Drawing Studio

Old Dominion University

Spring 2013

C Stephenson Gibbs

Bio:

In life all of us have a beginning and an end. How one lives the part in between is the real story.

My story began in 1953. My parents were Don and Beth Stephenson. Dad was a college student at the University of Oklahoma and my mother was a nurse. At age three, we returned to their home state of Iowa and that is where I spent the next 16 years of my life.

One of my very first memories is the smell of crayons and I remember always drawing or making something “special”. Fortunately, my family was very supportive of my creative endeavors and always encouraged me and told me that when I grew up I would be an art teacher.

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Although I started college at the University of Northern Iowa to become an art educator life got in the way and I did not accomplish my goal until returning to ODU in 1991. That was a turning point in my life and my career. It was a door opening and I walked thru it willingly. Initially, my goal was simplyto get a degree in Art Education but once I heard the “kiss” of the ink in a Intro to Printmaking course I was hooked. I became a studio junkie and it paid off in that recognition, awards, and scholarships like the Margolious Scholarship were my reward for the many hours in the VAB.

After graduation from ODU, Magna Cum Laude. I knew I had to go forward so applied to grad schools around the country. I was accepted at 3 out of the 5 that I applied to but choose East Carolina University (ECU) as it was NASAD accredited, In 2000, I received my MFA from East Carolina University School of Fine Arts and Communication and have actively been engaged in teaching and making Art ever since. I have never looked back and cannot imagine a life that does not include actively engaging in the creative process every day. I drive my family crazy but I live by the philosophy that William Blake stated:

“Art is the Tree of Life.”

My art has kept me sane, provided me with solace and inspiration. It gives me a purpose in life and fulfills my insatiable appetite for knowledge. Every day is a new opportunity to explore new concepts, learn new techniques and share with others the incredible creativity that human beings share.

ARTIST STATEMENT

The discourse between light, color, or texture as well as all of the other elements of art provide me with a visual language to interact and interpret my world.

Through my art, I express, conceptualize and seek to understand the events which shape my world. Some work may be very personal and private communications while others are universal to all humankind. I have been professionally trained as a printmaker with a decade of experience in serigraphy, intaglio and lithographic processes but have recently worked primarily in watercolor and acrylic painting media. The immediacy of these water-based mediums provides both a challenge and an opportunity to be far more spontaneous than allowed in printmaking. I am enthralled with exploring and learning new processes and the myriad of opportunities each technique allows for expression.

Teaching experience:• 04/2011-05/2012 Adjunct Professor

Coastal Carolina Community CollegeJacksonville, NC

• 9/2010-5/2011 Art InstructorJacksonville Montessori SchoolJacksonville, NC

• 1/2006 – 5/2008 Adjunct ProfessorVisual Arts Center, Tidewater Community College Portsmouth, VA

• 2006 - 2008 SAS Educator and Teaching Artist

Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA)Virginia Beach, VA

• 2000-2005 Adjunct Lecturer East Carolina University School of Fine Arts and Communication, Greenville,

NC

• 2001-2003 Adjunct ProfessorCoastal Carolina Community College, Jacksonville, NC

• 2000-2001 High School Teacher/Art Instructor

Martin County Schools, Williamston, NC

• 1998-2005 Graduate Assistant – Teaching/Research/Lab and Office East Carolina University

School of Fine Arts and Communication, Greenville, NC

2000 Master of Fine Arts (MFA) – Printmaking, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC

1995 Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) Magna Cum Laude Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA

1990 Bachelor of Liberal Studies (BLS) University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, IA

Education

AffiliationsSouthern Graphics Alliance, Member, 1995 to presentPhi Kappa Phi, Member, 1995 to presentSoutheastern College Art Conference (SECAC) Greenville Museum of Art, MemberEast Carolina Graduate Art Alliance, President, 1999-2000East Carolina Student Alliance, MemberVisual Arts Forum, East Carolina University School of Art and Communication, Member, 1996-2000ECU Printmaking Guild, President 1999-2000 and Member 1996-2000Old Dominion University Student Art League, President, 1994-1995Onslow Art SocietyWatercolor Society of VirginiaSuffolk Art LeagueAlpha Phi, Epsilon Theta Chapter, Member, Social Chairperson, Alumni

Exhibitions 2000-2013

• The Creative Mark, Invitational Exhibition, Suffolk Art League, Suffolk, VA, May-June, 2013.

