MFA Thesis Exhibition 2019

Chelsea Dobert-Kehn holds a B.F.A. from George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. Their work exploring queer experience can be read on multiple levels, ranging from humorous to intensely serious. Bodies, queer sexuality, and sense of place are the themes that form the connective threads running through their work.

The inherent playfulness in Dobert-Kehn's work defuses the seriousness of these topics, thereby creating openings for the audience to engage more deeply. Absurd performance, bright colors, loud pattern, and fake fur make for a light-hearted initial read; however, upon spending more time with the work, serious undertones that are difficult to identify begin to emerge. That sense of ambiguity is essential.

Lauren A. Medford, a proud native of Waynesville, NC, holds an A.A.S. degree in Advertising and Graphic Design from Southwestern Community College and a B.F.A. from Western Carolina University. Her work addresses the aesthetics of flamboyance, glamour, and attitude to express “camp” sensibilities of the Diva in popular culture. She explores these ideas by using various materials associated with fashion to create sculptural forms. Medford explains, “Fashion plays an important role in the work through inspiration, material choice, compositions, and aesthetics. DIVA is an installation that creates a sensory experience of Diva campiness through glittery, flamboyant, and mock-glamorous excess.”

David Skinner is a native of Los Angeles, CA who spent two years at the Burren College of Art on a painting residency before moving to Asheville, NC in 2014. He graduated with a BFA in 1986 from the University of California at Santa Barbara where he was awarded the William Dole Award for excellence in painting. After spending 20 years working as a professional artist, he decided to pursue his Master of Fine Arts from Western Carolina University in 2016. His graduate work focuses on figurative imagery and the narrative potential that such imagery conveys. Skinner describes his work as offering “suggestive narratives” which necessitates an interpretive engagement from the viewer. By incorporating antiquated photo references, a bold palette with expressive brushwork, and elements of abstraction, Skinner produces a panoply of visual cues touching on such themes as humankind’s relationship with nature, masculine identity, family legacy, transformation, and alienation.