Senior Exhibition II

Senior Exhibition II- John Ahearn & Karly Herron

March 30th- April 9th

Stubnitz Gallery, Downs Hall

Adrian College, Adrian, MI

ARTIST STATEMENT

 

As an extremely observant person, I usually let pessimism get the best of me. While I see a balance of both good and bad in the world, I tend to let myself be overwhelmed by that which is both bad and unlikely to change. I have recently become interested in issues of power, not just in the sense of a social hierarchy of power, but in the kind of power that we have as humans to create, to uncover, to change, and to progress. I find this power that we have to be both extremely beautiful and terrible at the same time.

This seems to be especially true of technology. We build shrines and pedestals, upon which we place many technological objects (cell phones, computers, cameras, iPods). These things present themselves as benign, but are in fact changing the way we live, communicate, and even define ourselves—and not necessarily in a good way. Many of our other contemporary innovations in the field of technology are simultaneously great and terrifying—cloning capabilities, particle physics and the atom bomb come to mind. It seems obvious that, as humans, we have an extremely important role in shaping the future of our world and universe.

As pessimistic as I may be about the direction this universe is headed, I somehow still hold on to a modicum of faith that humanity will triumph over what seems to be an inherent need to do the wrong thing—to control and create things that perhaps shouldn’t be created. I don’t want my art to inspire dread or despair over this condition, but I don’t want to celebrate it either. It is in my work that I hope the viewer will discover a balance of both beauty and discomfort, while perhaps feeling a bit of tension about their own existence.

This beauty and discomfort is echoed in the energized colors present in my paintings. Members of the consumerist-crazed masses may find comfort in the familiarity of the bright colors and recognizable imagery. In The Factory, the manipulation of human DNA is set upon a vibrant, red background, indicative of risky action or warning against possible unpleasant consequences. The visual appeal of the colors draws in the viewer regardless of knowledge or interest in art, and energizes the tension that is present in the painting.

Tension is also present among the moods of certain paintings, which can be seen in the contrast of the ominous The view from my window into the backyard during a nightmare and the more optimistic Man must explore (a fundamental truth to our nature). There is also a certain tension created with the skeleton-hand imagery which, repeated throughout multiple paintings, invokes a sense of questionably moral human practices. The inversion of the power symbol works similarly as a visual metaphor for the manipulation of power and technology.

These interacting elements within my paintings reflect the tension I feel about both existence and participation in our world of technology and progress. I often imagine that, if I were cast as some two-dimensional being and was forced to live inside one of my paintings, I would feel a little of both fear and awe at my bright yet strange, imagery-filled surroundings. I can only hope, as you look at them from afar, that you might find you feel the same way.

 

Karly Herron

March 30th, 2009