The Central Piedmont Dove Gallery is pleased to present “Collective Agency,” an exhibition by artists Kristy Hughes and Alexandra Giannell that explores the concept of phenomenology, a truly immersive experience into the body, mind, and self. The work of art features abstract shapes and forms that allow the viewer to curate their own personalized experience via the artwork. Artists Hughes and Giannell combine artistic geniuses to utilize both large-scale 2D drawings, as well as 3D sculptures.

The differing use of medium between Hughes and Giannell highlights the phenomenological goal intertwining the two artists and their works in complementary ways. Giannell’s drawings mean to invoke a sense of both bodily presence and absence, hinting at the notion of infinity and life beyond the present moment. In contrast, Hughes’ 3D sculptures empower the self with color and form to interpret their own meaning of the artwork. The minimalist designs on Hughes’ sculptures easily draw the eye in and around the sculpture, further allowing for the 360-degree viewing.

Hughes and Giannell consider collective, imagined futures through works that investigate the bodily presence and the empowered voice. Giannell’s immersive drawings and paintings utilize the index of the body, interrogating the institutionalized systems by which they are contained, referencing the historical and the immediate. In contrast, Hughes’ sculptures embody the freed voice, boldly celebrating agency and empowerment, representing an optimistic present and imagined future. “Collective Agency” is an invitation to imagine inclusive spaces where all voices and bodies are valued and not suppressed. Environmental, architectural, and societal constrictions can prevent community-building and connection.

WHEN:  September 12 – October 28, Monday – Thursday, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. or by appointment

WHERE: Central Piedmont Central Campus, Parr Center, Dove Art Gallery, First Floor

ARTIST LECTURE: Virtual, October 4, at 12 p.m.
Link to Virtual Artist Lecture