By Brianna Holcomb

Arts and Entertainment Editor

In the most recent years, our country has started movements due to controversy in Ferguson, Mo. and the events in Staten Island, NY. 

Senior and psychology major Trish McLernon captures many of these things in her gallery entitled, “The City that Never Sleeps.”

A picture that caught my eye and captured the essence of these events was a painting that depicted a man from the Millions March, which protested the Eric Garner and Michael Brown killings.

This man walked through the whole march without a shirt or shoes and a noose around his neck with the words “present or past” on his chest. She furthered the image by including a white slave master on his left side and a white police officer on his right. This is her favorite piece in the gallery.

Another piece shows a man in shackles with his hands held above his head. This picture is also depicting someone who participated in the Millions March.

Her artwork speaks to the politics and controversies that society has been faced with. She expresses it in a raw fashion that catergorizes the main points being presented using her work.

McLemon’s paintings not only depicted the issues that our society has had to face in the recent months, but also the simple beauty found in New York City.

One of these beautiful paintings was titled, “Sunset over the City,” which was painted at the Williamsburg Bridge.

McLemon captures the beauty of New York in her paintings. Although some may feel as though painting sunsets are a simplistic type of beauty, I feel that the simple things in life are the most beautiful.

With all of that simplistic beauty, she openly chooses to focus on the political side of this grand city.

“‘Political’ would probably be the word I would choose [to describe my art]. There are some paintings that I know some people will love and others will hate, regardless of my skills as an artist, but more for the message they present,” McLemon said about her style of artwork. 

McLemon is “deeply inspired” by Erik Ravelo and Norman Rockwell. These artisit help her express the things going on within society.

“Both artists present us with the truth – the truth about society that many people don’t want to admit is our reality. My favorite piece by Erik Ravelo is ‘The Untouchables.’ This series photographs children that have died nailed to a cross of their killer. Each cross depicts a different killer such as an overweight child crucified to Ronald McDonald, an elementary school child crucified to a gunman and so on,” McLemon said.

“My favorite piece by Norman Rockwell is entitled ‘The problem we all live with.’ This piece is a painting that depicts a young black girl, Ruby Bridges, on her way to an all-white school surrounded by white men as bodyguards. This was just after the Supreme Court ruled that schools that are ‘separate but equal’ are inherently unequal and the desegregation process began.”

McLemon’s style is representive of these artists. The message she sends to the viewers is one that can be played on emtotion and political attirbutes.

Going through the gallery I was emotionally conflicted, but in a good way, between painful reminders of what our society has had to face and the pure beauty of the city itself.

McLemon does a fantastic job playing on emotions and portraying truth.