File Photo | Kayla Beatty
This month, Southside Gallery is taking an interesting approach to the artistic effort Oxford has to offer. In the Mythos and Kaleidoscope shows, Southside is presenting the collaborative work of two groups of The University of Mississippi master of fine arts candidates.
These university MFA candidates have collaborated in two groups to create two exceptional shows.
“Since this is an MFA show, and most of the works on exhibit are by emerging artists, it is encouraging to see how artists from both the Mythos and Kaleidoscope groups have conceptualized and executed their works,” said Wil Cook, co-owner and manager of Southside Gallery. “Both groups of artists approached their subject matter seriously and handled well the challenge of visually conveying their themes with sophistication and artistic maturity.”
The artists worked within each show’s group to decide their themes, discuss the individual pieces and install the works to make the separate artwork into a cohesive show.
“Collaboration is never an easy task, especially when super creative minds are involved,” said Stacy Rathert, a sculpture MFA candidate and participant in the show. “But when it turns out successful, it really makes you grow as an artist. You get the opportunity to see how someone else works with and interprets the same theme as you but almost always with different results.”
In the Mythos show, the artists have incorporated classic myths and folklore into their pieces with their own modern spin. Seth Thibodaux, Hailey Hodge and Whitney Turnipseed have each done this in their own way.
“I am currently working to describe and map the most influential memories of my childhood,” Turnipseed said. “I have created a progression through the narrative from the original story of Hansel and Gretel into the modern world of youth in the American foster system, tying each plot point to their possible heartbreak.”
Thibodaux utilizes the myth of Icarus to evolve the understanding of flight in his Mythos pieces, while Hodge uses yet another form of expression through the exploration of constellations with modern myths.
Like the Mythos show, Kaleidoscope is a collaborative exhibition of MFA candidate work. Kaleidoscope artists depict the patterns of childhood toys in various ways, creating a kaleidoscope of art.
Terry Lynn, a painting MFA student, created 25 paintings that were then arranged to create a kaleidoscopic effect.
“The installation of multilayered paintings represents the complexities of my Southern milieu,” Lynn said.
Preston Tolbert used ceramics to illustrate the view through a kaleidoscope. Similarly, Elise Robbins created a series of fluctuating patterns to represent these visuals.
Rathert said she also was inspired by her past.
“Like with most of my artwork, my inspiration comes from my upbringing,” Rathert said. “The artwork for this specific show came from a few of my favorite childhood memories.”
One way in which Rathert expressed these childhood memories is through dresses made from pillowcases inspired by dresses she made and wore as a child.
“They are embellished with dirt patterns, not unlike the way I might come into the house after playing outside, although I was probably covered in more dirt than pattern.” Rathert said.
Both Mythos and Kaleidoscope will be on display at Southside Gallery until April 10. A reception for the shows will take place from 6-8 p.m. April 10.
