Joe French

Janury 17 - February 2

Reception: Tuesday, January 24, 7-9pm
Drawing and painting

My recent works reference the frailty of life, using the juxtaposition of water and fire.  A few steps of my process include painting a 2-D image over a traditionally stretched canvas, and then destroying the object with fire, which provides a sculptural 3-D finish.  My work utilizes smell, as it's forth-dimensional quality.  I also enjoy the content and symbolism associated to water and fire, both conceptually and physically, and their relationships with mankind.  Abstract expressionism has had a major influence in my life.  I am concerned with materials and the expression of gesture along with mark making.  Fire is so closely associated to each and every one of us.  When a viewer experiences my work I hope to spark a memory of how fire has personally affected them or someone close to them.  As a young individual underwhelmed by today’s social posts and electronics, I strive to create works of art that provide a prosthetic memory. I hope to tap into the viewer’s true self and arouse an appetite for awareness.  Tomorrow is never guaranteed; we have to live in the moment.  These individual bodies of work posses' a presence of water and fire, life and death.  I view this act of destruction as an act of creation.  Feeding off the Avant-garde approach to picture making, the art that I create is destroyed for my generation. I am part of a greater whole, a part of the NEO-AB-X movement.  I believe there is no past. I believe there is no future. I believe there is only infinite now.  These are the thoughts of an Individual Genius Narcissistic Latteralist. 

Cristen Luce & Chelsea Boxwell 

January 20 - February 16

Outside Wall
Reception: Tuesday, January 31, 7-9pm
Drawing and painting
 

My paintings originated from an exploration of pattern and ornamentation, and matured to reveal themselves as iconic symbolism stemming from personal experiences and memoirs.  The use of pattern, iconography, and cultural elements create a portrait of each musing in an indirect manner.  I have pursued my own stylistic approach in this work that contrasts traditional fine art realism and portraiture practices.  My methods of working are highly process oriented, with a systematic method applied to each piece.  I am interested in integrating various media into the work and exploring the ideal of breaking the boundaries of the picture plane.  From a young age I have had an extreme obsession with personal space, decoration and creation.  It became an urge to decorate intricately and extravagantly to make a space comforting and an expression of self.  It was an escape from the outside world; a complete control of something in my life.  Further these connections were made with color, patterns such as wallpaper and textile, design and design elements, decorative objects, personal adornment, tattoos and imagery, nostalgia and kitsch, and meme related concepts and ideals.  With my work I strive to integrate this personal theme and obsessive inclination through a stylized imagery and application of media(s).
 ‘In every work of art the subject is primordial, whether the artist knows it or not. The measure of the formal qualities is only a sign of the measure of the artist's obsession with his subject; the form is always in proportion to the obsession.’
     -Alberto Giacometti
 My process of working is additionally a supporting aspect of my work.  With each work of art, the obsessive nature of my methods become apparent and integral, which is, a defining aspect of my practice and motivations.  I work in a very planned and conscious manner.  When I get an idea or concept I go through stages of planning and execution ritualistically.  Every step I take is completely conscious and thoroughly planned.  I meticulously and intentionally act in the application of all media.  The act of producing art for me is a freeing and comforting act, as I am presenting, essentially, my soul and inner self to the world and integrating the comfort inherent in my obsessions into a public space for viewers.  In a sense each piece can be considered as a type of self-portrait of my sub-conscious self.      

-Cristen Luce

My artwork has always been a reflection of myself; I put every bit of me into everything I do and that has carried out into my paintings throughout my endeavor of becoming an artist. I was originally unconsciously limiting myself to painting objects and creations that symbolically represented me and my interests, beliefs, etc., My work has gradually grown into a much more abstracted representation of myself and who I am and has transformed me greatly as an artist. I have pursued new techniques and through trial and error have discovered a whole new me. This combination of flat color, patterns, and layering have offered me a way to express myself through simply the act of painting, and not necessarily the subject matter of what i am painting. I have learned who I am in life through trial and error, mistakes and learning, and in life there is no erasing. Each chapter of your life is compiled on top of the one before, and the one before is always laying under the last, When I slap down a layer of paint with no plan, no organization, no thoughts of what the next layer will be, the first one tells me, itself, what is happening next. I have learned more than anything in life that you don't know what’s next, and you cannot plan out your path. I start painting, and the painting discovers itself, I never know my next move until it happens and I have learned things about color and composition I wasn't aware of before. My art work is now regarding the process, not the finished product and the layers upon layers of color and which parts still shine through the others, like in life. Some memories get wiped away or faded and others will always remain.”       

-Chelsea Boxwell 

Fibers Club 

February 6 - February 23

Reception: Tuesday, February 7, 7-9pm
Fibers
 

As artists our group has many diverse approaches to our work, but we all have a central appreciation for fiber materials. We seek to reintroduce viewers to the traditional and familiar aspects of the fiber arts with a modern aesthetic and contemporary concept. 

