“Color Me” Exhibition Fellowship Poster
Case Study
Participating in the gallery fellowship through Artworks in Cincinnati allowed me to learn and collaborate with the artists-in-residence, Andrew Neyer and Andy J. Pizza, and nine other fellows selected. Andrew and Andy’s exhibition “Color Me” is a collaborative project where they create monoline black and white doodles, intended to be a larger-than-life coloring book. They manufacture huge markers for the gallery goers to color on the walls to bring their doodles to life.
We, the gallery fellows, were appointed to create a poster design for display and sale at their exhibition. The prompt for our posters was to design a coloring book page but was very open concept. When given direction, however, my attention was to promote and give understanding to the exhibition.
Inspired by the abstract, surreal, and expressionist outcomes that can be colored in. I liked the idea that the poster can change tone or narrative by the color theme of choice. Taking that note, I pushed my concept of implying human participation, personification, and the motion of coloring.
Narrowing my options and after multiple ideas, renditions, and decision making I chose the design that felt most in tune with what I wanted to transpire and contribute to the exhibition. I went in the direction of displaying the act of how it feels to color, create, and mark make. Representing the human figure in an abstract form where it expands from itself and its outer influence. Titled “Collective Coincidence.”
Picturing a symbolic representation of the phrase “Color Me,” I wanted to represent a surreal take on the action. Where coloring can have an abstract and broad approach, I reflected that aspect into dynamic abstraction, thinking of the beautiful action in creating one's world. This led me to design a human figure with simplified shapes, distorted limbs, and exaggerated forms. In a dynamic circular drawing motion, the figure creates a flow of energy and balance amongst the chaos of outer influence. Releasing the unconscious creative potential through mark-making. Appreciating the uniqueness of what we go through and participate in as humans. This makes me think that each gallery goer for this exhibition would leave a trace of their associations and perspectives. Then, harmony can be created through artistic freedom, evoked emotion, irrationalism, and spontaneity.
Reflecting on my formal decisions and the concept of the exhibition; I drew inspiration from the coloring book aspect and open-ended possibilities when coming into the gallery space…
“Collective Coincidence”
11” x 17”
2025
