80 Washington Square East, NYU

MFA Class of 2023 | Thesis Part 1

Secrets of the Heart

March 29 – April 15, 2023

80WSE

with: 

David Vades Joseph  
Megan Nugroho  
Sam Ticknor

These works search for a conduit, through the body, to what William James called the more. A more not estranged from this world, a separate supernatural entity, but embedded in the daily, the domestic, and our tender corporeal forms. A more with traces of fairy tale enchantment, the lingering soul and the unconscious as a palace in time. A new, and much anticipated theology is developing, image by image, fueled not by traditional religious precepts, but rituals lost and found, nature and the movement of energy. Unbracketed life force, urgent as the thrust of green stems in spring, whirling in the spiraling mind, but manifest too in quiet, in stillness, in absence. To go inside is to enter a wilderness. We know this; but we forget. Life at its most elemental; the root seeking in the dark earth. Mundane yet mythic, the glow of veins that are also vines, a son’s careful attention to the residue of maternal spirit, and a partner’s visual message to a lover, that while the struggle is real, the doorway is open, the doorway is not only open, it is also spewing light.

Written by Darcey Steinke

Installation view of the exhibition featuring a white wall with three drawings hung in a row. The drawings are done a bit abstractly, but still easily representational of figures and objects. The first drawing is a black and white cat sitting upon a blanket which is dotted in red, blue, and green shapes. The second picture, in the middle, is of a pair of black Cowboy boots. They are standing on a reddish-orange floor with sketches of potted plants in the background. On the right, is the last drawing of the outside view of a brown house. The house has one black window crossed perpendicularly with brown cross bars. The sky above the house is bright blue and a white fence sits in the foreground.
Installation view of three drawings in the exhibition on two walls. On the left wall, there is a drawing of a brown house. In the foreground is a white picket fence and grass with a blue sky in the background. In the middle, on the right side wall, is a drawing of what looks like a figure underneath a white blanket on a green grassy plain. A sun and sky hang in the right upper corner of the drawing. On the right most image, there is a landscape drawing of green hill islands and blue water with yellow sand beaches.
Installation view of three walls. On the left wall there is an drawing of a brown house, with a black window. In front of the house is a white picket fence with grass. A blue sky sits above the house and the background of the image. In the middle wall, there are three drawings in a row. On the left, there is a drawing of what looks like a figure hiding under a white sheet on a grassy field. In the middle image, there is a landscape drawing of green, hilly islands, bright blue pools of water and light yellow sandy beaches. On the right image, the last image in the row on this wall, there is a grey road descending into the background. On the right of the road is a small turquoise house with a red, shingle roof. The road leads into the distance of green pointed mountains and ombre blue skies. On the right hand wall, there is a drawing of pink flowers with green leaves and stem. The flowers are in front of a blue background. Next to this image, light pours in from the right side window.
Installation view of four works in the exhibition. On the left wall, there are three works and on the right wall there is one work beside a large, tall window that takes up the top three fourths of the wall. On the left wall, the first work is a painting of a green field where a figure is lying underneath a white blanket. The middle work is a landscape painting which includes a blue body of water surrounded by green hills and mountains. The last work on the left wall is of a grey road as it disappears into the distance. Alongside the road is a small turquoise house with a red-shilling roof. In the background there are blue skies and mountains. On the right wall is a painting of two pink flowers with green stems and leaves. The background is blue on the top and white on the bottom.
Installation view of two works in the exhibition. On the left wall is a grey road as it disappears into the distance. Alongside the road is a small turquoise house with a red-shilling roof. In the background there are blue skies and mountains. On the right wall is a painting of two pink flowers with green stems and leaves. The background is blue on the top and white on the bottom.
Installation view of two works from the exhibition. One work is on the left side of a large, four-paned window that takes up more than half of the image. The other work is on the right side of the window. The left-hand painting is of two pink flowers with green stems and leaves. The background is blue on the top and white on the bottom. The painting on the right side of the window is a green plant with leaves and stems. There is an orange sky with what looks like a black city scape. The flower sits on orange patch of land.
