EC Art Student Max Martin to Host Reception for Senior Exhibition
EUREKA, Ill. — On Friday, Eureka College senior Max Martin will host an opening reception of new artworks called “By Trial and Error” in Burgess Memorial Gallery from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
“By Trial and Error” is an exploration of the ritual of art making and individuation, which includes mixed media paintings that use color and shape to evoke emotional themes of becoming and absence.
Martin is an art and sociology/psychology double major from Philo, Illinois. He will graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in May 2020. His senior exhibition is the culmination of the art major at Eureka College, and his first solo show. His art has previously been featured in Impressions Magazine, an EC art and literature publication, and placed in MCAC’s Amateur show.
“By Trial and Error” is more about the process and act of creating art than about any focused subject. It began as a meditation — a search for self — and progressed into the language of artistic engagement.
Early paintings in this show were made as an attempt to reconcile conflicts within the self. This is reflected in the competing elements and rigid symmetry. However, as the work progressed, compositional elements in the paintings were simplified and the emotion was harnessed into single brushstrokes.
These later paintings, while made with less intention, hold a greater emotional weight than those that came before. Emotion was no longer a limiting factor, but one of mediation. The finished product held in Burgess Gallery can be viewed as a tapestry of progress, achieved through communication between artist and subject.
For more information, contact EC professor and Chair of Arts and Education Rhea Edge at 309-310-7283.