Art, Art History Department Introduces Annual Senior Exhibition,’impulse’

A multimedia fabric piece is hung to a white pillar beneath black lettering that reads “impulse, Senior Exhibition.” The piece displays a naked muscular person with orange hair. — Albion senior and art and art history major Fox Dionysus’s multimedia piece titled “Bad Dog (Self Portrait).” Dionysus’ work explores themes of “devotion, perseverance, fear and anger, friendship and sexuality and human struggles within society,” Dionysus said (Photo by Ashanti McKnight).

oh Amidst the calm before the (literal) storm, the Art and Art History Department introduced their annual exhibit, with this year’s titled “impulse.”

On March 29, the Bobbitt Visual Arts Center hosted a gallery exhibition displaying works from six senior art majors: Albion’s Fox Dionysus, Samuel Helmbreck and Faith Smith, along with Chicago’s Karolina Kepa, Jackson’s Jayla Oberst and Saginaw’s Amariah Talley-Woodson.

The exhibition included a presentation given by Dionysus, an art and art history double major, titled “El Kazovsky: The Liberating Inclusion of BDSM in Art,” which was heavily inspired by Hungarian painter and performer, El Kazovsky.

“It was very exciting to see an artist who was so genuine in himself and his identity as a nonbinary trans man,” Dionysus said. “He had a very unique take on the human psyche as well as the human condition.”

As unique as Kazovsky’s views were, Dionysus said views towards BDSM today are not so flexible.

“While queer identities are more acceptable to discuss nowadays, sex and BDSM are still highly stigmatized and a subject that many are uncomfortable thinking about or understanding,” Dionysus said. “The fact is unfortunate because of the psychological benefits that researchers and scholars have found that BDSM can provide.”

An art history and earth science double major, Helmbreck used sculpting and paintings to convey pressing themes about our current environmental climate.

“I am interested in sharing potential problems or ways humans may have to adapt to the consequences of anthropogenic practices,” Helmbreck said. “I aim to bring the viewer closer to the reality of environmental disaster and establish thought and conversation about the issues.”

Studio art major Oberst said her work explores the “who, what, why, where and when” of her identity through silkscreen and vibrant colors.

“Each piece becomes a marker of time in my self-discovery of my own mind, exploring how I perceive the world and how my mental health shapes my experiences and emotions,” Oberst said. “The artwork itself becomes a test to see if I can trust my own mind.”

The Munro Gallery will continue to exhibit “impulse” until April 25 within scheduled hours.