Serena Lopez -

My body of work is made up of pieces that emphasize the use of color and line work. I incorporated aspects of expressionism in my exhibition as well as my overall art style. Because I was working with techniques that are closely linked with expressionism, I have been influenced by expressionist artists such as Vincent Van Gogh. Although my original intentions for the overarching theme of my exhibition has changed throughout the creation process, the end result ended up being pieces that utilize color and line work through the use of printmaking and acrylic paint. When I first started creating pieces for my exhibition, I limited myself by creating pieces to fit into a specific theme. Once I came to the realization that I was prioritizing the actual theme over my individual pieces, I began to create pieces that I actually enjoyed and previously visualized. After I made this switch I ended up finding it easier to find connections between the pieces because they were a more accurate reflection of me as an artist.

Because the majority of the first year of this course was spent at home isolated from everyone, I felt lonely and often dreamt of being somewhere else. During quarantine, life felt similar to a fever dream in my opinion because it was hard to believe the things that were actually happening were real. As a result, I created art that I feel expresses my dream-like perception at the time. Creating these pieces were a way for me to escape from the unpredictable reality I was living, and put my feelings into a creative outlet. It was intentional for none of my pieces I included in my exhibition to have any people or animals in order to emphasize the feeling of isolation felt as a result of quarantine. The pieces include vibrant colors and clean linework that create this almost confusing dream-like reality.

The materials that I used for my exhibition pieces include printmaking on linoleum plates and cardstock, a technique I am less familiar with, and acrylic paint on canvas and wooden panels, a medium that I have more experience with. When I began experimenting with printmaking, I thoroughly enjoyed the tedious process of creating detail, specifically seen more in the second print I created, Helianthus. Similarly, acrylic paint allows me to create pieces with clean line work, but also has the ability to blend with other colors, as seen in A Sunset of the City. The pieces where the linework was specifically utilized with acrylic paint include my Untitled 1 piece and Dreaming of an Alternate Reality. Because both mediums allow me to practice line work, I was very drawn to creating pieces with these for my exhibition in order to contribute to the dream-like aesthetic that was developing. I only chose works that I feel reflect me as an artist, and these are the pieces that usually took me the longest to complete. When I created pieces working with completely new mediums, I tended to speed up the process, causing my goal to become completing it as fast as I could. Contrastingly, when I worked on these chosen pieces I was more motivated to spend more time on them in order for the end result to be something I was proud of.

My works are displayed in a way that utilizes balance. They are organized so the audience can find connections between the visual aspects between the works without having to read through all the individual texts for each piece. For my exhibition I chose the works that I feel reflect who I am both as an artist as well as an individual. All of the pieces are ones I dedicated the most time and effort into in order for my final exhibition to be something that I am proud of. When the audience views my work my hope is that they will not only be able to enjoy the art that I have created, but that they would also be able to find connections between the intentions and feelings behind my pieces and their own, creating an opportunity for understanding and appreciation.