Juror for WSU's "Requires Two Coats" MFA exhibiton

I had the pleasure/daunting task of judging the "Requires Two Coats" MFA exhibition for Wichita State University this week. It was a very fun experience overall! Here is the Juror's Statement I wrote for the show, which is hosting a reception tomorrow night at Shiftspace in Old Town.

The first thing to hit me, upon walking into the exhibition, is a considered sense of craft present in all the works across genres. To choose particular works over others is both an honor and a very daunting task to be certain. I believe the only appropriate way to approach this task is to consider each piece individually, and then use the artist's own statement to enrich and enhance those first impressions. The overall process of "judging" is less about one work vs. another-but rather each piece vs. itself. 

This exhibition presents a satisfying variety of themes and mediums with emphasis on strong forms. Some highlights include: Eriberto Biera's painting, which presents a visual rhythm of bold colors, figures, and shapes humorously and suggestively "vandalized" with text and drawing in marker—both undermining as well as informing the painting below. David Hellman's ceramic pieces feel trickily familiar and overly comfortable until their charmingly clunky cleverness reveals itself. Across the room, Zachary Presley's collaged icons, printed and presented so simply they seem almost irreverent, raise questions of mass culture vs organic bodies (both ours as consumers and the animals visible). Lauren Clay's pieces question and celebrate their medium while remaining visually lyrical. Phillip Baumer's tangled installation confronts the viewer with its presence in 2, 3, and 4 dimensions and suggests our considered participation, its action and space. Nathan Carris Carnes's playful sculptures are physically seductive and seem to ooze their suggestive undertones in a very polished way. Amy Yun-Ping Chen's paintings are puzzles with layers and fragments of visual and cultural reference, cheekily presenting stereotypes as you find both your eyes and brain immersed in her (de)constructed "landscapes."

Overall it is a pleasure to delve into the products of each artist's efforts and deliberations—particularly during such a powerful and transitional time as their graduate study. I would like to thank Shift Space and WSU for the opportunity and all the artists for offering their work for us to chew on. 

-Kate Van Steenhuyse