Coleman Hirschman: BFA Artist Talk

Facilitated by Western Gallery intern Caleb Wolswijk.

Artist Statement

My work explores three stages: birth, life, and death through the lens of various iconographic figures and narratives, drawing inspiration from my religious upbringing and the symbols that surrounded me. I intentionally use sheetrock as a surface to paint on typically hidden behind the surfaces we live among, but here, it is exposed, unsealed, and vulnerable. The fragility of this material mirrors the human experience, transient and easily forgotten. With a background in mural art, which is inherently temporary, I aim to connect the fleeting nature of my work to the temporal cycle of life. In this body of work, I also seek to explore the dualities of labor and nature; the initial joy of creation, contrasted with the corruption and loss that emerge as we move distant from birth. The further away from birth, my palette deepens, shifting towards darker tones to reflect the last stage, death. I leave areas abstracted to keep a sense of ambiguity to the story. This body of work is an inquiry into what it means to exist within a finite timeline.