By Julene Thompson
Many women see the road map to beauty on a magazine cover, but not Camille Nugent.
Ten of her paintings will show her idea of beauty in the Harris Fine Art Center, June 18.
“I”m comparing the beauty I see in my family and friends with society”s ideals,” said Camille Nugent, 23, a senior majoring in painting, from Saint Catherine, Jamaica.
“Sometimes the print media”s definition of beauty is what society adopts and if people don”t live up to the ideal then they feel badly about themselves,” she said. “I find the beauty I strive for in the people around me.”
The paintings for her show are pictures of her family and friends in natural poses next to pictures in magazines.
“She draws people just as they are,” said Nabil Sharif, 24, a senior majoring in information technology and one of the models for her paintings. “Sometimes artists try to make people look more like the magazine models. She doesn”t change the way people look.”
Conversations with roommates and friends about how magazine images made them feel inspired the topic of my show, Nugent said.
She realized that sometimes people look at the pictures in magazines and think they are a distortion if they don”t fit the mold, she said.
According to Michael Levine former president of the National Eating Disorders Association, on their website, “All media messages are not reflections of reality. They have been carefully crafted with an intent to send a very specific message.”
“Advertisers create their message based on what they think will affect you and compel you to buy their product.”
Nugent painted more than just her family and friends for her show. She painted herself.
“She loves the figure and doing portraits,” said Casey Smith, 25, a senior from Salt Lake City majoring in painting. “For her project, she”s painted figures with a message behind them.”
Painting is more than just a skill for Nugent – it is personal.
“I liked interacting with my friends and family who modeled for me. Painting them created a stronger bond between us,” she said.
Nugent first used the idea of magazine pictures in her paintings while studying abroad in Tonga.
Nugent”s paintings are about 30 inches by 36 inches in size.
A reception to view her work will be held Thursday, June 27 from 7:30-9 p.m. in the HFAC B. F. Larson Gallery.
