November 4, 2003

Boise State Presents 2003 BFA Thesis Exhibition 'Critical Mass'

The Boise State University bachelor of fine arts thesis exhibition, “Critical Mass,” opens with a free reception from 4:30-7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 14, in the Visual Arts Center Gallery 2 in the Hemingway Center for Western Studies. The exhibition runs through Dec. 10. “Critical Mass” features works by seven Boise State students: Jen Forberg, Jennifer Graham, Marlow Hoffman, Ann Hottinger, Kimberly McKain, Toni Oravez and Lee Sopwith.     Forberg explores the intricate relations between interface users and creators of Web sites in what can best be described as interactive sculpture. Part performance, part installation, she invokes viewer participation in a life-sized interface design that wrestles with issues of Web identity, hyper reality and social interaction within prescribed spaces. Forberg has been designing on the Web for more than seven years.     Graham’s appetizing installation, “Meat, it’s what’s for dinner,” includes a series of images presented on dinner plates. Her satirical photographs make fun of our love of meat by using appropriated text from beef advertisements in the midst of distasteful animal images. Graham lives in Boise and is currently completing an internship at the Boise Art Museum as a curatorial intern.     Hoffman’s photographic self-portraits are simplistic in form, yet rich in color and mood. She said her process is a cathartic method of grounding herself when she feels adrift. Hoffman is a post-baccalaureate student who received her degree in art history and Italian, with a minor in photography from Washington University in St. Louis.     Hottinger’s digital collage, “Freakatorium Series,” portrays provocative self-portraits staged in freak show poster fashion exposing the relentless love-hate relationship between women and their portrayal in the media. Hottinger lives in Boise and is the art director at Idaho Magazine.     McKain’s colorful, compact illustrations portray relatable phobias, stresses and obsessions created by our fast paced, demanding world. McKain’s subtle humor and cartoonish style invite us to laugh at ourselves to endure the insanity life dishes out. Living in Idaho all her life, she appreciates   the state’s beauty and quieter pace. McKain lives with her husband and daughter and works out of her home.     Oravez combines watercolor and mixed media applications to narrate her spiritual, emotional and educational journey over the past seven years.     Sopwith’s ceramic reliefs bridge the gap between two- and three-dimensional artwork. “Zero to Sixty” consists of six emotional snapshots of life events and memories. Sopwith’s work is also shown at the Art Source Gallery. -30- Contact Kathleen Keys Gallery director 208 426-3994 kathleenkeys@boisestate.edu Media Contact Kathleen Craven communications and marketing 208 426-3275 kcraven@boisestate.edu