Sophomore Kait Gandy Finds Freedom in Artistic Expression – The Index

When referred to as an artist, Kait Gandy 22, let out a chuckle. Loosely, she admitted. I take classes with Tom Rice. A prospective psychology major and art minor, Gandy registers for every art class taught by favorite professor Tom Rice she can. Even outside of her art classes, though, Gandy makes art frequently and for herself. I wish there was a deep reason for it, she said, but creating something is just funThe freeing feeling you get from creating and playing with color is really fun, and I think thats why I always do it. Its become a way for me to express myself.

The most prominent subject matter in Gandys work is the female body, which she sees as a reflection of her own life. Ive had a lot of negative experiences regarding sex, sexual relationships, [and] intimacy, she said. For me, its just finding autonomy after all that, and learning to take back parts of my body that feel very used throughout my life. Gandy also attributes her focus on the female figure to its simultaneous beauty and stigmatization.

Gandys artistic themes are a balance of selfexploration and playful irreverence. I dont really like to make art that is consistently serious, she explained. I think that gets boring and I think art should be fun. Gandy likes art that makes her laugh, and referred to some of her pieces as shitposting, a reference to the internet phenomenon characterized by surreal, seemingly nonsensical content that is comical because of its unpredictable nature and lack of context.

This sort of unrestrained artistic exploration is something Gandy credits the K College Art Department with allowing, and encouraging, in her. I just feel very free to do whatever ideas I want to do, Gandy said. I dont feel like it has to be anything. Art of course has meaning and impactbut theres also the freedom to just try ideas [here]. Its made [art] more exploratory and fun instead of rigid.

In high school, Gandy was discouraged from pursuing art by a teacher who told her she had no future in it. At K, her passion for art was reawakened in a drawing class she took on a whim because it fit in her schedule. I built a lot of confidence from it, Gandy said. The professors are amazing; Tom Rice, shout out to you! You can just talk to him if youre stressed with whats going on in your life, and hes really good at helping you with art without directly helping you. He pushes you to figure it out.

As for what Gandy wants viewers to take away from her work, its pretty open-ended. Whatever they want to, to be honest, she said. Like, if they look at my art and just see a bunch of boobs, I cant blame em, like, thats what it is. But they can take away whatever they want; I dont think you can ever tell people what to take away because its all interpretation, which is pretty cool.

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Sophomore Kait Gandy Finds Freedom in Artistic Expression - The Index