It is easy to forget that the University of Wyoming has a fantastic Visual Arts program filled with talented and hard-working students and faculty. But tonight, everyone can enjoy the fruits of artistic labor at the openings for the This and That galleries, from 6 to 8 pm on the first floor of the Visual Arts building.
Teresa Gilfillan is one of the artists showing her work tonight. Her chosen works feature a theme of tranquility.
“I wanted a Zen garden feel to it,” Gilfillan said. “A peaceful, tropical vibe. If I could put an actual koi pond here, I would.”
The central theme of the gallery is important to her.
“If you sit in here by yourself you could maybe smell the flowers, people wouldn’t be talking,” she said. “You kind of get the peaceful, meditative quality.”
The gallery has paintings of koi fish and relaxing music, as well as orchids planted in her own terra-cotta pots.
“I’ve been growing orchids for about a decade now. Their roots require a lot of air, so I wanted to make pots that would be healthier for the orchid plants.”
Gilfillan’s works in the gallery highlight her inclination towards photorealistic images, though they also feature some facets outside of her comfort zone. Despite working in oil mediums recently, the paintings showcased use acrylic paint. She cites that, while at home with her four children, the quicker-drying acrylics are easier to use.
Gilfillan is excited to push herself into new ways of approaching art. “What I find challenging is letting go of the concrete things and going for more abstract and surrealistic styles,” she said. Learning new skills is a driving force for her art education; not just for her, but for those intimidated by the visual arts as well.
“You say that ‘you can’t draw, you can’t paint.’ I mean I hear people say that all the time, like it’s some sort of magical skill that you have to be born with,” Gilfillan said. “You think they’re born artists, they just know some of the tricks, like David Copperfield. You can actually learn how to do these things no matter who you are.”
“For me, that’s one of the core things of why I’m doing art education. There’re things you can learn, just like any other discipline.”
She said she looks forward to her next project, a series of sculptures tackling body image issues of women. “For me, I don’t want to be 40. I think 40 is hard for a lot of people, but for me as a woman, I feel that it’s really hard. We were looking at the Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition, and I’m looking at all of these young beautiful people, and I’m not a young beautiful person anymore. For me, trying to be okay with myself as an aging human person, It’s one of the challenges I face. And how can I show that in my art? How can I make it so that a young person can identify with what I’m going through?”
Gilfillan is just as excited for the artwork shown by her peers, as well. Rene Williams and Austen Williams will be opening alongside Gilfillan in the That gallery, and will feature a hanging art installation incorporating lights and sounds.
“Everyone has a different style. You really get a feel for the different artists,” she said.
