Artist debut art work in Loyola gallery

Taylor Galmiche

Lee Deigaard stands in front of her Ink on Rag Paper, “Untitled (Wildwood III) in the Collins C. Diboll Gallery on the fourth floor of the Monroe Library at an opening for Deigaard and Rachel Jones Deris. Deigaard’s work is drawings and photogenic drawings largely inspired by trees in New Orleans and Deris’ will display her new paintings. Photo credit: Taylor Galmiche

Jamal Melancon

In a Diboll Gallery opening reception shared with fellow local artist Rachel Jones Deris on Sept. 29, artist Lee Deigaard had her encephalogram pieces presented for the first time and allowed gallery Director Karoline Schelh’s work study students the freedom to install her ink and photogenic drawings.

“The encephalograms are fanciful ‘test results’ from a machine not yet invented that can take pictures of emotional states and stray thoughts in our heads,” Deigaard said.

The encephalogram series included captions for each piece’s title and the context during the recording of brainwaves.

“Their captions are inspired by medical terminology,” Deigaard said.

Lindsey Harris, political science sophomore, thought Deigaard showed accuracy with the lines in her encephalogram depicting the brainwaves of a person too choked up to speak.

“It’s like it can’t connect to anything,” Harris said.

Schleh’s student Lauren Stroh, English writing junior, appreciated the shape and form of Deigaard’s ink tree drawings.

“There’s a little more geometrical play there, and they’re a little more angular at the top,” Stroh said.

Schleh called the Diboll Gallery a teaching space for how her work study students Ashley Tagliero, visual arts sophomore, and Stroh were able to be involved in the art installation process. The arrangement of Deigaard’s work was left up to Tagliero and Stroh.

“It’s been very interesting to see what they collected and what they chose,” Deigaard said.

The “Rachel Jones Deris: Specters” and “Lee Deigaard: Hippocamp and Delta” Diboll Gallery exhibition will run until Oct. 22.