“I put these two artists together and called the exhibition ‘Collision,’ because they have some similarities, or some ideas and concepts that are similar in their paintings,” said Cathy Mayhugh, director of exhibitions at the Fitton Center.
“They both are working with some contrasts in their artwork. Both conceptually in the ideas they are presenting, and also visually,” she said, “What I mean by that is in the content of the paintings, there some contrasts between innocence and voyeurism, or adult perspective, things like past and present that are both contained in these artworks, or beauty and discomfort. These things co-exist in both artists’ work.”
She said, visually, the artworks both feature human imagery, or human figures, but they are highly abstracted into highly patterned environments.
“Putting those two things together in the same artwork can be visually jarring, or disturbing and beautiful at the same time,” Mayhugh said.
Specializing in Studio Art at the University of North Texas, Foran is a mixed media artist whose work investigates memory, moral reasoning and identity. Her work is exhibited internationally.
Based in Conway, SC, Cummings is a figurative artist whose work can be found in public and private collections. She has also exhibited her work in solo and group exhibitions throughout the South and Midwest.
“Both of these artists are creating absolutely gorgeous, highly colorful, beautiful paintings, but they really go deeper than the first impression,” Mayhugh said.
Each artist’s works are exhibited in their own space, separated by a hallway, but there are elements that bring the whole exhibition together.
“I think everyone is going to have their own perspective when they view the artwork. I would hope this show would allow people to spend some time with artwork that might be a little uncomfortable and come away with the understanding or idea that sometimes when we’re confronted with or faced with something that is uncomfortable, it’s still worthy of our attention and time, and the discussions that come out of things like this is how we grow and move forward,” Mayhugh said.
SOS’s “Human Rights: Derechos Humanos” will also continue to be on display through Fri., Mar. 11. This portfolio of woodcut prints on “Human Rights” is a project of SOS ART in collaboration with Taller Burro Press in Oaxaca, Mexico. The exhibition consists of 25 prints by 12 artists from Oaxaca and 12 artists from Cincinnati, each addressing one of 12 human rights, and the 25th print, or cover page, was created by Cincinnati area artist Ken Swinson.
Additionally, downstairs in the Community Gallery, there are works from Miami University Regionals’ students that reflect on the theme of human rights.
“The intermediate and advanced drawing students at the Miami University Regionals investigated issues related to cultural appropriation, stereotypes, and human rights during the Fall semester of 2021. We made work concerning the history of Native American culture in Ohio and the Midwest starting with the Northwest Ordinance in 1787 and the Greenville Treaty of 1795,” said Professor Roscoe Wilson from the Department of Humanities and Creative Arts at Miami University Regionals.
He said the work shown was a direct response to a mural that is currently hanging in Rentschler Hall at the Hamilton Campus. The students were tasked with evaluating the mural, updating the imagery to better reflect a more contemporary context. The current works in the Community Gallery will be on view through Fri., Feb. 11.
How to go
What: “Collision” exhibition
When: Now on display through Fri., Mar. 11, 2022. Gallery hours are noon to 7 p.m. Mon. through Thurs. and noon to 5 p.m. on Fridays The galleries are also accessible during public building hours and prior to performances and public events.
Where: The Fitton Center for Creative Arts, 101 S. Monument Ave., Hamilton
Cost: Free
More info: www.fittoncenter.org. Note: Some of the paintings in “Collision” include sensitive content.
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