Installation image of two walls in the exhibition. On the left wall, a small painting of a green plant with a stem and leaves. There is an orange and yellow sky in the background with a black city scape. The flower sits on an orange circular patch of land in the foreground. On the right wall, there is a painting that suggests an erupting volcano. The volcano is surrounded by blue, purple, and green, lines, softly blended.
Installation image of two walls in the exhibition. On the left wall, a small painting of a green plant with a stem and leaves. There is an orange and yellow sky in the background with a black city scape. The flower sits on an orange circular patch of land in the foreground. On the right wall, there is a painting that suggests an erupting volcano. The volcano is surrounded by blue, purple, and green, lines, softly blended.
Installation view of the exhibition. A large window allows light to pour in from the left side of the image. On the right side, on an dark olive green colored wall, are two works of art. The first work is a drawing of a hand that seems to be touching shining black hair. Next to this work, is a set of nine drawings in three rows of three. A squiggly line cuts across all of the pages as if it were one work, split apart into nine pieces. The line is very thick and outlined in black and has light brown hatch marks in smaller branch patterns inside the outline. It is drawn on a white background.
Installation view of the exhibition featuring five colored pencil drawings on a dark green wall. The first of five drawings features a small hand that seems to be covering a face. Behind the hand is black, shiny hair. The next drawing features three by three squares of paper. Throughout the paper, and broken up by the breaks in the paper, is a long, green, winding stripe. The next drawing is a clump of yellow branches with small red florals throughout. It sits against a grey and black background. The fourth image presents a tree and its roots diving into the dark, brown and grey earth. The trees yellow roots move upward through the green trunk and explode into green branches. The tree sits against a white background with orange and yellow orbs.
Installation view of three works in the exhibition. The wall is painted dark olive green. On the left wall is a drawing resembling a figure's leg from the knee cap down. The leg is green against a white background and is engulfed with squiggly, vein-like yellow lines. The lines also cover the floor in the drawing which is brown. The middle work features a drawing on a scroll that is placed on a shelf halfway up the wall. The scroll falls down to the floor, revealing a line design of two thick intertwining green lines with small yellow lines drawn inside it. The work on the right features a thin, undefined, green tree on a hill of dark brown and light orange/brown patches of dirt. White lines protrude from the bottom of the tree throughout the hill, resembling roots.
Installation view of three works in the exhibition. The wall is painted dark olive green. The work features a drawing on a scroll that is placed on a shelf halfway up the wall. The scroll falls down to the floor, revealing a line design of two thick intertwining green lines with small yellow lines drawn inside it. The work on the right features a thin, undefined, green tree on a hill of dark brown and light orange/brown patches of dirt. White lines protrude from the bottom of the tree throughout the hill, resembling roots. On the opposite wall, which is painted white, three drawings hang on the wall, lit up individually by spotlights.
Installation view of four works separated by the door in the gallery space.
Installation view of two walls in the exhibition. The two walls are separated by a hallway leading to the front of the gallery. On the left wall there is a black and white photograph and on the right wall there is a black and white photograph, however, the glare of the camera lens and the glass make it the content less legible.
Installation view of six photographs hung on three white walls. There are two on the left-side wall, three on the middle wall, and one on the right-side wall. The images are illegible due to the camera lens and the glare of the frames.
Installation view of four photographs in the exhibition. Four photographs are evenly hung on a white wall. The content is illegible due to the light's glare against the glass frame. The first three photographs are portrait while the last photograph is landscape.
Installation view of four photographs in the exhibition. Four black and white photographs are hung evenly spaced on a white wall. The first image is dark, but features what looks like makeup in a organizer on a desk. The next photograph features a bag hanging on the the top corner of a door. The next photograph features a vase, or urn, on a table surrounded by various objects. And the final image, is a landscape of water with a distant city in the background.
Installation view of three works in the exhibition. On the left side there is a black and white photograph and on the right side there are two black and white photographs closer together. The furthest left photograph is a bit bigger than the center photograph. The images in the photos are difficult to make out due to the glare of the lights in the glass frames.
Installation view of two paintings in the exhibition. Two paintings are hung on a light pink wall. The first work, larger than the second, features what seems to be a journal and an iPhone on a table with a lemon-printed table cloth. The next image features a box like figure with eyes, hair flowing from the sides of the box.
