A tiny paintbrush. White gesso. Radiohead’s live concert on tape.
These are the tools Rob Kolhouse used as he meticulously painted a 2-foot-tall ceramic cyborg in his studio.
Kolhouse is a 37-year-old third-year UF ceramics graduate student whose work is on display at the University Gallery off of Northwest 13th Street and Stadium Road.
The exhibit features works from Kolhouse and five other fine arts graduate students.
Evan Bryan, a 21-year-old chemical engineering senior, works as a clerical assistant at the University Gallery.
He said the MFA shows are always interesting to see.
“It’s always a bit hectic because it’s a high-stress situation for the artist usually,” Bryan said. “It’s always a lot of work, but it’s always a great show.”
For every thesis exhibit, the graduate student is required to write an extensive thesis and present their work for review.
“My work is all about gender, cyborgs, anime, video games, cartoons and all of that pop culture stuff people seem to really dig right now,” Kolhouse said.
Kolhouse said the hardest part about preparing for the show is building work that matches the thesis.
He said a lot of editing is important in the decision-making process.
Another third-year graduate student whose work is featured in the show is 27-year-old Orlando Estrada.
Estrada said he worked every day in his studio in preparation for the installation of the show.
“My work is about a broadening upon the field of queer theory, and it’s realized through a study of metaphysics,” said the photography student.
The gallery will showcase “MFA Thesis Exhibit I” through March 28.
[A version of this story ran on page 9 on 3/20/2014 under the headline "Fine arts graduate students showcase thesis work in exhibit"]
Art created by UF graduate student Rob Kolhouse, 37, is on display in the University Gallery. His work, as well as other students’, will be featured there through March 28.
