After a disruption to the annual tradition the past two years, the OU MFA Thesis Exhibition has returned to MAINSITE Contemporary Art. Three MFA candidates — Marissa Childers, Wesley Kramer and Benjamin Murphy — will present work representative of the culmination of their post-graduate studies in an exhibition opening to the public with a reception from 6 to 9 p.m. on Friday, April 8 at MAINSITE, 122 E. Main, Norman.
The show continues through Saturday, April 23, so the opening reception held concurrently with 2nd Friday Norman Art Walk will be the only reception for what has historically been an electrifying look at emerging art talent.
A Little Touch of Home, Marissa Childers, Stoneware, Soda Fired, Decal and Luster Application, Flocking, 4.5” x 11” x 5”
Marissa Childers was born and raised in the small town of Florence, Alabama. She attended the University of North Alabama, where she earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in 2019 with a focus in ceramics. Upon graduating she worked as a ceramic intern at Anderson Ranch Arts Center and is now completing her Master of Fine Arts at the University of Oklahoma.
Childer’s work explores moments of connection and intimacy while celebrating femininity and craft found within domestic spaces. She uses a variety of textures and patterns within her work that is not only personal to her, but also very relatable for her viewers, in hopes of evoking a sense of joy and nostalgia.
“Celebrations around food have a way of connecting us to one another while stirring up memories that make sharing a meal such a rich experience,” Childers says in her artist statement. “Those moments are even more impactful when they are shared through functional handmade objects. We experience intimacy with others as we simultaneously build a relationship with the vessel. Pottery can be cradled in your hands and raised gently to your lips. It has a history and a story to tell. It becomes a witness and participant to these routines of our daily lives.”
The Great Adventure by Wesley Kramer
Wesley Kramer grew up in Belvidere, IL exploring the woods and having adventures with his little brother and graduated from Northern Illinois University with a Bachelors of Fine Arts, emphasis in printmaking. After graduating Kramer had the opportunity to move to St. Louis to work for Tom Huck, a world-famous printmaker at Evil Prints as an assistant printmaker. Gaining a lot of knowledge and skills after two years, he decided to move on to graduate school and is currently finishing up as a MFA student at the University of Oklahoma.
“From my art practice, I have created an alternate world that reflects our own and the issues within it. Comparing the two worlds in a few ways, one being through environmental issues. These problems are either man made or that of natural disasters, disrupting the balance and order of my universe,” Kramer says in his artist statement. “The stories that I have developed for this world revolve around the characters that may have not made the best decisions, but are trying their best to help out their world and fellow companions. In these narratives, I have created a series of characters that exist in their own reality, where I build up the environment that they thrive in to show the changes in how they progress. By filling this world with humor, whimsical environments, and chunky creatures, I entice the viewer to participate in my world in a physical and emotional one, too.”
The Legend Of Okjökull, Benjamin Murphy, oil on canvas, 72" x 120"
Benjamin Murphy is a Canadian born painter who is completing the MFA program at the University of Oklahoma. As an artist, he actively engages in exhibitions, collaborations, and scholarly endeavors at the state, national, and international levels. Recently he participated in exhibitions at the Salle Gilbert-Gaillard Gallery in France, Webster Arts Center, University of Southern Mississippi Museum of Art, Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, and Gardiner Gallery Of Art at Oklahoma State University.
“This current body of work examines the nature of progress through the lens of abstraction,” Murphy says in his artistic statement. “Images associated with scientific invention, human intention, and anthropogenic impacts create the foundations of image making explorations. In prints, drawings, sculptures and paintings, advances in human knowledge are recorded and transformed into contemporary signs. They explore the human ambition behind the use of these discoveries and the outcomes or implications for contemporary society.”
“Many of these artworks incorporate emerging technologies, such 3D modeling, 3D printing and CNC routing, into the art making process,” Murphy continues. “By expanding the traditional toolbox, the language of painting is expanded beyond its tradition framework. This utilization of old and new methods of image making often inform the broader theme of progress.”
Exhibitions at MAINSITE Contemporary Art are made possible by the generous support of the likes of The City of Norman, Mid-America Arts Alliance, Oklahoma Arts Council, National Endowment for the Arts, Fowler Auto, Kirkpatrick Foundation and more.