Recently I attended the art exhibit in Rose Dining Hall, showing print media by Professor Page and Teaching Assistant Lia Sutton’s students. The book Wicked Plants by author Amy Stewart inspired this semester’s project.

The class visited the Robison York State Herb Garden in the Cornell Plantations and was introduced to all the poisonous plants in that garden. This portfolio is a exploratory investigation of this subject, with artist translations in visual terms representing the plants in various situations and scenarios based on the tours that the students engaged in. The works of the portfolio contains prints of various mediums including lithography, screen prints, relief prints, mono prints, and stenciling.

There is a saying that many have subscribed to for generations, and have accepted it as fact. That saying is the familiar pearl, ‘Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.’ We understand, through this widely used statement, that the concept of beauty is such a relative one that its defined terms change with whomever is actively doing the perceiving. What holds beauty to one, may not to another. It is a simple enough idea, and apparently resonates truthfully within so many of us for it to have grown to become such a popularly uttered phrasing among the masses. So if a concept such as beauty, can be that subjective, can the same be said for a medium of largely interpretative and conceptual products? I am speaking, in this case, of art.

Art is more than the perception of beauty, and the intention of the creator, it is about interpretation. Without the interpretation that each person is moved to uncover about a piece of art, it becomes a stagnant work. It was extremely interesting for me to discuss with fellow attenders of this event about their interpretations of the pieces.

Art is a beautiful part of the world we live in, whether we read about it, create it ourselves or simply appreciate it. And don’t be fooled into thinking art is something you’d only find in a gallery or exhibition; it’s everywhere, shown in the students ability to capture poisonous plants.