Sometimes we wish that we could go back to our Kindergarten days – the times where our lives were filled with tag, slides, hide and seek, nap time and coloring outside of the lines. As college students, we are constantly holed up in the library or in our rooms with our heads in books as the world outside of us grows and blossoms. To live life without stopping to smell the roses would be a downright shame.
Arts & Sciences senior Jessica Riehl, from Milwaukee, Wisconsin is able to bring the joy of nature and childhood that we so dearly miss into a quirky and mystical B.F.A Thesis Exhibition that simply radiates fun.
Open until May 3 from 1 to 4 p.m daily, “Luminous Moments and the Curious Mind” will be available for viewing. Rather than filling a blank room with confusing abstract art pieces, Riehl utilizes rice paper, light, printmaking and sculptural elements to bring attention to simple moments.There is a real beauty in the simple moments of falling leaves or animals around us that our fast-paced world often causes us to overlook.
“I hope to illuminate small joyful moments that happen every single day (usually which go unnoticed) in a way that shines out like a memory” Riehl said in her brochure.
One of the most memorable installations is “The Salix Tree,” a 15-foot towering piece in the center of the main gallery room. The tree, a product of Riehl’s Creighton University College of Arts and Sciences Undergraduate Research Scholarship of 2012, is a fantastical creation to behold. The soft leaves of the tree are reminiscent of childhood book classic “The Giving Tree” and the surrounding rice paper umbrellas and light boxes give guests the feeling that they have entered the land of elves and fairies.
While the typical stuffy art galleries plaster their walls with, “Look, don’t touch,” that infamous motto is completely thrown out the window in Riehl’s exhibition. Riehl warmly invites guests of the exhibit to contribute their fingerprint to a colorful watercolor piece. In the back of the gallery white balloons scattered on the floor evoke memories of playing in ball pens, a noteworthy childhood moment of being completely carefree.
Despite any organic chemistry tests or philosophy essays students may be busy with, taking a break and stepping into the imaginative world of Riehl’s art will surely elicit a new sense of appreciation for the world around us, the simple experiences that make up our lives, and put the breaks on our fast-paced lifestyles.