Three Women: Three Narratives

For the month of March, students, Jacqueline Hochbaum, Milena Milo, and Junghee Lee's artwork is on display in the Student Union. The installation, entitled Three Women: Three Narratives, will run until the end of March. Curator, Maria Carbonell Serafin of the Student Union - along with Jason Demma, Student Union Marketing and Events Coordinator - offer art students the opportunity to show- case their work two weeks out of every month.

"It's slow at the beginning of the semester, but [the space] books fast once [students] start to reserve spaces," said Demma. The Student Union has been offering space for this opportunity since the inception of the idea in 2008.

Milo describes herself as a printmaker who uses a variety of techniques, most notably silk screen and monotype. "The work I create deals with images that are influenced by all of life's experiences," said Milo. She admits to currently focusing on how experiences relate to Christian beliefs and says that she does this with the women she creates because, "it seems natural to me".

Jacqueline Hochbaum's exhibit showcases a range of artwork. She has photography and an oil-on- canvas painting on display. Hochbaum claims to have been mesmerized by looking at old photographs.

She says she wondered, "...what life was like for the people in them". Her work is inspired by photographs created to look as if they're from a certain era in time, and at times, she blends her favorite mediums by painting her interpretation of photos that she finds interesting.

"When painting the photos, I choose the photos with the most unique composition, or that show a glimpse of the subject's personality that was what made them uniquely who they are," said Hochbaum. Independent readers may also re- member seeing her photography of the Black and White Night one year anniversary celebration at Hollywood Lounge back in October 2011.

Finally, Junghee Lee's artwork is expressed through a theme that is based on a very poignant question to consider; 'what is a woman?' Lee, a Korean-born woman who lives in the United States, allows her artwork to be influenced by her experiences here in America. In her artist's statement - Lee talks about the interpersonal conflict of being a Korean-born woman in America, and how she now grapples with the idea of being "too opinionated" for Koreans, and being "too obedient" for Americans.

"Women are the center of each of my pieces... Sometimes I will use a small Korean woman and a large American woman in the same image. The large American woman represents the strength and independence of American women, whereas the small Korean woman shows her dependence," said Lee.

The three women's narratives showcase their ideology through their art. The exhibit will be on display through the end of March. If you're interested in booking a space, contact Jason Demma at: j-demma@neiu.edu or Maria Carbonell Serafin at: M-CarbonellSerafin@neiu.edu.