Five East Central University senior students – Blake Hargrove, Jack Aday, Brandon Arnold, Candace Sweatt and Dinah Boydstun - are showcasing their art exhibits from now until early December at the Pogue Art Gallery inside the Hallie Brown Ford Fine Arts Center.
Hargrove will exhibit a piece called ‘Genetically Modified Organism’ from Nov. 28-29 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. His reception is from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Nov. 29. Hargrove’s work comments on America’s ever-growing obesity epidemic and uses overweight individuals as metaphors for current political and social issues which are currently shaping the nation.
He links images of obese individuals with corporations and political institutions that he believes fuel the problem by placing their products within his pieces. His obese figures are not just literal representations of problems with self-control and blind consumerism, but are also used as analogies for policies and cultural practices that have become distinctly American.
“My pieces are not an attack on the obese individual I have rendered, but rather they attack society as a whole. It’s a call for an awareness of the greed and selfishness that exists in many Americans including myself,” said Hargrove.
Hargrove, a resident of Prague, will receive his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in studio art from ECU in December. He plans to pursue a Master’s of Fine Arts degree. He has won numerous scholarships and awards while attending ECU and was featured as the Sophomore Spotlight Artist in 2010 and his works have appeared on the cover of the 2012 editions of ECU’s literary magazine, Originals. He recently exhibited in the Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition’s show, ‘Momentum: Art Doesn’t Stand Still’ in Tulsa in October.
Aday’s paintings represent his grandparents’ land and how it has changed in the last 30 years. His exhibit will be displayed on Dec. 3-4 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. with a reception on Dec. 4 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
“I will show this through the changes in the Jackfork Creek that runs through the land. My paintings were done from photos I have taken and memories of years of playing at my grandparents’ house every Sunday,” said Aday, who is from Ada.
Aday says he draws inspiration for his art work from his grandmother and aunts.
Arnold’s work, called ‘Elite Labs’, will be displayed from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Dec. 5-6. A reception will take place from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Dec. 6.
This show will be based around the graphic design and advertising elements of the sports nutrition world. By using top of the line digital platforms, Arnold is able to create a wide variety of compositions including advertisement posters as well as an actual product line, each containing unique and attractive graphic elements.
Over the years as Arnold grew as an artist, his vision, understanding and artistic interest began to expand. In the age of technology, it was a matter of time before his eyes were opened to the world of digital art and graphic design. His skill and understanding of graphic design developed rapidly as it led him to pursue his path toward digital media.
Arnold graduates in May of 2013 and plans on working as a graphic designer for the Chickasaw Nation or moving back to his hometown of Ardmore and starting his own business.
Sweatt’s exhibit is called ‘Cover’ and will be on display, Dec. 10-11, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. with a reception on Dec. 11 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
‘Cover’ explores contemporary design in the field of book publication. Using a variety of digital media platforms, the artist has created examples of book covers and related marketing materials for books within the science fiction and fantasy genres.
A self-proclaimed bookworm and artist, Sweatt, a resident of Shawnee, has uniquely intertwined the two into her exhibit. As a graphic artist, she always begins with sketches, which she manipulates with computer programs such as Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator to finish the pieces. For this project, she researched both historic and contemporary book design within science fiction and fantasy, allowing her to explore the ways in which graphic artists can engage readers’ imaginations.
For this show, Sweatt designs in such a way that the audience will be left with no choice but to utilize the imagination and make their own assumptions as to the quality of the story within. Her overall goal for the project is to integrate herself completely into the book marketing world and bridge the gap between author, reader and publisher.
Boydstun’s work, called ‘Stunner’s’ will be on display Dec. 12-13 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. with a reception set for Dec. 12 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. ‘Stunner’s’ showcases designs by Boydstun for the branding, advertising and packaging of products for ‘Stunner’s Sweets.” By using specialized computer programs and her graphics training, she has created a unique experience in the marketing of specialty confections.
The separate pieces all work together to showcase what the marketing and public appearances of ‘Stunner’s’ would be like. The cohesive look of the pieces work together to give the audience a real taste of what walking into a Stunner’s Sweets confectionery store would resemble, according to Boydstun.
“The warm-color palette is comforting while the mechanical and technological aspects, such as gears and coils, give a science-fictional kind of atmosphere. The whole atmosphere transporting the audience to a fantastical world where they will have the chance to experience unique confections offered like dragonfly wings and greased bolts,” said Boydstun.
Boydstun, from Macomb, will soon graduate from ECU with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in graphic arts and plans to move forward with her career in graphic design. She was the recipient of the Ruth Walker-Landrum Scholarship in 2011. Boydstun has also been awarded the Chair award and has been published in the art magazine, Originals, in 2011 and 2012.
For more information on these exhibits contact Taryn Chubb at (580) 559-5820 or tchubb@ecok.edu.