Artist: Nancy Young
Exhibition:As the Crow Flies
Media:different types of printmaking:intaglio, relief, lithography,serigraphy, monoprint
Gallery: CSULB School of Art, Dennis W. Dutzi Gallery
Website:no website
Instagram:no Instagram
About the Artist
Nancy is finishing up her final semester at CSULB in the School of Art printmaking program, and this is her BFA show. She is very intrigued by all the different types of printmaking, and used the various styles for this show. Nancy got into printmaking after coming back to school and taking the history of printmaking class. From then on she continued taking more of these types of classes until she was hooked. Throughout her undergrad years, Nancy has also been working. She is a programer, and does database things, which she loves. Outside of art she loves music and her dog, and hopes to get her dog a friend soon. This show was inspired by the grief and loss that Nancy has dealt with throughout her life.
Formal Analysis
As mentioned above, Nancy used various methods of printmaking for her show. She is fascinated by how many different ways you can print. The nature of the work is very detailed and specific. The picture of the tree for instance, has many lines that make up the scratches in the tree bark, which make it look much more realistic. Most of the work is made up of bland colors such as grey and black, except the main picture of the crow. This particular picture is enhanced by some yellow and red to bring attention surrounding the black crow, which is the center of the show.
Content Analysis
When creating this exhibit, Nancy was thinking about the grief and loss she experienced throughout her life. For one she lost her husband a few years ago, and he inspires a lot of her work. It is also influenced by the milestone she is accomplishing by graduating this semester. It took her a while to get here because she originally got kicked out of school after being put on academic probation while struggling with bipolar disorder and substance abuse. Each piece in the exhibit is titled with miles and they are all distances from Cal State Long Beach. Just like we eventually need to leave Long Beach and find new work, the crow must also leave the nest to find new places to explore.
Synthesis
I loved talking to this artist because she brought attention to all of the struggles we young people have in college: staying on track. I have a plan for my life and I know where I want to be in five years, but it’s not always easy to stay focused with all of the other fun aspects of college. I also related to the thought about leaving the nest and finding work. With graduation getting closer, Its hard not to think about how scary it is to have to be an adult with all these responsibilities. We want to push it away and stay in college forever, but eventually we have to leave the nest and move forward with our lives, and I’m excited and nervous for everything that lies ahead.