The University at Buffalo Art Gallery, Center for the Arts, in collaboration with UB’s Department of Visual Studies, is excited to present Noncommittal: A Prospective Glance 4, an annual exhibition celebrating the exceptional work of recent graduates from the Department of Visual Studies’ BFA and BA studio programs. The three artists in this exhibition—Dara Gildner, Yingri Guan, and Erin Kuhn—were selected based on the high quality of their work, their depth of vision, and how they each, in their own way, visualize a range of approaches to scientific phenomenon from the esoteric to data gathering. The exhibition opens with a public reception in the Second Floor Gallery on Thursday, January 24, 2013, from 5 to 7 pm. The artists will be in attendance.
As a young home-schooled child from Grand Forks, North Dakota, Dara Gildner grew up with frequent visits to the nearby Native American reservation to learn about their culture and practices. This instilled in her a deep respect for the environment and an awareness of the creatures that lived in it, which rooted in her a need to take care of what was around her. When she moved with her family to Western New York, she started sketching, drawing, and doing guided research on specific imagery, including horse riding and deafness.
Yingri Guan received her Bachelor’s degree from University at Buffalo (2012) with a double major in mathematics and art with a concentration in communication design. Her current work focuses on visualizing complex data in different systems by applying mathematical theories and equations. Guan combines mathematical reasoning, design aesthetics, and computational methods to interpret information through a subjective perspective. Her research concentrates on the way in which reality is perceived. By pursuing new ways to analyze and interpret information, she is seeking alternative ways of presenting information and therefore promoting a multitude of understanding.
Erin Kuhn’s work is to be seen through the lens of commonly felt emotions. These emotions are constantly changing just as the moon changes in the sky. They are always there, even if we can’t see them. We can feel them hanging over our heads in darkness and in light. In her print imagery and techniques she expresses the unnamable—faces and expressions of hands clawing at open mouths trying to pull out words and sounds that cannot be heard. This is a vision of her body channeling an inferno of silent screams.