PHOTO BY EMILEE BERRY “Farmer’s Lambo” is one of the pieces in Jeriah Dunk’s senior art show, which explores the colliding worlds of smalltown Iowa and California, his home.
PHOTO BY EMILEE BERRY Kayla Vetter busily prepares for her art show, Not Your Typical Dream, which opens on Friday, March 24.
Northwestern art majors Jeriah Dunk and Kayla Vetter will be showcasing some of their work in their upcoming senior art shows.
Dunk is a graphic design major. The title of his show is Midwest Coast.
“All of my pieces communicate the tension and push-pull between California and Iowa,” Dunk said.
Dunk’s work is a combination of works that he has been making throughout his time at NW. It is the culmination of approximately three years of effort and learning. As an aspiring rapper, Dunk attributes much of the inspiration for his art to other musicians and artists.
“Kehinde Wiley … He’s a fine artist who does realistic oil paintings of urban people in classical scenes,” Dunk said.
Because NW’s graphic design program combines graphics and fine arts, Dunk’s work is a combination of media forms. The show will include computer-generated and manipulated graphics and photos, paintings, drawings and even sculptures.
One of Dunk’s favorite pieces, “Continuum,” is his newest album artwork that will be featured on a collage of album art he’s created. His work is about bringing two cultures together. The culture he grew up in and the culture that he lives in now are often juxtaposed, but for Dunk they have been brought together through art and music. Those who attend Dunk’s show will be offered a tangible depiction of his connection between cultures.
Following the closing of Dunk’s show, fellow art major Kayla Vetter will display her work in her own senior art show. Her show is titled Not Your Typical Dream, and its themes focus on an abstract interpretation of trees.
“I’ve always been fascinated by the idea of trees … the significance within a tree and how we use it,” Vetter said.
Vetter’s art attempts to capture the life and importance found within trees and what they represent. She began conceptualizing the idea for her show in the spring of 2013, then continued to refine her ideas over the summer and started working hard on her pieces throughout the fall semester. Media forms used by Vetter in the show include printmaking, painting and photography. Most of the images are black and white. Vetter’s personal favorite pieces include two paintings that prominently feature imagery of trees and wooden instruments.
Both shows will be held in the Te Paske Art Gallery. Midwest Coast opens at 7 p.m. on Friday, March 21, and Not Your Typical Dream opens at 7 p.m. on March 24.
