Final Show! Masters in Fine Arts Exhibition
For the Spring 2025 MFA Exhibition LaPaula Parker and Peyton Espley-Jones (PJ) presented their MFA Thesis works at Galerie de la Prévôté. For two years they have developed their technique, direction, and style. I had the opportunity to see their fall shows last semester, a sneak peek into the works they were developing, and it is incredible to see how they’ve taken their pallets, process, and concepts to new heights.
LaPaula Parker
I’ve gotten to know LaPaula over this past year from both a professional and personal point of view. Her process is fluid and experimental, deeply rooted in her intuition and emotions. She is guided by music and an exploration of self. Through depictions of family, friends, imagined figures, and inner emotions, LaPaula’s work becomes a seamless expression of her identity. Her many sides, clashing and blending, representing who she is. LaPaula’s compositions are innovative, breaking off from the tradition of canvas she works in collage, cut outs, and various other forms and mediums. I can’t wait to see what she will do in the future, and with her confidence and determination I have no doubt it will be amazing!
Peyton Espley-Jones
In Fall 2024, I was able to interview PJ for her fall art show. Getting to learn about her influences and vision made it such a joy to see it all come together for her thesis exhibition. PJ’s background in art history and the Marchutz Core Art program are brilliantly evident in her work. Her Art History thesis investigated medieval art and the wounded body, these sacred themes and gory motifs have been incorporated into her interest in the more formal qualities of art, like light and color. She also takes inspiration from contemporary artists such as Jenny Saville. I was incredibly impressed by her dive into figural work, her play with lighting and depiction of hands made exploring each of her pieces a pleasure. I also really appreciated her use of Gothic inspired compositions from ceramics, wood panel, and a triptych. The small ceramics were some of my favorites, the size and shape gave the impression of a keep’s sake, a personal touch which added new layers to her work.
The 2024 MFA Exhibition was a beautiful sum of the hard work these two students have accomplished. Congratulations to the graduates and best of luck to your promising futures!