Preview: ‘Anima Mundi’ coming to the Teaching Gallery

Hunter Wallace
News Editor

Students can observe the connections between spirit, youth culture and the essence of the natural world through New York artist Emerald Rose Whipple’s “Anima Mundi.”

The collection is comprised of oil-on-canvas paintings. The exhibition will be on display from this Thursday until March 3 in the Teaching Gallery of the Administration Building.

Whipple will discuss her work on Thursday from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. in the Bulmer Telecommunications Center Auditorium. A reception will follow from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the Administration Building’s Teaching Gallery. Both events are free to all students and the public, according to the official Hudson Valley website.

Whipple is widely known for her paintings of young adults that show the transition from the innocence of childhood to the self-knowledge of adulthood.

This particular exhibition showcases four years of work where Whipple casts her subjects as allegories of themes from “Eden” (2013-15), “Genesis” (2015-16) and Plato’s “Phædo” (2016-17).

In the “Eden” series, Whipple’s interest in youth and its culture is introduced. “Genesis: Let There be Light” explores the relationship between the soul and the sanctity of light embodied by the subject of modern youth, according to the website.

Both series provide images of idealized youth documented during Whipple’s tenure as a stylist in the fashion industry. In her most recent works, the Phædo group, named for Plato’s discussions on the immortality of the soul, Whipple juxtaposes her young subjects with scenic, emotional landscapes that manifest her exploration of the idea of the transmigration of the soul, according to the college’s website.

“Anima Mundi,” Latin for “world soul,” exclaims the belief in the inherent connection between all living entities that connects Whipple’s various series. Combining her imagery and technique, this notion defines a connection between nature and humanity.

Whipple’s use of both impressionist painting techniques and photographic imagery emphasizes this connection as she revisits the impressionists’ interests in agrarian landscapes and those dependent upon them.

The cyclic nature of agriculture and nature highlighted in her paintings that pair the young and attractive with green nature or historical sculpture emphasize eternal and universal concepts, according to Hudson Valley.

Emerald Rose Whipple was born in California and raised in Hawaii. Her work has appeared throughout the United States and worldwide in solo gallery and museum exhibitions. She now lives and works in New York City.

Teaching Gallery exhibitions are installed and assisted by students enrolled in Gallery Management courses. “Anima Mundi” is the first of six diverse art exhibits to come to the college this semester, and it is supported by the Department of Fine Arts, Theatre Arts and Digital Media, the Cultural Affairs Program and the Hudson Valley Community College Foundation. Associate Professor Tara Fracalossi is the gallery director.

To learn more, contact the Teaching Gallery by phone at (518) 629-8006 or visit in person at the Administration Building, Room 013. For exhibit information, hours of operation and more, visit the Teaching Gallery’s official website at http://www.hvcc.edu/teachinggallery/.