches to media and space. From creative social media engagement, to customized websites that experiment with the boundaries of digital interaction, to site-specific documentation strategies, art-by-mail delivery systems, and physical works given unexpected new life in digital spaces, suddenly your work was everywhere, often even better than before. This catalog serves as a gl impse into al l these projects and practices. It is a document of an exceptional time and the exceptional artists who responded. Class of 2020, we won’t soon forget you – your courage, your faith, your persistence, your creativity. You have made your mark in this department and establ ished yourselves as artists and, I think I can write on behalf of al l of us in the Biola Art Department, we can’t wait to see what you do next.
Scan here to access additional video and interactive pages online.
ashleylogue.com art@ashleylogue.com
Together, We Are Home (2020) While questioning how her perspective of childhood memories has been distorted, Logue pieces together her fleeting childhood experience. She wrestles with questions like, “What would it be like to talk to my childhood self?” and, “In what ways can I see the influence of my family in the way I function today?”, fighting to create a body of work that reveals and is reminiscent of the complexity of family relationships, Logue leads herself to the discovery that home is much less about where we are but who we are when we’re together. Through the distortion of found objects and family photographs, Logue collages her portrayal of each of her family members along with the obscurity of youth. The paintings embody thick and heavy textures that both expose and conceal. This tension creates an unbiased space for the viewer to reflect on their own thoughts about their upbringing. @ashleylogue
https://scgfwruultaccyiodgeutahmjytxafjxrpzjwiezfjvzivktow.com/
Refresh Refresh is an experiential website that challenges the viewer’s expectations of website functionality and technological authority. We want the experience of the website to encourage thoughtful reflection on the nature of digital spaces in relation to a person’s physical existence. We highlight the absurdity and arbitrariness of the use of technology, as well as complicate the viewer’s consumption of and interaction with the internet, devices, and screens. The website is coded to present the viewer with a completely random piece of content with nearly 150 possible experiences. Refresh.
@morsemakes @jonahlad
landofemunah.com landofemunah@gmail.com
Land of Emunah Land of Emunah , in its current form, is a web experience through a fantastical world of our creation. The players are presented with an overview of the land and begin in a central city. They are given four paths to choose from: land, sea, forest, or desert. From there the player embarks on a journey through the chosen path, facing encounters and choices of how to resolve the situations at hand. Right now, the experience is short, however, players have the option at the end to contribute to this world with their own imaginations. More is coming to the Land of Emunah , as it is an ongoing and developing project, one of which we hope to collaborate with the audience on.
@landofemunah
Seven Sojourners Seven Sojourners consists of seven accordion books each measuring roughly 5” x 5” x 2” when closed and 5” x 23” when opened. Each book contains the image of a journey and is sent on a journey of its own to be shown and shared from home to home. Each book invites its recipient to submit a creative response and document its travel history. After seven days of sojourning in a home, the recipient sends the book onward to someone of their choosing. After the fifth recipient, the book is to be returned to its original home. After Biola shut down due to COVID-19, I completely changed my exhibition in response to the world’s new context of displacement and quarantine. Seven Sojourners is my solution to physically share gospel inspired artwork in a time of fear and isolation. The sojourners are guests and messengers of hope, involving each recipient to partake in a grand journey.
katherinesherlock.com katherine.sherlock.art @gmail.com
@katherinegsherlock
WHAT IS HAPPENIN PATH TO PANDEMIC
Jan 7
Jan 11
Jan 13
Jan 21
Jan 23
Dec 2019
First case reported outside of China, in Thailand
Suspicious cases of pneumonia reported in Wuhan, China
China begins lockdown in Hubei province to contain outbreak
Identification of novel coronavirus, COVID-19
First COVID-19 death reported in China
First reported case of COVID-19 in the US
G
NG?
Jan 24
Jan 30 Jan 31
Feb 14
Feb 28
Feb 29
First cases of COVID-19 reported in Europe
US enacts travel restrictions from China
Cases across Europe increase at alarming rates. Global cases near 100,000
First reported death in Europe, the fourth outside mainland China
The WHO declares a global health emergency
First reported death in the US
GLOBAL OUTBREAK
kyolshorack.ucraft.site kyolsho@gmail.com
Coloring Book: Somewhere Outside the Lines This show is just the beginning of an ongoing project I have been working on for the last four years. It is an existential story book, paintings and poetry, that explores a reflection of my childhood. I am trying to reveal the honest struggles I have had since my childhood, so that maybe someone might find healing or find words to feelings they hadn’t had before. The book centers around a child, as he searches for a color that has never been seen before. In this first chapter, I explore this desire and where I think it came from. This need to be special, this fear of being ordinary, this struggle to reconnect with my childhood wonder, and my disenchantment with the world, it all stems from my childhood. Why can’t I dream like I used to? Why am I lonely? Why am I never content with my paintings?
