The McIninch Art Gallery
Collection Spotlight
The McIninch Art Gallery presents "Collection Spotlight". A newsletter exploring works in the McIninch Art Gallery Collection, written by our gallery assistants.
Nicole Eisenman, "Untitled" 2016,
Archival Inkjet and Sticker
My name is Joyce Saghbini. I am currently a Junior at SNHU and am studying Early Childhood Education. I have been working for the art gallery for a little over a year now. I chose this art piece by Nicole Eisenman because it has an exceptional amount of depth to it while it also remains unsettling to many. Nicole Eisenman is an artist who is expanding in certain works that engage in social issues and phenomena. She has worked across various media, paintings, sculptures, drawings, and printmaking.

The lack of a specific title in this art piece makes it seem more mysterious as many might try to understand what it is and what that meaning might be behind the work of art itself. The materials/medium that the artist used for this work is etching, archival inkjet, and sticker. From what we know, this piece takes a close look into the artist’s interest in the grotesque, a genre of portraiture that is common to German Expressionism. This image reflects the uncomfortable inner state of mind, which is a part of the human condition.

I see this piece of art as deep because it expresses a negative state of mind that few people would tend to communicate on the outside. It exhibits a darker mentality that people might be facing daily. This piece can be relatable to some and interpreted in their own way, which makes this piece unique. The purpose of the mystery might be to leave room for the audience to interpret on their own or for Eisenman to specifically portray and express the state of her mind during the time that she made it.

Joyce Saghbini
Education Major
Junior at SNHU
Laura Letinsky, "Untitled #64 from Hardly More than Ever”, 2002
Archival Pigment Print, Edition of 9
My name is Rachel Willoughby, and I am a Psychology major in the last year of my bachelor’s degree at SNHU. I have been working for the McIninch Art Gallery as an assistant for the last four years. Working for the gallery has allowed me the opportunity to develop a new way of looking at art. Thus, for this week’s collection spotlight, I have chosen to discuss photographer Laura Letinsky’s Untitled #64, from her long-term series “Hardly More Than Ever” (1997-2004). This work features a collection of photographs depicting remnants of meals and parties, capturing them in such a way that highlights their often overlooked or forgotten nature.

Art is not always meant to impress the viewer. Sometimes, an artist’s goal is simply to make the observer question their beliefs, step out of their comfort zone, and experience new things. Letinsky’s work, while innovative, might be a source of stress for some. The positioning of the leftovers creates a sense of disorientation and a need for cleanliness. The combination of soft lighting and washed-out colors add to the overlooked essence of these items, as they lack an inviting quality about them. Yet, they are still meant to be there. After all, Letinsky’s goal is to draw focus to those details that are otherwise rarely given a second glance. Here, the cup, the peach, and the cutting board all make the observer question and begin to speculate about the narrative behind the image. Was this someone’s morning meal? Was it for one person or multiple? This piece is one that ultimately awakens specific feelings and encourages interaction from its viewers.

Rachel Willoughby
Psychology major
Senior at SNHU
Nicole Eisenman, "Thinker" 2012
2 color lithograph (from stone) with 4-color photolithograph
My name is Morgan Vespa, and I am a junior at SNHU. The image I have chosen to explore is by artist Nicole Eisenman, titled "Thinker." This piece depicts a side view of a woman laying down on what I assume is a bed. The woman stares at the viewer, a calm expression on her face, and above is a tuna can. What first caught my eye was the detailed, saturated color of the tuna can and the loose dark strokes creating the reclining in the woman’s image.

To me, this is a work that challenges society’s norms. I chose this piece because I believe that plus-sized women are often looked down upon in society. They are seen as unhealthy, undeserving, or undesirable because they do not conform to society’s beauty standards. This message is incredibly damaging to women who do not identify their bodies with the images of thinner women portrayed in the media. From a young age, girls are only exposed to thin women being portrayed positively in the media. The lack of representation of all types of bodies being shown and praised has taken a toll on most women’s self-esteem and self-image.

I love this piece because there are many ways it could be interpreted. Personally, I like to believe it is a commentary on how plus-size women are viewed in society. They are overlooked because of their body's shape-hence the little detail on the figure’s body. People often tell them if they just ate better and exercised, they would look so much better, hence the attention to detail on the tuna can-because it is what society focuses on when they see plus-sized women: what or how much do they eat? The part I find the most compelling about this piece is how beautiful the figure is. She is placed in the foreground in a very elegant and powerful way. She is extremely comfortable in her own body and is sharing that confidence with the viewer. Eisenman has depicted a female body that throws out the preconceived notions and pressures of society. I believe that this piece is commentating and challenging all of the harmful and false messages plus-sized women are told.

Morgan Vespa
Communications Major
Junior at SNHU
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