One of the best ways to enhance a public space is by filling available areas with pieces of artwork; Gordon Commons has been recently transformed by students according to this principle. Over October Break, Vassar Artists’ Group (VAG) installed two exhibitions showcasing the talent of student artists: “Doodles” and “VAG Queer Eye.” The former includes a collection of aesthetically related pieces built upon the act of doodling; the latter displays a wider variety of work that marks the second edition of “VAG Deece Makeover,” a theme which first ran last spring in Gordon Commons. According to VAG statements, “Doodles” celebrates accidental, unrecognized moments of creativity which blur boundaries between art and everyday life. The broader “VAG Queer Eye” exhibit is a beautification project that provides an opportunity for students to publicly display their work, enabling wider peer recognition and enjoyment.
The two displays are located on the far ends of Gordon Commons above booth seating. After returning from Fall Break travels, I took some time to observe the newly featured art, which led to a few pieces in particular catching my eye. Walking by the “Doodles” side, I was particularly struck by the repetitive subject matter of Molly Arden’s ’25 piece, which features fish overlapping each other in lines that resemble a dysfunctional school. The red background squares highlight the black-and-white sketches in a stunning, complementary manner, accompanied by a poem in the bottom left that adds additional intrigue. On the right, two works by Lauren Freedman ’24 utilize bright color schemes in dense collage format; the bottom right piece resembles graffiti work with its dripping paint and rounded numbers, with added density provided by doodles of critters and nature. The mediums explored here demonstrate the range of possibilities under which doodling can be incorporated, a thought which stuck with me after leaving. Pieces by Elia Smith ’26 employ the human body as a background for the irregular overlay shapes and declarative words. This underlying shape is always visible despite the geometry and vocabulary which is composed upon it, a feat which requires an impressive level of balance. A personal highlight of mine was Brody Weiss’ ’26 piece, which combines graphite and red pencil work in a light, impressionistic manner. The arrangement is stable and purposeful, yet the piece appears natural to the viewer. This is as if it was ripped unwittingly from the creator’s sketchbook and hung up. The second wall features an array of smaller pieces, completed on various backgrounds such as lined paper. These doodles often combined imagery with extended written sections; their smaller size required one to approach closely in order to read, an experience which made them feel deeply personal to witness.
On the “VAG Queer Eye” side, I was quickly immersed within the surreal work of Gracie Chang ’26 and Phineas Cashman ’26 on the leftmost end of the wall. The bold colors and body-centric focus of Chang’s piece left me perplexed and unnerved yet thoroughly fascinated; this is perhaps the most memorable work of the entire display for myself, which says a lot given the intrigue of each artwork. Cashman’s uncanny landscape reminded me of a solar system map on its right side, featuring a cube-shaped hole which suggested a dimension beyond the artwork’s boundaries. Continuing rightward, Leo Valenti’s ’26 mechanical arrangements popped out thanks to the use of shadows, black and white, and thicker linework. The angular sprawl of chords may appear cluttered from afar, yet the aforementioned qualities enable their patterns to emerge with stunning vividity. Immediately afterward, another black-and-white image caught my attention. Although my uninitiated understanding of the medium makes this description lacking, I was captured by Preston Bowe’s ’24 black-and-white work depicting a series of shapes, which morph in texture from left to right. I understood this as a sort of naturalistic progression like the flow of magma or the molting of snakeskin, with harrowing “faces” emerging and dissolving into the rock-like shape. The final piece I wanted to note was Harper Navin’s ’26 textured mountain landscape. A stark, gray background clouds the sky above pointy peaks, with simple strokes beneath it gesturing towards the idea of bare foliage; the serene scene left my heart full as I left once more for the library.
My overview barely scratches the surface of what these exhibits have to offer, and I have unfortunately been unable to cover every single piece in their deserved level of detail. In order to fully experience the work yourself, please consider making an effort to immerse yourself in each of the displays when the moment strikes you. Your contemplation will be rewarded by the immense level of talent and creativity on display.
