Exhibition
Location As Character
SVA Chelsea Gallery
601 West 26th Street, 15th floor, New York, NY 10001Reception
Wed, Apr 10; 6:00 - 8:00pm
School of Visual Arts presents “Location as Character,” an exhibition of projects by BFA Cartooning and BFA Illustration students. Curated by Thomas Woodruff, the exhibition will be on view from Friday, April 5, through Saturday, April 20, 2019, at the SVA Chelsea Gallery, 601 West 26 Street, 15th floor, New York City.
What do Barbarella, Captain Nemo, Tom Joad and Ratzo Rizzo have in common? They all make appearances in the drawings, paintings, illustrations and comics in “Location as Character.” The works on view explore the aspects of the setting (the interiors and/or the landscapes) that affect narratives and function as strongly as the characters do in a given text. This has been the fodder of writers, filmmakers and composers for generations. Students researched aspects of atmosphere and architecture in relation to the characters in the story.
With a commitment to excellence dating back to SVA’s founding in 1947, BFA Cartooning helps students develop a point of view and an individual voice as they master the rudiments of line, color and form in a wide range of media. Studies of art history and world cultures are paired with painting, drawing, storytelling and pictorial problem solving, culminating in the production of a portfolio of original work that presents each student's distinct sensibility. Comic books, graphic novels, children's books, editorial cartoons, theatrical posters, figurative art exhibitions, film and television credits and production design all are powerful vehicles for artists' inner worlds and meaningful contributions to a public forum.
BFA Illustration cultivates expert individual voices that are sustained by a high degree of craft, with a curriculum designed to spark the imagination as well as teach the art of interpretation: the ability to carefully read and cross-reference texts, research visual styles and conceptualize and produce significant bodies of work. As they progress through the program, assignments become increasingly professional in nature and reflect the diversity of the illustration marketplace, from media, entertainment and publishing to fashion and toy design, among other fields. Students develop sophisticated, multifaceted portfolios and participate in industry-sponsored competitions, which provide valuable exposure and networking opportunities.
