Senior Art Exhibit 2016 - NINE

NINE: Senior Art Exhibition 2015

Adrian Brandon
Hall of Fame is meant to provoke thought on how marginalized lives are valued in today’s society, and to begin a dialogue about how entertainment affects society’s perception of young people of color. By using trading cards and posters, my work shows how our society glorifies the lives of professional athletes, yet disregards the lives of the minorities who are not entertaining the country with lightning quick crossovers, back-breaking tackles and effortless home runs.

Cameron Carr
My current focus is dedicated to putting emphasis on race and its social ramifications. I’m interested in shining light on the effect race has on the public in regards to people consciously or unconsciously perpetuating the system of oppression. In my recent video works, I’ve made spatially palpable the issues of being a black body within a post-slavery and post-largely oppressive environment of racial abuse, as well as the tensions formed through the process of racism being reconfigured and changing throughout the timeline of modern day. I’m committed to making predominantly white societies, schools, communities, cultures, work forces and institutions aware of these dislocations, highlighting issues that all too often remain unconscious.

Raz Krog
I focused on the intersection between form and function in the automotive, motorcycle and aircraft industries. I strive to define an adrenaline-filled and athletically stimulating lifestyle through my strategic use of stills and motion pictures. By playing with the language of mainstream advertising, I’ve created a body of work composed of stories that range from motor vehicle advertisements to character-driven documentaries. My final project looks at the militarization of our nation’s airports and urges viewers to question, “What are we protecting?”

Rocío Medina
I was born and raised in Los Angeles. While I have experimented with political subjects, I always seem to draw on personal experience. My intimate experiences are more compelling when expressed through the markings of my hands and body. My subjects are personal, reflecting childhood and loss. Being an only child, I became accustomed to solitude and temporary periods of abandonment, which carried on to my adulthood through my romantic relationships.

Leah Pomerantz
Connecting my artistic practice to my career goals as a veterinarian I bring my love of animals and biology into my drawings and paintings. My current work depicts animals typically perceived as inferior beings. Through illustrating “undesirable” animals at human scale and in vibrant color, I am trying to dismantle the anthropocentrism of the average viewer and have them understand these animals in a new way.

Ari Saperstein
When creating an artwork, the concept and message always come first, long before I know what physical form it will take; while I’ve spent most of my time at Pitzer making drawings and videos, my final piece is an interactive performance piece. Inspired by innovative artists like Tino Sehgal, Marina Abramovic and Janet Cardiff, my work explores communication by engaging the audience, challenging our tendency to avoid vulnerability by hiding behind digital walls.

Leonard Schlör
I use sound, film and performance as a means of exploring somatic representation of human relationships. My movement is deeply influenced by my study of the Alexander Technique and inspired by the dynamic, confrontational choreography of Pina Bausch. Bell hooks has grounded the theory of relationship intentionality and loving in my work. My fluid sense of home began in Boston and has continued through Pittsburgh, Germany, central Illinois.

Dan Stranahan 
I use studio portrait photography, combined with cyanotype or “sun” printing to create photographs that are about the attitudes college students have toward their surrounding material world. By involving peers in the sun printing process, my hope is that they will feel empowered to question and strengthen their own philosophy of objects and, in doing so, become better users and makers rather than buyers and consumers.

Alyssa Woodward
#takecareofyourself is an audience-driven installation that shows how different levels of balance and self control create an exploration of what is considered to be “healthy.” This installation is also a reflection for the audience to not forget to treat yourself. Treating yourself is the first step in taking care of yourself. So indulge to satisfy that sweet-tooth craving with the treats provided, and enjoy.