ODU Juried Student Art Exhibition 2023

Anna Lowenhaupt Tsing, the anthropologist attributed with first coining the phrase “entangled precarity” explains this concept as "open-ended assemblages of entangled ways of life". The artworks are not placed within the exhibition space by any discernible order, except works by the same artist are found in the same general area. Different mediums and techniques are presented together and that contributes to the overall intention of the exhibition. Even if each piece of art does not directly relate to the ones surrounding it, each is in conversation with several others within the space, and those in turn share themes with different art in the exhibition.

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The juror of the exhibition, Chelsea Pierce, explains the intention behind this is that “These works spin thread lines that tie to one another, engaging ideas of the self, environment, memories, commodities, shared anxieties, and longings”. Each piece is created by an aspiring art student, and the concept of a student stretching into oneself as an artist is an additional layer of complexity for this exhibition. By design it is a very introspective collection and in that vulnerability we find self-assertion. This can be seen in the glass and metal artwork by Debra Dowden-Crockett Broken, But Not Forsaken, and A Tale of Tribulation and Resilience.

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Despite the complex tone of the exhibition, it is not without humor. Kris Pitzer created the sculpture Return to Sender out of reclaimed pine and glass. This wooden box is presented as a shipping box labeled “HANDLE WITH CARE” and contains a small illuminated glass heart. The exterior of the box also features a QR code the viewer is encouraged to scan which links to the youtube video for Rick Astley’s “Never Gonna Give You Up”. This nod to the early social media “rick-rolling” elicited a chuckle from me and the humor incorporated into such a poignant piece was well done.

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The exhibition features a wide variety of works, many allowing for the viewer to apply their own observations and understandings. The piece I am Going to set Myself on Fire on Your Front Lawn by Carson Crooks features two individuals in an embrace. Due to the title and date of this work, it could be a reference to the self-immolation of Wynn Bruce that happened in 2022, the year the sketch was completed. Wynn Bruce, a climate activist, set himself on fire in the plaza of the United States Supreme Court Building, allegedly as “a deeply fearless act of compassion to bring attention to the climate crisis”. David Buckel also self-immolated in protest of climate change in 2018. This piece could be in solidarity and remembrance of these acts of protest. Due to an underlying theme of climate change within the exhibition, it is possible this was the intended reference. However it could simply portray two people in the kind of love that makes you say crazy things. The complexity of the title but simplicity of the sketch leaves much to the interpretation of the viewer and that is what makes this piece intriguing.

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A fair portion of the works are variations of self portraits or self reflection, many of which confront the invasion of technology into our perception of self. Technophobia by Harper Imm features a monochromatic faceless individual in a frame that mimics a recording device. The faceless individual is reaching toward the viewer as if to grab the screen, and the only color used in this chalk pastel drawing is the red of the “rec” symbol and the aqua glow from the perceived camera that the figure is reaching for. The lack of features on the individual allows for those who have a fear of technology to relate to the artwork.

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Kim Rentz Hardy also addresses the negative aspects of technology in #nofilterneeded, a screen printed selfie where the person has been altered to feature binary computer code instead of a body, with the person’s image appearing in pink Dura-lar that arches off the surface of the print. This pop-out effect creates an interaction and reaction from the viewer that would not be elicited from a simple selfie.

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Self - Portrait by Tamia Anderson is a scene many college students and professionals can relate to. The artist rendered herself in charcoal gazing out from a Zoom screen, indicated by the framing as well as “live” and “chat” features. The face in the drawing is of a person struggling to be engaged, the expression is not quite bored, not quite confused, but not entirely present either. I think this is a feeling that anyone who had to go through the Covid lockdown while maintaining a professional or academic life would empathize with.

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There is a set of two nudes by Avery Keys in graphite and charcoal named Self Delusion and Self Deception. The choice of title shows the similarity and the difference in the content, but the poses of each nude reflect the nuances between Deception and Delusion. With the titles and subject matter so similar, the different body language of these two pieces is what speaks the loudest when viewing them together. The Self Deception nude is in a position common for social media selfies, with the arms raised in a manner that would bring a camera above the forehead, creating a better angle for photographing the face and amplifying cleavage. The Self Delusion nude is in a hunched position, with legs tucked under the body and arms presented in a forward, protective position. The body language is one of shyness, protection, shame or defeat, all aspects of self delusion.

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The last piece I would like to discuss is the best in show: The Braided Majesty by Bria Tyler. This work is an oil painting reminiscent of a royal portrait, featuring a female figure in an Elizabethan style dress. The face is obscured with rows and rows of black braids. This piece calls out the traditional exclusion of people of color from these types of portraits. By obscuring the face with braids, the artist allows the viewer an internal dialogue of recognition and reimagining.

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Considering this exhibition is a collection of different students’ work, I think the challenge of this particular collection was in choosing which artwork to include. Such a complex theme allowed quite a bit of room for different concepts and techniques to be included. However, some of these seem to fall short of the Entangled Precarity concept, such as Gold Metal Ribbon by Haley Johnston and the koala characters by Tim Delrosario Pondering, Forager and Sleepyhead. The works by Tim Delrosario were possibly included due to Koalas being placed on the Endangered Species list in 2022. However, the figures bear a striking resemblance to “Kellen the Koala” from KiwiCo Koala crates and that causes the artist's voice to lose its authenticity.

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Outliers aside, I believe this exhibition was successful in achieving its goal of creating a room-wide conversation that takes place over different modes and mediums. The artwork discussed in this essay is just a small sampling of what is available.

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Although every piece does not converse with every single other piece, the invisible strings connecting them to each other form a web. It is within this network of artistic discourse that we see a true representation of Entangled Precarity, the term aptly labels the perceived conversations happening between these works of art.