The small sketches and abstract paintings hung by clothespins may look like a last-minute addition to the café, but that’s on purpose, according to Axis Straus ’18. This January, their work was displayed in Mocha Joe’s, a coffee shop in Brattleboro, Vermont.
“One of the things that’s felt like a barrier [to making art] is this pressure to always frame things and have them super finished,” Straus said. “I decided to make the show about that, and hang things in a way that’s very easy, in a way that anybody could do, with just a string and some clips, and show a wide range of finished and unfinished pieces.”
Straus’ inspiration for the show comes from one of their very first days on Landmark’s campus. During convocation for Straus’ first semester, Professor of Visual Arts Samuel Rowlett read a speech that he later published as an article called “Why Can’t You Draw?”
In it, Rowlett argues that anyone can draw, and that drawing is simply the act of making marks on paper – “Whether at first it comes out looking like a scribble, with practice that scribble becomes a face, a flower, or a design,” he wrote in the article.
This resonated with Straus – they cited Rowlett as a major influence on their life and their work and noted that he was a professor they had throughout their entire time at Landmark. Straus' show was meant to encourage creativity and expression.
“I definitely absorbed a lot of [Professor Rowlett’s] outlook and approach, which is aware and encouraging of play,” Straus said. “It's good to learn certain techniques and tools, but it's also good to break free of them. And I feel like I got that from my classes with him.”
Straus’ art is a largely experimental process. They said that while they are often inspired by things they see in the world around them, when they put pen to paper, they draw without considering a specific end product.
“I wish more people felt encouraged to make things regardless of how they turn out, because a) it's just fun, and b) that's sometimes how you make the most interesting things,” they said. “I think there's a lot of beautiful things that can happen when you just allow yourself to experiment.”
“Ultimately, drawing is the practice of mark making. If you can make a mark, you can draw.”
While Straus’ work is no longer up in Mocha Joe’s, this is by no means the end for their artistic endeavors. Straus has sold some of their paintings from both this and other gallery shows and is considering creating prints moving forwards. They are also building a digital presence on Instagram, like many up-and-coming artists, and are hoping to have more gallery shows in the future.
To see more of Straus’ work, visit their website.
Learn more about the integrated arts program at Landmark College here.