We are a week out from KyCAD's BFA Thesis Exhibition and the final artwork of our three seniors will be on display in the 849 Gallery. In preparation for the big opening event on May 16, we took the opportunity to sit down with each of them to learn more about who they are and the work they’ve been creating. Last up—

Josie Seymour

"Misnomer"

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Tell us a little bit about yourself and your background.

I was born in Kentucky. I have moved eight plus times all over Kentucky. I have also moved to Georgia and North Carolina. I've grown up primarily in the South. A lot of my family is from there. I have a lot of connections in Southern Kentucky. A lot of my family are artists as well. A lot of inspiration for me and my art has come from family.

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When did you know art college was the place for you, and how did you end up coming to KyCAD?

I've always wanted to go to college for art and I've known that. When I moved back to Louisville, I heard about KyCAD and I thought it would be the perfect place for me because everything I do is art oriented. The school itself is very art oriented, so I thought I should apply for school and I love it.

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‍Are there any specific artists that inspired you?

Artists I have been looking at more recently include David Hockney for photo collage and painting inspiration and Nam June Paik because he works with TV art. I think that's really interesting because there's not a lot of TV art installations, so I've enjoyed looking at his stuff for inspiration. I look at a lot of directors who make movies as well, including Richard Linklater. I love his movies.

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So, how would you describe your visual art overall?

This year a lot of my art is focused on photography and video installation. I'm doing a lot of giant photography installation and I'm exploring photography as installation, which I don't see a lot of in the gallery space. It's been fun to experiment with that. I am also working with camcorders and my AUX TVs, making videos for them. I'll have more analogue style art happening in the show.

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‍Have your techniques or interests evolved while you've been here at KyCAD?

When I first started here at KyCAD, I was doing painting, drawing and printmaking. I was doing a little photography on the side, but when it came to school, I was doing something different. I decided since I liked doing photography and videography so much I should narrow it down and focus on that instead.

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‍Now that you are about to wrap up your undergraduate career, what are your hopes for the future?

I would like to continue doing video work in the future. I definitely want to start doing more window display stuff or working with other artists or live musicians to build cool sets. It would be cool to design new spaces for people to explore. I do want to get back into painting a little bit, too.

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‍In this day and age, what do you think are the markers of success for an artist?

I feel like every artist is successful in their own way.

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Join us Friday, May 16 from 5p-7:30p for the Opening Reception of this year's Senior Thesis Exhibition!

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