EXPLORE. SHS AP Art students climb through the Contemporary Arts Center (CAC) on their first field trip of the year. On Saturday, August 19, Mrs. Kathy Ferguson’s AP Studio and AP 3D students visited the CAC to view specific exhibits that will serve as inspiration for future art projects. This year’s AP theme is “Identity,” and students were supposed to use what they learned at the museum as an inspiration point for their art. “I wanted students to be exposed to contemporary art because it is what is happening now, and you don’t have that many opportunities to see it. The CAC has major shows, so this gives you the chance to see pieces you typically would have to go to New York to see,” Ferguson said.

POSE. Lavanya Konda, 12, contemplates with a clown at the art exhibit of Ugo Rondinone. Rondinone created the exhibit “let’s start this day again.” It consists of 45 lifelike clowns representing different solitary actions such as “breathe,” “sleep,” “meditate,” and more. “I liked how realistic they appeared; I honestly thought one of them was going to jump up when I walked by,” Konda said.

ILLUSTRATE. Mary Sue Markey, CAC tour guide, explains the exhibit to SHS students next to a light bulb. The exhibit was painted in rich colors, which were meant to transform the perception of the gallery space. “Other than that, I loved how much thought Ugo put into the clowns and lightbulb to strip them of their individuality,” Konda said.

INSPIRATION. Jiin Woo, 12, observes the portraits of Njideka Akunyili Crosby, a Nigerian artist who uses special techniques to integrate magazine clippings into her artwork, blending western techniques with African textiles. The exhibition, “Predecessors,” delves into Crosby’s relationship with her identity through a domestic setting.

IDENTITY. The idea of the relationship between merging western influence with other cultures is further explored through Jane Benson’s exhibition “Half- Truths.” The shredded, merged, and woven flags shown reflect the struggles many refugees go through when they are geographically separated from their families. Her work is based on a true story of two Iraqi brothers who escaped Baghdad in 2002 and now live on the opposite sides of the world.

BALANCE. Benson utilizes precariously balanced instruments, half western and half eastern, to further explore her concept. She uses video to show the two brothers playing duets in their separate homes (Germany and Bahrain). The hybrid instruments give the viewer a sense of tension, which reflects the current plight of refugees around the world.