On May 15, 400 guests visited the Shwayder Art Building for the opening of two different student exhibitions: the EDP BFA•BA Student Exhibit and EDP Annual Expo and Threshold: 2015 BFA Exhibition.
On the top floor of Shwayder, senior Emergent Digital Practices (EDP) students displayed their final capstone projects in the center of the studio while graduates featured work in the surrounding area of the room. Meanwhile, downstairs Studio Art Bachelor of Fine Arts and Bachelor of Arts Degree students showcased their work in the Vicki Myhren Gallery.
The EDP capstone projects are the final projects BFA and BA students have been working on for the last two quarters. Their work occupied the main area in the upstairs room.
As stated on the university’s website, “the Emergent Digital Practices program brings together art, design, media, culture and technology studies in a hands-on, collaborative environment.” Art and technology were undeniably present as computer software, Xbox gaming consoles, coding, drawing and script writing all came into play in this exhibit.
Michael Hovell, a senior EDP major from Arizona, co-created a video game called “Ganzfeld”.
“We named our game Ganzfeld after the Ganzfeld Effect, which is an effect where if you go without stimulation for a while your brain starts seeing things,” said Hovell at the opening.
In the video game, the player is a lost scuba diver who becomes trapped in the depths of the earth and must navigate his or her way through the rocky underbelly.
“It’s sort of a mix between puzzle and thriller,” said Hovell.
Nic van Dessel, a senior EDP major from Australia, created a virtual reality skydiving experience. The player puts on a headset complete with goggles and earphones. He or she then drops out of an airplane and descends into a pixelated map. In total the experience lasts for about two minutes.
Threshold: 2015 BFA Exhibition artists include: Conor Dowdle, Brianna Hayes, Heather Kegel, Maeve Leslie, Scott T Leutenegger, Brian Napier, Julianne Sirotek and Matthew Swisher.
Graduating senior, Brianna Hayes, features a series of Cinemagraphs. Cinemagraphs are photographs that combine moving and still elements. In one of Hayes’ pieces, the main subject is holding a snowboard but is completely stagnant. However, the snow in the background is in constant motion.
“This motion component in my work serves to represent the repetition and constant use of the depicted action as a coping mechanism utilized to combat the negative effects of change,” said Hayes in her artist statement.
Although the two exhibits were separate from one another, this is one of the first times the Studio Art department and EDP department planned events on the same day. Combined, their presence brought in a huge audience and utilized most of the Shwayder Art Building. Although the EDP Exhibit and Expo closed Thursday Night, Threshold: 2015 BFA Exhibition is open until June 6.