• ECU School of Fine Art Alumni Exhibition, Jenkins Fine Arts Building, Gray Gallery, Greenville, NC September-October, 2011.

• 38th Annual Art Faculty Exhibition, Visual Arts Center – TCC at Olde Towne, Portsmouth, VA. November 2007-January 2008.

• “I See London, I See France” Suffolk Art Museum, Suffolk, VA. April – May 25, 2007

• 37th Annual Art Faculty Exhibition, Visual Arts Center-TCC at Olde Towne, Portsmouth, VA. Nov.18, 2006-Jan. 11, 2007

Exhibitions 2000-2013, continued:• 38th Annual Art Faculty Exhibition, Visual Arts Center – TCC at Olde Towne,

Portsmouth, VA. November 2007-January 2008.• “I See London, I See France” Suffolk Art Museum, Suffolk, VA. April – May 25, 2007• 37th Annual Art Faculty Exhibition, Visual Arts Center-TCC at Olde Towne,

Portsmouth, VA. Nov.18, 2006-Jan. 11, 2007• “nine” Group Exhibition, Wayne Co. Arts Council, Goldsboro, NC, November 5 –

January 5, 2007• “9”, Group Exhibition, Elizabeth City State University Gallery, Elizabeth City, NC.

October, 2006• “Bringing it All Back Home” ECU Alumni Exhibition, Gray Gallery, ECU, Greenville,

NC. Sept.-Oct. 2006• “8”, Group Exhibition, Green County Museum, Snowhill, NC, Sept, 2006• “8”, Group Exhibition, Community Council for the Arts, Kinston, NC, Jun. – Aug. 2006• “A Tradition of Excellence”, ECU 2005 Faculty Exhibition, Gray Gallery, Greenville,

NC, Oct-Nov. 2005• 25th Wayne Co. National Juried Arts Exhibition, Wayne Co. Art Council, Goldsboro,

NC, Sept.-Oct. 2004• “A Tradition of Excellence”, 2004 ECU Faculty Exhibition, Gray Gallery, Greenville,

NC, Oct.-Nov. 2004• 24th Wayne Co. National Juried Arts Exhibition, Wayne Co. Art Council, Goldsboro,

NC, Sept.-Oct. 2003• “Those Who Can Teach” Juried Exhibition, Onslow Center for the Arts, Jacksonville,

NC, 2003• “A Tradition of Excellence”, 2003 ECU Faculty Exhibition, Gray Gallery, Greenville,

NC, Sept.-Oct. 2003• “PH-1 Factor” Two Person Exhibition, Onslow Center for the Arts, Jacksonville, NC,

Jan. 2003• “A Tradition of Excellence”, 2002 Faculty Exhibition, Gray Gallery, November, 2002• “Vie Dieu”, 30th Southern Graphics Print Exhibition, New Orleans, LA, April, 2002• CCA 2002- 21st Annual Competitive Exhibition, Community Council for the Arts,

Kinston, NC. Jan.-Feb.2002

Exhibitions 2000-2013 , continued:

• 25th Wayne Co. National Juried Arts Exhibition, Wayne Co. Art Council, Goldsboro, NC, Sept.-Oct. 2004

• “A Tradition of Excellence”, 2004 ECU Faculty Exhibition, Gray Gallery, Greenville, NC, Oct.-Nov. 2004

• 24th Wayne Co. National Juried Arts Exhibition, Wayne Co. Art Council, Goldsboro, NC, Sept.-Oct. 2003

• “Those Who Can Teach” Juried Exhibition, Onslow Center for the Arts, Jacksonville, NC, 2003

• “A Tradition of Excellence”, 2003 ECU Faculty Exhibition, Gray Gallery, Greenville, NC, Sept.-Oct. 2003

• “PH-1 Factor” Two Person Exhibition, Onslow Center for the Arts, Jacksonville, NC, Jan. 2003

