14 senior art majors brought their time at Taylor to a close with a senior exhibition titled “Künstlerroman.” The art showcased was a culmination of the artistic brilliance and enthusiasm that the students had developed over their years at Taylor.
The name of the event further explains what visitors could expect. According to scholar James Werlock, “Künstlerroman” is a German word that means "artist novel."
The Künstlerroman is a novel that depicts the development of novelists or other artists into the stage of maturity in which they recognize their artistic destiny and achieve mastery of their artistic craft.
Artistic craft was on full display as the 14 artists filled the Metcalf gallery and outdoor space with artwork ranging from video work to paintings and sculptures.
Interactive elements were present at some of the artist's stations. Flip books told sped-up stories, hollow hemispheres let people view different iterations of the sky that were painted on their insides and belly-shaped sculptures invited viewers to touch belly buttons.
Student artists stood by their work, greeting wellwishers and explaining thought processes. Soft and strong notes of various jazz instruments set the tone for the night, as a quartet played in the balcony overlooking Metcalf.
Sophia Diller, a senior art studies major, had a section that featured a variety of art. Drawings, paintings, poems and flip books were placed in overlapping patterns on the wall.
Diller’s art was placed in random patterns that formed ebbs and swells, reminiscent of leaves on a forest floor. One long hanging piece of art slowly rotated in the corner.
“This long hanging piece is a ‘book’ I made in Orvieto, Italy, that explores my relationship to childhood and adulthood in light of the places I have lived,” Diller said. “The two sides mirror each other with slightly differing attitudes and outlooks on the subject. The book contains oil pastel work, acrylic painting, pen and marker work, and collage.”
She invited people to stop and soak in the experience of being one with her work.
Lynden Hight, a senior studio art major, said that throughout the past four years, she experienced feelings of displacement due to changes in family and friend dynamics. However, amidst these shifts, she discovered a sense of home within the presence of the Lord and the communion of God's people.
She said that her body of work is inspired by Psalm 23, which depicts the home found in God and the promised place in heaven. The artist hopes that these pieces evoke images of tables and moments of communion for the viewer.
In Hight’s section, a table was suspended from the ceiling on taught chains. The table was set for four, with ceramic plates and cutlery laid out in front of the four seatable cardboard chairs that she designed.
A large chandelier hovered above the table, consisting of hundreds of ceramic knives, spoons and forks.
Hight said that her prayer is that people may embrace both the role of being invited to tables and extending hospitality to those in need, becoming both participants and hosts within their own dining rooms, wherever they may be.
“This entire body of work is inspired by the table and home that God provides for us as referenced in Psalm 23, as well as the Last Supper in Matthew 26,” Hight said. “This exhibition emphasizes unity within diversity and an invitation into communion.”
A large painting hung behind the table. Drawing inspiration from the last supper, it featured bold colors, a combination of different materials and a reimagining of the location.
Viewers described it as a “deeply spiritual experience” and remarked that it “touched the soul.” They talked about how they saw different imagery that mirrored Jesus Christ’s redemptive work on the cross.
“This painting was an incredibly last-minute, prayerful piece of work that resulted from years of artistic training in conjunction with devotion to God’s word and scriptural imagery,” Hight said. “My hope for this piece is that it provides the viewer with a bridge into the scriptural account of the Last Supper through a fresh artistic perspective, ultimately extending the invitation that Christ offers us to ‘Come and eat.’”
Senior Quinn Miles, a graphic arts major, had her space created to be an immersive experience that engaged viewers. Reminiscent of her bedroom growing up, it featured an older Mackintosh computer that had a retro design program that invited people to create.
Music posters, custom vinyls and various other works of art dotted the walls of her makeshift bedroom. Her soft, bright red carpet transported viewers to her teenage years, while the revolving logo projected on her wall spoke of her adept CGI skills.
“My gallery space was intended to be an experiential glimpse into past and future—a celebration of both what has been and is to come in my artist’s journey,” Miles said, “I hope to offer viewers a lush visual experience, and one that invites them to interact with the work in a way that sparks wonder.”
“Künstlerroman” was a fitting swan song and the firm bookend to a graduating class of 14 Taylor University art students.
