Student-Run Art Exhibit opens at CDC

MEIJING HE ’17
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
The mission of the new exhibit “Transformation: Modern Metamorphoses” is to showcase the visual talents of students from diverse backgrounds and majors at Trinity College. The theme of transformation was originally inspired by the physical, emotional, and intellectual transformation of students as they progress through college. Each of the more than 75 works in this exhibition invites the viewer to discover that which is transformed or revealed by the artist. At the heart of nearly every work is change, whether it is the transformation of the material or the introduction of a new idea or story. These artists use eclectic mediums, light, angles, movement, biography, and fantasy to interpret this theme in many different ways.
Jack Milkey ’20 translates elements from nature into zoomorphic shapes and dreamscapes. His works are primal yet familiar, as they easily resemble classic forms from the world of science fiction. Daniel Hughes’s ’18 photographs intersect surrealism with technical manipulation to create mysterious tableaux, prompting viewers to think beyond physical space and engage with the unknown.
Other artists adopted a more personal approach. For a painting class project, Kunwei Yang ’17 and Weixi Zhang ’18 chose to use different colors and lighting techniques to reflect their changing moods in multiple self-portraits. Carty Campbell ’18 and Christa Prophete ’17 capture the palpable energy and transformative power of the human body through dance. Examining the nature of reciprocity between artist and viewer, Diana Rose Smith ’19 incorporates interactive components into her work so that both parties can communicate through touch, sight, and sound. She challenges the notion of artistic experience being linear, and in so doing, alters the way people connect with art.
It is important for students to recognize how they are transformed by their experiences and how their intentions and actions impact the world. This exhibition provides a forum for exploring this dynamic through the lens of the artist. The Exhibit is at the Career Development Center, and features the work of Yaoqi Guo ’17, Tracy Keza ’17, Daniel Hughes ’18, Kunwei Yang ’17, Weixi Zhang ’18, Jack Milkey ’20, Alley Smicka ’20, Joannah Keats, Carty Campbell ’18, Diana Smith ’19, and Christa Prophete ’17.