2011 University of Montana BFA Senior Thesis Highlights

Adam Lynn - Detail

Check out some of the highlights from this years UM Bachelor of Fine Arts Senior Thesis Exhibition at the Gallery of Visual Arts.  Good work BFA'ers! I would like to tell you to go see all the great works that I didn't photograph, but sadly the show was only up for a terribly short period of time : ( x 1000.

Rachael Jones

Ellie Weber - Let Go

I really liked Hannah Spry's rendition of Little Red Riding Hood

Jose Chavez - "What Some Do For Others" - Detail

Love the surface and character.

Nice landscapes by Riche Carter and a snail by Louis Habeck

Didnt get this guys name but I like the root sound system

El Rico.  The painting skill here is great and the artist statement is one of the best I have ever read by a student

A great little figure. part of the piece title "Shooting at someone who outdrew you" by Rachael Marne Jones

Big truck - vrrooooooom

Adam Lynn - detail

Rachel Marne Jones

Ellie Weber's ceramic sculptures were some of my favorites works in the show.

Hannah Spry

Jose Chavez

Richie Carter

Adam Lynn

Going to Church of the Lost Dog with Greta Rybus

 

Greta Rybus brings us some great photos from The Church of the Lost Dog with Reverend Craig and Sister Debby. This year it wasn't on a Sunday, but it was on a Tuesday! This annual R-I-T-U-A-L took us forward and backward in time and space. We were even visited by the Klingons and Santa Claus himself.  We sung some of our favorite hymns, almost got branded, and all where given a present from Santa (I got a box of those word magnets for your fridge, which are cool but also kind of annoying).  The R-I-T-U-A-L (play) took place at Freecycles and prudently enough Father Time came by to fix his bike.  Fathertime's drunk Irish, spit-talkin' and hilarious father gave us some fatherly advice, and stole the Talisman of Time preventing us from bringing Reverend Craig back from the dead (dont worry, 11 volunteers stole it back).  Mr. Time also let us in on a little secret...and sorry to disappoint but the end of the world isn't gonna happen, no cataclysmic event will force people to change for the better, we are just going to keep going while our personal freedoms get whittled away,  people will keep on polluting and wrecking the planet, and it just keeps on going...thank goodness Santa showed up to raise our spirits after that devastating news.  I used to find church abrasively boring but this church I can get into.

Uh oh, here comes Fathertime's father

More awesome photos by Greta Rybus after the jump

A pickle with Laura Alich

Cornucopia - Laura Alich

Frontier Space has certainly posed Missoula-folk with some good questions since their inception in fall 2010.  I imagine many are walking away a little confused or wanting more, but I have got to hand it to these guys for creating one of the coolest and most thought-provoking galleries since Goatsilk.  This month is no exceptions as New Yoorka Laura Alich swift kicks us in the gut, plays with our minds and makes us laugh. I have a feeling this show is going to be one of the highlights for 2011...yes and pretty much because of the pickle.

Pop! Grid - Laura Alich

I really liked the elegance, simplicity, and freshness of this wall sculpture.

more pics after the jump!!!

mmmmmm good painting - Brandon Reitjes and Nate White

Brandon Reitjes

According to the gentleman at the front desk of A&E architects both of these painters went to the Art Institute of Chitown, and the painting skill is certainly reflective of going to such a prestigious art school.  Each of them certainly know how to handle the medium in there own unique ways.  Brandon Reitjes' pieces contain great surface and layering techniques that give rise to geometric and architectural forms.  Most of the pieces are round, which is generally an uncommon shape for a painting, however I think he makes good use of the roundness here, especially with the asymmetrical placement on the brick walls.

Nate White - detail

Nate White on the other hand has quite a different aesthetic.  White builds the canvas with a fun fierceness that includes many layers of gestural, energetic,  I-don't-give-it-shit-here-is-some-paint-in-your-face-can-you-handle-it styled application. I really like his use of text and other imagery amongst the paint.  At first, I was hesitant about these paintings thinking that maybe they were too out of control or something, but as I felt them a little longer they really grew on me. I encourage ya'll to stop by A&E Architects on Higgins Ave and check these painted gems.

More photos after the jump!!!!

Holy Hell!!

Dood what? Patrick Swayze & James Earl Jones!!! Yeah I am into it! Holy Hell is a group creation featuring Jack Metcalf with colorist Brett Hargesheimer, sound artist Burke Jam, sculptures by Louis Habeck, and a video by Will Hutchinson. The gents provided some real fine visuals and auditorials (yeah made that one up) in the basement of the Top Hat. Yeah there is a sweet gallery down there (so nice i wanna have a show down there too, make sure to check out the gallery in the future!). Metcalf's and Hargesheimer's drawings and prints fluently exhibit tight illustration and are both super serious and hilarious all in one fail slap in the face. Also diggin' Habecks monster and kids bike sculpture.  I am pretty sure it was a one night showing so you can't see it in person, but luckily someone brought a camera...enjoys.

to see it all click more read more...