Stephanie Steiner | Arts & Life Editor

This week, a senior show crafted by three Buena Vista University (BVU) seniors is showing in the art gallery. Although AJ Griffioen, Parker Lee, and Gerardo Flores all have completely different styles of art, they each came together to craft an idea based around perceptions.

Perceptions by AJ Griffioen, Parker Lee, and Gerardo Flores

Gerardo Flores, an Art major with a Digital Media minor, had a specific vision in mind for his work.

“My work dealt a lot with praying the gay away, that was my theme. It was a lot on how some people use religion as a weapon without even actually reading the Bible, and persecuting and not really respecting one another.”

One of Flores’ pieces is a chandelier hovering over a Bible with brass nails protruding out of it.

“My work is very graphic and it pushes buttons. I’m really hoping for a reaction. I want them to think about how things are perceived. It talks about something serious but it takes it in a way that’s in your face. Because sometimes, in order to get people to think or react, you kind of have to get in their face,” Flores said.

He also hopes that people understand how his art reflects him.

“People that get to know me or at least know me in passing know that I am very outspoken and I can be blunt. I’ve been told I’m charismatic,” Flores said. “Human rights is the thing that I get fired up about. I think that those that know me can actually see myself in those pieces; they’re big and they have glitter in them. I love glitter. And one other thing is that my pieces can be touched. It’s wild and crazy.”

Parker Lee, a senior Communication and Graphic Design major, decided to depict humor through comic strips.

“People combine the actions of characters along with what is written to find out what meaning is behind each strip. The meaning or point of a comic strip can be political, humorous, or even instructional,” Lee said. “I like how comic strips are the perfect size for those cheesy short jokes everyone can get a laugh from.”

AJ Griffioen, an Art major and Graphic Design minor, used his architectural background in art to design a perceptional piece focused on space.

“I’ve always been fascinated with architecture and the world that surrounds us. In the case of architecture, it’s unnoticed. People overlook it quite a bit, so the pieces are to help direct back in some ways on the surroundings,” Griffioen said.

The show is there to challenge your mind to think differently about everyday ideas. Even though the three ideas of architectural objects, social groups, and comic strips would not normally come together as one idea, the work by these three seniors is able to capture those varying perceptions through their show.

“The idea distills down into how we see the world. You go into the show as your regular self, but hopefully you come out with an appreciation for the things around you and the differences around you,” Griffioen said.

Photos by Stephanie Steiner