Daniel Cosentino: From the Ground Up [MFA 2009]

Here is a local event presented by one of our recent graduates, Daniel Cosentino.

Daniel Cosentino presents:
“From the Ground Up”
Select works from 2009
an open studio event

Cosentino’s works engage themes of the self, language and meaning, and the often complex relationships between object and subject. The exhibition includes 9 42”X28” canvases, 1 single channel video installation including sound and other multimedia installations.

Studio 446 - Hungerford Bldg: Door 2
1115 East Main Street (at North Goodman)
Rochester, NY 14609

Opening Reception: Friday, December 4, 2009 5-9PM

Closing Date: Saturday, December 5, 2009 10-5PM

Open for one weekend only!

*This exhibition is a part of the Hungerford building-wide event, “A-Maze-Ing Hungerford” and the Hungerford Urban Artisans (HUA) collective, a group of artists and artisans with studios in the Hungerford Building Complex, to help promote the Hungerford as an arts destination in Rochester.
Click here to download press release.

Erika Heffernan

Erika Heffernan's current body of work is presented here as part of the MFA Photo Blog's 1st year graduate candidate showcase.






Erika Heffernan's artist statement:

From my earliest childhood I have needed to convert the visible world into patterns and symbols as an alternative to text. As early as age 4, I underwent a series of surgical interventions in order for me to be able to hear the world around me properly. Prior to these surgeries, it was extremely difficult for me to communicate to the world through traditional methods. I never learned to read properly as a result. I had to rely upon an intricate way of communicating and understanding the world visually. For years, this functioned as a survival technique, but now I have come to realize this need of mine to see the world in patterns and symbols has evolved into an integral part of my aesthetic approach.

I have found that photography is the best medium to express the push and pull between knowledge and a lapse of comprehension. When I go out to document real spaces I aim to address the tension between documentation and aesthetic construction in order to rethink the way we perceive the world through the photographic medium. For me, photographic subversion of these highly determined sites into indeterminate images of colors, forms and shapes that are devoid of clear information allow the viewer to enter the photograph in any location. This forces the viewer to engage in the piece by using their own mode of perception while engaging in a thought process related to my perception of these locations. This approach suggests what possibly might be creation of a new aesthetic and perhaps leads the viewer to even a new understanding of the world that surrounds us.

You may view more of Erika's work HERE!!

Jennifer Steensma Hoag [MFA 1992] at Ohio University

Rehearse, Rewind, Repeat: Photography, Video, and Performance

Jennifer Steensma Hoag's work has recently been curated into an exhibition titled, "Rehearse, Rewind, Repeat: Photography, Video and Performance" at Ohio University Art Gallery, located in Seigfred Hall. The exhibition was jurored by Kelli Connell.

An opening reception will take place January 12 from 6-8p with juror Kelli Connell, exhibition coordinator Elizabeth Dobson and participating artists.

Location: Ohio University School of Art Gallery
Exhibition dates: January 12 - February 18, 2010
Juror: Kelli Connell

More information is available HERE!!

Rodrigo Gonzalo-Encinar: The Worshipers

Over the next week or two the MFA Photo Blog will be showcasing the 1st year graduate candidates' work.

Our first candidate to be presented is Rodrigo Gonzalo-Encinar through his project "The Worshipers".








Rodrigo's statement on "The Worshipers":

In two previous projects I have explored the phenomenon of Spanish emigration within Europe, as well as the concept of representing a cloistered religious community through their living spaces.

My current work focuses on the portraits of individuals as they leave their places of worship. I see religion as a social practice, as a sign of both identity and of community, a private world within a larger social context. I am interested in the interaction between photographer and subject in a moment of uncertainty and emotional pause.

To pose the question of identity I examine the stereotype of standard American individuals as conservative religious people by drawing attention to the idea of ordinary. Through a system of categorization I try to extract some partial truth out of the standards of normalcy.

Credibility and ambiguity are concepts I aim to explore within this visual language. The truth of document starts to dissolve as the images reveal an ambiguity of meaning. Any sense of truth or representation of reality is constructed at the moment the photographer creates the image and in turn the viewer contemplates it.
-Rodrigo Gonzalo

You may view more of Rodrigo's work at his website www.rodrigogonzalo.com

Reminder: Posing Beauty Tonight

Just a reminder that the discussion on Posing Beauty with Deborah Willis and Carrie Mae Weems will be taking place tonight at 7pm at Lightwork in Syracuse.

Posing Beauty
Deborah Willis in Conversation with Carrie Mae Weems

November 19, 2009 at 7:00pm
Author book signing at 6:00pm
Free and open to the public
Watson Theater

More information on this event HERE!

Four Questions with Alicia Ross on Art:21 Blog [MFA 2007]

Alicia Ross, "Motherboard_7 (Sacred_Profane)," 2008. Cross-stitch on cotton & pearled needles, 40 x 90 in. From Art:21 Blog.

Alicia Ross answers four questions for the Art:21 Blog.
These are great questions to consider at anytime about your own work, but particularly valid less than a week before Walkthrough/Work in Progress.

Can you address your dealings with the grotesque and the sensual?

What do you hope the viewer’s experience is?

What is your relationship to your work?

Where do you plot your work on the map of contemporary art-making? What is its significance in the landscape of societal environment?

You can read the entire interview HERE!!

Alums on Critical Mass Top 50

Congratulations to Jessica Todd Harper [MFA 2001] and Mary Shannon Johnstone [MFA 2001] for making it onto the Critical Mass Top 50 list!!

Jessica Todd Harper's Site

Mary Shannon Johnstone's Site

To check out the entire Critical Mass Top 50 list, CLICK HERE!

It's worth a peek to see what industry professionals voted on, the jurors list is essentially a who's who of the industry, and with the diversity of photographers on this list, you'll probably find at least one artist sharing your interests.

Another alum, Katrina D'Autrement was on the 2008 list last year.

Reminder: Thesis Defense 'disengagement'

Petra Tuns' thesis defense for her project 'disengagement' is tomorrow, Thursday at Noon in SPAS Gallery.

Petra's thesis show will be on display in SPAS Gallery until Nov. 13.

For more of her work click HERE!

Opportunity: Van Lier Artists Residency

I thought some students might be interested in this residency program. The application deadline is Nov. 4, just a couple of days away, but it looks like a great opportunity for someone who plans on or is residing in the NYC area.

The Van Lier Residency at Harvestworks is offered to a young (under 30 preferrably) artist from the New York area, who can provide evidence of financial need and proof that their work would benefit from significant time in Harvestworks’ studios and from expert engineering assistance.

The application information can be found at http://www.harvestworks.org/cms/index.php/Residencies/Van-Lier-Residency-2009-Application.html