by Luke Buchanan
In Huber-Speilman hang a number of incredible portraits done by students in Dr. Jeff Shaw’s photography and digital media classes.
“I’ve been teaching here at Capital for years and had good classes, but not like this,” Shaw said in regards to the talent of this semester’s students.
Dr. Shaw described the artwork as postmodern, untraditional works, especially in color and content. The current portraits shown are alter egos.
“Basically they had to present themselves that’s not a typical ‘who they are’ picture,” Shaw said. “It transcends that and they become some other character, and a few of them are just friends of theirs.”
However, this seems more focused than many of Shaw’s other assignments. “The assignments are kind of open,” Shaw said. “I just give them ideas to get them started, and when they start seeing each other’s ideas it grows into a whole new thing. It’s not always portraits, although it is right now.
Sometimes it’s figures or interesting scenery. I’m trying to get them to try things that are unique.
Maybe go off campus, something different than what’s our typical surrounding, so there’s more of a conceptual thought behind it.”
“[Dr. Shaw] always talks about how students always take pictures just around campus or in their dorm rooms, and I’m trying to break free from that whole thing and show a different side of Columbus and just people in general – different ways that people are living or different cultures, things that people aren’t exposed to here at Capital or living in Bexley,”
Taylor Conway, a student in both the photography and digital media class, said. “I’m trying to push those kinds of boundaries, make odd, weird things, things that make people ask questions.”
“I show pictures on the projector all the time, just kind of food for thought,” Shaw said. “Where to find an idea is the hardest part for any artist, so the more they see things that are interesting, the more their minds get going.
When they see something and go ‘That’s cool looking,’ I try to get them to go ‘How’d they do that?’ and help get their ideas from other people.
You can’t really invent the wheel by yourself, but I try to get them to think about what they’re doing.”
Leaving students so much room to move has created some really interesting pieces. “This is the first round of stuff I’ve put up, but I’ve got this many more pieces,” Shaw said.
“We have a lot more images, but at least 40 good enough to be in art shows.”Many of those pieces will be in quickly approaching shows.
“The student art show is coming up in April, so there will be a lot of work in that, certainly,” Shaw said. “That’s in the Schumacher Gallery, and there might be a fountain show, which is an art show and sale. It won’t be directed to just digital stuff.
We did a show last year at a law firm in the Nationwide Arena District, and it’s likely we’ll have pieces there this summer.
Works are always for sale too, and we try to get more stuff up here in the lab and upstairs [in Huber Spielman] on display so people can see it even without attending art shows.”
Shaw is incredibly impressed with the work displayed by the students, and of the pieces which have not been put up. While he gives credit to the talent of the students, he attributes quite a bit of the success to the new lab in which they are working.
“We’ve had photography classes in the past, but they’ve been in the library, and things have been kind of disjointed,” Shaw said.
“I didn’t get a chance to print very many things because it’s expensive to print. The lab really makes a difference.
It just kind of snowballs when they can see each other’s work. When we were in the library it was hard to get around and see each other’s work, but here it’s a good space for people to get ideas from each other. We have a home.”
lbuchanan@capital.edu
