Art Downtown: Emily Blocker
I stopped in at the CODA gallery during Art Downtown and saw two of Emily’s pieces. I’d seen this top one before in the Kendall Viewbook when I was applying last year, and I’ve seen her work a few times around school. I’ve always admired her intricate work with charcoal—something I’ve struggled with in past. The above work is part of a series of drawings about growing up. She did things she enjoyed as a child and photographed them, then drew them on a large scale.
Recently her work has drawn influence from a group of disabled people with whom she has developed a relationship, focusing on marginalized groups in society as seen in this lithograph below.
Art Downtown: Brittney Drouillard
I had a chance to talk to Brittney Drouillard, who made these vases. She told me they were inspired by her experience with a genetic disease that runs in her family, which is part of what made her interested in art in the first place. I appreciate how the vases are similar, yet different in how the color is applied and in some of the detail work as well . She said that she screen printed on the vases. I was puzzled by this, and she explained that she screen printed onto a piece of newsprint, then transfered that print to the vase. I’ve never seen printing on ceramics before now, and I think that’s awesome. I want to try it now. Right this minute.
So Art Downtown was fantastic and I’ll be sure to go again next year, because it’s great to see all the galleries open and full of local and student artists’ work. As always, thanks for reading, and if you have any feedback or suggestions for what I should write about, email me.