@kyolsho
My Mother’s Mother I started with the question: who is she? All I know is that she taught me beauty, showed me love, and brought me to the things I hold most holy. I wanted to create a space for you to encounter these things with me. At a time when we are all giving each other more space than we know what to do with, I ask you to pay attention to yourself and your space as it surrounds you.
mariekolenski.myportfolio.com marie.kolenski@gmail.com
@marie_kolenski
micahhickerson.com micah@colorado5.net
Gun Show Art galleries function as spaces that allow for viewing and contemplation of objects and ideas. A gun range is a place where people can go to shoot paper targets. In both the gallery and gun range, the space between the viewer and the object in view is charged. It’s a space where an interaction is taking place. These works do not exist to tell the viewer what to think about guns, but to serve as a tool to help the viewer formulate their own thoughts and feelings about the object of the gun. They bear the image of guns and targets, however they are mechanically functionless. Objects designed for pure and specific function are twisted and used as an art making tool. Using handguns as drawing tools, and abstracting target forms, they aim to be both objects of contemplation, and to draw attention to the materiality of themselves. @micahsthetic
nicholelandon.com nmarielandon@gmail.com
Ohr Light is a presence that is not present. It sustains our world and is the means by which we see everything — yet we can’t see light itself. Light reveals all that is visible, yet remains invisible. I’ve thought a lot about these ideas in connection to Christ. Christ is the culmination of all history, he illuminates the world while not being of the world or visible in it; present with us, yet absent in form; the completion of all perfection and beauty, yet unseen as we normally perceive beauty. The exploration of light in this body of work is also an exploration of light in scriptures. Light is the image of the glory of God, and judgement, and redemption. Light expands through creation. Light chases darkness away, for with light there is no darkness – yet light is more apparent in the dark, both in art and in life.
@nlandondesign
Sneakertisement Out of my love for sneakers and a desire to reimagine the way we see them, Sneakertisement was born. Brands use marketing to bring the product they are sel l ing to market and in front of the consumers eyes. This idea of advertisement is a method companies and large corporations use to their advantage, and every brand has their own way of appeal ing to an audience. Within Sneakertisment , I have chosen five wel l-known, immediately recognizable brands to focus on as the center of my discovery. Sneakertisement examines the brand to discover the aesthetics, mood, and appeal they take to market. With five brands at the center, Sneakertisement poses the question: what would it look l ike if the product was a sneaker? When one replaces the expected with the unexpected the possibi l ities are endless and the outcomes are exciting.
noahcarcher.com noahcarcher@gmail.com
@sneakertisement
WHAT NOW? LOC L IMPACT
Mar 3
Mar 4
Mar 11
First reported death in California
Known US cases passes 100
The WHO declares COVID-19 a pandemic
LA County officials declare a local health emergency
US enacts first travel restrictions from Europe
Mar 10 Mar 6
Mar 11
Mar 12
Grandparents Day canceled
All classes transition to remote delivery
Update on the Coronavirus from President Corey
First COVID-19 update sent to Biola students
Biola Bound canceled
Chapels move to streaming format
NCAA suspends all sports competitions
Mar 13
Mar 16
Mar 19
Mar 26
Mar 29
State and Federal officials recommend social distancing LA County restricts mid-size gatherings La Mirada reports 2 cases of COVID-19
California announces statewide stay at
US reports over 82,000 cases and 1,000 deaths
Federal officials extend
LA County officials restrict large gatherings, recommend social distancing
distancing guidelines for 30 days
home order
Mar 13
Mar 15
Mar 17
Mar 19 Mar20
Mar23
March 29
All BFA culmination projects rebooted for remote format only
URGENT notice new move out date
campus closure announced
Optional remote/online alternative for BFA culmination projects
Public BFA gallery receptions canceled
Move out notice for all Biola housing
Campus officially closed through end of term
Video update from President Corey
Spring 2020 Commencement postponed
Campus to remain closed through at least April 19
NoahTessier.com Noahttessier@gmail.com
Liminal Noah Tessier explores the richness and vitality that are naturally encapsulated within abandoned spaces – specifically abandoned spaces that sit within areas that maintain increasingly high property values. Within these suburban areas, abandoned space is frequently considered to be wasted or ugly. Due to this perception, these abandoned spaces are, more often than not, quick to be developed. This need to develop leaves these spaces abandoned for a very brief amount of time, sitting in a liminal period between its last use and its future use. Tessier uses elements of photography, videography, and design to document these spaces during this liminal period. In doing so, he seeks to reveal the potential and beauty that is contained within their current state, ultimately flipping the negative connotation abandonment holds into a positive one.
