"MLP 1 1, 2022" will be among the featured works exhibited by Ohio artist Sarah Thomas at Bing-Davis Memorial Gallery at Upper Iowa University's Fayette Campus now through November 4. The solo exhibit, titled "Sleek Playing Field," will close with an artist talk and reception at 4:30PM, Friday, November 4
FAYETTE, IOWA (October 14, 2022) — The works of Toledo, Ohio artist Sarah Thomas is being featured at Bing-Davis Memorial Gallery at Upper Iowa University's (UIU) Fayette Campus now through November 4. The solo exhibit, titled "Sleek Playing Field," will close with an artist talk and reception at 4:30PM. Friday, November 4.
"Through my work, I call attention to the excess of plastic waste in our environment and explore the discourse of plastics concerning our current geological epoch," said Thomas. "This period, termed the Anthropocene, is defined as when human activity and industry have influenced the environment, climate, and biological makeup. The Anthropocene also highlights the overwhelming crisis of plastic waste and how it's adapted into our everyday environment. I seek to implicate viewers in their role as active agents in an unprecedented environmental crisis, while suggesting to ponder the performance of recycling at a moment when the effort seems futile.
"This body of work reflects the alterations and transformations of plastic waste through consumer decay, natural decay, and my own process of digital 'recycling' through lens-based media," continued the artist. "This work seeks reflection on the psychological perspective of 'away,' meaning where waste ends up, if it's recycling centers, landfills, or the environment. It also brings forward what once was 'away' to a playing field of sleek beauty and repurposed familiarity."
Thomas earned a Master of Fine Arts degree in Photography at Cranbrook Academy of Art and a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 2D studies at Bowling Green State University. Currently holding a Photography Lab Technician and Photography Instructor position within the School of Art at Bowling Green State University, she has worked on independent photography projects, displayed public installations, exhibited and curated in galleries around the Midwest, and assisted in mural projects around the city of Toledo, Young Artist at Work, The Toledo Arts Commission, working with Toledo Arts Corner, and the Toledo Museum of Art. She has also worked within the Cranbrook Museum of Art and the National Gallery of Art, DC focusing on curation and imaging.
Bing-Davis Memorial Gallery is located in Edgar Fine Arts Hall at UIU's Fayette Campus. The gallery is open 8AM-5PM, Monday through Friday. Hours are subject to change.
About Upper Iowa University Founded in 1857, Upper Iowa University is a private, non-profit university providing undergraduate- and graduate-degree programs to about 4,500 students — nationally and internationally — at its Fayette, Iowa, Campus and over twenty US locations. Upper Iowa University is a recognized innovator in offering accredited, quality programs through flexible, multiple-delivery systems, including online and self-paced degree programs. With a focus on developing leaders and lifelong learners, UIU provides dual-enrollment programs for high-school students as well as continuing-education and professional-development opportunities for learners of any age. For more information, visit uiu.edu.
