B.F.A. Exhibition 2019

“Lusus Naturae,” meaning freak of nature, became the shared title of our Bachelor of Fine Arts thesis exhibition. While each artist presented an independent body of work with its own title and intent, this phrase unified the exhibition under a single conceptual banner and served as the gallery’s collective branding.

My final semester at university centered on the development and execution of my Bachelor of Fine Arts exhibition in graphic design. I was fortunate to exhibit alongside my longtime friend and an exceptionally talented artist, Ticah. The months leading up to the exhibition were marked by late nights in the studio, mounting stress, and moments of genuine doubt. Sharing the experience with a close friend provided essential support. After long days, we would return to our small apartments, exhausted and overwhelmed, allowing ourselves space to vent, panic, or cry before regrouping and returning to work.

We poured ourselves fully into this exhibition and, most importantly, we finished it.

In the weeks leading up to installation, weekends and late nights were spent framing work and finalizing details. With the help of fellow students and several dedicated professors, the project slowly came together. When installation day arrived, we caravanned to the Gunnison Arts Center in three cars and a truck pulling a trailer. The scale of several pieces required that many hands to transport them safely.

The first piece installed was Ticah’s centipede sculpture. Measuring 10 feet in length, the massive red wooden work required six people to carry it inside. As we carefully mounted it to the wall, working quickly and cautiously to secure it, the entire gallery space shifted. When we finally stepped back, the room felt transformed. I looked at Ticah, who was beaming. We paused for a brief moment before returning to the controlled chaos of installation.

“Lusus Naturae” by Ticah & Bobbie

Celebrating the University Art Department’s emerging artists, this exhibition represents the culmination of research, experimentation, and practice by Bachelor of Fine Arts candidates. The works on display reflect both technical skill and deeply personal inquiry.

Individual Bodies of Work

“Local Aliens” by Ticah

Local Aliens explores the otherworldly beauty of insects and plants through multimedia sculpture. The work examines the minutiae of anatomical structures and highlights the remarkable adaptations these organisms have developed to survive, inviting viewers to reconsider the familiar as alien and extraordinary.

“Temple of Oblivion” by Bobbie

Temple of Oblivion is a mixed-media body of work incorporating graphic design, painting, and printmaking, along side a self published and designed poetry & art book. The series explores liminality, the cathartic nature of art-making, and mental health. Drawing from mythology and arcane imagery, each piece serves as an examination of the psyche and the human processes of navigating life, death, grief, and resilience.