Gene VanWyk
Exemplifying life in rural and industrial America, my work provides insight into the philosophies encountered in this landscape. With post urbanism on the rise and more people looking to employ sustainability and social equity in their lives, these moments need to be confronted and deconstructed.
Using found or repurposed materials, I create small-scale replicas of everyday architectural elements: doorways, windows, telephone poles, billboards, and exhibit them in unexpected positions in relation to the viewer. The scale, placement, and content show the loneliness of these structures we see and use every day but never give a second thought. Their placement in the space plays with the power dynamic that would usually exist between a viewer and work of my scale.
My work reveals the ghosts of interaction by exploring what remains when utilitarian elements are taken out of their usual context. The physical connection to the gallery environment fosters communication and interaction with other unseen but implied entities when placed within their walls.
My practice is driven by my experience with disability and the importance and struggle of communication. My work with apparent lonely communicative structures is a projection of my own experience.
Mt.CrawfordII
AdSpaceForRent
AdvertiseHere
PedestalForSale(Sold)
UntitledLaundromat
UtilityPole
FireEscape
FrameForSale(Sold)
WarehouseAvailable
WouldYouLikeMeToPrayForYou?
Student Work
About
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Mt. Crawford II (2024)
wood, glass, metal, paper, plastic, gouache, sandpaper, soil, electrical component
12 x 10 x 8”
Ad Space For Rent (2022)
wood, paper, gouache
6 x 10 x 3”
Advertise Here (2024)
paper, gouache, acryllic
1.5 x 4”
Pedestal For Sale (Sold) (2024)
oil on plastic, fishing line, nails, found object
dimesions variable
Untitled Laundromat (2023)
oil on board
6 x 6”
Utility Pole (2024)
mixed media, found objects
48 x 12 x 12”
Fire Escape (2022)
metal
18 x 1 x 1”
Frame For Sale (Sold) (2023)
found object, gouache on plastic
Warehouse Available (2023)
1.5 x 5 x 0.25”
Student Work
Izy Thompson
Old and Advanced (2025)
Matboard, fabric, plastic, paper
3.8” x 3.7” x 3.7”
Natalie Son
Cigarette (2025)
Paper, acrylic paint, tape, wire, fabric, thread
16” x 22”
Sierra Juritsch
Fridge (2025)
plastic, cardboard, beads, magazine paper, string, stir sticks
4 ¾” x 1 ⅝” x 1 ¾”
Drew Ludwig
Wooden Keyboard (2025)
Wood, dowel rods, paper, wire, glue
12" x 6" x 9"
Aiden Ortiz
Head in the Clouds (2025)
Fabric, Stuffing, Armature Wire
2’ x 2’ x 2’
Aiden Ortiz
Fear of the Unknown (2025)
Found objects
Dimensions varriable
“For this piece, I collected items from around my house and stuck them to the underside of the tables around the two classrooms...” The intention is for the objects to be felt while remaining unseen, letting the viewers’ minds wander.
Diego Pons
Blown Out Brain (2024)
chicken wire, paper mache, pencil rods, electrical wire
5 ft,10 in X 4ft X 5ft
Tyler Wolfe
Painter (2024)
wood, fabric, twine, wire, and tape
7.5" x 4" x 16.5"
Elanor Lam
No Room Left on the Moon (2024)
Paper Mache, wood, tin foil, acrylic
13 x 10.5 x 10
Ethan Funk
Just One More Life
(2025)
Matboard, cardboard, wire, fabric, and string
1” x 3.75” x 4.5”
