Hailey Ogle’s body of work from the 2024/2025 Art Foundations academic year.
Surface Research
Surface Research, acrylic paint on canvas & cloth, 80 in x 70 in, Fall Semester 2024.
My Surface Research final is triptych representative of feeling adrift in a seemingly endless sea, ignoring the obvious signs of light just over the horizon. The subjects of the oval frames avert their eyes just like the primary figure, forcing the viewer to be the only one who will look on to the lighthouse. We were challenged to explore different kinds of color schemes in this project (triadic, analogous, monochromatic, etc.), and I chose to lean into the complementary color scheme of blue and yellow. I draped multiple layers of loose fabric to emulate the rope of a fish net, making the center figure seem, in a sense, trapped.
Surface Research, ink on paper, 22 in x 30 in, Fall Semester 2024.
In this pen and ink piece, I aimed to visually represent the concept of time. I take great interest in the physical representation of things that are not physical or conceivable; the spinning and undulating web depicts a forward and upward movement, crossing over a uniform sphere in a less than uniform oil spill of sorts. I wanted to experiment with the juxtaposition of uniform, clean lines with looser ones.
Surface Research, acrylic paint on wood, 24 in x 24 in, Fall 2024 Semester
This painting is an abstract interpretation of Yggdrasil, the Norse Tree of Life. In it, I explore the non-representational depiction of a spiritual or religious concept and how that could take form. I used many painting techniques in this work, painting with square brushes, sponges, palette knives, and my hands.
Drawing Studio
Drawing Studio, graphite on paper, 18 in x 24 in, Spring 2025 Semester.
This project is an observational drawing done of a small model I made based on a historical painting, Two Men Contemplating the Moon by Caspar David Friedrich. My recreation included many pieces of jewelry and cloth, which presented an interesting finer details. I wanted to challenge myself in depicting many different kinds of texture, like silk, felt, metal, etc.
Drawing Studio, graphite on paper, 24 in x 18 in, Spring 2025 Semester
In this drawing assignment, multiple still life stations were set up around the studio, and we chose which one we were going to study. This composition stood out to me for two main reasons. For one, I thought that the reflection of the skull on the mirror was very visually interesting. Secondly, the composition is such that the darkest parts are in three sections of the page: the bottom center and the top left and right. I appreciate this balance in contrast.
Drawing Studio, Graphite on paper, 18 in x 24 in, Spring 2025 Semester.
For this graphite assignment, we were instructed to gather and arrange thematically interesting objects of ours into a compelling composition and create a study of it. I chose objects that remind me of the summer before starting college, a time of both great anxiety and excitement. I specifically aimed to combine reflective objects (such as the glasses or nail polish) with the less reflective ones (like the wooden box or necklace pendant), arranging them in a pyramid like silhouette.
Time Studio
Time Studio, Digital, 1920 x 1080 pixels, Fall 2024 Semester, 2 minutes 5 seconds.
My Time Studio Self Portrait project is an amalgamation of many aspects of my childhood. This video is an exploration of how who I was as a child impacts who I am now, and working through the occasional disconnect between those two identities. I experimented with many editing techniques, such as sourcing external imagery/video, warping my own content, etc.
Time Studio, Cyanotype, 9 x 6 inches apart, 9 x 12 inches together, Fall 2024 Semester
This cyanotype diptych, made for Time studio, is representative of my feelings on womanhood and self acceptance. I found the medium of cyanotype photography very interesting once introduced to it, how the placed objects must remain still and perfect for the image to come out well. I thought, in a lot of ways, that correlated to the social pressures put on women and girls; many young girls, me included, have struggled with the pressure of aesthetic perfectionism, feeling that we have to look or be a certain way to be accepted. The piece with the scissors represents the trapped sensation of performative femininity, while the piece with the locket represents a personal awakening, the heart opening to a sense of inner peace.
Time Studio, Digital, 1920 x 1080 pixels, Fall 2024 Semester, 2 minutes 10 seconds.
My Time Studio project loosely follows the narrative of a girl experiencing a spiritual/supernatural awakening through her connection with nature. It explores my own journey with self acceptance, as shown through my morse code inclusion of the poem “Wild Geese” by Mary Oliver. I chose to play with varied coloring, saturation, and overlapping to create a sense of beauty in visual confusion.
Space Research
Space Research, textiles, 5 x 5 feet, Spring 2025 Semester
For this Space Research project, I was assigned to sew a banner based on things or concepts connected to my identity. I chose to create a piece representative of the light that can be found inside even in the darker moments. I leaned into both the contrast of complimentary colors as well as the differences in texture between the yellow and blue fabrics to depict the stark struggle over choosing positivity over negativity, but also to emphasize the importance of it.
Surface Research, acrylic paint on wood and mixed fabric, 35 in x 45 in x 30 in, Spring 2025 Semester
For my chair project, I went into my conceptualization stage with one question: how can different spaces/facets of nature be translated into our every day objects? My goal was to create a chair that represented the lighter parts of the ocean; so often I am drawn to the darker and deeper elements of it, but I wanted to appreciate the softer and more calming side as well. In the end, the piece turned out to be a love letter of sorts to my younger self and what she found whimsical about the sea.
Project Class – Figure Painting
Figure Painting Project Class, acrylic paint on canvas, 24 in x 18 in, Fall 2024 Semester
This figure painting, completed in my Figure Painting project class, was an exercise completed in less than two class sessions while studying a figure model. In the limited time we had with this piece, I pushed myself to create a rich array of skin tones and deep shadows, testing how different saturations and values fit into the figure.