School of Art and Design Alumni Exhibition 2021

Wellington B. Gray Gallery

Isaac Talley
Graduated 2011

My work represents a need to increase awareness between the viewer and the culture in which they live. I address current issues that are important to how we function as a society. Daily, we are faced with new challenges that will affect our social ecosystem for years. There are multiple ways of seeing issues, as well as different opinions about how, or if they can be resolved. I am not one-dimensional in how I go about working through my beliefs and ideas. By doing this I bring up opposing ideas and try to mediate the best possible solution for my understanding and decision making. Exploring ideas without feeling intimidated by a wide range of media has encouraged me to work through multiple solutions for the subjects I address. A great deal of my work involves animals as a way to address social issues. For centuries, people have used animals in fables or short stories as a means of teaching and rebuking. I use animals as a way to project different viewpoints on a subject I am working through. By doing this, I seek to engage the viewer in exploring their values and hopefully bring about a dialogue that will lead to positive social change.

Anxiety, Acrylic ink and Oil on Panel, 24″ x 80″ x 1.5″, 2018