Confluence: Safe Crossing

School of Visual Arts (SVA) presents Confluence: Safe Crossing, an exhibition of animations, films, prints and sculptures by MFA Computer Arts students and alumni. Curated by India Lombardi-Bello, department assistant to the chair and outreach coordinator, and department administrative assistant Jack Meisterich, the exhibition will be on view from Wednesday, November 8, through Monday, November 27, 2023 at the SVA Flatiron Gallery, New York City.

Confluence: Safe Crossing explores human and non-human nature. Humans often look out in judgment of all living things without understanding their place alongside all living things. If instead of resisting, humans embraced their ephemeral role in earth’s tapestry, perhaps they would find a greater sense of peace and belonging. This exhibition acts as a pathway from alienation through integration, but not without some uncomfortable confrontations along the way.

In student Sawyer Rippon’s lenticular illustration a people house, a building of expressionless faces stares out; evocative of a time in the non-so-distant past where bacteria reigned, causing humans to retreat and reflect in solitude.

“Slacktivism” is scrutinized in student Jessica Reisch’s sculpture and film Turtles Return, which calls to mind a collective non-achievement where a viral post claimed that a once highly-polluted Mumbai beach was now full of turtle life after a significant cleanup. In truth, the hopeful imagery was fabricated without a single hatched egg to be claimed during the year of its posting.

The fractal animation Crawlspace by 2020 alumnus James Porto feels like a feverish initiation experience into, as Porto puts it, comprehending the shared “replicating patterns in nature and our own biology.” This piece asks viewers to meditate on and with these similarities, developing an eerie sense of calm connection.

A final aetherial formation is reached in Ask the Axis #1 and Ask the Axis #2 by faculty and 2008 alumna Anney Bonney, who describes them as portraits of Jimi Hendrix. The absence of form and presence of pure color encapsulates true human nature and delicacy, both internally and externally.

Other artists in this exhibition include current MFA Computer Arts student Suntas Hsueh, alumni John Cinco (1998), Bryan Greene (2006), Lulu Jiang (2016), Yihui (Cece) Jiao (2018), Boning Li (2023), Emilie Liu (2012), Linda Loh (2021), Gerard Muro (2022), and Xingjian Wu (2014), and faculty Benton C Bainbridge, John Benton and Adam Meyers. At the opening reception on Thursday, November 9, alumnus Dustin Grella (2009) will park his Animation Bus outside the SVA Flatiron Gallery for visitors to gather, draw and animate.  A timelapse video will be created and shared at a later date.

School of Visual Arts MFA Computer Arts emphasizes creative experimentation and a multidisciplinary approach to making art with computers and emerging technologies. Dedicated to producing digital artists of the highest caliber, the department guides each student in the development of a personal artistic style in a course of study that is individually tailored to meet their needs. Students come from around the world to study in this two-year MFA degree program, which has distinguished itself with nine Student Academy Awards. Please visit mfaca.sva.edu.

The SVA Flatiron Gallery is open Monday through Saturday, 10am–6pm.

The School of Visual Arts has been a leader in the education of artists, designers and creative professionals for seven decades. With a faculty of distinguished working professionals, a dynamic curriculum and an emphasis on critical thinking, SVA is a catalyst for innovation and social responsibility. With 7,000 students at its Manhattan campus and more than 41,000 alumni from 128 countries, SVA also represents one of the most influential artistic communities in the world. For information about the College’s 30 undergraduate and graduate degree programs, visit sva.edu.