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Tampa exhibit examines the emotions linked to hurricanes
Hillsborough College's exhibition, "In Case of Flood," focuses on the many emotions brought on by hurricane season. FOX 13's Barry Wong takes us to the exhibit.
TAMPA - Hillsborough College's exhibition, "In Case of Flood," focuses on the many emotions brought on by hurricane season.
"Artists really give us that full spectrum of the human experience. There are, of course, fear and uncertainty, but also can reflect hope and resiliency," said Hillsborough College Arts Director Amanda Poss.
What's on display
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The exhibition features a mix of traditional art pieces and some pieces made of unconventional art materials like a broken lanai screen, toilet paper and roofing materials.
Artist Kate Magruder blended images of Mexico Beach destruction with ballistic nylon, which is used to make hurricane fabric window covers.
"I thought about the images that really affected me post-hurricanes," Magruder said. "It kind of just blew me away, the scale of damage that can occur."
The unconventional pieces are intertwined with paintings, photographs and sculptures. Artist Trinidad Oribio presented a series of three photos. They are black and white, featuring a wall, tree and small neighborhood.
"I was just thinking about anxiety, how it felt to anticipate the storms coming, not really knowing what was going to happen, how bad it was going to be, and how that anxiety kind of froze me," Oribio said. "It's very minimalist, cold, sterile, and that like a kind of sensation of going from like overwhelming emotions to something that's much more like cold and calm. That's something that I do over and over again in my work to kind of like calm myself down."
What they're saying:
Organizers hope the exhibition poses challenging questions. Artist and preparator Piper Harrow created a large-scale installation using water bottles to show potentially dangerous water levels.
"I simply wanted people to have this feeling, this awareness of this space being submerged in the future," Harrow said.
Poss hopes visitors will view art as more than a piece that can go a wall.
"As beautiful as it is to have an original artwork above your couch, art is also a mirror that pushes us to think in new and different ways and relate to one another and also form connections with one another," said Poss.
The Source: FOX 13's Barry Wong interviewed Hillsborough College Arts Director Amanda Poss, artist Trinidad Oribio and artist Piper Harrow for this story.