Digital Catalog - Texas A&M University

Karen HillierArtist StatementMy photographs are part of an ongoing project BRAZOSbrazos. This work isfocused on a rural area located between the Little Brazos and the Big BrazosRivers in Texas. In the late 19th Century forward this land was consideredundesirable for farming due to frequent flooding of the Brazos River. The areawas aptly named Mudville, Texas. Italian immigrants, who were brought to theUSA as much needed farm hands after the Civil War, recognized the value ofthe rich land. These Italian families saved to purchase the land in Mudville andtaught themselves to grow cotton. The long staple cotton grown in this area issome of the highest quality cotton produced worldwide, on par with Egyptiancotton. Today the cotton farms remain in the hands of the descendants of theItalian immigrants who continue to produce beautiful cotton. The difficultyas well as the success of farming has shaped both farmer and land. TheBrazos Rivers though mostly controlled by dams continue to flood Mudville.My photographs are made without a lens on the camera. Instead there aretwo tiny pinholes allowing the light to reach each of two frames of black andwhite film. One frame is the left eye view, and the other the right eye. To seethe results in 3D stereo a viewer can be used combining the two images intoone. Or seeing in 3D without a viewer is possible. To see the flat print pairs instereo, step back about 3 feet. Stare at the middle black bar and relax youreyes or try to see through the photographs to an imagined horizon line. Bepatient and hold your gaze. A third image will appear that pops into 3D. If youare unable to see in 3D, I hope you will enjoy the flat prints.Artist InfluenceLange, Dorothea. Photo: Langein Texas by Paul Schuster. 1934.University of California, SanDiego. [8]I owe a debt of gratitude to two women artist photographers: Dorothea Lange(1895-1965) and Olivia Parker (b.1943). From Dorothea Lange: courage. Courageto travel throughout the USA capturing the human condition of destituteAmericans in search of a livelihood after loosing a way of life to the GreatDrought and the Great Depression of the 1930s. Dorothea Lange’s photographsleft no questions unanswered about the living conditions of fellow Americanswho migrated west to California by the 1000s. There they lived in makeshift-tentencampments, searching for work. Her photographs, as well as the photographsof other Farm Security Administration photographers, informed the world of theimpoverishment of thousands of Americans. And to photographer Olivia Parker,your poetry of light enters my being and touches my very essence. No verbalarticulation equals what you describe using color and light, the foundationsof photography. It is my hope that some of my photographs while somewhatdocumentary in nature, also capture the poetic in light.Dorothea LangeWatch a clip from thedocumentary “Dorothea Lange:Grab a Hunk of Lightning” [9]Persist Resist Coexist 08Olivia Parker

12.FlickersPinhole stereo photographs shot on filmArchival pigment prints22 x 15 x 9.25 inches2019-202013.Well Done Thy Goodand Faithful ServantPinhole stereo photographs shot on filmArchival pigment print4.75 x 9.25 inches2017Negro Burial GroundEstablished 1841Pinhole stereo photographs shot on filmArchival pigment print4.75 x 9.25 inches2017Hay BarnPinhole stereo photographs shot on filmArchival pigment print3.25 x 9.5 inches2020ConchPinhole stereo photographs shot on filmArchival pigment print3.25 x 10.125 inches2020Farm Manager’s HomePinhole photographshot on filmArchival pigment print7 x 7.25 inches2018Persist Resist Coexist 0914.SquintPinhole photographshot on filmArchival pigment print4.75 x 9.25 inches2020PssstPinhole stereo photographs shot on filmArchival pigment print4.75 x 9.25 inches2020Stick FigurePinhole stereo photographs shot on filmArchival pigment print4.75 x 9.25 inches2018IncomingPinhole stereo photographs shot on filmArchival pigment print4.75 x 9.25 inches2020TracksPinhole stereo photographs shot on filmArchival pigment print4.75 x 9.25 inches2020MuzzyPinhole stereo photographs shot on filmArchival pigment prints16 x 8.25 x 5.75 inches2017 - 202015.Cotton; Mudville,TexasComposite photographof pinhole stereophotographs, shoton filmArchival pigment print2.5 x 12.75 inchesFurrows; Mudville,TexasComposite photographof pinhole stereophotographs, shoton film.Archival pigment print3 x 18.5 inches* Stereo viewers fabricated byLarry Wadsworth

