Force of Nature an Exhibition  of students Transpace Gallery Illinois State University Center for the Visual Arts Room115 October 11, 5-7 pm .

Fig. 1.1 Alissa Palmer, Torso I and II

The Force of Nature exhibit is a series of prints Graduate and Undergraduate students with similar  degrees of skill level.  I have chosen to review 2 prints that have captured my attention. Upon observing their work the different styles and concepts I was left rather inspired with a these prints still in my mind..  One of which are two prints by Alissa Palmer entitled Smudged Torso I and II fig.1.1 done on  Monotype and Conte Force of Nature An Exhibition 2016. These pieces are two separate prints displayed one on top of the other in a vertical manner.  They rely on on another and yet contrast with regards to space.  They both render a certain feel of femininity.  When viewing these prints one can get the since of softness as the form of a woman who is not of the typical model physique with girth reminiscent to  that of a model from the renaissance era.  The artist intentionally juxtaposed both prints in efforts to entice the viewer in getting a better pictorial view of the implementation of positive and negative spaces or maybe give us a idea of the process involved.  Both images bare the same kinship but yet contrast in various ways. The most obvious is contrast is color. In Torso 2, the artist added color in efforts to  give the viewer a different prospective of how to manipulate positive and negative space as contrary to that of  Torso 1 which is displayed on the bottom moving the viewers from top to bottom the back to the top after reading the text.  Torso I, reads as an attempt to capture the image in a more sensual setting like a private, dark area with  the light source being the moon peering form a window to the right.  By doing this it gave the piece a more representational legitimacy instead of just a composition on positive and negative space .  Upon viewing Torso II, I could imagine the softness in her flesh.  In these prints the artist was able to accomplish her goal by meshing the two contrasting applications of the medium.  Torso II moved me in that respect,  however I was able to feel that attachment because of the applied color..  Both piece were successful in its attempt to evoke certain emotions from this viewer.

Fig. 1.2 Jackson Ikert Skull

     In the print entitled  Skull,  fig 1.2 by Jackson Ikerts on Monotype, Force of Nature An Exhibition 2016.  This print embodied the theme of the exhibit Force Of Nature.  Ikert took the form of a human skull and gave it life.  His choice of using non-local colors added to the realism of this piece for I no longer viewed this piece as a simple image of a skull. The color gave this print a name.  I had images of poverty stricken Ethiopia or the sufferations of a person or of a peoples  By exposing 3/4 of the skull with the mouth or teeth portion absent implied a since silence or imposed silence. The bronze color contrasting with black rendered a certain darkness experienced by a culture.  This print used its colors with variations of a bronze hues to allow the viewer to determine whether the skull has flesh on it or if it is just the aftermath of life.  Ikert composing the majority of the image  at the lower portion of the paper gives the dual impression of either ascending from the earth or depressing into the earth enhanced the balance of the over all print. These two prints intrigued me the most because its form.  I am interested the the human anatomy because it epitomizes life.  In both of the prints the artists were able to evoke deep emotional and psychological experiences from me.