Depth Perception: Selected Works by the MFA Class of 2016

April 22, 2016 - June 5, 2016

Women flying through air

In Depth Perception, six artists attempt to understand how we perceive the world around us, how we are affected by it, and how we identify ourselves within it. Each artist works through ideas of perception through such lenses as neurosis and power, social norms, and the ephemeral nature of time. Their explorations are based on personal experiences and memories, delve into human psychology, and even use scientific approaches such as residual or intentional mark-making. Depth Perception questions individual viewpoints in order to find a sense of objective understanding and come a little closer to finding a shared reality.

The artists in Depth Perception, all 2016 MFA candidates in UNC-Chapel Hill’s Department of Art, are Erin Canady, Willie T. Jones, Alyssa Miserendino, Travis Phillips, Drew Robertson, and Saba Taj.

Curated by Kelly McChesney, director of Flanders Gallery in Raleigh. McChesney has organized over 150 exhibitions for galleries, universities, corporations, non-profits, and alternative exhibition spaces.

The Ackland Art Museum will be open until 9 p.m. on May 13, 2016 for 2nd Friday ArtWalk, and will present performances in the Depth Perception galleries.

Depth Perception is made possible in part by The Seymour and Carol Levin Foundation and by James Keith Brown and Eric Diefenbach.

Image Credit: Saba Taj, Pakistani-American, born 1986. Glitter bang lady planes strap on that rubber gun let’s boom, 2015. Collage: paper, glitter, confetti, mica flakes, rhinestones, beads, spray paint, ink, and graphite. 30 x 60 inches. Lent by the artist. L2016.1.1.