The creative buzz was palpable by anyone in the Student Galleries when friends, family and observers gathered to view the immersive experiences of Cal State Fullerton artists during the public reception on Feb. 18.
All of the individual student collections, which officially opened to the public on Feb. 17, were of mixed mediums – some students utilized tactile elements such as clothing and recycled materials, while others utilized oil paint, watercolors, colored pencils and photography elements.
“I started thinking about materials because everything around us we get from nature in some way,” said Griffin McCoy, a fifth-year drawing and painting major. “We cut down forests for trees or dig up clay and make bricks out of them and then we turn nature into structuralism.”
McCoy’s exhibit, titled “Fleeting,” located in the Leo Freedman Foundation Studio and MFA Art Gallery, stems from a nostalgic point of view as he recounts family trips he took to the desert and his observations of abandoned cars, houses and structures that were run down over the years.
His artwork on display uses a plethora of three-dimensional elements such as metal wiring, PVC pipes and layered paintings to create depth through his entire collection.
Located in the adjacent Marilyn and Cline Duff Gallery was Riley Schrum’s work, “Man Enough to Be a Bitch?”, in which they took a stance on the patriarchy’s view on gender and what gender is as a broad term. The goal of their art was to decontextualize gender norms regarding how men should act tough and women should be dainty and soft.
“It started off as a horse and a pony show play because they are both related to masculine and feminine traits and they’re still on display for other people,” said Schrum, a fifth-year drawing and painting major. “It was just expressing what my gender was with also comparing what gender is in general.”
The entrance to the exhibit displayed a partition with the message “Man enough to be a bitch?” and was adorned with buttons made by Schrum, containing messages targeted against gender norms and depictions of horses and dogs.
The exhibit was split, with one side displaying feminine pieces and the other displaying the masculine creations. The back of the gallery had a portrait of a woman figure and next to it, a masculine depiction. Additionally, Schrum utilized female and male undergarments on their supporting sides which were pictured with screen printed decals.
“I just want people to know they put so much into this show and it’s a very vulnerable topic for them,” said Schrum’s partner Mandy Truong, a fifth-year graphic design major. “Also, I want them (people) to question it and how it makes them reflect.”
Located at the Stan Mark Ryan ‘75 Gallery is “Kaleidoscope,” Francesca Perez’s exhibit about childlike innocence and how she views the world in color, which is representative of the joy she finds in nostalgia.
The walls of the exhibit were lined with colored pencil, watercolor and digital drawings of Perez’s childhood stuffed animals, toys and in the center of the room she displayed her personal childhood stuffed animal, a Monchhichi doll, which she played with, as well as Beanie Babies that she had growing up.
“Anything like toys that you’re supposed to grow out of, there was a point in my life that I was like, ‘I don’t want to do that,’” said Perez, a fifth-year illustration major. “Instead, I’m just going to enable myself into liking these things because I’m also too old to care about what other people think about that.”
The student galleries are on display from Feb. 17 to Feb. 21 and are open to all from the hours of 11 a.m to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday.