Sophia Romanski and Her Senior Art Show
Centenary College of Louisiana provides a wide range of courses and opportunities that are centered around the arts; however, many students are unaware of the extent of these programs and experiences. For instance, Professor Shea Hembrey, who is the assistant professor of art, designed the Studio Art curriculum to encourage every student majoring in the field to create a show during their senior year. Hembrey built this experience in order to emulate the real world of art, stating that “this is how artists work generally. Artists work for years at a time on a project for an exhibit” and this senior show teaches the students “presentation skills not just studio skills because they are thinking about a viewer.”
So, to gain more insight on the experience and the creative process of a student creating a senior show, I have spoken to Sophia Romanski, a current senior majoring in studio art who is preparing for her upcoming show which will be opening in the month of April.
Q: What is the name of your show? And what is the meaning behind it? What made you choose it?
The show is called "Fernweh" which is a German word to describe the feeling of "missing places you've never been." I chose a German word because I used to live there, and the language holds a special connection to my most formative years as a youth. I wanted a title that encapsulated the longing I have always experienced, especially as a child, to go and see new and exciting places which I would create in my imagination. Hopefully this show inspires the same feeling in my audience.
Q: Can you describe what type of artwork viewers can expect maybe as far as scale, media, subject matter, stuff like that?
Lots and lots of paintings. The first room will look like a movie theater with six large sheets of clear vinyl each with a portion of a painting so when viewed all together it looks like one image. The second room consists of 33 acrylic paintings. They’re made out of custom MDF boards and meant to at least vaguely resemble the shape of a desk, some more than others. All the imagery is inspired by musings and wonderings from my own imagination, all the stuff I used to daydream about in school.
Q: What do you hope audience members will take away from your artwork?
I designed the show based off my own desire to escape the pressures of an increasingly stressful world, so I hope to communicate a sense of optimism and child-like wonder that offers a reprieve from our world.
Q: So, you said you are occupying two spaces for your show, how are they similar to each other and how are they different?
Well, they both rely pretty heavily on installation as a way to move viewers through the work. The Painting Room will have something of a maze-like floor plan to entice the viewers to really look closely and spend time with the individual works while still functioning as a whole. I call the other room the Movie Room because I want people to sit and observe and reflect on the pieces there, as a sort of resting place, or like watching a film.
Q: It seems like you are creating this new world and atmosphere through your show. How would you describe your style and the tone of your artwork?
I'd describe it as eclectic and whimsical. I've tried to be very free and loose about each piece. I try not to limit myself, so the work reflects the intricacies of my own mind in a way that emphasizes curiosity and wonder.
Q: So, is there specific art or an artist that inspired this idea or maybe influenced your style or the way you choose to execute this show?
I'd say my biggest influence is and always will be film. I love animated movies, I love the way they look, and I am intensely fascinated by the artwork that goes into making them and the way the styles change and evolve over the course of the project. The big ones I looked to while initially starting work on this project were Rise of the Guardians, How to Train Your Dragon, Finding Nemo, Frozen, and Spider-man: Into the Spiderverse.
Q: So, when is your senior show opening and where can people view it?
It will be showing in the two upstairs galleries at the Meadows Museum of Art on April 10th and will be on display until April 22nd.
(Sophia Romanski will be giving her artist talk on April 10th at 6:00pm. The event will be held at the Meadows Museum of Art and will be free and open to the public)
