University of the Ozarks senior art student Liam Neal will present his senior art exhibit, “Outside of Ourselves,” from April 19-28 in the Stephens Gallery on campus.
There will be a reception to meet the artist from 6-7 p.m. on Saturday, April 22, in the gallery, which is located in the Walton Fine Arts Center. Neal will also present an artist talk at 7 p.m. on April 27 in Baldor Auditorium in the Boreham Business Building.
Neal, a business administration and art major from Bella Vista, Ark., said his mixed media artwork “incorporates graphic elements from classical art to modern pop culture to portray the public perceptions and presentations of personality, masking identity, and coming of age as a young adult in university.”
“College is a transformative period in which many people grow and develop the traits and values they take with them into adulthood,” Neal said. “You could say it is a rebirth of one’s personality and morals. My masks/facial forms display the discrepancy between how one views themself and how that differs from the way others may view them, as well as the actions someone might take to be perceived differently by the people around them. Though all my pieces are different, through the use of varying mediums and symbolisms they all still relate to aspects of how one’s personality is portrayed to others or how they are perceived by their outward façade.”
Neal said he works with the idea of masking identities, represented by physical masks or facial coverings.
“This expands on the idea of people accentuating aspects of their character, thought process, or identity to either fit in better with a community or to make lasting changes in their personality,” he said. “Though we may perceive ourselves in one light, that perception is always going to differ outwardly from person to person, dependent on the environment, and the level of familiarity. What makes up the true you? Is it the way you perceive yourself or the way others perceive you? My work comments on this dynamic by showing the growth within oneself, as well as the aspects a person must sacrifice in order to achieve said growth.”
Neal uses layers —including clay, paper, plaster and wood — to illustrate change and growth.
“This is a physical representation of the countless complex aspects of one’s identity, many of which are unseen until closer inspection of the piece,” he said. “This is evident in ‘Crowning,’ where different shades of overlapped paper are representational of the metamorphosis involved in character growth. The facial structure and features within each work are exaggerated and emboldened to communicate the personality of each persona. These exaggerations can either accentuate the external appearance or present internal thoughts and feelings upon the surface. My use of color ties in with these exaggerations.”
“The personas of my pieces overshadow reality. In these larger-than-life depictions, it can be hard to tell if what you are looking at is supposed to be the truth or a modified/reformed filter, bending your perception. This creates an allegory to our modern life and the masks we wear in order to change how we are perceived.”
Neal has collaborated on multiple murals in his local community and on the Ozarks campus. He has also received a first-place award in the River Valley Arts Center Collegiate Competition in 2023. Following graduation, he plans to pursue a career that utilizies both his business and art majors to start a venue that incorporates a gallery and entertainment.