Studio Insider

In recent conversation with Lindsay Scypta, a first year MFA candidate in the Department of Art.

One year into your MFA program, give us the good, the bad, and the ugly.

I'll begin with the bad and ugly. I spent one year at a post-bac program, followed by two years of teaching, working, and making. Coming into my MFA program I had this grand idea I would make ware cart after ware cart of work, and the reality is that graduate school is quite demanding. Leaning how to juggle everything at once, for me, has been the bad and sometimes ugly. As for the good, I feel very blessed to be a MFA candidate in such a remarkable program. The OSU faculty have gone out of their way to push, encourage, and inspire new ideas and ways of working, and my peers have been wonderful motivators.
 
There seems to be cultural Victorian undertone represented within your work, both in content and in aesthetics. Please discuss the role of these ideas within this body of work.

I suppose I fell in love with the Victorian aesthetic a long time ago, and now I'm searching for the reasons why. The Ohio State University has a remarkable library and interlibrary loan system that has allowed me to delve deeper into Victorian era aesthetics and household goods catalogs, but I'm especially fond of my newest find, a 1921 publication of The History of the Art of Tablesetting by Claudia Murphy. I'm interested specifically in this time period because it is when we most valued the table and the meals served on it. It is also when the way food was brought to the table began to change from the service a la Francaise, to the service a la Russe. I'm currently using this time specific ornamentation to reference grandeur and decorum.
 
Talk about the relationship between art and design as it relates to your current practice.
 
I've always felt more comfortable with the term Craft, and graduate school is helping me to find my footing in the art world. Currently, I've been working on a series of table settings, making blank objects that are then decorated. This process of making and designing has always been central to my practice; finding that balance is the key.

How has The Ohio State University aided in your research as a graduate student?
 
Wow! Where to begin! As I mentioned before, the Art Library is spectacular, but the Historic Costume / Textile Collection is my new most favorite place. I've been spending most Friday mornings there, perusing their collection of gowns, wedding dresses, and hats, pulling out those of interest for further inspection. They have the most beautiful Lazarus family 1906 lace gown that has truly blown me away. I have also had amazing help and support planning a research trip to England to see the Wedgwood Museum Collection & Archives, Brighton Royal Pavilion, and the collections at the Victoria & Albert Museum.

Do you have a childhood memory that continues to inspire your work?

My mother took me to the beautiful restaurant in Chicago called TRU. After deciding on our meal, the food came out in eight courses, tasting after tasting until we finally got to the entrée, and then dessert, coffee and finally chocolate! I had never experienced a meal that way before, it was stunningly choreographed, and delicious, to say the least!

Photos: Shellee Fisher Davis