Mary S. Byrd Gallery of Art showcases Story Lines exhibition

By Aenea Clark | Staff writer

Exhibiting artists Dayna Thacker and Steven L. Anderson explore nature and life’s interconnections through their artwork at the Story Lines exhibition in Mary S. Byrd Gallery. The exhibit opened Jan. 13 and will last through Feb. 18.

Thacker said that her pieces explore the journey of birth to death or beyond and our connection to those around us and the environment. 

“Each piece was telling a story, and they were all connected by one vase, but the stories were happening simultaneously in a similar way to how we’re all living in lives simultaneously right next to each other,” said Thacker. “We don’t realize how much we’re impacting each other and how much the environment affects us all.” 

Thacker focused on the connection between nature and humanity through the use of ephemeral materials in her artwork to represent the changes we experience as we go through life. 

“I feel like in many ways it matches the subject matter that I tend to explore, which is often a contemplative approach to life and the changes that we all undergo, and that’s exactly what happens with,” she said. “There’s a big component of ecology and the balance of the natural environment and the balance that we need to work on keeping.”

Thacker hopes that people have curiosity about the world and universe and be conscious of the changes in the world around us.

Anderson shared Half 483 Years, one of his Tree Rings artworks that concentrates on meditations on growth and time. The title of the art piece Half 483 Years represents the 483 tree rings of half of a tree in various colors, shapes, and sizes. 

Anderson draws circles with markers, pens, and other media that closely follow the circle before it, expanding the rings. Anderson wanted a piece that would allow him to make fewer choices and a piece that would never go still and would continue to grow over time metaphorically. 

“I wanted a process where I didn’t have a composition like a landscape or something still life,” said Anderson. “So, in a way, I was just sort of like building a drawing, and the only thing I had to think about was what color is the next line going to be, and how thick the line was going to be.” 

Half 483 Years is a relatively large piece of artwork measuring 8ft x 8ft and coversmost of the right wall in the Mary S. Byrd Gallery. Anderson explained how physically involved he became with his piece.

 “The thing is super heavy even though it’s thin,” he said. “We [his art assistant] had a tabletop about 16 feet long. Towards the end of the piece, it would take a whole day to do a few lines because it would take about 25 minutes just to turn the paper on the table as I would wrestle with it.”

Anderson’s inspiration for Half 483 Years comes from the redwood trees he would see when he visited the west coast. 

“I’ve always wanted to make a work really big like this,” said Anderson. “I’m really glad that I had the opportunity for the show to delve into that,” said Anderson.

More pieces by Dayna Thacker and Steven L. Anderson can be found on their websites at www.daynathacker.com and www.stevenlanderson.com.

Dayna Thacker presented work from her collection. At top of page, Steven L. Anderson speaks to those who attended the gallery to view the artwork on display. (photos by Aenea Clark)

Contact Aenea Clark at aeclark@augusta.edu.

This story is published in the Wednesday, Feb. 9, 2022 print edition of The Bell Ringer.