Thesis by creation
Now we know it’s true: Toothpaste, chicken parts, sheetrock, and sushi rice can be the stuff of art. “Oh, Pioneers!” is the proof. This year’s exhibit of thesis work by graduating seniors in the Department of Visual and Environmental Studies (VES) is on display through May 26. The art seems edgy, daring, surprising, and courageous — just the right qualities for young artists about to enter the world of work. It’s a good time to try to break through as an artist, observed VES studio arts Professor Annette Lemieux, who brought her cocker spaniel to the show’s April 29 opening at the Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts. “Everyone’s broke,” she said. “The playing field is flat.” Nearby, Julia A. Rooney ’11, a VES concentrator, stood near her installation in the Sert Gallery. “True, it is one of the more risky and volatile careers,” she said of art. “But VES gives you a...