The Student Art Exhibition
“Art”; defined as the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, art has also been likened to a language without words–a way to understand peoples’ intentions and emotions without them having to utter a word.
On April 28th, a few other “humesters” and I attended the Student Art Exhibition that was held in the Katherine and Tom Belk Visual Arts Center (or the VAC, as it’s known to students and faculty). Incidentally, a few of my close friends had their pieces on display, and once we found a date that fit everyone’s schedules, our excursion was official. We made an afternoon of it, dressing nicely, as if we were attending an upper scale art gallery.
Having never seen an art exhibit at Davidson before, as well as being unfamiliar with the VAC, I was curious as to what the space would be like. At my former school, we had the Dent building, which was reserved for the art and music classes that they offered. It was quite a small building with one large multipurpose room that served as a meeting place for daily assemblies, the site for student’s art, and even choral concerts and plays. At my school–one that now goes from preschool to twelfth grade–it was mandatory to take art until about the fifth grade when the student had the choice of either continuing or taking band classes. Instead of staying with many of my friends, I chose to play in the concert band, not knowing at the time how much I would begin to miss sketching and painting.
Because of the size of my school, most of the art exhibits featured the works of the elementary school. It was absolutely adorable to see their work; I remember how proud I felt to have something of mine showcased for the first time, so I always made sure to look at the drawings.
Therefore, I had two very distinct (and almost irreconcilable) notions of art: art that I saw in my school’s shows and the museums that flaunted the best works.
When walking into the space, it looked like a mini museum: paintings covered the walls and sculptures were displayed on pedestals or were free-standing. It was the atmosphere of a museum with the comfort of knowing that the artists are in your same community.
The first piece that caught my attention was titled “Give and Take” drawn by Vee Melberg. It was a gray-scale watercolor with loose pen outlining the main figures; a man knelt down kissing the woman’s arm, which had been severed from her body. The woman looks away, blushing at his display of so-called affection while another disembodied hand grips her lower leg. The only color is red–that from the bleeding arm and the flush on the woman’s cheeks. It was hauntingly beautiful, and the image stayed with me as I continued through the gallery.
The next piece was entitled “The Ugly Painting”, made with oil paint on canvas by Wendy Xu. The background was a deep maroon that brought the eye to the main figure in the center. An amorphous beast with pointed teeth, painted with neutrals and streaks of red dominated the painting, outlined in a lighter shade to draw the focus further. A truly visceral portrait.
As for the goals and subsequent successes of those involved, I believe that each artist has a nuanced take. Some maybe wished for their piece to be shown, wanting publicity or, more simply, someone else to see them. Others might have been motivated by money; I noticed many of the pieces were for sale, although this might not have been their sole objective. And others may have wished to inspire their fellow students or just create a beautiful piece of art.
