Artist: Sophia Grecco
Exhibition: Lucky Places for a Grave
Media: Watercolor, Charcoal, Acrylic
Gallery: LBSU School of Art, Merlino Gallery
Instagram: Sogriart
About the Artist
Sophia Grecco is an Undergraduate student at LBSU and is currently in the Illustration BFA Program here. She worked on this exhibition, Lucky Places for a Grave, with Sophia Grecco. Each artist had their own different styles, but she enjoyed making everything blend in together for this exhibition. Growing up, Sophia had an interest in reading folklore stories and an obvious interest in making art. With these distinct interests, Sophia combined her two interests into one to create the art that she has presented.
Formal Analysis
The five watercolor pieces that make up Sophia Grecco’s side of the exhibit was painted using watercolor, charcoal, and acrylic. The pieces were painted in a size that is relatively noticeable, so the viewer can be standing at a distance to see the paintings or closer up to notice more of the details added throughout the paintings. The light colored wooden board that surround the paintings helps to add a medieval effect to the story. The images were painted using a variety of colors, but it seems to mostly stick to earthy tones. The watercolors add a very blended effect, which the artist appears to have taken advantage of as many of the paintings include a body of water of some sort. The sizes of the paintings vary in sizes and shapes, which adds to the effect of the paintings and makes it visually appealing.
Content Analysis
The process of making her paintings stems from Sophia Grecco’s childhood interests in fairytales and folktales. While reading many of those tales, she started to notice a reoccurring pattern of a male dominant figure saving the damsel in distress; Sophia Grecco wanted to change that pattern. She made her art pieces as a way to edit and reinterpret those folktales and fairytales. Being part of the LGBTQ+ has especially created this desire to have more representation of strong, independent women. Sophia Grecco wanted to create her own kind of fairytale that was not simply like the typical princess and dragon slayer stories that have been told for decades. When asked why this exhibition was named “Lucky Places for a Grave,” Sophia revealed that her and Ashley Anderson had used a word generator to make the name.
My Experience
It was endearing to hear that Sophia Grecco had combined her childhood interests to create her art pieces as an adult. I had never realized how repetitive some of the folktales and fairytales can be, so it was very empowering for her to capture a story that did not have the traditional details. I aspire to be able to have that type of mindset of knowing when a group is not being represented enough and to break the boundaries of falling within that same box, despite what others may think. I especially loved how she tied in her childhood interests with her major as a college student, because that shows how sure she is with herself and that she knows what she wants. As many other college students, I sometimes struggle in knowing if I really picked the right major for me. Thus, it was uplifting to see someone else that is following their dreams and interests.
Julliane's Art 110 