@NoahTessierVisuals
Awakening Awakening is the brand that Walter will be advertising as he will be portraying the idea of a new brand taking advantage of the idea of branding anything that they can think of - from clothing, to pins, stickers, papers, and more. Awakening’s logo - the image of a feather falling into water - represents the idea of a beginning, of a new chapter. It emphasizes the idea that as a new chapter begins, some things are naturally to become forgotten.
park-walter.com walterprk@gmail.com
@walterprk
She Rises & Falls: AVideo Series Wendy Antoniette Espinola Raigosa is an interdisciplinary artist based in Los Angeles, CA, who uses various mediums to explore spirituality as it relates to life, loss, and death. Raigosa accomplishes this by transcending the physicality of art into forms that are more fluid in structure. In this case, video, performance & sculpture being the primary method of delivery. She Rises & Falls: A Video Series covers themes of acceptance, loss, and belonging. As the story progresses, a world is formed connecting different characters in this state of transcendence. It is in this unknown place they are able to understand their purpose of being, and ultimately the connections they have to each other. The work of Raigosa is made to question, to comfort, and to provide strength. It is a medium to return what was lost and to demonstrate the fluidity of the circle of life.
wendyraigosa.com w.ae.raigosa@gmail.com
@shadow_and_memory
eyeroll An eye roll is a momentary passive action in response to things we have no power over. There are things we are incapable of changing in this world, but still we persist, and eyeroll aims to do all that with an optimistic approach. eyeroll is not where it stops, but rather where it starts. We hope to create a community where we can talk and think about the wonders of life – from the beauty we all possess, to the deeper, less celebrated parts of ourselves. We want eyeroll to be a place where everyone has a chance of seeing themselves represented. We all have different reasons for rolling our eyes, and the mere action of doing so conveys a sense of human likeness that is worth acknowledging and celebrating!
@___eyeroll___ @_addie_mae_ @yukari_grace
Ben Morse
Jonah Ladesic
Ashley Logue
Hannah McLaughlin
Megan Yip
Katherine Sherlock
Kyol Shorack
Marie Kolenski
Micah Hickerson
Nichole Landon
Noah Archer
Noah Tessier
Walter Park
Wendy Raigosa
Yukari Becker
CLASS OF 2020
Addie Llanos
ORIGIN Coffee has become deeply influential in my life. Like single-origin coffee, this can be traced back to a specific location. At 17, I started working as a Starbucks barista, and my life was shaped by the community at my store. I began learning more about coffee, a mutual interest my mother shared. Together, we experimented with roasting and brewing our own coffee, a special connection we now share. Coffee became a communal experience for my family and coworkers-turned-friends. The impact of coffee has also manifested into my art practice. It led to an interest in craft, social dynamics, and interpersonal relationships. Using the hub of a coffee shop, this show explores process, social interaction, and the aesthetic experience. It is a culmination of my coffee journey thus far, paying respect to the workplace that raised me, the personal connections I’ve made, and the experience of coffee shop culture.
www.christycreates.co
@christycreates
Death’s Door Welcome to Death’s Door. Be prepared to be challenged. Challenged physically and mentally. Some things -- music, imagery, environment, dancing, letting go -- might be difficult for some visitors. Get it together. Accept the challenge.
@deathsdoor_nightclub @saradenovo
The Art Department The Biola Department of Art is a vibrant community of artists and scholars who integrate faith and creative practice. Through an innovative and rigorous curriculum, we cultivate a student’s ability to create and critically evaluate complex works of art in a mentoring environment. We foster curiosity through established and experimental mediums, methods, and theoretical perspectives. Biola’s Bachelor of Fine Arts degree program in Studio Art equips students with the aesthetic, technical and conceptual skills needed for success in a variety of professional careers in the arts. Studying in the midst of Los Angeles, an international nexus of ideas, images and realities, students learn about and respond to contemporary visual arts culture — its social, political, philosophical and spiritual concerns. The Biola art program is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD). www.Biola.edu/Art The Green Art Gallery The Earl & Virginia Green Art Gallery presents a program of rotating contemporary art exhibitions on the campus of Biola University. Located in the greater Los Angeles area, the Green Art Gallery serves as a vital connection point inviting the Biola community to participate in the contemporary critical dialogue relating to visual arts culture, producing engaging original exhibitions that grapple with the intersection of faith with art and culture. The Green Art Gallery also provides professional development opportunities for Biola art students through gallery exhibitions and internships. www.Biola.edu/ArtGallery
All artwork images provided by the artist; used by permission. Book design and layout by Grecia Cordova Galdamez. Cover design by Grecia Cordova Galdamez. Biola B.F.A. Spring 2020 (exhibition catalog). Copyright © 2020 Biola University Art Department All rights reserved. Published through FlippingBook & Digital Commons @ Biola
https://digitalcommons.biola.edu Biola University Art Department 13800 Biola Ave., La Mirada, CA 90639 562.903.4807 • www.Biola.edu/Art
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