Senior Exhibits 2012

Artist Statement
I make artwork that focuses on the aspects of life that are important to me, and that I feel in some way can be important to others. This series of works looks at both the emotional and physical trials of being someone diagnosed with a life-long illness. This theme, that until this series has rarely shown itself in my work, has been a constant part of my life as someone who has been diagnosed with a chronic disease. This show is titled Routine Checkup and it communicates my own experience of being humiliated and de-humanized by doctors, nurses, and technicians for so long that it has simply become a routine.
The idea of feeling inhuman is a theme that progressed as I worked on this series. Therefore, I decided to use abstracted figures that create an almost Surrealist take on the human figure. I did this to express the monstrous nature of what it feels like to be a medical oddity. I used a wide variety of lines that are extremely chaotic in their quality to represent the fear and anxiety that occurs when someone is going through medical testing. I felt it was important to note the alienation or idea of loneliness that can come with the territory of being a long-term patient, so I kept the backgrounds un-descriptive and atmospheric. Black and white was the main color theme used in this series to demonstrate the sterile nature of the medical environment. Throughout each piece there are hints of color, symbolizing the thin attachment one has to their humanity throughout this process.
Although I have touched on personal experiences in other pieces, I hope that by producing these works I can continue growing and exploring these ideas in a variety of media. I wanted to explore the idea of self-identity by looking at the experiences that have led me to who I am as a person. As someone who has gone through multiple diagnoses, treatment, and testing from an early age I wanted people to not only understand my own personal take, but to relate to the discomfort and pain anyone goes through in these situations. I made visual references to moments that actually occurred, such as being held down by nurses during examinations. I also felt it was important to touch on the idea of side effects, as there is no medication without one, and they often loom over the patient’s subconscious. An example of this is the rotting of teeth that can occur from many different oral medications.
By using my own life, this series represents my physical and emotional hardships with the medical community. By picking a media that relies on line and little color the work is an aggressively dark take on what it means to live with an illness, or chronic pain. We try not to let our bad experiences define who we are, but inevitably they will always be a part of us.

[3] Routine Checkup

Artist Statement
Family and food are essential to everyone’s lives. Family is the foundation of who we are as people, it’s our background, and without our family we wouldn’t exist. Food is also important to maintaining our health and wellbeing, without it you can’t continue to live. But to me, family and food are more than those things. My family has always been important to me, they’re the people I can always rely on through thick and thin and I know that they love me for who I am, and I also love them for who they are. Food has always been a passion of mine. For as long as I can remember I have looked forward to helping my mom cook for family gatherings and holidays. I also remember being at my grandmother’s house, wondering what delicious meal she was going to whip up for dinner. Cooking has always been important to the women in my family and something we could all relate to each other with. The purpose of my senior show was to combine these two very important aspects of my life into one.
Like my passion for food, I am also passionate about photography. I enjoy being able to capture a moment in time or a special memory through the camera lens. Over the past year I have discovered the perfect combination of my two passions through food photography. I decided to photograph food that the women in my family were known to cook for holidays, birthdays, and get-togethers. I used recipes that were from my two great-grandmothers, two grandmothers, aunt, mother, and myself. For my process I collected many different recipes that these women cooked and decided which ones meant the most to me and also which ones worked the best formally. I then gathered dishware and silverware that belong to my family members to use in my photos. I chose to use natural lighting in all of my photos because I think it makes the food the most appealing to the average viewer. I wanted the food to look like something that everyone could have at his or her family gatherings. This would not have been portrayed this way if studio lighting had been used. Unlike most food photography, I stayed true to the recipes and didn’t add anything artificial to enhance the food or make it easier to photograph.
When creating these photographs I wanted the images to evoke in the viewers their memories of family gatherings or the family members that were important to them. Because many of my best childhood memories include the food that we ate and the women that cooked it, I wanted the viewer to remember their own similar memories. I also wanted to create these works in order to preserve the memories that I have of these dishes and women. Most of the women that cooked these recipes are no longer alive or are unable to cook, so through these photographs I wanted to preserve their recipes and the memories around them.
Katie Hawkins
November 2012

