What encouraged you or pushed you to have an exhibit at the Third Floor Gallery?
Katie: Being a part of the BFA has pushed me to go beyond my comfort zone in not only my artwork, but also the art community. The BMU 3rd floor gallery is an amazing stepping stone for getting that first taste of having our own show. Our culminating exhibitions are also coming up in a semester so getting some experience before that is very helpful.
Michael: The faculty of the Art Department definitely pushed us to think conceptually about our work, which made it easier for us to put together a cohesive show. Specifically Trevor Lalaguna and J Pouwels were tremendous motivators to have a show in the first place.
What has this exhibit’s exposure done for you?
Michael: The exposure is a great way to see how people react to a show like this. Vanessa, the BMU gallery graphics designer did a great job on the flyers and postcards. It shows enough of the subject but not too much to shock anyone.
What is the theme of this gallery/ why was the name you chose decided on?
Katie: The theme of this exhibit has a lot to do with the figure and what lies below the skin of bodies. It creates a space that invites the viewer to look at what goes on in my mental space and just simply what lies within us literally.
Michael: The theme in my opinion is wearing your anxieties on your sleeve. There’s something about putting all of your fear in the forefront of a painting that is almost mind numbing. It just lets your body do most of the decision making. Katie’s process is very automatic in that way. Jumping right into a painting without a reference or composition, just responding to what the painting needs. I’ve definitely taken inspiration from that in my own work. Painting over summer break was isolating, a room usually full of students was completely empty. At one point it almost became a completely serene place where I didn’t have to hide any of my mannerisms. It's a very vulnerable show, I think that’s why the name “Parts of Me You Don’t See” felt so right.
How did you choose the order in which your work was displayed?
Michael: The installation process for most painting exhibitions is very time consuming, you want to explore each possibility and see which paintings work well next to each other. Almost immediately the idea of having Katie’s paintings on the outer edges and my figure paintings on the inside worked well with the theme. It’s all about digging out what’s under the surface, mentally and physically.
Which pieces are your favorite/ or what you're most proud of?
Katie: One of my favorite pieces is probably “Leeching”. This was the first large painting I did. I had the most fun in the process of painting and just figuring out what is capable of the paint on this scale.
Michael: My favorite piece is “Blame It On The Sun”. It’s named after a song from Stevie Wonder’s “Talking Book”. It really illustrates what I wanted the figure to convey to the viewer. That sense of avoidance, and the festering consequences that coincide with it.
Would you recommend/ have another exhibit in the gallery?
We would definitely have another show in the BMU 3rd Floor Gallery, working with Kim was so seamless and fun to put together.
How long did this collection of work take to put together?
These works were generated in the painting studio of Ayres over summer break. Leaving us isolated from any outside views, so these are literally the parts of us you would never see outside of a gallery. Qualities of our creative processes that were typically hidden, are now put on view.