Krista SteinkeArtist Statement20.Thank You Notes:Dear Eve, Hilma,LouiseTimescraps from theUniverse seriesMixed media withphotographic scraps14 x 18 inches202023.Thank You Notes:Dear Eve, Hilma,LouiseTimescraps from theUniverse seriesMixed media withphotographic scrapsTime Scraps from the Universe, a new body of work, is a result of havingextra time to reflect and experiment in my studio while in quarantine. Forthis project, I am repurposing old photographic scraps and materials to makenew works in collage, stop-frame animation, and installation. Through the actof self-reflection and connecting common threads, I am thinking about howcreativity can be an iterative loop or spiral, in which recontextualizing thepast can foster reinvention or forge alternative pathways.Recently, I have been fascinated with celestial maps, images of the cosmos(especially the recent first image of a black hole), metaphysics, the spacetime continuum, the relationship between chaos and order, and the naturalcycles of life and death. While sheltering in place, I have also spent much ofmy time rummaging through old sketchbooks, notes, and books by artistswho have had a direct impact on me, most of whom, I now realize, are women.Collectively, these references inspired “Thank You Notes”, a series of smallphoto collages that function as sketches for potential larger works, dedicatedto those who have influenced my own creative pursuits in life and art – a wayto visually express gratitude in the most difficult of times and consider howthe personal and universal intertwine.12 x 16 inches eachArtist Influence2020Hilma Klint“The pictures were painteddirectly through me, withoutany preliminary drawings,and with great force. I hadno idea what the paintingswere supposed to depictand I still worked swiftly andsurely without changing asingle brush stroke.” [10]Nancy Holt“I feel that the need to lookat the sky—at the moonand the stars—is verybasic, and it is inside all ofus. So when I say my workis an exteriorization of myown inner reality, I mean Iam giving back to peoplethrough art what theyalready have in them.” [12]Persist Resist Coexist 10Eva Hesse“Dont ask what the work is.Rather, see what the workdoes. What makes a tightcircle or a tight little squarebox more of an intellectualstatement than somethingdone emotionally, I don’tknow. Art is an essence,a center.” [11]Louise Bourgeois“Art is restoration: the ideais to repair the damagesthat are inflicted in life,to make something thatis fragmented - which iswhat fear and anxietydo to a person - intosomething whole.” [13]

Laurie LisonbeeArtist InfluenceKollwitz, Käthe. Self-Portraitwith Hand on the Forehead.1910. Etching and drypoint. 6 x5.25 inches. The MetropolitanMuseum of Art. [14]I was dazzled by the work of Kathe Kollwitz when Ifirst saw her prints at age eighteen. My first-yeardrawing class attended a Kathe Kolllwitz exhibition;I vividly recall exactly where I stood, awe-struckat “Death Comes for the Children”. Her powerful,war-torn figures moved me profoundly. Herwomen had massive limbs and hands in poignantgestures of grief and suffering. Later, my own workbecame an exploration of human hand gestureswhich aspire to the raw beauty and strength Isee in Kollwitz’s figures. I am inspired by her artactivism in producing posters championing thepoverty-stricken, the working class, and victimsof war. To me, Kollwitz is an artist unsurpassed inher heart-wrenching depictions of love, death andgrief. In a male-dominated art world, she becamea towering figure in German art. Her iron will andsupreme talent propelled her art, despite sufferingthe horrors of two World Wars, having her artbanned by the Nazis, and losing her son, grandson,and husband. Kollwitz still remains my role model.One of my standout art pilgrimages was to theKollwitz Museum in Cologne, Germany, and I nevertire of sharing her work with my drawing classes.Kathe KollwitzCheck out the KatheKollwitz Museumin Germany [15]04.The Crowning ofSarah ModeMixed media18.5 x 11 inches2020Persist Resist Coexist 11Salutation, CrownedMixed media20 x 24 inches2020

Mary Ciani SaslowArtist StatementNow, in the Deluge Series, I paint an Art of Warningwith rising seas, and rivers of ice melt, blackoil, and blood. After 160 years of a marvelouspetroleum-based economy, we find that we arekilling the host planet. The urgency of globalwarming and our droughts and storms and firesand insufferable heat have forced my hand. I aman artist, and this is what I can do.Artist InfluenceKathe Kollwitz is a master of contour drawing, buthere a gesture line captures her intense need tomake art, a line that escapes realism as if it is anx-ray of electric energy waiting for release. I feelthis, and I wanted my students to find it too.Kollwitz, Käthe. Self-Portrait,Drawing. 1933. Charcoal onbrown laid Ingres paper. 18.75 x25 inches. The National Galleryof Art (Washington, D.C.),Rosenwald Collection. [16]Her quotation is also relevant to my work. I admireher passion to fight in her own way, I too advocatein my way for deeper meanings: lives lived inconcert and blooming in fire in the Vine drawings;the ineffable moon we seek – in spite of emptymaps and uphill challenges – in the Map MountainMoon paintings.Kathe Kollwitz“I felt that I have no rightto withdraw from theresponsibility of being anadvocate.” [17]03.Deluge, Curving RedWaterAcrylic paint oncanvas48 x 36 inches201807.Deluge, Ice MeltPouring Down theHills, BloodAcrylic on canvas48 x 36 inches201909.Deluge, Black OilSpilling on Green HillsAcrylic paint, canvas,wire48 x 36 inches202019.Persist Resist Coexist 12Deluge, Two Hills,Blood, Oil, TurbulentSea RisingAcrylic paint oncanvas48 x 36 inches2019