Installation view of two walls in the exhibition. The first painting, on the left, features a light orange spherical form on the left side of the canvas, there is a hole on top of the sphere. Emerging from the hole is a smoke of patterns in various colors. The rest of the painting, surrounding this sphere, is dark and filled with abstract forms in dark, shadowy colors. The next painting on the left, features light, pale, transparent, overlapping stripes in a weaving pattern. The purple, blue, pink, orange, and yellow lines overlap and create a checkered/woven pattern on the canvas. The first painting on the right side wall, features features what seems to be a journal and an iPhone on a table with a lemon-printed table cloth. The next image features a box like figure with eyes, hair flowing from the sides of the box. The paintings are hung on a pale pink wall.
Installation view of two works in the exhibition. The first painting, on the left, features a light orange spherical form on the left side of the canvas, there is a hole on top of the sphere. Emerging from the hole is a smoke of patterns in various colors. The rest of the painting, surrounding this sphere, is dark and filled with abstract forms in dark, shadowy colors. The next painting, on the right, features light, pale, transparent, overlapping stripes in a weaving pattern. The purple, blue, pink, orange, and yellow lines overlap and create a checkered/woven pattern on the canvas. The paintings are hung on a pale pink wall.
Installation view of two works against a light pink wall. The first work is smaller than the second. The work on the left features a framed sketch of muted tones. On the right is a blue and light pink checkerboard of sketches. Each square of the checkerboard features a sketch or small image of an item, though it is tough to make out from the camera angle.
Installation view of two walls that meet in the corner. The walls are light pink. The left wall and the right wall both have two pieces hanging next to one another. The painting on the left wall consists of six overlapping squares in different muted, pastels of blue, green orange, yellow, and purple. The painting on the right features two black and white sketches, one hung above the other. The sketches consist of mandala-like drawings. On the right wall, there is a painting of items on a table, and next to this painting is a painting of a person peering through a rectangular window.
Installation image of three paintings. On the left wall, which is angled facing the camera head on, consists of two paintings. The painting on the left wall consists of six overlapping squares in different muted, pastels of blue, green orange, yellow, and purple. The painting on the right features two black and white sketches, one hung above the other. The sketches consist of mandala-like drawings.
Installation view of the exhibition. The walls are painted bright red and on the left wall, there is a drawing of a anatomical heart. It has veins emerging from every side and thin red lines protruding from the heart all around the paper's white background. The drawing is made with various shades and pressures of red pencil. On the right wall is a series of six drawings. Each drawing features a black background with branch and vein like red lines crossing over the paper. The red of the drawing is the same red as on the walls. In the foreground, off to the right is a white pedestal with a red stack of paper cards on top of it about five by seven inches big.
Installation view of the exhibition. The wall is bright red and a series of six drawings are hung in a row, evenly spaced out along the wall. The drawings feature a black background with various red lines that resemble branches and veins over the background.
Installation view of the exhibition. On a bright red wall, a series of three drawings of red vein like lines are drawn against a black background. Another room in the exhibition can be seen off to the left side of the image; two works of art hanging on a white wall.
Installation view of the exhibition featuring two walls of a bright red room. On the left wall is one drawing that features red vein-like lines over a black background. On the middle wall, there is a drawing featuring light red squares at an angle separated by thin white lines. Over the squares is an outstretched figures hand. Next to this drawing is a white pedestal on the floor. Atop the pedestal sits a stack of red cards. There is a white room off to the left with another work in the exhibition in the background.
Installation view of the exhibition featuring three bright red walls. On the right side wall, there are two drawings of red vein-like lines against a black background. On the center wall, there is a drawing of an anatomical heart with red veins and lines protruding and emerging from it in all directions against a white background. On the right side there are two more drawings of the red vein-like lines against a black background.
Installation view of the exhibition featuring one large drawing of an anatomical heart. The drawing sits in the center of a bright red wall. Red lines like veins are protruding and emerging from the anatomical heart in all directions against a white background.
