Surface Tension

August 26, 2025 - October 2, 2025

Venue:
Lionel Rombach Gallery, 1031 N. Olive Road
Start Time:
10:00AM
Info:

Reception: Thursday, Sept. 4, 4-6 p.m.

Eight School of Art graduate students will showcase their work in “Surface Tension” from Aug. 26 to Oct. 2 at the Lionel Rombach Gallery.

The exhibition features the work of Arshia Amin, Aubrey Behrens, Molly Etchberger, Steven Gray, Alexis Joy Hagestad, Angelica Jones, Porter Norton McDonald and Eden Squires. The show is the culminating event of the Spring 2025 Interdisciplinary Graduate Critique Class, taught by Assistant Professor of Practice Yana Payusova.

Exhibition statement

What is the boundary between one object and another? How do we distinguish between the viewer and the artist, or between the surface of an artwork and its inner workings? In an era defined by observation and diminishing privacy, these questions highlight a persistent tension in our lives. This exhibition explores the space in between where artwork exists as both subject and witness. 

This exhibition brings together a diverse range of practices that interrogate communication, facades, and their existence across psychological and geographic territories. Across media, the artists engage with themes of surveillance and exposure in a setting where boundaries are increasingly blurred. These works propose a deeper awareness of the spaces we occupy, the systems that mediate them, and the forces that shape our perceptions.

Exhibition checklist

Arshia Amin: “Steeping Identity” (2025), Transparent acrylic tubes filled with brewed tea and tea leaves

Angelica Jones: “Shadows of Reflection” (2025), Oil on canvas

Molly Etchberger

Porter McDonald: “The Book of Mongō” (2025), Stoneware, glaze, underglaze, acrylic

Steven Gray: “Jupiter Hurling Thunderbolts at the Vices (1-3)” (2025), Lenticular Photographs

Eden Squires: “Detour” (2025), Steel, aluminum, spray paint electronics

Alexis Joy Hagestad: “Section 17(b): Land eligible for leasing” (2025), Archival pigment print, plastic felling wedges, steel cable choker

Aubrey Behrens: “Transience” (2025), Wire

What Do You See?

What Do You See?

Utvista Galiante
Tailgate Party

Tailgate Party

Roger Masterson
Floral Arrangement

Floral Arrangement

Janessa Southerland
I fell down some stairs

I fell down some stairs

Lyle Emmerson Jr.
Half Off Special

Half Off Special

Wilbur Dallas Fremont