Ubiquitous

UBIQUITOUS featured artwork by senior fine artists Tiffany Gosselin and Catherine Villeneuve.

I combine the human form with the natural shapes of trees. Borrowing from yoga with its natural balance, inner strength, and flexibility I use the postures and stances for my figures. Mangroves, also known as the walking tree, have a flexible stance and grow along coasts. They are a critical part of our ecosystem helping water be compatible with the land. I have blended the human form, the yoga postures and mangroves to create sculptures that speak of a balance.

In casting, rebirth or recycling is a part of the process. A block of metal is melted down and then reformed into a tree reflecting a metamorphosis process. The natural element we use to make or melt metal is fire. I use fire as a symbol for recycling and loss. (Even the original wax sculpture is lost because the mold is being made from it for the metal sculpture.) I demonstrate the recycling process by creating the same sculpture in recycled paper. Then I ignite it with fire. The paper mangrove person is reduced to ash, creating a sense of loss.

My art reflects my personal interest in nature conservation, science, spirituality, and enjoyment. I want the viewer to reflect on how they are interconnected with nature. How the disappearance of one species can eliminate others. There is a direct symbiotic relationship between man and nature. Disturbing this positive connection can result in the death of both.

-Catherine Villeneuve

My artwork represents the ongoing issues within the water crisis and the treatment of the planet as a whole. My process is related to the issues through its time-based set up, and the materials. I use ice because it talks about the many forms of water. First I start with an ice sphere, it melts into a liquid and then evaporates into a gas. There is a residue left behind on watercolor paper which for me represents the presence of water everywhere around us. It also represents the depletion of the fresh water supply throughout the world. My projections and installations use current environmental topics such as possible climate change, wars created over fresh water, and the mistreatment of the planet by humans in general. The work should bring the viewer to understand that these issues are real and they can (and will) continue to grow.

-Tiffany Gosselin

The Voyage of Infinite Parallels

"The Voyage of Infinite Parallels" featured artwork by senior fine artists, Amanda Seckington and Mikaela Williams.

Artists Mikaela Raqueal Williams and Amanda Lee Seckington made the decision to have their senior thesis show together after fully realizing the naturally occurring dialogue that exists between the content of their work. Williams' imagery reflects her affinity for space, where Seckington's reflects the sea. For Williams this stems from growing up in Titusville, FL with parents working for the NASA program, while for Seckington it stems from growing up on military bases with parents enlisted in the US Navy.

Williams combines personal craft and technology, creating a rich dialogue between the hand-made and the machine object, and the often blurred line in between with a metaphysical viewpoint. Through self-portraiture she is using herself as a substitution for the human race and how we as individuals are affected by the increasing influx of information available through technology.

"Overall, the work is about the overwhelming sense of longing for a New World, and the silent haunting of the Old. Opposition plays a key role throughout my work. The natural landscape of the tropics in contrast to the fabricated, industrial aesthetic of the military is where most of my imagery and content originate. The constants throughout my work are personal symbolism and a polished level of technical craft." –Seckington

This interview was a bit longer than the rest, so in order to upload it to the blog I had to create 3
smaller videos. Enjoy! -Tiffany

Heaven or Hell