Audiences wander from a geometric collage to a playful drawing, transfixed by the artwork surrounding them. A step beyond the Dougherty Arts Center’s lobby reveals soft-spoken voices on stage coming from the artists responsible for the exhibit.
Artists Faith Chonko and UT alumna Bella Cheng (studio art ‘22) spoke about their exhibitions, “Errant Obsession” and “Regular & Precious,” respectively, at the Dougherty Arts Center on Wednesday.
Cheng’s exhibition focuses on themes of play and interiority. Chonko, whose exhibit focuses on obsession and transformation, said her undergraduate experience in Austin built the foundation for her art style.
“I started collage during undergraduate … A friend of mine was doing it, and she was my best friend at the time,” Chonko said. “We would spend time hanging out, making random collages. College undergraduate was difficult for me, and maybe that’s where (collage work) first became attached to a way to process what I’m going through and what I’m feeling.”
Cheng said that while some aspects of her art changed since her time at UT, her motivations stayed the same.
“It’s stayed the same in that I’ve continued to be interested in interiors and the body, and a lot of the methods I’m using are things I learned in school,” Cheng said. “Themes that have become more prevalent lately for me, (that) weren’t necessarily a focus before, (are) things like childhood. I don’t think I was accessing that as intentionally, but I think it always came through in some way.”
Cheng’s boyfriend, Garrett Anderson, attended the event and said hearing about an artist’s process intrigues him.
“A lot of curiosity comes up because whenever an artist is talking about their process, there’s always going to be a slightly different way that people have about going through things,” Anderson said. “I find it fascinating to hear how artists’ processes evolve in their work and through making their work.”
Chonko said she enjoyed the event’s audience and their curiosity about her exhibit and presentation.
“This specific audience was great,” Chonko said. “I had a lot of questions. … I was just telling a friend, the first part of it is really difficult because I don’t know if this is what you want to hear. I don’t know what to talk about, but as soon as the questions start, I’m like, ‘Okay, now this is much easier,’ because it’s coming from your genuine curiosity.”
Cheng said the presentation gave her an opportunity to think about her art differently.
“I don’t like talking about my art in general because, as UT-connected artist Charles Umlauf once said, ‘If I wanted to talk about it, why would I make the thing?’ Cheng said. “I don’t like talking about my work, but this was a really good exercise because it made me reflect more on my own process and what I’m experiencing through it. That’s the part you miss the most by not being in school: that constant feedback loop where people are telling you about how your work is landing for them.”
