Exhibitions & Events:

Stephanie Diani

Beauty Under Scrutiny
January 6 - February 25

Artist Statement-

I make photographs to tell stories. Whether the tales be factual, as in DAMES: Legends of Burlesque, or fictional, as in Scenes from a Marriage and Man Made God, all of my projects begin with a desire to tell a story and, if possible, to entertain. The topics that I choose are informed by my fascination with aging, relationships, the process of artistic inspiration and the ideal of beauty, be it internal or external. I manipulate shadows and light to obscure and highlight the layers and details of my images. By doing so I hope to invite the viewer into the photo to explore, and to give them the space to have their own response to the subject matter and the subjects.

Artist Bio-

Stephanie Diani is an award-winning photographer based in Los Angeles who, when not exploring a visual theme or storyline on her own, works with editorial, entertainment and advertising clients. Many of her assignments and personal projects develop from an anthropological interest in the people and groups of people around her and a desire to know the “who” and “why” of their lives. Her work has been exhibited nationally and internationally–in the fall of 2011 her series of burlesque dancers was one of the projects chosen for exhibition in the GETXOPHOTO Festival in Getxo, Spain. Her photography has also been featured in Communication Arts, Graphis Photo Annual and Fotoweek DC. She lives in LA with her husband Tim, their dog Cosmo and two cats, Weegee and Simone.

Featured Series-

• DAMES: Legends of Burlesque, An ongoing series featuring women who have been performing burlesque for decades
• Scenes From a Marriage
• Man Made God Faced with writer’s block, man creates God in his own image and worships.

2012 Annual Faculty Show

University of Kansas, Department of Visual Art
February 3 - March 31, 2012

Artists-

Courtney Starrett

RubberMADE
February 3 - March 31, 2012

Artist Statement-

RubberMADE is a collection of objects, interactive and wearable, inspired by the exploration of the mid-20th century American culture of consumerism and processed goods.

The catalyst for this body of work was my curiosity about the history and industrial uses of silicone rubber and the relationship this synthetic material has with a 1950's style post-war "suburban" ranch house. It is this relationship that has fueled the forms, colors and titles of the works in the RubberMADE collection.

Artist Bio-

Courtney Starrett is a jewelry artist, associate professor and coordinator of the jewelry and metals program at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, South Carolina. Starrett discovered jewelry as an art form at the University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kansas, where she earned a BFA. She went on to earn an MFA in Metals/Jewelry/CAD-CAM from Tyler School of Art of Temple University in Philadelphia. Starrett's works have been exhibited across the United States, England, Germany and included in the permanent interactive collection at the Museum of Contemporary Craft in Portland, Oregon. Her art and research have been published in Art Jewelry Magazine, Metalsmith Magazine, 500 Necklaces, 500 Plastic Jewelry Designs (Lark Books) and was featured on the cover of the August 2008 Metalsmith Magazine’s Exhibition in Print. 

Jim Sajovic

Graphic

February 3 - February 25, 2012

Artist Statement-

These works are the result of research from an Independent Artist Residency at the Banff Center for Creativity, Alberta, Canada, in July-August 2010. 

Artist Bio- 

Jim Sajovic was born in Chicago and studied painting at the University of Illinois and the University of Florida.  He is a recipient of a Mid-America Arts Alliance/NEA Fellowship Award in Painting.

Jim Sajovic’s works are held in public and private collections in the United States, Europe, and Asia.  His artworks have been exhibited at galleries and museums, nationally and internationally, including New York, Chicago, Atlanta, Los Angeles; Edinburgh (Scotland), Paris (France), as well as Milan, Rome, and Venice (Italy).  Solo exhibitions include: Jim Sajovic: Evolution, Daum Museum of Contemporary Art, Sedalia, Missouri; Dreamer-Ecstasy, Belger Arts Center, Kansas City, Missouri.  Sajovic’s works were also featured in: “Dream Bodies”, The Kansas City Jewish Museum; “WORD”, Nerman Gallery of Art at JCCC; and “Witness: Artists’ Perspectives on War”, The Leedy-Voulkos Art Center. 

Published commentary on his work has appeared in Notes for a Young Painter (Prentice-Hall, Inc.), New American Paintings, and numerous periodicals including Art in America and Flash Art.