Installation view of the exhibition featuring two walls. On the left wall there is three drawings of red vein-like lines against a black background. The drawings are evenly spaced out. On the right side wall there is a drawing of light red squares separated by thin white lines. A figure's hand is outstretched over the squares. Next to the drawing on the ground is a white pedestal. Atop the pedestal is a pile of red cards.
Installation view of several works hanging against a white wall in the exhibition space. In the gallery, on the right side of the room, a large white rectangular prism bench sits on the cement floor.
Installation view of four artworks in the exhibition hanging on three white walls. Two hang on the left wall, two in the middle and two on the right. In the center of the gallery space, a white rectangular prism bench sits in the middle of the floor.
Installation view of several artworks in the exhibition hanging on three white walls. Two hang on the left wall, three in the middle, one in the corner between the middle and right side walls, and one on the right.
Image of three works in the exhibition hung on a white wall. The works on the left are small squares, one on top of the other. The top work is a black and white drawing of small light grey orbs and the drawing below is darker, but the features of the work are illegible from the image. Next to the squares is a large, blue painting in which lily pads, leaves, and branches are scattered across the blue water.
Installation view of two works in the exhibition, hung on a white wall. The first work, on the left, features abstract forms, cut across diagonally on the canvas. On the bottom left half of the diagonal, is what seems to be a ball of orange yarn and rope, with tethers coming out in all directions. Above the diagonal, on the right, are three arc shaped windows, but because of the angle, one cannot see out of them. The windows are green and blue and the blue walls between the window cut outs are littered with orange squiggly lines. On the right, is faint sketch on a light grey square paper much smaller than the first painting.
Installation view of three paintings hanging on a white wall. The first painting is the largest of the three and features a pink border that encases strange, organic shapes. The shape resembles three very light pink orbs stacked on top of one another inside a large purple orb. The next painting is very small and features a close up drawing of a tick insect. The insect is black and sits inside a white circle against a black background. The final painting, on the right, isOn the left wall, there is a work featuring fruitlike objects in the foreground, on the bottom, from their stems emerges long twisting dark stems that twist on the large green leaves and flower in the middle ground. The bulbous green leaves and stems have buds at the top. A large moon like orb sits in the background of the image, shining a light on the plants, and fruit-like objects in the foreground. The rest of the background is soft blends of blues.
Installation shot of three works on two white walls. On the left wall, there is a work featuring fruitlike objects in the foreground, on the bottom, from their stems emerges long twisting dark stems that twist on the large green leaves and flower in the middle ground. The bulbous green leaves and stems have buds at the top. A large moon like orb sits in the background of the image, shining a light on the plants, and fruit-like objects in the foreground. The rest of the background is soft blends of blues. Where the two walls meet in the center of the image, is a small square artwork of two sketched figure's faces facing one another in profile view. They are drawn very simple, white with a black line. On the right wall, there is a pink canvas. On the bottom of the canvas, is a series of soft, blurred circles. Above, a figure sits at what seems to be a fountain. The figure is drawn very sketchily, just an outline, and lies it's head in the palm of its hand. Dark abstract lines and blobs are next to the figure on the right side of the painting.
Installation view of four works in the exhibition. On the left, hanging lower to the ground is a painting of a wispy, sketched out being sitting at a table. Beside the figure is a pile of wispy, black smoke-like lines. The background is a grid of overlapping, muted pastels in a variety of colors. The next work is hung higher up off the ground and features what looks like a pink room with a checkered floor pattern. The next two works are smaller squares and consist of white knots/rope/jumble of lines against a black background.
Installation view of three works in the exhibition hung on a white wall. The first work, on the left, features a abstract canvas of architectural elements. There is a black and white striped loop in the center of the work. Window like openings and beams line the top and bottom of the canvas. On the left side of the canvas a grey bridge leads to nowhere. The entire work is done is pale, pastel colors of purple, black, blue, orange, yellow, and orange. The image on the right features a layered spiral path, going down into what appears to be the universe, with planets, stars, marked at the end of the spiral. On the left side of the painting at the beginning of the spiral path, there is a figure seated on a park bench. On the work next to this, the rightmost work, is a small black and white sketch of a figure with eyes peering at the viewer.
Photos by Carter Seddon.