Portrait of the Artist

From September 6 to October 18, the Lamont Art Gallery featured the exhibit Self Made, an artistic exploration of identity and perception.The gallery chose to showcase the works of four artists: Caleb Cole, whose work focuses on ambiguities and inconsistencies, Lauren Kalman, who investigates beauty and image, Cybele Mendes, who explores identity, and Tara Misenheimer, the chair of the Exeter Art Department, who examines cultural trends and pop culture.

Lauren O’Neil, the Director and Curator of the Lamont Gallery, conceived Self Made with the intent of answering, or at least addressing, several facets of identity prevalent to Phillips Exeter Academy. "I curated Self Made in response to ongoing campus conversations, both formal and informal, about PEA's academic and social life. Who are we as individuals, and as a larger community? How do we represent ourselves, and how do others see us?"

These questions consider issues of identity, diversity and ethics, as well as individual versus community life. O’Neil continued, "[a]ppearance is personal, but it is also framed and understood from socio-political and historical perspectives. All the artwork has a strong narrative element, which I felt was especially relevant to PEA. The stories we tell about ourselves, or about each other, can be powerful ways of coming to know the self, but these same stories can be problematic when they become assumptions or stereotypes."

The exhibit served a dual purpose: in addition to arranging beautiful artwork, it also inspired dialogues within the Exeter community about identity. In selecting artists for the exhibit, O’Neil explained, "I found that artists Lauren Kalman, Cybèle Mendes, Caleb Cole and Tara Misenheimer asked compelling questions about identity through their investigations of beauty, race, gender, and age. Their work also made me curious, and at times uncomfortable. Anytime something makes me feel uncertain or confused--but intrigued—I pay attention! Self Made was the result of that curiosity and discomfort."

Misenheimer agreed with O’Neil, emphasizing the effects the exhibit had on expanding the academic development and growth of the student body. By featuring professional artwork, some of which was created by a Exeter teacher, the Gallery captured the potential for the arts and different means of artistry.

"The Lamont Gallery exists in a school community, and it strives to offer relevant shows that enhance your curriculum and cultural growth at Exeter. I think it is critical that our students understand that the art instructors at Exeter are also working artists, exhibiting our work in professional galleries and spaces. We are active in our own studios and mediums." Misenheimer continued to explain that, just as some Exeter English teachers are published poets, and our some science instructors perform scientific research, art instructors are also artists, and some display their works in galleries, including the Lamont Gallery.

"The Lamont Gallery exists in a school community, and it strives to offer relevant shows that enhance your curriculum and cultural growth at Exeter."

The artists featured in the Gallery explore a wide range of topics and mediums centered around the theme of identity and perception, but Mendes in particular has always been intrigued by the ideas of self and identity. Focusing on ethnicity, she sought to identify which aspects of a person’s appearance elicit the strongest response from a viewer. "In my work, I am interested in how an audience responds to certain visual cues based on their own ethnicity in relationship to viewing the same figure bearing light skin or dark skin. Does a bruised pale face elicit a different response than that of darker skin?"

Utilizing a passage from Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston, Mendes explained her fascination with, and subsequent exploration of, race. "One of the male characters who covets the main character Janie, states that he would never beat her if she was his woman, since bruises would be visible on her light skin. He goes on to say that it’s okay for him to beat his current partner, due to her dark complexion. A line like this reinforces the importance of further examining and exploring the phenomenon of skin color in relationship to history, bias, and understanding."

Mendes explained how the focus of her artwork broadened from just addressing identity to exploring new topics such as race and womanhood. "I have explored my bi-racial background, being half-black and half-white, as well as the dynamics of my family history." Mendes continued to discuss how, as she aged, her interest in identity peaked and expanded to include womanhood. "Through time and maturity, the understanding of my practice as an artist morphs and melds. I have utilized photography as a vehicle for personal expression, as well as a means to better understand myself and my role in this world."

In contrast, Kalman utilized contemporary craft by means of visual arts, such as sculpture, photography and video to investigate "beauty, adornment, body, image, value, and consumer culture." Kalman explained that, "[f]abricated objects that reflect sculptural ornamentation and adornment are combined with the body and design objects to produce images and videos. These juxtapositions point to historical, political, and social contexts relating to sex, gender, power, pleasure, and beauty."

In Self Made, Kalman analyzed the use of hoods and masks to demonstrate both control and oppression. "The hoods range in reference; including executioner hoods...gimp masks, and the decorative covering placed on the relics of saints," Kalman said. "These images are structured like portraits, except with the identity of the figures eclipsed by their head covering."

Claire Jensen, Education & Collections Intern at the Lamont Gallery, discussed the striking characteristics of each artists work and the means by which they complimented each other. "I really like all the artists in this show for different reasons. I could stare at Tara Misenheimer's hair drawings/paintings/silk screens forever, Lauren Kalman's are a wonderful blend of shocking, revolting, and beautiful, and Cybele Mendes' work and face is so enigmatic that I could discuss them for days."

Yet despite the fascinating themes behind each artist’s work, Cole’s exploration of the effects and implications of clothing captivated Jensen the most. "I tend to be really sentimental so I'd have to say I like Caleb Cole's work the most," Jensen said. "I love the idea that clothes can have a personality and identity even without a person to wear them and Caleb captures that so well. It makes me think about what I wear and if, without me, my clothes would still express who I am. There are a lot of layers of imagination in his work and I really respond to that."

Cole explained the distinct artistic process that led to his unique artwork, often based off studying the people around him. "When I am in public, I watch people going about their daily routines alone; I wonder about the lives they lead, wonder how they experience the world around them and how they make meaning of it. I spend time inventing stories for them: narratives of isolation, of questioning and searching, of desire, and of confusion. The images in Other People’s Clothes are a product of my exploration of private moments of expectation, a visual expression of my experiences stepping into the shoes of the types of people I see on a daily basis."

Inspired by fashion, Exeter’s own Misenheimer used hair to address society’s depiction and expectation of culture. "I love hair. Hair is sculptural, rich in history and culturally significant. Hair expresses identity and the concept of self. Hair is an opportunity." In addition to hair, Misenheimer also employed other means to explore iconic pop images.

"Portraiture, specifically driven by hair and hairstyles, inspire me to create works of art that emphasize these themes and explore changing definitions of beauty and identity. My paintings and process sketches explore hairstyling and characteristics from pop culture and personalities with a particular focus on teenagers. This age slice is developmentally exciting and painted interpretations document important concepts."

The collaborative process between Cole, Misenheimer, Mendes and Kalman resulted in a provocative exhibition that opened many venues for students to discuss the evolving themes of perception and identity on campus. This was due, in part, to the friendliness and openness of the artists. "I really enjoyed meeting and working with the artists," said Lamont Gallery manager Stacey Durand. "They all create such different artwork and they were all very open to talking casually about their work and their process."