Art, Naturally.

Trichotillomania by Karli Colacurcio

One of the amazing benefits of being on a college campus is the ability to access so many different areas of education and exploration in life, such as Art.

So with the release of the latest edition of the Bellevue College Belletrist, we interviewed one of the featured student-artists, Karli Colacurcio, about her nature-inspired pieces seen throughout the publication.

Question:  Many of your pieces have a natural theme to them, is nature a large influence for you?

Karli:  I’d say nature is a relatively large influence for me. I love the unpredictability and beauty of it; there are so many fine qualities and mysteries to be captured!

Question:  Is there one type of nature (earth, elements, animals, etc.) that you would like to be able to photograph or write about more?

Karli:  I’ve actually been interested in taking more photos of insects, water, or fog. I feel these subjects are more unpredictable, which means they’re all the more beautiful when caught in a moment.

Question:  Does sustainability ever cross your mind in your artistic process?  Or are there ways that you would like to see sustainability brought into the arts more?

Karli:  I wouldn’t say sustainability crosses my mind directly while I’m in the artistic process. While on site I do maintain a carefulness about my work (I do not, for instance, break branches or leave trash), and during the actual process I tend to humanize what I’m photographing; focusing on the delicacy, uncertainty, and, ultimately, mortality of my subject. It’s easy to catch these qualities in nature because it’s something that’s already there, and though it is not at the forefront of my mind I am respectful towards it. As far as seeing sustainability brought through the arts more, I would love to see that in any regard. Artists represent what they are passionate about and spread that passion on to the public; if more artists were passionate about sustainability I feel other individuals would follow suit.

Question:  What is your favorite artistic piece that you have produced in the last year and why?

Karli:  I’d have to say my favorite artistic piece from this last year is Trichotillomania. I did this photo for a series that was representative of the common hurdles in the transition from childhood into adulthood. It represented the overwhelming pressures and stress of being caught between the aspirations and knowledge of a child, but the responsibilities and expectations of an adult. I feel like there are a lot of flaws in the way we educate and prepare children for the real world, and this has been a huge influence in much of what I do.

Here are some of the nature-inspired pieces in the Belletrist…

Poem Gooseberries by Chelsea Gordon

Fruits and Veggies by Stephanie Thomas 

Last Updated December 8, 2017