April 2014

Clemson University in Clemson, SC, Offers Works by Adrienne Lichliter

The Center for Visual Arts at Clemson University, in Clemson, SC, is presenting Restrain, Resensitize, an MFA Thesis exhibition by Adrienne Lichliter, on view in the Lee Gallery, through Apr. 11, 2014. An Artist Talk will be given on Apr. 9, from 2:30-3pm, with a reception held on Apr. 11, from 6-8pm.

The exhibit showcases the MFA creative research and final thesis of printmaking graduate student, Adrienne Lichliter.

Lichliter uses a unique printing process, implementing techniques with wood and copper, allowing for the natural media, the grain, notches, and wearing of the wood as well as the patina finish of the metal, to surface in the work, creating a swarming dynamic of textural intricacies and depth of delicate mark making. She allows the visual effects of the reactive material to work with and against the sensitive marking of her hand to create a conversational push and pull of visual focus and to highlight the rich and quiet vibrancy of the medium.

The artists writes, “The artwork hovers between paradoxes: dissolve and formation, density and void, focal point and dispersion, accident and intention.” By enhancing the viewer’s experience of the essence of the medium in a “modest and restrained aesthetic,” the emphasis shifts from a traditional object-subject matter to a relinquished revelry of the spontaneity and honesty in the mark of the artist’s hand. This is Lichliter’s sincere directive, “[that] there is potency in something that can be comfortably indecisive and unclear. With art that resists assertion and clarity, I hope to re-sensitize the viewer.”

The visual production is a small part of the research and creative development pursued in the two and a half year of a students graduate study in pursuit of a Master of Fine Arts Degree at Clemson University. Students explore concepts, purposes of intent, art historical discourse, personal histories, and new processes, creating a conceptual foundation for their visual work. For the artist, this is an ever evolving and essential process in their creative research.

At the end of each semester the Lee Gallery showcases artwork of undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in the Department of Art academic program. Students are required to present a final thesis of their creative research in a professional exhibition format as part of their degree fulfillment. Artists included in exhibitions are asked to deliver a public presentation about the content, inspiration and historical context of their work to the general public. Artists’ presentations serve to provide the community with an access point for understanding artistic research practice and individual motivations for creating visual art.

Galleries, special exhibits, artwork and/or showcases can be found on the main Clemson campus in our flagship Lee Gallery located in Lee Hall I as well as the Acorn Gallery in Lee Hall II. Throughout campus visitors can also enjoy exhibits showcased at the College of Architecture Arts and Humanities Dean’s Gallery in Strode Tower, Sikes Hall Exhibit Showcase in Sikes, and the Brooks Center for Performing Arts. Gallery showcases off-campus can be found at the Center for Visual Arts - Greenville in the Village of West Greenville, the International Center for Automotive Research (ICAR) in Greenville, the Charles K. Cheezem OLLI Education Center in Patrick Square, and The Madren Center at the Conference Center and Inn both in Clemson.

For further information check our SC Institutional Gallery listings or contact Lee Gallery Exhibits Preparator, Jac Kuntz by e-mail at (jkuntz@g.clemson.edu).

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