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Gaston students art takes on an edgeComments 0 Recommend 0
November 15, 2009 11:22 AM
Amanda Memrick

Forestview High senior Melissa Olaskowitz used personal experience to create artwork to make others aware of a dangerous type of self-injury.

“I had a friend back in middle school that used to cut herself,” Olaskowitz said.
Her canvas showed someone holding their arm and red and chartreuse colors represented the spilt blood.

A $10,000 grant from McColl Center for Visual Art in Charlotte allowed Advanced Placement art students to create works representing social injustices. Their work will be unveiled during the reception for the opening of Joyce J. Scott’s exhibit in January. Social injustice is one theme that frequents the artist’s work.

The grant provided the school with materials and instruction that aren’t typically available in high school art departments. They used solar etching, beading, stitching and more to create works of art that hinted at social issues without being too bold.

One piece of senior Leah Millsap’s work depicted anorexia with the images of measuring tape used to show the struggles of trying to lose one more inch, Millsap said.
“You don’t always need the big message,” Millsap said. “It doesn’t have to be bold.”

Art teacher Elaine Patterson said the students’ art is meant to pull a person in and hold their attention while still being visually appealing.

“They have learned to create concepts in a new way, a more subtle way,” Patterson said. They’ve learned how to abstract their ideas. They’re learned how to use old materials and new materials in a new way.”

You can reach Amanda Memrick at 704-869-1839.

Site Visit by McColl Center for Visual Art

On November 12, I visited Forestview High School to check in on the status of the NCAC Arts in Education Residencies Grant project. I always love going to visit Forestview because the students are so enthusiastic and engaged. I was able to talk to a few students and hear about how they arrived at their contribution to the project - what thoughtful, articulate stories. I cannot wait to see the final piece - which will be permanently installed at the school in January. While I was at the school, a reporter from The Gaston Gazette was speaking with the students about the project - look for a story soon. Thank you Elaine Patterson and Ginny Boyd for such a wonderful project and for the opportunity to work with such wonderful students! Enjoy the images. - Devlin McNeil, Director of Education & Outreach, McColl Center for Visual Art

Comments from the Project Artist- Ginny H. Boyd

WOW! What a fascinating journey. As the project began, there were many worried or confused expressions on the student's faces. I knew that once the introductions of Joyce J. Scott and Ginny H. Boyd and the demos for all the new techniques were presented it would take a little time for each student to sort through what would work personally for their visual voice on the social issue they wanted to showcase. It was amazing to watch the progress.
The first days of independant work appeared to be students trying "this"and changing their minds to "that". Both subjects and materials were tossed about. When the ideas, concepts and compositions began to come together the students moved about with precision. They collected materials, planned where to use techniques, and composed strong narrative compositions.
From the colors to the images, they realized that each element and principle had to work together to speak about their concern and expose their feeling on that particular issue. It was enlightening. You could feel it in the energy of the room.
The students asked questions that showed their interest and personal attachment to this experience. The icing on the cake for me was when many of the students brought friends by at lunch or afterschool to see their work.
The finished pieces are unique, well developed and composed and the craftsmanship shows the pride each student took in creating their piece.
I would be very amiss it I didn't say something about the wonderful working atmosphere. Ms. Patterson has a great relationship with each of her students and the students willingly and lovingly exchange positive constructive criticism and information with each other. The trust factor and peer input between everyone in the class makes it so easy for all the students to experiment with new ideas and directions.
I can't wait for the time I see these young emerging artists making a name in the art world for themselves.

More textures and layers were added by painting over surfaces with gesso, using a brayer and paint, and added fonts with stamps. Mrs. Boyd showed the students how to use the flat, round peyote stitch method of adding beading. The complexity of the added layers and meanings continued to enhance the overall effect of the quilt pieces.

Embroidery hoops were used to secure the layers of fabric as students added the beadwork and stitched layers together.

Students also created small relief blocks which they used in a repetitive manner to build rhythm within the context of the concept.

Texture became the invitation to the viewer to examine the work more closely and to discover hidden meanings within the textures. Sometimes font were imbedded and sometimes images.

Beading was added in honor of Joyce J. Scott and to embellish the artwork for aesthetic reasons, for emphasis, and for variety of surface treatment. The students reacted very positively to the glitz that was added by beading with metallic beads and to the impact that the beads had on the overall work.

Close up image of a reverse applique where the second piece of fabric is placed underneath the main fabric. An area is cut away and then embroidered so that the viewer looks through the main fabric to the next layer underneath.

Decisions were then made about where and how to add the print to the larger composition. Students could applique, reverse applique, glue down the print, then stitch it on, paint over it, color pencil over it, or any creative idea that would enhance the building of their composition.

Students then inked and printed the plate with colors that would build their chosen color scheme and fit with the concept.

The transparency was place over the solar plate and exposed to the ultraviolet light for 90 seconds, then the plate was submerged immediately under water. The student rubbed the plate clean of all chemicals and exposed the plate for another 90 seconds to harden it.

Students created photographs that dealt with their chosen concepts. A high contrast black and white copy was made of each photograph. A transparency was then made from each copy. From the transparency, a solar plate was created for printmaking. The plate was exposed with an ultraviolet light box. Colored inks were chosen to fit into color schemes. Each student then printed from the plates onto a separate piece of fabric.

Color selection and textures were selected to enhance the chosen subject treatment.

Students created the background for their work directly on the piece of fabric that would become the top layer of the quilt. Breaking the white surface was an encouraging step and helped the student become involved in the aesthetic appeal of the media that would layer the final artwork. Acrylic paint was applied to wet fabric along with a mixture of acrylic gloss varnish, acrylic matt varnish, and water. The resulting "wash" and textures established the color scheme.

Mrs. Boyd and Mrs. Elaine Patterson, the AP Art Teacher, helped each student to develop a design that would be multi-layered, inviting the viewer to enter into the artwork and explore both the images, the ideas, and the possible solutions to each chosen theme. Ideas were as varied as students with topics such as the imbalance of world powers, broken families, effects of physical or emotional abuse, pollution of world resources, addictions, and a host of other issues. Because the topics would be publically displayed within a permanent installation at Forestview, students were encouraged to create images that were more abstract and subtle as they dealt with these difficult topics. Abstraction and layering would be a tool to pull the viewer into the work for a closer look at the issues and a contemplation of possible solutions.

On day one the students heard Christopher Lawing's presentation about Joyce J. Scott and her artwork concerning the theme of social justice. The students took notes and began narrowing down their concepts. Each student chose an idea under the overarching idea of social justice. They narrowed their themes to a topic that was very personal and individually emotionally charged; a topic with which they had personal experience. Working with the visiting artist, Ginny H. Boyd, each student began thumbnailing images and layouts on a 12" x12" paper.