From March 15 to April 10, the Grace Albrecht Gallery inside the Sauder Visual Arts Center was set up as a senior art exhibit, featuring Berlin Fuqua, Autumn Graves and Sarah Heydinger. The exhibit theme was “Uncovered Perspectives” in which the three artists displayed each of their own unique perspectives and visions within their art.
The difference in perspectives is clear in the contrasting mediums and forms each artist used, Fuqua using mixed media, Graves using photography, and Heydinger using ceramics. Not only were the artists showcased, but they were also responsible for setting up the gallery exhibit. The artists had to work together to organize the art each of them chose and find the best way to showcase everything. Together they ended up making it so that each of them had their own space to showcase, which also made it clearer to identify the different perspectives and allow the viewers to see the artists for what they truly are.
Fuqua, a senior studio art major, chose to showcase pieces from his collection “Metamorphosis” as well as his undergraduate thesis. The pieces gathered from “Metamorphosis” were made from plaster and gesso, whereas the paintings from his undergraduate thesis were mainly made from acrylic paint, a medium Fuqua wasn’t always confident using and wanted to see what he could make with it. His solution was to make his acrylics a dusty pastel color by mixing the paint with charcoal powder. The art displayed out of plaster and gesso have the ability to cast deep shadows when under a light, that being the selling point of the combination for Fuqua.
“When I thought about the color palette [for undergraduate thesis] I sort of think about these old houses from the 40s and 50s where they’re pastel colored,” Fuqua said. “But because they’ve been abandoned they are sort of dirty and have this greyish tint.”
The art Fuqua chose to display were taken from thoughts on his trans identity, the concept of home and childhood, the necessity of trauma and the humanization of his childhood home itself. He found some of his overall inspiration from other artists such as Phillip Gusten, as well as TV shows like “The Haunting of Hill House” and “Twin Peaks”.
Autumn Graves next to the exhibits poster. Photo by Payton Stephens.
Graves, a senior IT major with a minor in computer science and photography, displayed pieces from her film photography class, her design two directive study and her independent study. Graves added pieces within her collection that originally were more experimental as she was learning to navigate things like lighting and the exposure triangle. She has grown in her art since she began at Bluffton University, considering her knowledge of photography was limited to that shown by her mother before arriving.
“For a long time, I thought of myself as not really being skillful at anything,” Graves said. “So, when people compliment my photography it just gives me that feel-good feeling and has helped me realize I am actually skilled at something.”
She has been able to challenge herself more within her craft and find deeper meaning within her own work. The meaning behind Graves’s photos are personal to her, even if she didn’t originally plan it that way. Her pieces dive into body confidence, loss of oneself and regaining a sense of purpose before passing on.
To see more of the art displayed and hear from the artists themselves go to www.bluffton.edu/artgallery.
