Visual Arts Showcase

Currently in the Shen Gallery: an exhibit of art by three seniors, Ollie C. ’21, Adda J. ’21, and Kate M. ’21. 

“With these three very different artists, the exhibit is a wonderful example of the diverse voices that emerge in the Upper School visual arts program,” said Eric Baylin. The work of these three students “is the result of the maturation that comes through dedicated and thoughtful focus.” All three have been in Packer’s art program since their freshman year.

In the words of Mr. Baylin, “Ollie is more of an expressionist. They bring a tactile and visceral sensibility to each piece particularly in the series of portraits. And their sculptures convey powerful sentiment.”

“Adda's abstractions represent a sophisticated distillation of works she began over a year ago when she started painting simplified architectural details of rooms.”

“Kate has mostly worked from observation honing her craft also with a  sense of the abstract within the observed. You may detect hints of Edward Hopper and Richard Diebenkorn in her work.”

Read their artist’s statements and see more of their artwork in the slideshow below. 

In all my work I strive to create a sense of movement and touch for the viewer, giving them a sense of how physically involved I was in the work. This year my goal was to create paintings where I was as physically involved in them as I was in my sculptures. I did this by using my fingers, paint scrapers, and sponges. It pushed me out of my comfort zone, but helped me produce work that I’m proud of.

— Ollie C. ’21

 

These paintings were all completed during the pandemic. Last spring I became interested in focusing on the usually overlooked corners of my house. By simplifying space into geometric shapes, I could focus on the relationship between color, light, and shadow. During my independent study in studio art this school year with Mr. Baylin, I have continued playing with the relationship between shape and color. As you may notice, some paintings are much more simple than others. My paintings are getting simpler as I am becoming more comfortable with abstraction and leaving things up to the viewer's interpretation.

— Adda J. ’21

Many of my paintings revolve around a window. In the past few years at Packer, using Edward Hopper as a source of inspiration, I have explored how interiors, figures, and landscapes coexist in compositions — oftentimes the window is the unifying factor of these varying subjects. However, some of these paintings are outliers which dive into abstraction. “A Summer Day Pt. 2,” [seen above] for example, communicates my interest in the structural qualities of architecture, but it also has many unnatural aspects to it, like the streak of orange contrasting the artificially turquoise sky. This moment of spontaneity is indicative of my interest in pursuing abstraction, which is fully demonstrated in my piece “Untitled.” My most recent and exploratory painting to date, “Untitled” is a representation of artistic impulse: each color, shape, or texture was something I needed to relay in the exact moment it was etched onto the canvas. My work reflects the parts of the world in which I find beauty. You will see yellow-ochre, cascading light, palette knife-induced texture, or a close friend in my work because these things, moments, and people bring me joy. 

— Kate M. ’21

 

View more on the Visual Arts Showcase