Several graduate art students from Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi (TAMU-CC) showcased their artwork, sculptures, photography, ceramics and printmaking at the university’s Center for the Fine and Performing Arts on Oct. 23. Veterans in the TAMU-CC art department, along with up-and-coming artists, conveyed a blend of personal experience and growth through their art. Featured artists include Casey Cooper, Clarita Fajutag, Dan Davis, Daryl Hause Tanner, David L. Phillips, David Longnecker II, Eva Cantwell, Grace Barraza-Vega, Jeanine McCain, Kyle A. Chaput, Luis Corpus, Mary Terry, Shawna Leahey, Carole Mauch, Sheila Gritte, Travis Cook, and Kris Jorgensen.Bernardo Díaz and Reuben Njaa, two former TAMIU Art majors, also displayed their work. Diaz is currently pursuing graduate studies at TAMU-CC. His inspirations come from his experiences as a Hispanic growing up in a traditional Mexican home in the U.S. For six years, Diaz has been inspiring many with his art. He was a fan favorite at the exhibition due to his astounding piece, Manifestation of a Mexican American.”This [piece] has to do with stereotypes of Mexicans born [in] Mexico and a Mexican American who has already assimilated into the American culture,” Diaz explained. “A lot of people here have a view of Mexicans being ultra-conservative Catholics and their imbalance of what the man is supposed to do and his stereotype of machismo.”According to Diaz, it took him two weeks, often working 12-hour days, to complete Manifestation. Another work he displayed, The Trickle Series, is composed of several pieces which depict his relatives’ struggles. Each piece took four hours to complete.”My mother’s [piece] represents how she had to work at an early age,” said Diaz. “My father’s, how he never got educated the way his brothers and sisters were able to get educated.”Diaz also created artwork inspired by his siblings.”My oldest brother was kind of like of my parents’ guinea pig; my parents didn’t know how to raise a child. The word resentment is represented in the back with a lot of animosity. My younger brother[‘s piece] has to do with him starting a family at an early age. That could have been a negative turn in his life, but it has turned out great. Another one is my younger sister’s illness and her relationship with my dad. It is my favorite because it is the most personal,” said Diaz.Viewers responded favorably to Diaz’s work.”Those two pieces were my favorites,” said Triana Ramirez. “One was very detailed and personal, and [in] the Manifestation of a Mexican American the colors just pop, and it catches your attention. It is very retro with a personal story behind it.” Artist Mary Terry took another approach into the arts. After completing her first bachelor’s degree from San Antonio’s Lady of the Lake University, she and her husband had planned to fish for the rest of their lives. However, Terry decided to earn a second degree after her husband suffered a stroke. “I started at A&M as a school counselor, but in Texas you can’t use the degree unless you have taught for two years. So, I changed to art, and now I’m in the master’s program,” said Terry.Her favorite piece is her most recent work, The Moon in June. “Every time I look at the moon, I say I have to draw it,” Terry said. Pedro Flores, a senior majoring in Management, was fascinated by The Moon in June as well. “It was very dark. I like those types of colors. It’s very interesting,” Flores said. Terry also displayed a bistro chair covered with wrappings showcasing various textures and colors. She sewed on the seating in the form of a basket weave, a task which she said was quite time-consuming.”It took me about 40 hours working on and off on it. I knew what I wanted, and I knew the look,” said Terry. Another artist, Kyle A. Chaput, is originally from Kansas and has been serious about art for the past five years. This is his first semester at TAMU-CC.His most recent works are white and black photography prints titled Flight 38 and Flight 40. According to Chaput, he began by applying grease on limestone. Next, he wet the stone so the grease repelled the water; afterwards, he ran the water through the press. He then incorporated the washes with the grease.”This one I did a year ago,” Chaput said about Winded Escape. “I basically painted on plexiglass. It’s kind of an abstract feel. I wanted to make it more interesting with different colors. Kansas is known for [its] sunsets and sunrises.”As an undergraduate, Chaput received a scholarship and travelled to Germany. He later began researching Egyptian art. Consequently, in his Molding Fears Alive painting, he depicts a mummy, mosquitoes, and pieces of bread. “I incorporated bread in the painting because whenever I saw the mummies and artifacts it had a certain stench to it, and it smelled to me like molded bread,” added Chaput. Casey Cooper is an up-and-coming artist originally from San Antonio who is now studying sculpture at TAMU-CC. One of the sculptures he presented at the exhibition is titled Potential. “This piece is a technique that I’m trying to market myself with. First, I took two pieces of steel and welded them together; [then], I inflated them, cut open the top, and I dropped pipes down in there and vacuumed the air back out. You can tell that there is something in there, so there is potential in that. That’s why I titled it that [Potential]. It’s a project in the making,” said Cooper.Though Cooper created Potential in a small amount of time, it took him a long time to clean and paint the sculpture. His other piece, Untitled, resembles a headless person.”I thought of it as parental: soft and cuddly mother [meets] a straight and stiff father. A rough neck with a soft inviting piece; right now, my focus is the relationship with two different mediums,” Cooper said. Though he has only been making art for a year and a half, Cooper is learning and eager to impact the world of sculpture making. The “140 Something” art reception will be on display until Thursday, Dec. 4, 2008. Gallery hours are Monday-Thursday from noon to 5 p.m. or by appointment. art