The McIninch Art Gallery
Student Spotlight

As 2021 comes to an end, we want to thank you for supporting the McIninch Art Gallery. Despite the challenges of the pandemic, we are preparing to celebrate our 20th Anniversary, both virtually and in person. In the spirit of this season, I invite you to join me before the end of the year by making a donation so that we can continue to support our students and the community at large.

Deborah Disston, Director, McIninch Art Gallery
NICOLE EISENMAN
Man Holding His Shadow, 2011
Two Color Lithograph
Hello, My name is Kassie Stanley. I am a freshman here at SNHU pursuing a degree in Computer Science. Additionally, I hold a BFA in Studio Art from Plymouth State University. Since high school, I have had a vested interest in the arts and enjoy having my own art practice. I have great admiration for other artists and their work. Today, that admiration manifests itself in the love of Nicole Eisenman’s works here at the McIninch Art Gallery, where I work as a gallery assistant. One such work is Eisenman’s Man Holding his Shadow, a two-color lithograph made in 2011. 

Man Holding his Shadow is a work that speaks to me as one heavily relying on individual interpretation. The man pictured is holding onto what at first may look like a cloth of some sort, but upon reading the title of the piece, viewers are forced to think more conceptually. We see his hands, highly detailed with linework denoting the expressiveness of human hands. They are loosely grasping the shadow as if the man is indecisive: should he hang on or let go of the shadow? We’re left asking what the shadow itself represents. Shadows are behind us - it could symbolize his past. Maybe it means the figure of a lost loved one or mourning of what could have been.

Looking at this work, I am struck by how it displays the subject and his regrets. Loosely grasping fingers and the forlorn expression read as if he wishes he did not have to hold onto his shadow - or his choices in the past. However, watching as students from several classes came in and discussed the work, I am fascinated by how open to interpretation this work is, even as a figurative piece. After recently attending a webinar run by the McIninch, where we heard firsthand details about the works from Nicole Eisenman, I am even more fascinated. When prompted to discuss the meaning of Man Holding his Shadow, Eisenman came back with it being a representation of the son that never was, what he may have looked like fully grown. I look forward to hearing even more interpretations of this work in the future.
NICOLE EISENMAN
Tea Party, 2012
Two Color Lithograph
Hello, my name is Nya Trudelle. I am a sophomore at SNHU pursuing a bachelor's degree in Game Art and Interactive Design. Art has always held an important part in my life and the diverse messages each piece can carry. I will be focusing on the print Tea Party. This piece depicts three figures standing in a small pool of water and cloudy skies behind them. The figure on the far right, a skeleton holding the trademark scythe, is a metaphor for death. The leftmost figure is a revolutionary who bears a traditional tricornered hat. Eisenman has replaced the revolutionary's ear with an anus. To the right of the revolutionary is a depiction of a fat cat. The man is bald and dressed in a traditional business suit, with a nail pinned to his ear. All three figures hold the scythe between each other with one hand on the handle and the American flag attached to the upper part of the scythe.

Nicole Eisenman gave Tea Party more of an obvious message than most of their other prints in the collection. This image is politically charged, noting that the fatcat, American revolutionary, and Death are in agreements of a sort, all holding the scythe, adorned with an American flag and pineapple: a fruit depicting a symbol of hospitality. Depicting both the revolutionary and fatcat having blocked ears or replacing them with something entirely different sends the message of the inability or willingness to listen.

Many of Eisenman's prints in this exhibit followed themes of community, love, and isolation, yet, Tea Party presents a much more pronounced meaning. Expressing political opinions or positions can be a complex matter for some people. Eisenman demonstrates their confidence in their message and the power behind the art. Overall, Tea Party is a print that spoke to me and piqued my interest as a piece that seemed to open itself to the viewers with the political message. The eerie stare of death, the three figures standing in shallow water, and the inky sky work to elevate Eisenman's message.
NICOLE EISENMAN
Conversation, 2012
Two Color Lithograph
My name is Emma Eramo, and I'm a sophomore at SNHU. Currently, I am working towards earning my BA in Game Art and Interactive Design, and I'm new to the McIninch Art Gallery team this semester. The piece I chose to focus on is a print titled Conversation. In Conversation, a two-color stone lithograph, two oddly shaped figures can be seen having what looks to be an argument. They have each other's collars gripped tightly in fists, their noses and foreheads touching. While their emotions are not clear from their facial expressions, the subjects' body language suggests this is not a simple conversation but rather an argument. The figure on the left seems to have scratches along their neck and back, while the other doesn't have visible injuries. Along with an intriguing foreground, the background has many small details. A tree and a wooden cabin with a window can be seen, alluding to the fact that the main subjects fight outside. Two additional figures can be seen in the cabin window and behind the right subject's ear. 

I've been saving my favorite detail for last, and that is the eyes. I'm sure you've noticed it as well and wonder why they stand out the way they do. In contrast, the eyes are big and more realistic than the rest of the subjects' proportions. The ear of the rightmost figure is notably more realistically styled; this is because the stone Eisenman used to create Conversation had already been used by them once before. There is another print called Portrait of Evan, a portrait of a male, presumably Evan, at a ¾ view. For Conversation, Eisenman has reused the stone they used for Portrait of Evan, and if you look closely enough, you can see the ghostly remains of Evan. His eyes, nose, and ear are the most prominent details left behind, but looking closer, you can also notice his hair, shirt collar, and shoulders. For a piece that seems odd, confusing, and even a little discombobulated at first, a closer look allows the viewer to start putting together the story of this Conversation.
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Manchester, NH 
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