[7] Aunt Pam's Tator Tot Casserole

[8] Katie's Lemon Blueberry Pie

[2] Granny's Angel Food Birthday Cake

Artist Statement
Until recently, I found myself torn between two different worlds, one of science and one of art. My initial interest in science is directly correlated with growing up in a healthcare-based family. Even as a toddler I enjoyed helping my father at his Chiropractic office by taking patients by the finger and walking them to their designated exam rooms as well as having memorized all of the scientific names of the bones in the human skeleton. Also, throughout high school and college, I spent many summers and off-days helping my father with everything from auto accident paperwork to patient physical therapy. In a way, I grew up in his office and due to that, I developed an interest.
 I first knew that something was different about me when I entered middle school. Not only did school prove a lot more difficult for me than other children due to a learning disability but I was also bullied quite extensively. It seemed like the more I tried to fit in, the more the other kids pushed me away. By the end of those three years I had decided that instead of trying to fit in, I wanted to be as different from everyone else as I possibly could. When I entered high school, I developed an interest in art. I found that I was able to channel my emotions and direct them into a passion that allowed for a creative release. I thrived on my ability to be creative and was voted “most unique” my sophomore year and runner-up for “most artistic” my senior year. Art became the cornerstone of who I was as well as who I wanted to be but I still had a place in my heart for the sciences.
The untimely death of my cousin Josh on November 11, 2011 was a huge turning point in my life. As my family and I have been recovering over this past year, I have been doing extensive amounts of self-reflection as well. His passing allowed me to assess myself for who I really was and what I really wanted out of life. He made me realize that my happiness was the only thing that really mattered and art facilitated that happiness. It was through his passing that I was able to truly reflect on what was really important. My collection, “Creative vs. Creation” is dedicated to him and the countless others dealing with depression and anxiety as well as to those in the lives of the individuals struggling as well.
In my collection “Creative vs. Creation,” I was able to join my love for science with my love for art in a way that raises awareness for the prevention of suicide. Each of my pieces represents a different stage of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. In my opinion, we can never truly accept the loss of a loved one, which is why there is not a piece of artwork for acceptance. I selected my color pallet and subject matter to resemble x-rays to pay homage to the science-lover in me as well as to suggest the importance of individuals showing how they feel on the inside on the outside. What is on the inside is the most important. Each work calls for the struggling individual to seek help as well as the individuals around that struggling person to reach out to them.
To create my series, I did a paper-mache technique on large pieces of foam core board to create texture and after the boards dried, I painted them white. Next, I created a design in Photoshop and printed it to make a stencil. I sprayed gray and black spray paint over each of the stencils to create my design. My primary goal was to achieve a propaganda-style design through simplicity and directional titles to advocate the awareness and prevention of suicide by combining my love for science with my love for art. 
Mixed Media

[3] Bargining

[2] Happy Birthday, Mr. President

Artist Statement
Working in textiles is my passion. I love the tactile quality, the luscious colors, and the traditional aspect of cloth and thread. I’m enchanted by the feel of fabric in my hands. The process is continually exciting and satisfying, so time flies by while I stitch at my sewing machine.
I work from photographs, which allow me to capture a fleeting scene. The light, mood and environment can change in an instant; photography enables me to record the moment, ensuring inspiration for new artwork from the images. The melding of photography and stitching empowers me to work with enthusiasm, bringing subject matter of interest to me, to the viewer in a unique framework.
Making art is part of me and working creatively makes my heart sing. I’m inspired by the simplicity and beauty of nature. Trees, fields, wildflowers and vines often find their way into my work. I’m drawn to structures such as old barns, stone fences and old homes because they exude character and history. Capturing the environment and mood of a scene in natural light is magic. The appealing simplicity of these scenes gives me a feeling of contentment and peace. My enthusiasm for such subjects aligns me with the Regionalist Movement. I am especially drawn to Andrew Wyeth’s work because he communicates deep feelings for place and subject. His love of the simple beauty in his surroundings is evident in his art.
The Sapelo Island Barn Series is a collection of images I was drawn to photograph. I don’t question this powerful attraction; I allow myself to explore and record scenes as they unfold. It is my most productive way of working and I am rarely disappointed with the outcome. The excitement builds as I make decisions on images and thread colors to choose, bringing the viewer into the scene as I stitch.
I plan to continue a related series incorporating Sapelo Island’s other structures and natural beauty, highlighting the intriguing effects of time and the elements on the surroundings.
My hope is that people take as much pleasure in viewing my work as I do in creating it.

Senior Exhibits 2012

Items in this collection

[3] Routine Checkup

[7] Aunt Pam's Tator Tot Casserole

[8] Katie's Lemon Blueberry Pie

[2] Granny's Angel Food Birthday Cake

[3] Bargining

[2] Happy Birthday, Mr. President

[1] Barn at Chocolate Sapelo Island, Georgia

[2] Sapelo Island Barn Weathered Door

[3] Sapelo Island Barn Window II

[6] Sapelo Island Barn Staircase

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Items in this collection

[3] Routine Checkup