Danielle Reischman is inspired by glass. Teresa Nieves uses her art to express herself. And Cecilia Young allows her emotions to flow through and tell a story in her sculptural pieces.
SJC Long Island graduating studio arts majors, Reischman, Neives and Young gathered in the Board Room Wednesday, their artwork displayed around them, as they discussed what motivated them to create their various pieces.
Glass Views
“Through the discoveries of painting abstracted views of glass, I’ve been able to obtain my own sense of style and technique when working with and focusing on formal elements,” Reischman, the art department work study, said.
Reischman explained that, although her paintings are full of many bright colors, she collects common pieces of glass — such as vases or cups — and her paintings reflect how she sees them. She also runs glass-fusing workshops through the SJC Art Club, of which she’s the president.
“I’m fascinated with the idea of taking a common object and turning it into something extraordinary by painting it,” said Reischman, who’s considering a job in museum studies, curating or arts administration once she graduates. “Glass is the perfect subject for this thought because of its unique qualities, including the bouncing reflections, light and translucencies.”
Abstract and Unexpected
“My passion for abstract art led me to working with an array of media, such as acrylic paint, alcohol, ink, water and heat,” Nieves, 30, said. “These elements help me create new forms, textures and consistencies. Daring to break away from the constrictions of realism has led me to appreciate the unexpected and create one-of-a-kind pieces.”
Nieves works as a support counselor for children and teens from different cultures and backgrounds, using art to connect and communicate with them.
“After growing up in El Salvador, art has been a way for me to express myself in a world where I don’t always feel comfortable doing so,” she said. “Using art as an instrument of self discovery allows people to open up in a way that makes them feel less vulnerable.”
Sculptural Stories
“There is a sense of personal identity that surrounds my work, along with a duality,” Young said. “These qualities exist because of events that occurred early in my life, and the lasting effects those events had on me. During my childhood, I underwent various degrees of neglect at home, which resulted in me living in foster care for a number of years.
“My work not only touches upon feelings I associate with those early years, but also in times that followed, where I found myself yet again in a situation that left a hurtful mark on me. My work itself has the ability to express ideas and memories that I’m too afraid of saying out loud, yet are quite impactful on who I am.”
Young’s work is mostly sculptural, using painted ceramics and mixed media. She uses bright colors in contrast to the subject matter to express that she’s now in a better place emotionally and physically than she was when these events occurred.
Reischman, Nieves and Young are among eight graduating art majors whose art is on exhibit in the Board Room now through May 8.
