Liz Davis, Kate Fitzgerald, Will Roberts and Dominique Tuff Senior Thesis Exhibitions
November 2, 2020
Xavier University and the Department of Art are pleased to announce Thesis Exhibitions by four Senior Art Majors: Elizabeth Davis, Sculpture, Kate Fitzgerald, Fibers, William Roberts, Graphic Design, Dominique Tuff, Graphic Design/Printmaking. The exhibition dates are November 6-20, 2020.
Choose Your Weapon is an exhibition created by Elizabeth Davis showcasing a series of weapons used by Samurai in Japan's Edo period. Her art focuses on different weapon types, exploring sculpture through metal fabrication techniques to create props made of steel. This type of fabrication allows for realistic looking weapons based on their unique cultural background.
Kate Fitzgerald presents I’m With Her; Head to Toe - a collection of wearable art outfits that each represent a part of the environment that must be protected. With the environment in mind, it was important for her to use mediums that were as sustainable as possible and materials that were second hand or recycled. By using scrap and recycled materials the artist was able to bring new life to outfits, representing the new life Mother Earth needs to survive and thrive. As the artist states, “I’m with Her, and you should be too.”
Will Roberts presents Foundation - an exhibition that intertwines architecture and poetry as it tells a story of uncovering true identity. His work incorporates an architectural installation, audio spoken word poetry, and various pieces that tell a story and replicates a real-life experience. Roberts combines two different art forms that figuratively complement each other to portray their impact on his life. He hopes that viewers develop their own thoughts about how architecture and poetry impacts them.
Back to Black is a presentation by Dominique Tuff about restoring the confidence of Black women when it comes to their perception of beauty. As a dominant cultural paradigm, race can be conceptualized as the social construction of whiteness as normal and standard, while non-whites are categorized as other. Euro-centric beauty standards are a focus on European or Caucasian culture that has been elevated around the world as the ideal. Through printmaking and graphic design, her exhibit analyzes what people think is attractive versus what isn’t for Black women and their skin tone, body types, and natural hairstyles/textures. Her exhibition also seeks to identify the impact that insecurities and disparities of Euro-centric beauty standards have been on Black women in America.
