When students need inspiration, they can get their creative fix by visiting the Alabama Art Kitchen, taking the Arts of Tuscaloosa course, or simply connecting with a talented peer. But sometimes a little guidance from the artist enhances appreciation.
Amy Feger and Aynslee Moon, both graduate students studying painting, have been displaying their MA thesis exhibitions in the Sella-Granata Art Gallery in Woods Hall since April 18. All students are welcome to view the gallery from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. until April 29. Tonight from 5-8, students will have a more exclusive opportunity to meet the artists.
“It’s a chance for people to ask the artists questions and help celebrate their work,” Feger said. “Many people—including friends and family—will be seeing the work for the first time.”
Feger’s exhibition, “Nurturing Nature,” features paintings with largely biological imagery. For her canvas, she cut plywood, following the pattern in the grain. After burning the wood to establish a distinct range of light and dark values, Feger wanted to tell a narrative with her work.
“My whole life I’ve had questions about my own identity,” Feger said. “Am I a product of genetics or learned experience? Is there an overlap?”
Feger answers those questions of nature versus nurture with such works as “Systems and Landscapes of a Matriarchal Line” and “Becoming Autonomous Systems.”
While Feger’s works examine the human interior, Moon chose to examine the human environment. Her display, “In Memory,” combines oil and encaustic paint to explore the little things in life. Moon’s simple titles—“Green Shirt,” “Fish” and “Afghan”—reflect her simple subject matters.
“Everyday things are the things we tend to forget,” Moon said. “My work explores sensations that I experience in my daily living space. Those things give us comfort.”
Despite the different subject matter, the two artists have much in common. They both started their MAs at the University in 2009. They both have enjoyed similar classes, professors and projects. They both intend to be career artists. But perhaps their most interesting similarity is their non-artistic backgrounds.
“I was actually a project manager for grants during the thirteen years I took away from art,” Feger said. “My career demanded all of my focus, which was great, but I knew I’d want to go back [to art].”
Feger grasped her dream and came to Alabama’s graduate school. Her classmate, Moon, also took her time discovering her passion.
“I started undergrad as a journalism major and didn’t start painting until the end of my sophomore year,” Moon said. “I started painting for hours without realizing the passing time. It became a lifestyle.”
While Feger and Moon said they believe their works appeal to the average student with limited art knowledge, it can be a chore to get non-artists’ appreciation. After all, it can sometimes be a challenge to appeal to our generation’s favorite adjective—cool.
“College people like to look at cool things,” Feger said. “And I think our exhibits are pretty cool.”
