The photography, sculptures, paintings and drawings of nine MSU students are now featured in the Bachelors of Fine Arts exhibit titled “Diplopia.”
“Diplopia,” named for the scientific term for double vision, is split between the Union and McComas art galleries.
“We knew it was two shows so we wanted to choose something for double feature,” said Senior Art major Shanna Rambin, one of the students featured in the exhibit.
Opening night is Nov. 13 beginning at the Union gallery at 5:30 p.m. and will move to the McComas gallery at 7 p.m.
The exhibit features senior art students Zachry Ashmore, Kristen Brady, Michael Booker, Brad Coleman, Elisabeth Eads, Candace Hitt, Katherine Holmes, Stacy Perry and Rambin.
“Having visited several regional art programs this year in Tennessee, Alabama and Florida, I have
not seen stronger undergraduate work,” said senior fine arts coordinator Brent Funderburk.
The works of these students will travel to the University of Alabama art galleries in February 2009, he said.
“As such, their artwork becomes highly visible evidence of the standards of the MSU art program, our college and the greater university,” Funderburk said.
Each student must produce their own artwork, they must serve on a specific committee to produce the show and they must submit their work to a panel of four to five professors for critique all in a semester, he said.
Rambin said she was impressed by the multitude of mixed artwork.
“This is the most diverse show that I’ve ever seen myself,” Rambin said.
Rambin’s paintings are self portraits on satellite dishes of different sizes.
“I think there’s maybe about a week out of the semester that I didn’t paint, not consecutively,” Rambin said.
Between the paints and having to order some of the satellite dishes, she said she spent around $900.
“I worked a lot on the big one. It took a lot to get it up here and once I did I had a lot of fun with it,” Rambin said.
She said she is excited to see what other students on campus think of her work.
“I don’t want them to see the size, I want them to see how I can paint,” Rambin said.
Brady, a sculpture student, said she has put well over $1,000 into her red oak and poplar wood chair sculptures.
“If you want to have quality pieces, you’re going to have to put the money into it,” she said.
Brady has three sculptures on display. Two of the chairs are sturdy enough for people to sit on, she said.
“I’ve always been interested in form, where form meets function,” she said.
She said she worked to make the chairs able to hold dead weight while still having a pleasing look.
“It’s not abstract sculpture. I build it for the interaction,” Brady said.
The Bachelor of Fine Arts process has taught Brady how to proceed as an artist, how to present a show and how to get started as an artist, she said.
“You get pushed to the limits that aren’t always happy. Lots of crying and [happiness],” Brady said.
The two galleries have given students the opportunity to have more room to spread the artwork out, said Ashmore, a drawing student. Putting the show together is part of the finality of his life at State, he said.
“In fact, [my art] is a representation of all the stuff I’ve learned at Mississippi State,” Ashmore said.
The process of creating the artwork and putting the show together was life for the students for at least a month and a half, he said. It was constantly on his mind while trying to balance other classes, he said.
“I think my favorite part is going to be when it’s all put up and its opening night and I get to sit back and enjoy,” Ashmore said.
The BFA exhibit will be open from Nov. 10 to Dec. 2. For more information about the exhibit, contact the Department of Art at 662-325-2970.