By Brianna Holcomb – Arts and Entertaiment Editor
“Je Maintiendrai” translates to “I stand steadfast,” and is the title for this week’s collaborative show in the FORM gallery.
It is not only the title of the gallery, but the motto of Hofstra University. Through this show the artists showcased their Hofstra Pride.
The gallery’s Facebook page said, “As Hofstra students, we are proud, passionate and driven … we wanted to manifest our pride with artwork that reflected our school spirit.”
Every piece in the gallery focused on some aspect of Hofstra Pride. The artist looked at pieces of artwork found on the campus, students painted in the school colors and even the logo in order to show case their pride.
On one wall was a collection of photos featuring various places on campus.
One of these photos was of the statue of the man reading the book be found in the courtyard in front of Calkins Hall.
This statue has appeared in many Hofstra brochures and even makes an appearance on Hofstra’s website. To say this staute is a part of the Hofstra Pride would be an understatment.
What makes these photos so interesting is the way the artist decided to transform it from a plain photo to colorful neon one.
The background of the photo was colored with a bright red marker and his tie was transformed from its usual grey to a bright green.
The photo does not only feature the statue but a student resting on his head as well.
The student’s face is colored pink and her eyes are shaded out. The photo reminds me of many of the colorful pictures seen in ‘90’s television shows.
Another set of photos featured close-ups of Hofstra students smiling and laughing. The photographer did not simply take pictures of Hofstra students, but had them paint their faces blue and gold – the colors of the Hofstra Pride.
The smiling faces showcase the very silly nature that can be found here on Hofstra’s campus.
Each photo is clearly posed but comes off as a candid look into the lives of the Hofstra students.
The opposite wall holds two photos, both showing the Hofstra logo. The artist redid the logo to incorporate the tulips that can be found all over the campus in the spring.
The logo changed from the plain blue and white that we are used to and transformed to one that slightly resmbles the geofilter found on Snapchat.
The tulips were drawn on a black background, making the colors stand out. Pink and orange made up some of the colors of the tulips in the picture. They popped from the background, drawing in the viewer and setting it apart from the usual Hofstra logo.
This gallery was a great way to showcase Hofstra pride in its various forms. From the laughing and smiling faces that can be seen on campus to the various statues and pieces of art, Hofstra has a lot to showcase to the outside world.