Asaki Tanaka

February 20 - March 15

Outside Wall
Reception: Tuesday, February 21, 7-9pm
Watercolor 

My childhood memories are most likely the inspirations for my paintings. To be precise, the children’s books I read, the toys I played with, and so on. Now that I am quite a grownup, those things mean more than just children’s stuff. I now believe that all those bright colors and cheerful gestures of children’s things are the veil hiding some precious meanings behind them. They seem to be trying to convey some simple but important messages that we all once possessed but probably have lost as we grew up. I want my paintings to work like those children’s books and toys. They may apparently look colorful, cheerful, shallow, and childish, but if you take a closer look, you will realize that there is something deeper going on. That is why I use the bright colors, just like those of children’s things, to achieve my goal. Every single one of my works captures an alternate scene happening in my world. Most people call my style imaginary or fantastical. It is only partially correct. The word “fantasy,” to me, sounds like something completely irrelevant to the reality. In that case, “fantasy” is not the right word to explain my works. The ideas of my paintings are certainly coming from my imaginations, but they are implicit representations of what is going on in the reality. Everything has some story behind it. Nothing is just cute and beautiful. Some are ugly and even unexplainable. There is nothing that fascinates me more than the chaos of the world. What I have always been trying to do is to capture as many as possible in one painting. Every time you see my painting, there is going to be something new to discover. Sometimes things in my mind are too chaotic and beyond description. That is about the time when I pick up my pencil and start to build up a world on a sheet of paper.

Hanna Kim & Justin Strickland

February 27 - March 8

Reception: Tuesday, February 28, 7-9pm
Photography
 

Investigating the interaction between shape, line, form, and color I make discoveries about movement while exploring the beauty of abstraction.  Visual interactions become metaphor for relationships, which could be found between people, objects, language, or space.

-Hanna Kim

My body of work has emerged from an expanding interest in how memory works.  This theme is still at the heart of what I do, though the idea has matured.  Currently I find myself less concerned with my own memories, in and of themselves, as is how I have addressed them in the past.  Instead, I find myself fascinated with how my personal experiences and reminiscence fit into the overall meta-narrative of historic American culture.  Over the past four years, I have traveled what Kerouac called “The mighty land” by consequence of modern roller derby.  In doing so I have found a connection to a set of cultural aspects about which post-modernity has little to say.  Americana.  The roadside attractions, motels, and hand-painted signs that dot the American landscape influence my present work heavily.  My paintings serve as guideposts or postcards for places I have been, as well as, things I have experienced.  Text is lifted from various American authors, musicians, and artists. The visual styles in which they are drawn evoke the nostalgia of a time predating the mass-produced aesthetics of digital printers and vinyl banners.  Forced relationships are created using a variety of imagery ranging from a conventional American tattoo vocabulary and invented graphic imagery, to iconic references to classic American literature and folklore.  Through this process I find that I begin to create myths and legends of my own by way of adopting the pre-existing tenants of an already established mythos.

-Justin Strickland 

Clyde Igarashi

March 12 - March 29

Reception: Tuesday, March 13, 7-9pm
Drawing and painting
 

I believe what I paint stands for what I am, and what I am makes paintings. I am Japanese living in the United States. The different cultures of Japan and the United States have caused me to question my identity. But I am not trying to find my identity, nor am I trying to depict these cultural differences when I paint. These differences make me what I am, and because of these differences, I am able to see and create a world that is my own; I paint from there. Everything in this world is inspired by my life experiences. Inhabitants of this world are imaginary figures from my childhood combined with learned artistic experience, and these inhabitants are vital in that they assist in the creation of whimsical narratives. Sometimes these narratives are stories of my dreams, anxieties, or memories. Others, however, may simply be reflections of me and symbols I have collected from different cultural experiences in my lifetime.  The content within my paintings may be unfamiliar to the audience, because I utilize and express events, occurrences, and thoughts that have occurred throughout my life. Each person on this earth is different, and thus, everyone will perceive my paintings in a different manner. This, in turn, means that a storyline is created entirely unique to that individual, and his or her interpretation may or may not be the storyline I had intended for the viewer to see. I want my viewers to try and decipher the intent behind the story presented to them on the canvas. I am not trying to control the thought process of any viewer, but trying to evoke contemplation of the story that I have illustrated. 

UNT International Week Show

April 2 - 19

Reception: Monday, April 2, 3-5pm

Irby Pace

April 23 - May 13

Reception: Tuesday, May 1, 7-9pm
Photography

Time is priceless, yet it cost us nothing. You can do anything you want with it, but you can’t own it. You can spend it, but you can’t keep it. And once you’ve lost it, there is no getting it back. It’s just gone” I created this body of work as a response between my father’s artwork and my own. While creating other bodies of work I was given my father’s art portfolio and I immediately became enthralled with his images and drawings. They are reminiscent of my drawings and my style and the connection was undeniable. My only option was to explore a combination of his work and my own. Having never met him I knew I had to create a body of work that shows the collaboration that formed. By placing my imagined worlds together with his drawings I have created a new connection to the past while also thinking of the things I will leave behind to my future lineage. As time continually passes me by I tend to think of the future and what it will hold for me. In the creation of my art I found them to become a breadcrumb trail leading me back through the history of self. I choose to use images of myself to show this tormented persona that is desperately seeking a way to stop time and to hold onto every moment.  

Sean Phetsarath

April 23 - May 13

Outside Wall
Reception: Tuesday, April 24, 7-9pm
Drawing and painting

My current body of work is an exploration of digital media and its contrast with the subconscious processes of creating work in traditional methods. I find enjoyment from systematically destroying and manipulating them through the use of modern devices. These images come together in what seem to be a collage of destruction, yet retain their cohesive idea that, ironically, might not be apparent until they become unrecognizable. As someone who grew up never being able to keep personal relationships for an extended period of time, my gravitation towards destruction may come from experiences of having to disregard old relationships in order to find enjoyment in my current situations. My use of digital media as a way of manipulating traditional practices reflects my desire to move on from the old and embrace new ideas.