Running from May 16 – June 12, c.a.v.e. out showcases the work of four graduating artists in the Department of Art Theory and Practice at Northwestern University: Victoria Gomez Gil, Ellie Odom, Catie Moore, and Ashley Schultz. This group exhibition is the culmination of their studio work.
This exhibition, associated events, and catalogue were made possible with the support of the Myers Foundation, the Department of Art Theory and Practice, Dittmar Memorial Gallery, and Assistant Professor Brendan Fernandes.
Dittmar Memorial Gallery is located at Norris University Center, 1999 S. Campus Drive, Evanston campus. The gallery is open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. Admission is free.
The artists describe their work below:
“As an artist and psychology student, I try to explore the relationship between the two in my work which includes paintings, prints, and installations. In doing so, I primarily explore my moods and relationships, creating work that reflects on my experiences through abstraction and accumulation. Much of my work includes movement and fluidity in the form of line work that reflects my focus on change and adjusting cognitive rigidities. The repetition and accumulation seen in my work also reflects this need for routine and consistency in the midst of change in my own life, and how my art practice has played an important role in this routine. – Victoria Gomez Gil ’23
“My work today attempts to reconcile my 8 year old self with the craft of knitting. Through creating and warping my own knitted textiles, my work addresses the absence and presence of autonomy in my own life. I often feel like I had no control in my choice to knit, and now have no control over how I am viewed as a female artist who knits. The origin of my work was to fabricate a feeling of autonomy through developing my own language and style of knit. My intention is to undermine traditional ideas of knitting as a feminine and domestic craft, and instead use it as a means of asserting my own artistic control and challenging social expectations.” – Ellie Odom ’23
“My work focuses on cultural dissociation, and how cultural heritage relates to and is shaped by media and technology. As someone who grew up in a New Mexican culture vastly different from my Chinese-Filipino heritage, I’m interested in the label of the “third culture kid,” and how it highlights an identity defined by fragmentation. Moreover, the intervention of Western screens and media creates a further sense of separation from a whole identity. I’m focused on how the discovery and creation of an identity seems inseparable now from technology, and how the result creates both a sense of belonging and of dissociation from stitched-together ideas of ‘self.'” – Catie Moore ’23
“Since I was a child, I enjoyed being in and experiencing nature. My work relies heavily on the use of color theory, design, and aesthetics. I emphasize creating a plan before I start working, whether it is a sketch or an idea in my head. I work with crocheted textiles and paint to create clothing, blankets, decorative pieces, and installations. My paintings are all acrylic, consisting of recognizable botanical elements, animals, and everyday objects.” – Ashley Schultz ’23
The Dittmar Memorial Gallery opened in 1972 to enhance the mission of Northwestern University by utilizing visual art as a vehicle for transmitting culture and knowledge. The gallery currently places emphasis on ethnic cultural art, art by emerging artists, art by or about women, artwork by Northwestern undergraduate and graduate art students, and traveling art shows.