Pace University’s Choate House Gallery highlights student artwork from the 2019 MCVA Showcase.

A lively new art installation is coming to Pace University’s Pleasantville Campus this Thursday. Each piece has been carefully curated by Professor Kate Marohn, who teaches the Fine Arts in the Department of Communication and Visual Arts. Inside the gallery visitors will be greeted by student artworks that adorn the plain white walls of the Choate House Art Gallery while subtle lights illuminate each student work. Each piece carefully selected from the MCVA 2019 Showcase highlights the “hidden” talents Pace University students hold.

While the gallery is an interesting visit that features impressionist artwork, charcoal drawings, and water color paintings — few pieces truly capture the essence of the human form. A section of the gallery features three pieces grouped together to showcase different depictions of identity.

Artwork by students Sean McNamee ad Nicholas DeRosario both simply and relevantly titled “Vector Self Portrait” after their chosen medium.

“Vector Self Portrait” by Sean McNamee and “Vector Self Portrait” by Nicholas DeRosario do just that. Two versions of presumably from the same assignment, simply titled. One-piece features a subtly glum, slightly confused, pensive yet smirking self portrait of McNamee while DeRosario’s portrait hangs in contrast, featuring DeRosario sporting a wide grin giving him a humorous essence.

While it may seem easy to create a self-portrait as an artist is portraying themselves, it is intriguing to see how that very artist chooses to depict themselves.  Curiosity can emerge when thinking about what McNamee and DeRosario wanted to reveal about themselves, in such contrasting ways to art goers. What is McNamee thinking about? Why is he so serious? On the other hand, what is making DeRosario so happy?

Not only is it challenging convey emotion and yourself on paper, vector drawings also take precise skill. Artists must find the right image, pose, they must use the correct brushes to create careful strokes of hair and blended colors of skin all while playing around with different elements and colors of the vector portrait. McNamee and DeRosario do just that by bringing curiosity and vibrancy to their work.

While “Untitled” by Hayley Pasterchick does the exact opposite. “Untitled” is a black and white digital photograph that will immediately catch exhibit goer’s attention; almost causing them to stop in their tracks to ask, “What is going on in this picture?” Pasterchick’s photo depicts a woman covering her face, and we all know that when someone is covering their face, it is not usually in the shot. Instead, whoever views the picture is given the opportunity to see face digitally edited on the hands of the woman to give the illusion that a face is there. That is what makes Pasterchick’s photo so unusual yet so appealing.

The photo will immediately evoke a response and gives the feeling of wanting to hide. One can’t help but almost assume that Pasterchick’s photo is the façade or face people hide behind every day. Pasterchick’s photo is a small black and white print that will cause someone to analyze the picture and look deeply into the serious face in front of the hands.

“Untitled” by Hayley Pasterchick, a sleek black and white digital photograph.

The art exhibit in the Choate House Art Gallery will take place this Thursday at 3:30 p.m. It is full of hidden gems and work by talented students like McNamee, DeRosario, Pasterchick and many more.