The Lamron

Issue date: 12/3/09 Section: Arts & Entertainment

Media Credit: Ben Jay Senior Fangda Ruan's sketches , shown above, are part of her showcase entitled, "From Wonderland to Fashion," which was inspired in part by the costumes she designed for this fall's production of the play "Alice in Wonderland."

The Senior Thesis Exhibitions of two talented student artists are being showcased in the Bridge Gallery of Brodie Hall.

"From Wonderland to Fashion," by senior Fangda Ruan, includes her "Spring 2010 Collection" and the brilliantly bizarre costume designs used in Geneseo's production of "Alice in Wonderland." Senior Edward Jones' collection, "Sticking it to Newton: A Study on the Suspension of Motion," features storytelling and thought-provoking stop-action photography.

Ruan said that she grew up surrounded by the fashion industry and that her inspiration comes from contemporary designers as well as the people around her. She also reached into the past, drawing on Victorian fashions for the "Alice in Wonderland" costumes. "To costume design, you have to place yourself in someone else's shoes and pretend to go into their closet," she explained in her artist statement.

Ruan's detailed designs match perfectly with the costumes that were worn in the play, both of which she created based on director and senior Emma Leigh's vision for that production. Ruan pulled some costumes from storage, transforming them with alterations and additions, and created others from scratch.

Her "Spring 2010 Collection" was inspired by the "Alice" costumes but with a contemporary twist. "For collections, the look must be consistent and cohesive … one look flows to another," Ruan said. "It consists of 27 looks that can be mixed and matched for the everyday women to work with … I left the colors out to allow the audience to imagine and create their own color combinations."

Jones's "Sticking it to Newton: A Study on the Suspension of Motion," features photographs of people and objects in midair, mid-fall or mid-jump, inspired by photographer Harold Edgerton. The photos undoubtedly tell a story, but according to Jones, many of the stories were unplanned.

"The most prominent thing I've discovered is the fact that I did not create these pieces … These pieces created themselves," Jones said in his artist statement. "I merely served as a conduit to bring them to fruition."

The photograph entitled "Hey Isaac" shows Jones himself concentrating intently on catching an orange that presumably was thrown to him, while a boy watches the action through a window of the building in the background.

"This is my favorite piece because of its candid nature," Jones said. He went on to explain that he was completely unaware that the boy in the window was present, and likewise, from outside, the boy had no idea that he was being photographed.

As mentioned in his artist statement, "Each piece lets everyone draw their own conclusion as to what it may mean, and I am no exception to this."

The show is open from Nov. 14 to Dec. 5. The Bridge Gallery opens at 8 a.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m. on weekends and closes at midnight.

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