Chapman’s Studio BFA seniors are pleased to announce their final group exhibition featuring works by: Lauren Potts, Tanya Lueck and Monica Beyon starting on Monday, April 20 and continuing through Friday, April 24.  Opening reception will be on Monday, April 20, 6 – 8 p.m. at the Chapman University Guggenheim Gallery. Snacks and refreshments will be served, and live music will be provided by local band: Nightair.
EKHO:
The myth of Echo and Narcissus tells the tragic tale of a cursed nymph who falls for a self-absorbed young man. Echo could only speak by repeating the words of another and was able to express her love for Narcissus only after he proclaimed his love for himself. As Narcissus wasted away in front of his own reflection, Echo chorused every loving phrase he spoke to himself, watching in vain as the object of her affections passed away as a result of his own self-obsession.

The title of this small group exhibition is a commentary on the ego: of artist, self, viewer, and cultural context. The works displayed echo the creator’s self-image, their immediate surroundings, and the process of creation and reflection. Each piece, though visually very different, speaks to the artist’s concerns with ideas of self, identity, and role of the artist.

Beyon’s video work is a visual loop of her personal investigation into the physical creation of art, and questions the artist’s role in the making of their work. Monica makes public the very personal process of creation. Lueck’s figurative sculpture and painting serve not only as self portraits, but also create a contemporary dialogue between two traditional forms of art as each image of the artist forms its own identity. Tanya’s self-aware artwork asks what the artist’s role is in the creation of visualized internal discourse. Potts’s looming red cup altar is a physical representation of the subculture surrounding her campus, commenting on and reflecting the “worship” of drinking by university students and organizations. Lauren’s literal glorification of the popular drinking vessel serves as a physical interpretation of the obsession many students have with party culture.

This exhibition makes a case for the integration of art and life, artist and ego, and content and form. The repetition found in the thousands of red cups, looping video frames, and physical forms is a testament to the importance of reflection in the process of creation. Reflect. Create. Echo.

About the Artists:

Lauren Potts is a California native currently working out of Orange County. She’s deeply fascinated with conversations between man, nature, and pop culture and explores her ideas in a variety of mediums including installation with reusable materials, oil and acrylic painting, photography, and sculpture. Her work leading up to her senior show is most concerned with exposing college’s binge drinking subculture. Potts has exhibited work at several group shows in Los Angeles and on campus at the Guggenheim Gallery.
Lauren’s website can be found at: lpotts.com

Tanya Lueck was born and raised in Sattelite Beach, FL, and moved to California in 2011. She has exhibited work at the American Museum of Ceramic Art and participated in several group shows at Chapman’s Guggenheim Gallery. Her recent work focuses on both internal and external exploration, often dealing with enigmatic subject matter such as the cosmos, consciousness, or an investigation of self. She is constantly experimenting with different forms of media, but recently her work has taken the form of figurative clay sculpture and notably colorful oil paintings. Her work can be viewed at tanyalueck.com

Monica Beyon has lived in California since the age of seven. Monica has has repeatedly explored the concept of repetition and the human body in her works. She has participated in numerous shows at the Guggenheim Gallery in Chapman University. Recently, she has started to explore a new medium: video. Monica is currently in the process of transforming the aesthetic of her art practice, with a focus on exploring the limitations of the human body. She is excited to challenge the limitation of postmodern art and redefine her practice every day