• “A Tradition of Excellence”, 2002 Faculty Exhibition, Gray Gallery, November, 2002

• “Vie Dieu”, 30th Southern Graphics Print Exhibition, New Orleans, LA, April, 2002

• CCA 2002- 21st Annual Competitive Exhibition, Community Council for the Arts, Kinston, NC. Jan.-Feb.2002

• “Lifeline”, Women Artists Exhibition, Community Council for the Arts, Kinston, NC. March-April 2002

• Master of Fine Arts Thesis Exhibition, Hampton Gallery and Permanent Collection Gallery, Kinston Arts Center, Kinston, NC. June-July, 2000

• Rebel Exhibition, ECU Mendenhall Gallery, Greenville, NC• CCA 2000 National Competitive Exhibition, Kinston, NC

Other art organizations and activities:

• Visiting Artist –East Carolina University National Day of Writing, October, 2012• Visiting Artist – East Carolina University National Day of Writing-October, 2011

• Juror - Wildlife Exhibition, Artists Gallery, Virginia Beach, VA. October – Nov. , 2008• Juror/Standards Committee Member – 52nd Annual International Boardwalk Arts Festival,

Virginia Beach, VA.• June 16-19, 2007.• Juror - 26th Annual County-Wide Student Art Competition. Jones-Onslow EMC, Onslow Council for

the Arts, Jacksonville,• NC, March, 2003.• “Monoprint Workshop”, Instructor, Greenville Museum of Art, Greenville, NC, March, 2000.• Printmaking Lab Assistant - ECU School of Fine Art and Communication, Greenville, NC, Jan-May,

2000.Responsible• for maintaining bulk supplies in the print studios (primarily solvents and acid baths). Maintenance of

rags, newsprint• for printmaking survey courses. Supervised undergraduate printmaking studio, one night/week/3hrs.• Printmaking Lab Assistant - ECU School of Fine Art and Communication, Greenville, NC, Jan – May,

1999.• Responsible for maintaining bulk supplies in the print studios (primarily solvents and acid baths).• Maintenance of rags, newsprint including OSHA mandates for disposal and safety.• for printmaking survey courses. Supervised the undergraduate printmaking studio, one

night/week/3hrs.• School of Art Graduate Office Assistant - East Carolina School of Fine Art and Communication,

Greenville,• NC, May- June, 1998. Responsible for assisting the secretary to the Graduate Director. Included

processing• and maintaining files for all graduate students (current and new), forms and application for the

School of Art• graduate program. Responsible for completing assignments for the Graduate Director in the absence

of the secretary.• Printmaking Lab Assistant - ECU School of Fine Art and Communication, Greenville, NC, Aug-Dec

1999. Responsible for maintaining bulk supplies in the print studios (primarily solvents and acid baths). Maintenance of rags, newsprint

• for printmaking survey courses. Supervised undergraduate printmaking studio, one night/week/3hrs.• Southeastern College Art Conference (SECAC) Conference Panelist – “Angst, Anticipation And

Actuality”. Graduate

Marie Laveaux Preliminary Sketch

Encaustics-Femme Fatale Series

I N S P I R A T I O N

Hollywood Cemetery, Richmond VA

R e s e a r c h

"What creature with one voice walks on four legs in the morning, on two legs at noon, and on three legs in the evening — and is weakest when it has the most legs?

OEDIPUS AND THE THEBAN SPHINX

The Sphinx was sent by Hera to plague and punish the city of Thebes for the crimes of King Laius — for kidnapping and raping the boy Chrysippus. Others say the Sphinx was sent by Dionysos to punish the Thebans for neglecting his worship. In any case, the Sphinx certainly throttled Thebes. Choking off all traffic into and out of the city's gate, from a high rock or wall (acropolis) near the city gate she waylaid travelers and passersby and asked them her famous riddle: "What creature with one voice walks on four legs in the morning, on two legs at noon, and on three legs in the evening — and is weakest when it has the most legs?" No man could answer her riddle. Therefore, one by one, she strangled them and gobbled them up. Or, some say, she seized the men and dashed them to their deaths from her rocky perch. (Just as criminals were executed, at Athens, by being tossed off the wall of the acropolis?) Even the king's son, Haimon, whose name means "bloody," was thus bloodied by the Sphinx.

