From the Faculty:
"But if you believe that life has an inside as well as outside, then art is what you need. Art works on the inside against the 24/7 emergency zone we call real life." - Jeanette Winterson, writer and critic
This online virtual exhibition recognises and honours the achievements of our graduating students in the BA Major in Visual Art program at Vancouver Island University. Not only does the exhibition show our students’ extraordinary accomplishments, but it is also a testament to their unassailable commitment to their work. Despite the aptly named title, Pandemonium, just as we are experiencing a turbulent and rapidly changing period of human history, our students have rallied. They have adapted, as creative people do, to the prospect of foregoing their planned spring graduating exhibition and opening ceremony in the View Gallery, where they would have been celebrating their accomplishments with family and friends. In lieu of this event, they have worked collaboratively to produce this beautiful website with images accompanied by thoughtful artist statements.
This web exhibition represents the abundant talent and dedication of our BA Major in Visual Art students. On behalf of all Visual Art faculty members at Vancouver Island University, I would like to express our deep gratitude and warm congratulations for the outstanding work they have created, and to wish them great success in their future artistic endeavours.
- Pamela Speight, Professor of Visual Art, Vancouver Island University
EXHIBITION STATEMENT
From the Artists:
Pandemonium:
While the global community stands still in the midst of this pandemic, the lives of many have settled into a quiet sort of chaos. Strange times for our typically restless, noisy world. Empty streets are mostly devoid of the usual uproar of humanity, and as many nations battle against rising mortality rates, others simply fear disorder, and the total loss of life as they've known it.
Our own lives as graduating Visual Arts students now face drastic upheaval and uncertainty - and while as art students our career journeys were never guaranteed to be easy, we relied heavily on the familiarity and support of our peers, faculty and facilities to help us begin our artistic careers successfully. Despite the obstacles we face, the 2020 graduating class has persevered, found creative solutions, and produced an absolutely incredible body of works.
Although we are physically distanced and isolated from one another, our community has embraced our circumstances as best we can. We have come together in support of one another, and in doing so, in lieu of our traditional gallery show, we have created our own Virtual Exhibition. Pandemonium is a celebration of the hard earned achievements of this class: we hope it will serve as reminder that though the world has changed, our creativity and tenacity will help us to navigate our way to a joyful future.