From now until March 7, Mississippi State University students and Starkvillians who venture into the Cullis Wade Depot Art Gallery will see small, repetitive loops that vary in color and density covering the room. Some pieces are folded and others lay flat against the wall. These works comprise Feed.Back.Loop, an exhibit by artist Lindsey Landfried that displays her efforts from two years spent exploring the process of creating art.

In 2010, Lanfried studied ceramics in Moracco. She said much of her work there included mosaics and weaving. The soothing and tedious nature of the repetitive motions associated with these art forms spoke to Landfried, as she said she began to connect the processes to her father’s repetitive factory job.

“I found it to be rich with metaphors, the expertise and monotony,” Landfried said. “I began to wonder what it would be like to put that in my work.”

The pieces in the exhibit are not precise or perfect. Some loops take on unexpected shapes, and some areas are darker than others. Landfried said these variations are not imperfections but opportunities for unexpected moments of creation.

“I like to leave glitches and mistakes, things that at first can seem wrong but can be quite beautiful,” Landfried said.

Landfried said she believes the arts allow artists to create sensitivity toward the subjects they explore and craft a constant question-and-answer dynamic.

“It’s that conversation that motivates me to keep making,” she said. “It’s always a surprise.”

Lori Neuenfeldt, program coordinator for the Visual Arts Gallery, said Landfried’s pieces captivated her from the moment she saw them due to their interest in the nuances of technique.

“I am fascinated by artists who are interested in the process as much as the finished product, and I see that in Lindsey’s work,” she said.

The exhibit is made up of seven large panels interspersed with smaller panels. For Neuenfeldt, the larger works convey a sense of urgency while the smaller panels seem more subtle and delicate. 

Neuenfeldt said Landfried’s work not only exists in a vacuum, but Landfried shows an understanding of the importance of art in the contemporary world.

“She’s fascinating with how art interacts with society and how society needs art,” she said. “We need advocates like that.”

The work on Feed.Back.Loop. began a year ago. While Landfried was living in Berlin, Germany, as a researcher, she sent a proposal to Neuenfeldt asking to bring the exhibit to MSU.

Neuenfeldt said the proposal was humbling and thrilling, as the exhibit allows MSU to continue to showcase relevant modern artwork.

“It’s a huge compliment that we’re on the radar,” Neuenfeldt said. “It’s exciting to show 

artwork from the contemporary art world.”

Though some may discount more abstract work like Landfried’s, Neuenfeldt said the style of art can offer new, unseen perspectives to viewers.

“Abstract art can relate differently to different people based on past experiences,” she said.

Neuenfeldt said she believes the exhibit will be relatable to students, as she said the monotony of taking pen to paper to create something beautiful can be similar to the daily grind of schoolwork, “whether or not they realize it there’s a connection.”

Neuenfeldt said on a broader scale she sees the gallery as a tool people can use.

“We’re connected to everything,” she said. “You can learn about the world around us. It’s about opening up yourself to other’s views.”

Neuenfeldt said Landfriend also knows the demands of exhibitions, as she has curated other galleries as well as her own work.

Though art galleries can seem exclusive or intimidating, Landfried said the gallery is a great place for everyone to experience the arts, whether that be a professor steeped in art history or a student who doodles in the margins of notebook paper.

“It’s always a pleasant social thing,” she said. “If you like it you can stay, if not you can leave.”

Feed.Back.Loop will be available on the second floor of the MSU Welcome Center Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The exhibit has been sponsored by a Starkville Area Arts Council Community Grant.