Finally Oedipus came and found the solution. Oedipus’ answer: “Man, who walks on all fours in infancy, walks upright on two legs in the midday of his life, and hobbles about with a staff in old age.”

Dumbfounded by his brilliant reply, the monster dashed herself to pieces on the rocks below. But some say she refused to quit and that Oedipus was forced to kill her with the point of his spear.

The SPHINX in the Visual Arts

Egyptian Hatshepsut Sphinx_New Kingdom

Egyptian Sphinx

Assyrian Sphinx

Rhodian Sphinx Plate

Oedipus and the Sphinx by Gustave Moreaux

Sphinx - visual interpretations by other artists

Sphinx attacking a Theban youth. From the foot of Phidias‘ colossal statue of Zeus at Olympia. "On each of the two front feet are set Theban children ravished by sphinxes..."(Pausanias)

Devonian Sphinx

Leonora Fini

“…the only artist to paint women without apology. Her women are sphinxes, strong, beautiful and feline, protecting those they love. Symbolic of the nexus of mystery and power.”

Mina Loy

Sphinx Tableau – NORVA , Norfolk, VA

Sphinx in Greek means “strangler”. Female sphinxes first appeared about the 8th c BC and were placed on tombstones and free-standing columns in temple courtyards. The she-monster had the head and breasts of a woman, body of a lion, wings of and eagle and the tail of a snake. Her origin has several explanations including that she was the daughter of Echidna (half-woman and half-snake) and Typhon, a giant winged monster whose fists were snake heads and body from the waist down was a mass of snakes. Others believed she was born of Echidna and her dog son, Orthron while another story is that the Sphinx was conceived from Orthron and the Chimera.

For mankind, Foolishness is the Sphinx. Foolishness speaks in riddles of these things: of what is good, what is bad, and what is neither good nor bad in life. Thus, if anyone does not undertand these things he is destroyed by her, not all at once, as a person devoured by the Sphinx died. Rather he is destroyed little by little, throughout his entire life, just like those who are handed over for retribution.[i.e imprisoned and/or tortured?] But if one does understand, Foolishness is in turn destroyed, and he himself is saved and is blessed and happy in his whole life.” (from Fitzgerald and White, The Tabula of Cebes, Chico, California: Scholars Press, 1983, p.63)

The Sphinx in Literature

Like many personifications of the heart's dilemmas, its dreadful ambivalences, sphinxes aroused excitement as well as terror. They had a lascivious air -- stemming perhaps from the archaic smile, which appeared on the statues of handsome young men and women during the archaic period -- an enigmatic smile easily confused in later periods with the come-hither smile of a woman on the make? Several texts treat sphinxes ironically as hetairai, i.e. courtesans, especially as whores of Megara (by, among other writers, Aristophanes, Acharnians 738). Plutarch compares the sphinx to the insidious smile of hetairai, particularly on objects meant for milady's toilette, exhibiting the sphinx as an attribute of Aphrodite!

The Sphinx in Literature, continued:

Other examples of the Sphinx in Literature:

"The Sphinx" by Thomas Carlyle (chapter in Past and Present) "buried for a thousand years, in stone coffins, with mummies

and sphinxes" by Thomas de Quincy (from Confessions of an English Opium Eater)

"Child of the Sphinx" by Sheridan Le Fanu (chapter in Uncle Silas)

"Distressing Tale of Thangobrind the Jeweler" by Lord Dunsany (short story)

"The Sphinx" by Oscar Wilde (poem) "Jenny" by Dante Gabriel Rossetti (poem) "Spleen III [the Sphinx]" by Charles Baudelaire “The Sphinx”, Edgar Allen Poe, 1850.

Exhibition Opening Reception, May 4th! Sphinx series - The Guardian, The Prey, At the Water's Edge and Sphinxes of the Oracle will be on exhibit.

Current Exhibition at Suffolk Art Gallery on display May 5-June 8, 2013

http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/cstephensongibbs.html