“Seeing Red”

After a grueling but energetic two weeks of preparation in the form of project proposals, discussions, and studio hours, the BFA students’ first group exhibition finally opened on March 26, and concluded successfully in time for Spring Break. “Seeing Red” was held in the AAP NYC Gallery at 26 Broadway, and included works from Beverly Semmes’ studio class, spanning various media and themes chosen by the artists.

Seeing Red exhibition poster by Kelechukwu Mpamaugo (B.F.A. ’20)

Friends and family convened throughout the week to walk through our intimate maze of visual, audio, tactile works. Starting from a word search-style graphics covering the walls and floor of the entrance, visitors were led throughout the space to experience ideas behind the sense of “red.” Simultaneously cataclysmic, slow, and fast, this exhibition explored works that unraveled concepts of vulnerability, passion, progression, luck, energy, masculinity, sexuality, spirit, blood, death, fear, urgency, offense, beauty, fantasy…“red” is obviously a broadly associated idea in all such directions.

”Red has countless meanings, infinite connotations. I think we managed to collect so many of them in one room, Seeing Red represented multiple facades of this word.” – Cagla Sokollu (B.F.A. ’20)

BFA students at their opening reception for Red. photo Aiza Ahmad (B.F.A. ’20)

Many of us took this opportunity to experiment with mediums unfamiliar to our practice. The show included graphite portrait drawings, a digital painting, acrylic, oil, gouache paintings, print collages, a collaborative video and banner installation, a handbag, experimental sound piece, garments installed by yarn, and a fake Louis Vuitton handbag.

Linda Norden and Jane Benson kindly joined us for our group critique led by Beverly Semmes, and we were able to finish our week with a rewarding conversation which fleshed out our ideas, thoughts, concerns and criticisms. Now that we are back from break, we are inspired and ready to create more wonderful objects and content together.

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