As the end of college life approaches, graphic design students will celebrate their education before moving on to their professional careers.
A gallery, titled “Marks and Bleeds,” houses seniors’ thesis projects and will hold its opening reception from 6-8 tonight in the Ohio University Art Gallery, located in Seigfred Hall.
The students started brainstorming at the end of their junior year and began researching and preparing Winter Quarter. The projects themselves, however, will harbor four years of learned skills.
Projects range from published books to print layouts to a design that includes an actual motorcycle, said senior graphic design student Joel Bengson, who is in charge of the gallery’s promotion.
“It’s this quarter that things really come together,” Bengson said. “It’s really exciting.”
Students have free reign over their thesis projects, but they must follow a few guidelines: a project must be deeply personal, and it must explore a side of design in which they are heavily interested, Bengson said.
“(The School of Art) wanted to make sure it’s something we’re passionate about and excited about,” Bengson said.
Bengson’s own project features an explanation of the differences in lifestyle he’ll face after college in comparison to before college, he said.
Before entering OU, Bengson lived in the same house his entire life and was able to hold on to all of his possessions without space ever being an issue, he said.
“I became quite a packrat,” Bengson said.
However, college hit and space suddenly became a problem. After graduation, he’ll continue to face rental spaces and tiny apartments that will challenge whether having a lot of possessions is really a good or bad thing, he said.
For his exhibit, Bengson constructed several bags, including a backpack and a fanny pack, which are all made out of wood. The wood strictly confines the area of space allotted for items placed in the bags, instead of giving in and expanding to different shapes like typical fabric, he said.
“They are limited to the space given,” Bengson said.
The exhibit is exceptionally interactive, Bengson said. Normal galleries make viewers timid about handling art. However, the thesis projects ask visitors to approach the artist and the work.
One project even includes takeaways, as one graphic design student who has created a beauty line will give away samples at the reception tonight.
“We encourage people to be hands-on,” Bengson said.
In creating their thesis projects for “Marks and Bleeds,” students were asked to create something that, if interviewed about it, they could represent every decision well, Bengson said. This leaves the air of the reception open for conversation between viewers and the artists who will attend to show their final works.
“We’re providing free conversation and food,” Bengson said.
The exhibit will run until May 28.
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