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PAGE 6 FEATuRES / APRIL 12, 2012
kATHLEENRAMIREz
features editor
After nearly two years, Master
of Fine Arts student Lauren
Yandell is finally ready to
show the public her handiwork.
Located on the first
floor of the Center for the
Arts, Yandell’s exhibit is currently
on display in the Weil
Art Gallery and will be up until
later this month.
The Master of Fine Arts
in Studio Art degree track
is a three-year long program
that Texas A&M University-
Corpus Christi offers. As
part of the Master of Fine
Arts (MFA) program, students
are required to create
and organize their own art
show, which takes place after
three years, upon completion
of the program. A collective
body of work centered around
one main theme, each exhibit
displays artwork that is consistent
in content and something
that the artist has been
working to build upon for
three years.
Entitled Fluxus, Yandell
has chosen the Latin phrase
Art
from the
heart
meaning, “to flow,” as the
name of her show. Fluxus is
composed of drawings, paintings
and a sculptural installment;
all of which Yandell has
spent the past two years working
on. Yandell, who prefers
mixed medium in her work,
uses a variety of materials such
as oil and acrylic paints, spray
paint and wooden panels.
“My style is based on the
idea of recycling matter; organic
forms that morph into
other little organisms and
shapes. Things come into and
out of life, but the building
Fluxus
“My style is based on the idea of recycling matter; organic forms that
morph into other little organisms and shapes. Things come into and out of life, but the building blocks stay here, the whole ‘matter isn’t created of
destroyed’ idea.”
blocks stay here, the whole
‘matter isn’t created or destroyed’
idea,” Yandell said.
Many of Yandell’s paintings
contain repetitive elements.
Scorpion tails, crab
claws, scissors, birds, ears and
flowers are some of the more
common subjects you can find
in her art. The idea of some
sort of struggle or fight occurring
within her art is another
popular element Yandell likes
to depict, as is the side-view
setup she likes to paint her
subjects in.
“These are more consis-
tent in my art, and each have
a little symbolism. They have
somehow been incorporated
in my work because they have
a specific meaning to myself.
It’s not a general meaning for
society, but something that is
specific for me,” Yandell said.
“Usually there’s some kind of
struggle going on in the work,
little fights, kind of like a
quick-fix thing.”
Yandell has been interested
in art ever since she was a
little girl and even painted all
throughout high school. Prior
to coming to A&M-Cor-
ZACH ZARDER- ISLAND WAVES
Master of Fine Arts student LaurenYandell put together an exhibit that portrays her view on matter not being created or destroyed.
pus, Yandell was pursuing a
graphic design degree at Texas
State, but soon realized that
she would rather teach art.
“I thought I wanted to
do graphic design, so I was
getting a degree in graphic
design, and I had a professor
who encouraged me to also
get a degree in Studio Art and
Painting,” Yandell said. “I got
two degrees, and I decided I
didn’t want to do graphic design
and I’d really like to teach
at a four-year university.”