Brianna Gluszak, a graduate student with a focus in glass work, began tufting rugs during the pandemic because they lacked access to their studio. This rug is on display in ‘this, that, and the other thing.’ Credit: Courtesy of Brianna Gluszak
The Urban Arts Space will celebrate 12 Ohio State graduate students on the brink of graduation with its exhibition, “this, that, and the other thing.”
The exhibition began Tuesday and will run through March 19 at the Urban Arts Space — an Ohio State art gallery located downtown at 50 W. Town St. — according to the Urban Arts Space website. The show is titled “this, that, and the other thing” because of the variety of artwork that will be on display, Brianna Gluszak, who is one of the 12 featured students, said.
“We felt like ‘this, that, and the other thing’ encompassed everyone’s different practices and honored the element that we are really different as artists,” Gluszak, who is pursuing a master’s in fine arts with a focus in glasswork, said.
Gluszak said phenomenology — a concept that aims to describe how humans relate their bodies to the space around them — inspired the work they will display in the show. They said they drew from the idea of queer phenomenology to represent the idea of not feeling secure in a space.
“It’s kind of based in abstraction,” Gluszak said. “So using abstract imagery but surrounding kind of themes of gender and queerness and queer phenomenology.”
Gluszak said the show serves as an important demonstration of how much the artists featured in the exhibition have grown during their time at Ohio State.
“I think all of us have kind of come into this program three years ago not knowing what to expect from this place and the people that surround this place,” Gluszak said. “In a lot of ways, because we are all in the Ohio State arts community, it becomes a bit more of a celebration of our time here and what we’ve accomplished here.”
Brett Taylor, who is pursuing a master’s in printmaking and is an artist featured in “this, that, and the other thing,” said the work they are displaying directly ties into their own life experiences.
Taylor’s piece is composed of over 20 X-ray illumination boxes depicting prints of the idealized male figure and waiting room chairs facing the prints, they said.
“My work is called ‘Waiting Room,’ which is de-, re- and un-composing being in the body at the intersection of ability, gender and sexuality,” Taylor said.
Taylor said this piece is personal because they were in a wheelchair for six years as a result of bone cancer, and their identities have made them cognizant of how they interact with the world and the spaces around them.
“I learned to walk six times,” Taylor said. “So, for seven years of my life, I navigated space differently. Also, I identify as a nonbinary, queer individual, so this kind of idea of making space for myself and constantly considering how we meet the built environment.”
Like Gluszak, Taylor said they consider “this, that, and the other thing” to be a mix of pieces in various different mediums.
“The works aren’t separate. They’re going to flow into one another; they’re going to ask different questions; they’re going to challenge each other,” Taylor said. “It really is a constellation of 12 very unique individuals and projects.”
The exhibition is free to attend, but registration in advance is required. Those interested can register on the Urban Arts Space website.
