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SHERMAN, TEXAS—The Austin College Department of Art and Art History is hosting the exhibition “Order and Abandon” by artist Kelly Yarbrough now through October 31 in Dennis Gallery of Forster Art Studio Complex, on the north side of campus. An artist reception will be held from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, November 1, in conjunction with Austin College Homecoming events. Regular gallery hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. The exhibit and reception are free and open to the public. For more information, please call 903.813.2048.
Kelly Yarbrough graduated from Austin College in 2009 with a bachelor’s degree in art and English. She is pursuing a Master of Fine Arts degree in drawing at Kansas State University.
“The relationship between nature and humanity has always been a driving source of inspiration for me,” Kelly wrote of her work. “I often notice the ways in which nature acts as a mirror to our own desires, motivations, and habits. These recent works were created during a residency in Grand Lake, Colorado, where I sought to explore human-nature relationships in that particular place through a collaborative mark-making process with nature—exposing the page to elements outside of my control and then responding with marks from my own hand. These responsive marks come about with varying degrees of intentionality, but I always strive to be conscious of them. I find that as I work through a piece, I might play many different roles through my mark-making: creator, destroyer, observer, designer, innovator, or consumer, to name a few.”
The artist said she was very much influenced by the book The Botany of Desire by Michael Pollan when creating these pieces. “Pollan presents a metaphor of our conflicting desires for nature as one of Apollonian order versus Dionysian abandon,” she said. “Hence the title, Order and Abandon.”
Austin College, a private national liberal arts college located north of Dallas in Sherman, Texas, has earned a reputation for excellence in academic preparation, international study, pre-professional foundations, leadership development, committed faculty, and hands-on, adventurous learning opportunities. One of 40 schools profiled in Loren Pope’s influential book Colleges That Change Lives, Austin College boasts a welcoming community that embraces diversity and individuality, with more than 36 percent of students representing ethnic minorities. A residential student body of 1,250 students and a faculty of more than 100 allow a 12:1 student-faculty ratio and personalized attention. The College is related by covenant to the Presbyterian Church (USA) and cultivates an inclusive atmosphere that supports students’ faith journeys regardless of religious tradition. Founded in 1849, the College is the oldest institution of higher education in Texas operating under original name and charter.
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