Mayet AndreassenArtist Statement02.SpiderWoman withLocksHand drawn digitalprint17 x 8 inches2020SpiderWoman withAfroHand drawn digitalprint17 x 8 inches2020I am a self described nerd. I love comics, science fiction, fantasy, movies,animation, and games. But as an African-American woman, I have often foundrepresentation lacking in these genres. As a young girl my first introductionto superheroes were Superman, Batman, Luke Skywalker, and The GreatestAmerican Hero. The common theme was always a man was the hero who hadthe power, and who did the rescuing. I liked Princess Leia because, though sheinitially needed rescuing, she ultimately helped in rescuing herself and wastough as nails and a strong leader. She was a hero, but she didn’t have powers,that was Luke. Then I stumbled upon Wonder Woman, starring Linda Carter,while flipping through T.V. channels. Suddenly the world was different for me,because here was a super powered woman who was smart, empathic, andkind, but could also take down any supervillain. She always tried to resolveissues with diplomacy initially, and if that didn’t work, she dealt with peopleaccordingly. She didn’t need rescuing, she rescued others.But even with female heroes like Wonder Woman, The Bionic Woman, andPrincess Leia, I didn’t see any mainstream female hero’s who looked like meuntil I was introduced to Storm from the X-Men; and that was it for the longesttime. It’s still incredibly rare to have a black female, or male, superhero. Therehave been any number introduced, like Cecelia Reyes, another X-Men, anearlier version of Captain Marvel named Monica Rambeau, and even WonderWoman’s black twin sister Nubia. If you’ve never heard of these black womensuperheroes, it’s because they weren’t given the same amount of promotionas other female superheroes, and were eventually sidelined and/or forgotten.Even many black male superheroes have had similar fates, though a fewhave been able to hold onto both publications and the public’s interest andendured.Peter Parker is Spiderman. He’s been a staple of comics for a very long time. Soit came as quite a shock when Marvel decided to re-imagine the Spidermancharacter from a lower middle class white genius teenager from Queens, toa lower middle class black/puerto rican genius teenager from Brooklyn. Butthe introduction of Miles Morales as the new Spiderman was a huge successand seems to have changed this sad fate of forgetfulness, and the retiring ofsuperhero characters of color. Though Miles is male, he’s opened the door to alot of opportunities for marginalized people and groups to get the chance forrepresentation in comics. His success led to some black male superheroesbeing reintroduced to the public, and thus gaining a renewed interest in theircharacters. It has also led to new or updated characters, like Ms Marvel,Kamala Khan, who is both Muslim, female, and brown skinned. She’s gainedpopularity, like Miles, and there have even been discussions of turning hercomic book into a TV show or movie.Persist Resist Coexist 13

A light went on for me. Anyone can be, and take on, the mantle and legacyof a well known superhero character. It doesn’t have to be a reimagined orrelaunched Peter Parker, it can be a completely different person, male orfemale. I started seeing friends’ social media feeds with versions of themselvesas a Spider person. I loved this idea, and so did my own interpretation of anew Spider person. This Spider person is a black woman. She’s strong, tough,empathetic and a hero. I did two different versions of her. Please enjoy.Artist InfluenceDella Hicks Wilson“Darling, your soil is too rich tolet words that aren’t deeplyrooted in your truth soak in.” [18]Persist Resist Coexist 14Ashley A. WoodsWatch “Ashley A. WoodsSketches Lady CastleCharacters” [19]Laura BragaClaire WendlingView Laura Braga’s comics [20]Visit Wendling’s website [21]

