PHOTOS BY EMILEE BERRY Although all of Vander Velde’s pieces explore and shape and function of hands, they are created in many different mediums. These include prints, ceramics, sculptures and a large painting covering one wall of the gallery.
PHOTOS BY EMILEE BERRY Although all of Vander Velde’s pieces explore and shape and function of hands, they are created in many different mediums. These include prints, ceramics, sculptures and a large painting covering one wall of the gallery.
When she was little, Lindsey Vander Velde, a senior double major in art and business communications, loved to draw horses. In fact, it was all she would draw.
But now, years later, Vander Velde has significantly branched out. Her senior art show, which is on display at the Korver Art Center, is the culmination of that branching out. Titled “Applause,” the show is a detailed examination of human hands.
While creating her show, Vander Velde said she was seeking to focus on something that people often overlook in art.
“The product of an artist is credited to the mind which came up with the idea,” she said. “But they disregard the hands that created the piece itself.”
Hands have been fascinating to Vander Velde for a long time. She wanted to create a show in which people would be able to meditate on the unique nature of hands.
“Even though they have similar functions, they are very different,” she said. The playful nature of hands has drawn Vander Velde into creating this show; she used childhood memories like playing Rock-Paper-Scissors and shadow puppetry to inspire her. Vander Velde used a variety of resources in creating her show.
“I didn’t want to be confined to one particular medium,” she said. The show is made up of pieces made of clay, India Ink, foam core, yarn and an entire spectrum of materials beyond that.
Because she enjoys the tactile nature of sculpting, Vander Velde’s favorite medium is clay.
“There is something about the way it can be manipulated,” she said. “If you take too much off, you can add more. I consider it to be more forgiving than other mediums.”
That’s not to say that working with clay is easy.
“It is something that you need to time out right,” Vander Velde said. “It’s pretty touchy.”
The process of creating for Vander Velde is a series of hills and valleys.
“I go through motivated periods where I am feeling artistic buildup where I just need to create something,” she said. “But then there are moments where I go through an artistic lull.”
For students considering studying art or are currently studying it, Vander Velde has this advice to offer: “You need a thick skin. Art is a critical field, and you need to be able to defend your work and stand behind it. If you do not support it, how can anyone else?”
“Applause” opened this past Monday, March 31, and will close tonight. A public reception will be held at 7 p.m. tonight in the Te Paske Gallery.