The beauty of nature surrounds us daily, but most of us only see the attractiveness of the world at its surface. At the 2017 Faculty Art Exhibition, Worcester State University professors show pieces that take the essence of nature and turn it into a different way of viewing the world around us.
“I want my students to walk away being enthusiastic about art and curious about the world,” said Catherine Wilcox-Titus, director of the Mary Cosgrove Dolphin Gallery and an associate professor in the Visual and Performing Arts Department.
Faculty artists narrowed their focus onto one specific project. Wilcox-Titus chose to focus on her series about the physical properties of water.
“I grew up around water and began to be fascinated with the water patterns,” she said. “My focus is mostly on Massachusetts during the winter and the winter ice it creates.”
To create the still photographs of the different properties of water, she used a basic digital camera and a tripod.
All great artist find inspiration from specific people that influence their work. Wilcox-Titus’ comes from Andy Goldsworthy, a Scottish photographer and environmentalist.
“I love the way he takes a natural environment and makes it stunning and he doesn’t tamper with it,” she said. “That is what I try to do with my artwork. I find something beautiful in our world and photograph it in its natural form.”
Professor of Communication Suzanne Gainer is also presenting her artwork at the Exhibition.
During her sabbatical in the fall of 2016, she travelled to Ostional, Costa Rica to work on her Arribadas series. She photographed the gathering of thousands of olive ridley sea turtles as they arrived on Ostional’s shores to nest.
Gainer first learned about the mass sea turtle nesting from visiting Costa Rica with students in the spring. The mating season for sea turtles is in the month of October, which is why she planned her sabbatical during the fall. She wanted to experience the nesting in real life.
“Photographing Costa Rica and this nesting allows the spectators to see the similarities and vast differences of other cultures around the world,” she said.
When asked what she hopes her audience takes from her photos, Gainer said, “I want them to be fascinated and recognize the beauty of our planet and see the sense of fragility in this situation.”
The 2017 Faculty Art Exhibition is a collection of the creative artwork of 11 faculty members. It will be on display in the Mary Cosgrove Dolphin Gallery, located in the Ghosh Science and Technology Center, from February 16 to March 16. Regular gallery hours are Tuesday through Friday 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Saturday 1 to 5 p.m. Admission is free.
Written by Grace Ingraham, a marketing intern in the Visual and Performing Arts Department
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