Rebecca PughArtist Statement10.A1AAcrylic paint, canvas,wire8.5 x 9.5 x 5.5 inches201911.MelonPolychromos colorpencil14 x 11 inches2018SwimPolychromos colorpencil14 x 11 inches2018Beach DayPolychromos colorpencil14 x 11 inches2018Pugh’s artworks feature objects from mundane everyday life in Florida. A beachumbrella, seashell, pool, and slice of watermelon could be considered iconsof Floridiana. Instead, these items collectively reflect a period in the artist’slife without work authorization or individual rights as a nonimmigrant spouse.After completing her Master of Fine Arts degree as an international studentin the U.S. from 2012-2015, she lost her employment eligibility in 2016 at theend of her optional practical training. As a non-immigrant dependent of aUniversity of Florida faculty member, Pugh was unable to secure employmentsponsorship despite her qualifications. Nevertheless, as a passionate galleryprofessional, artist, and educator she persisted and in 2020 she was hired asCurator of the Wright Gallery and Lecturer in the Department of Visualizationand College of Architecture at Texas A&M University.Artist InfluencePugh is motivated by the Cuban-American painter, Carmen Herrera, whopersisted through decades of rejection and discrimination throughout her60-plus year career. Herrera’s first art sale and press coverage did not occuruntil after she was 80 years of age. Pugh relates to Herrera’s reverence anddescription of line in her art (see quote below). Canadian-born, Americanfemale artist, Agnes Martin, provides additional inspiration through her useof painted lines. Female sculptors, Lee Bontecou and Anne Truitt, offer acreative foundation for Pugh’s use of ripped canvas, fabrics, and paintedwood in her sculptural work.Carmen Herrera“There is nothing I love morethan to make a straight line[.] It’s the beginning of allstructures, really.” [22]Anne TruittPersist Resist Coexist 15Agnes MartinWatch a clip from thedocumentary“Agnes Martin: Beforethe Grid” [23]Lee Bontecou

Weiling HeArtist Statement01.The Projective CastsInk and wash14 x 11 inches, each201917.The Projective CastsInk and wash14 x 11 inches, each201924.Texas HorizonWatercolor5 x 7 inches, each2008 - 2011Texas is flat. The vast land under the openness of the sky was the firstimpression I had arriving in College Station. But the horizon spoke to a seemingemptiness. It was the second spring after my arrival, for the first time I noticedthe blossoms of the wild flowers in pink, purple, blue, orange, and yellow colors.That awareness was the gift from the Texas horizon. On this piece of land,under the sky, life blossoms from the repetition and variation of flatness. Andthe horizon line extends endlessly.The Texas Horizon series was made during a period of frustration and discovery,a criticism on the boring land transformed into an expression of its richness.The paintings’ postcard format suggests their possible journey in the mail.The work Projective Casts projects from the cube, a spatial unit in theCartesian coordinate and a canonic problem in architecture. It providescommentary more than creating an independent work by compressing the3x3 grid of Texas Rangers, the stark shadows of Edward Hopper’s paintings,and the classic ink and wash technique that recalls to a Renaissance facade.Meanwhile, the work offers multiple combinations of geometry, space, andlight. Each piece implies more than one possible space.Artist InfluenceI am influenced by the 2020 Pritzker Architecture Prize winners, Yvonne Farrelland Shelley McNamara. There aren’t many female architects to start with,and a good portion of them have to put on a masculine guard. I’m touchedby their unassuming appearance, honest talks, appreciation to each other aswork partners, and perseverance in the pursuit for architecture.Yvonne FarrellShelley McNamaraCheck out the PritzkerArchitecture Prize [24]Grafton Architects website [25]Persist Resist Coexist 16

Bibliography1. Brim, Elizabeth. Dancing Shoes. 2003. Forged and fabricated steel.8 x 14 x 12 inches. Image courtesy of the artist.2. “Raw Craft with Anthony Bourdain – Episode Seven: Elizabeth Brim.”YouTube, uploaded by Belvenie US. 15 September 2016. www.youtube.com/watch?v TTlG1BPoj-I. Accessed Sept. 2020.3. Rego, Paula. Swallows the Poison Apple. 1995. Pastel on paper, 70 x 19.5inches. Saatchi Gallery, www.saatchigallery.com/artists/artpages/regopaula swallows poisoned apple.htm. Accessed Sept. 2020.4. Hadid, Zaha. Contemporary Arts Center, Lois & Richard Rosenthal Centerfor Contemporary Art, CAC, exterior view, Perspective view of theContemporary Arts Center. 1997-2003 (execution). Artstor, et/SS7731458 7731458 12965102.Accessed Sept. 2020.5. Spirn, Anne Whiston. “Anne Whiston Sprirn, Landscape Architect.” Home,www.annewhistonspirn.com/home.html. Accessed Sept. 2020.6. “A Day with Zaha Hadid.” Dir. Michael Blackwood. Michael BlackwoodProductions, 2005. Kanopy. Web. 19 Sep. 2020.7.Thecla Schiphorst. Web. www.sfu.ca/ tschipho/. Accessed Sept. 2020.8. Lange, Dorothea. Photo: Lange in Texas by Paul Schuster Taylor.1934. Artstor, set/ARTSTOR 103 41822001281060. Accessed Sept. 2020.9. “Dorothea Lange - Grab a Hunk of Lightning.” 00:00-01:52:02. Kanopy.Web. Acc

Zaha Hadid Watch the documentary Hadid, Zaha (Photographer: “A Day with Zaha Hadid” [6] Weston, Alice. Contemporary Arts Center, Lois & Richard Rosenthal Center for Contemporary Art, CAC, exterior view, Perspective view of the Contemporary Arts Center. 1997-2003 (execution). Photograp