University of the Ozarks student Tyler Rideout will present his Senior Art Exhibit, titled A Mundane Moment, from Dec. 1-9 in the Stephens Art Gallery.
Rideout, who is scheduled to graduate during the University’s Fall Commencement ceremony on Dec. 18, said he has strived to create feelings of both comfort and horror through his artwork.
Tyler Rideout’s artwork, "My Lips are a Little Dry," is one of the pieces in his Senior Art Exhibit, A Mundane Moment, scheduled to appear in the Stephens Gallery Dec. 1-9.
"With these conflicting sensations, I hope to bring to light how much we become acclimated to the horrors of this world and how quickly they turn into something that all of us are used to," Rideout said. "The artwork has a feeling of comfort, or pull, that comes from its usefulness in an everyday home setting, where one may see themselves having dinner or resting on the couch. The viewer also feels discomfort, or push, from the appearance of the artwork."
Rideout said many of his pieces are both disturbing and functional.
"Some of the works are being used for their intended purpose, such as the dining set, the flower vase, and the chessboard," he said. "I hope that creating the feeling of push and pull between the object and the viewer makes one think of how easy it can be to become acclimated with one’s environment. There is humor found in the reactions from the viewers and in the morbidity of the show as a whole. I feel that some of the humor comes from the individual not caring about their surroundings. They are simply having a good time. There is also a shock value, but it mainly comes from the first minutes of viewing the art. The performance aspect of this art gives the viewer a sense of how these art works could be used in everyday life."
The artist said his inspiration comes from his vivid imagination.
"Some people feel as though there is a correlation between my work and other horror characters such as Hannibal Lecter or from artists like Francis Bacon," Rideout said. "This is understandable. However, I feel that I would relate more towards Hannibal in that my dinner setting gives off the feeling of uneasiness, the difference being that I made plates out of people and didn’t hide the main ingredient. My idea is to become completely aware of what is going on, whereas Hannibal hides his intentions."
Topics: Art