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MCC artists prepping for thesis capstone presentation
McCOOK, Neb. -- The McCook Community College art department is going ahead with plans to feature four sophomore art students with a virtual gallery event to showcase their Associates of Fine Arts Degree capstone thesis presentation. These four students include Hana Brock, Lexington; Whitney Loos, McCook; Brittanie Nolan, McCook; and Marshall Still, Oconto.
According to MCC Art Instructor Rick Johnson, due to current health guidelines and restrictions this year’s showcase will be a virtual tour and video presentation of these artists and works completed over the past two years to fulfill their AFA degree.
In conjunction with their cohesive body of work, each student will present via video a written artist statement backed by a thesis paper defending their stylistic and creative approach, handling and manipulation of the medium, and their very personal story behind their visual translations of symbolism. Images and video will be available to the public May 1.
“I am tremendously proud of these fine artists,” Johnson said.
Here is an introduction to these four students and a sample of their thesis presentations:
HANA BROCK, of Lexington, plans to continue her education studying studio art and art philosophy at the University of Nebraska-Omaha, pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Fine Art.
Her“My AFA thesis consists of a cohesive body of work expressing her inner childlike spirit of inquiry, established by the iconography of our individual past experiences.
“My style is a direct reflection of the traditional technique of ‘Trompe L’oeril’ which is defined as a representation of an object to fool the eye due to its attention to quality of detail,” she said.
With this generated style of artwork it is her goal to utilize painting as a professional career. She thanks Johnson for providing her with the necessary tools and equipment to learn and reach her goals for this specific venture in her artist journey.
WHITNEY LOOS, is a McCook High School graduate and has a passion for all the Fine Arts, starting her pursuit in music.
“I found that I excelled in painting, or the manipulation of paint and wanted to experience the handling of paint without the traditional tools like brushes and palette knives,” she said.
This led her to the free-flowing methods of pouring paint, or fluid art.
“Fluid art is more than just abstract art to me. It’s how you see the world around you and letting it influence your creation. Watching gravity work and flow the colors together is the best part of what I want the viewer to experience,” she said.
Her color palette usually comes to her with the influence of listening to music as the syncopation of the harmony gives her the inspiration of what she need to create the congruencey of the visual symbols.
Her favorite quote comes from Dale Chihuly: “I want people to be overwhelmed with light and color in a way they have never experienced.”
BRITTANIE NOLAN plans to graduate this year with her Associate of Fine Arts degree. Her . eMy artist visual literacy process consists of the story of her broken family, including the parental love and compassion absent from her childhood and young adulthood.
“I portray my emotional reaction of this trauma translated through a fractured brush stroke, adjacent to a bright arbitrary color palette,” she said.
Her expectation after graduating with her AFA degree from MCC is to be a freelance artist, utilizing her artistic skills as a visual interpreter, completing commissions for others to enjoy.
“I thank Rick Johnson for being able to expand my artistic abilities, grow in my confidence and give me the opportunity to express myself with personalized works in the field of Fine Art.”
MARSHALL STILL is a native of Oconto. His future plans include continuing his education at Fort Hays State University. He plans to go on to teach K-12 art in the towns much like the ones that he received in his education.
His thesis is based on a genre of scenes of everyday life – or painting what he knows.
“This facilitates capturing moments in time behind the scenes of the day-to-day actuality of raising livestock on a multi-generational ranch,” he said.
He describes his technical painting style as giving the appearance of being true to nature, with the manipulation of subtle transitions of light and shadow to the modeled surface.
He credits Johnson for helping him grow and mature as a visual artist and helping him reach his goals.