Wednesday, February 07, 2024
College is a formative time for any student, and for those pursuing degrees in the arts it is a period of intense creative exploration. At Rhode Island College, a group of tight knit seniors with similar aesthetic interests have banded together to create a special exhibition that is impressive in its professionalism and impact. On view at the Chazan Family Gallery through March 5, Phantom Pains is a journey through the visions of some remarkably gifted emerging talents.
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Featuring new artworks in a range of media by Elena Carranza, Crickett Fisher, Sam Lowder, Alexander Tum, and Elvis Rodriguez, the show goes beyond the typical senior thesis showcase and unpacks shared values and inquiries. In the work on view, the body is a through line and fleshy forms evoke human frailties.
In the show, viewers will find ceramics, mixed media work, sculptures, drawings, and more. Elvis Rodriguez is sharing a pair of sculptures that evoke religious themes in their titles and forms. One of Rodriguez’s pieces is named “Censer” and includes a cross-shaped armature from which a gritty sculpture made up of metal, nylon, and plaster hangs. Elena Carranza’s work is made up of enthralling mixed media paintings and drawings executed on torn and shaped cardboard. The body is central in these pieces and there are also hints of the maker’s art historical interests and reference points. Sam Lowder is exhibiting a series of “Flesh Vases” that meld traditional thrown forms with bulging organic bases, creating dramatic and dynamic tensions.
Exhibitor Alexander Tum is sharing impressive sculptures that span the gallery from floor to ceiling and powerfully explore generational trauma and his Cambodian background. Asked what he hopes viewers take away from seeing the exhibition, Tum answers, “Phantom Pains was born out of a shared zeitgeist we have jokingly dubbed the ‘RIC Aesthetic’: visceral and grungy, yet still concerned with beauty. Our works contain intimate personal narratives but are connected by the universal experience of being a body. The title Phantom Pains references the tradition of the artist preoccupied with darker themes; the next generation will always inherit and interpret their own evil.”
The exhibition was originally conceived as a two person show featuring Elvis Rodriguez and Alexander Tum but grew into a larger affair featuring classmates who create complimentary work. Student shows in the Chazan Family Gallery require a faculty sponsor and Sculpture professor Bill Martin stepped in to endorse this program. The students’ proposal was reviewed by a faculty committee and approved, giving all of them some real world experience in the makings of an exhibition. They also commissioned a peer who is studying Digital Media at the college to produce one of the promotional posters for the event.
Exhibitor Crickett Fisher’s work in the show consists of drawings, prints, and a piece of carved plywood. In her images on view, the body is shown in fragments and illustrated with great detail and care. Speaking of her experience, Fisher, whose father is longtime RIC art professor Richard Fisher, says, “People outside the RIC art department may not know how strong the program is: the professors are excellent and the facilities are pretty sophisticated, too. Students come from various backgrounds and in many cases are at different stages in life, and this makes for a strong sense of community and mentorship. Still, it’s a special thing to have a class that’s as in tune with one another as this one is– it’s exciting and humbling to have such a talented peer group.”
At the recent opening of Phantom Paints, students and faculty mingled with the five exhibitors and visitors from beyond the college community. A packed event, it illustrated how exciting contemporary art can be and how many conversations around ideas and craft can be sparked by engaging artworks and passionate artists. The students and staff who coordinated this exhibition should be praised for the work they have created and the show they have curated.
If this select exhibition of works by Rhode Island College seniors is indicative of what the next generation of the state’s artists will bring to the scene, then there is much to be excited about. Thoughtfully made and narratively charged artworks are on display in an exhibition that could be as at home in a high end commercial gallery setting as it is in this on campus exhibition venue. All five of these student artists should be on the radar of those interested in the future of art in the Ocean State.
Phantom Pains is on view in the Chazan Family Gallery in Rhode Island College’s Alex and Ani Hall through March 5. Rhode Island College is located at 600 Mount Pleasant Avenue in Providence and the gallery is accessible during regular campus hours.
Michael Rose is a multi-talented fine art professional based in Southern New England. Since 2014 he has served as the gallery manager at the historic Providence Art Club, one of the nation’s oldest arts organizations. Through his current freelance work he advises collectors and artists, provides appraisal services, teaches, and completes curatorial projects.
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