“(dis)ARRAY: discovering self within the chaos of art & life” is Meredith College’s senior art exhibition. The exhibition is quite impressive and well put together. It is taking place in the Gaddy-Hamrick Art Center’s Frankie G. Weems Gallery. The exhibit runs from April 5, 2021, to May 5, 2021. The six artists showcased are Rachel Stewart, Brooke Benton, Rachel Blay, Caroline Haw and Ana Ramirez. They displayed their talent and hard work by exploring and showcasing their own artistic journeys. Each featured artist has their own style, and it is interesting to see how they vary.
The exhibit features quite a bit of pottery, which I enjoyed during my experience there. One of the pottery pieces is a blue and white piece, "Chinese Porcelain Inspired Vase" by Brooke Benton, that mimics porcelain in its appearance and which has a dragon coiled around it.
Caroline Haw’s ceramics series “Three Coiled Vessels” represents aging and the change of emotional and physical growth over time. According to the label, the forms are meant to mimic “the changes of a biologically female body, and [account] for the nonbinary beauty of nature.” Her ceramic and grout work “Mosaic” hangs above it, as well.
Artist Rachel Blay created a fascinating piece titled “Flower Crown Mask III,” where she sculpted a face and then made a flower crown using fake flowers and mancala pieces. This technique was something I hadn’t seen before and ended up enjoying.
One of the other artworks that was particularly enjoyable for me was Brooke Benton’s jaguar painting, “Wild Side 2.” It is a bright and colorful piece of work that really stands out. The jaguar’s eyes seem to glow, and the bright yellow color draws the viewer’s eyes straight to it but the darker background provides a lovely contrast. The painting is part of Benton’s Endangered Species series.
The piece with the most elaborate backstory and construction, as well as appearance, is by Rachel Stewart. In “Our Infliction,” Stewart sculpted a statue of an imp with a toothy grin, three eyes, horns and cuts on its face. This sculpture represents our preconceived assumptions about people. At first glance, this character may seem sinister but is in fact the opposite. The label reveals that he is a kind, goodhearted individual who loves to make friends and gives great hugs. However, he has a great many wounds inflicted by people’s snap judgements about him.
The exhibit also has a dark yet whimsical digital media piece, “Ladyblood” by Ana Ramirez, with ladybugs and blood. I found the work to be ethereal and fantastical. There is an intriguing quality to it that gives it a contrasting tone of light and dark.
All of the paintings, art pieces and sculptures included in the show are unique; all of them bring a quality or style that makes them stand out. Support Meredith’s senior artists by attending the exhibition in the Weems Gallery before May 5.
By Julia Langenderfer, Contributing Writer