Metro's 'Mish Mash'

Metro students take steps toward professional career in thesis exhibit

By Heather Wahle
hwahle@mscd.edu

Transitioning from student life to the professional life is a daunting task.

A new exhibit at Metro's Center for Visual Art may make this change easier for art majors. The exhibit features Metro seniors as they attempt to break into the professional art world by producing innovative exhibition pieces. "Mish Mash," the Metro BFA Thesis Exhibition, provides artists about to graduate an outlet for their most brilliant works.

Photos by William Moore moorwill@mscd.edu

Art patrons view black and white photographs by Roberta M. Ayala-Carper in the BFA thesis exhibition, "Mish Mash," on opening night at the Center for Visual Art on Nov. 4. The exhibit will be on display through Nov. 17. On the cover: "Stacked Houses," by Angela K. Smith.

Amy Harrold takes an unconventional approach with her thesis piece, "Inner Madness: Portrait of Julian." Harrold's artwork explores the mind of an individual suffering from schizophrenia. "Inner Madness" is a photo installation that leads the spectator into a journey exploring one person's struggle with a devastating mental illness.

The piece is made up of 21 large black-and-white photographs depicting Julian's chaotic life. The pictures show his physical reflexes while suffering from hallucinations: his tattooed arms protectively cross his body as he slouches in a corner in one shot and while he is laying in the fetal position in another. Attached to the photos are pieces of wire trailing down to the floor connected to an assortment of black suitcases. The wire symbolizes Julian's connection to reality. The suitcases are, metaphorically, a lack of stability in Julian's mind and life.

Streaming audio is also part of the photo installment. A recording of a poem Julian wrote in high school is continually played. The audio is altered with different speeds of the poetry reading, distortion and feedback. The result is a nonstop, haunting sound that is used to mirror Julian's auditory hallucinations. The sounds are instrumental to understanding the symptoms of schizophrenia. Many diagnosed with the mental illness suffer from constant visual and auditory hallucinations that severely impact daily life.

Harrold's art is powerful because of the personal nature of the work, and because of its ability to transplant the viewer into a schizophrenic's world. Even though one percent of the United States population has been diagnosed with a form of schizophrenia, many find it nearly impossible to relate to the symptoms. "Inner Madness" attempts to spread awareness of mental illness and the effects it can have on individuals.

Photo by William Moore moorwill@mscd.edu

Roberta M. Ayala-Carper poses with her 16-month-old son Tristan Carper in front of her black-and-white photo, "You're never finished."

Harrold spent two years documenting Julian for "Inner Madness" because she felt compelled to learn more about the disease. Julian is Harrold's boyfriend, which enabled her to get a unique and close perspective of the portrait piece. Harrold said that while Julian was somewhat apprehensive about volunteering for the project, he was pleased with the results of her finished photo installation.

"My art has exposed what he keeps inside. To bring this out makes him vulnerable," Harrold said. "He doesn't like to talk about (his schizophrenia), but our relationship has opened up a dialogue."

Harrold's piece is stunning. The photographs are crafted with a talent and ingenuity not expected so early in a student artist's career. The general feeling of confinement and struggle are emoted through the mesmerizing photographic portraits of Julian. The combination of wire and suitcases reveal the flippant nature of reality through surrealistic symbolism. The audio finishes the piece by establishing a constant, disturbing distraction that schizophrenics must deal with on a daily basis. Harrold's transformation from student to professional appears bright. Her photo installation "Inner Madness" is intensely powerful and thought provoking.

Ronald J. Herrera uses his photography to capture moments that may be overlooked in day-to-day life. Herrera takes digital photographs that are candid glimpses into the lives of his subjects. While going to work, Herrera may find the perfect subject for his photograph just by noticing an artistic element during his daily drive. Herrera's urban landscapes are primarily taken around Denver, which he knows well, having been born and raised here.

The pictures Herrera takes are often impromptu. An artistic blur occurs due to the camera being slightly out of focus. This blurring effect captures the moment's movement nicely, framing the piece and effectively documenting the constant pace and mobile theme of most of his work.

Photos by William Moore moorwill@mscd.edu

Amy Harrold stands in front her photo installation piece, "INNER MADNESS: Portrait of Julian."

"Photography is painting with light," Herrera said, "the camera, like the brush, catches many spectrums of colors through movement."

In "City Streets," Herrera frames a businessman on his commute across downtown Denver. Streaming colors showcase his stride. "Night Street Scene" is a typical East Colfax glimpse of a couple waiting for a bus near a 7-Eleven. The blurs of color streaming from the background illustrate the vibrancy of a night on Capitol Hill.

At times, Herrera is able to shoot his photographs in utmost clarity. In "Construction Workers" the bright vests and cones of men at work leap out of the photo with a very crisp and bright focus that contrasts with the soft billowing smoke streaming from the manhole. These same qualities are also seen in "Dream," where a girl with a lively grin is captured turning from a brick wall.

Herrera lets his pictures tell their own stories. He uses his photographs to gleam the surface of Denver's cityscapes through documentation of everyday events taken in an observational format. This results in honest photos that make the spectator question the daily images they are exposed to and previously regarded as typical, and challenges them to view these images in a different perspective.

Roberta M. Ayala-Carper makes a statement about stereotypes and domestic work with "women + WORK." The series of black-and-white photographs covers what Ayala-Carper describes as her "life as a mother and a woman." The photos are self-portraits of Ayala-Carper cooking meals, cleaning her home and taking care of her son. The humorous "in out" is four photographs of a toilet plunger moving. The tender "Everything Changes" is a close-up of her son's small hand gripping hers.

Photos by William Moore moorwill@mscd.edu

A part of a photo installation, "INNER MADNESS: Portrait of Julian," by Amy Harrold.

The text chosen for "women + WORK" is appropriated from the media and incorporated in the pictures themselves. The massive amount of typical women's roles, dictated duties and responsibilities are shown in work like "You're never finished," where the title is written on a pair of underwear as Ayala-Carper documents herself doing laundry.

"I am my husband's wife," is written on the bathroom mirror and is the title of a photograph of Ayala-Carper applying her makeup. The artist chose the title after listening to talk-radio icon Dr. Laura identify herself as "the mother of my enlisted son."

Ayala-Carper said, "I thought it was interesting that she identifies herself through her relationships with men."

She then began to research how she identifies herself with her male relationships rather than with her strong personality characteristics. Ayala-Carper not only documents herself struggling with societal pressure of what is deemed "women's work," but also makes a strong statement about how females are regarded in general. The photographs intend to empower as much as they entertain.

The thesis exhibition gives seniors a chance to launch into their professional careers. '"Mish Mash' provides art students nearing graduation an outlet to show their best work and gain exposure in the Denver art scene.