There is a lot going on in junior, Cole Norgaarden’s ‘13 work, “Liberation”.  This piece not only shows the energy and explosiveness of being liberated from your constraints, but also shows how a work of art can evolve during the process of creation.  Cole initially started this piece with an idea of capturing plain white row houses, a very realistic painting.  However, as it progressed, he was frustrated with this idea and decided to do something very different to contrast with what he’s drawn and turn it into an abstract painting.  He also used the music he was listening to lead him freely to uncharted waters.  He also made an unintended “accident” on part of his painting.  “My favorite part of the painting”, he said, “is the fact that I left it in the garage to dry right after I made the giant teal splatter forgot to close the garage door. When I came back several hours later a layer of cotton had blown in and gotten stuck in the paint, which explains the presence of cottonseeds in the larger pools of color.”  In many ways this piece truly represents liberation.