Halle Shank, a senior art major at Shippensburg University, has created a video production art exhibit called “Ink in Motion” that is on display in the Brindle Gallery, and will let viewers experience art in an entirely new way.
A video production exhibit is new to SU’s Art and Design Department, and Shank was chosen to experiment with this newly discovered technique.
The exhibit is different than anything most have likely seen in an art gallery and students should not expect to see idle paintings hanging on the walls. Instead, the exhibit will feature a television monitor shown in the art gallery with Shank’s pieces displayed across the screen.
Her pieces are videos of entrancing clouds of ink as they flourish in water. They appear to be slow explosions of silk that create brilliant currents in an empty space as music plays in the background.
Shank created such striking work by simply dropping paint in a bowl of water and filming the effect at a micro-scale level.
What initially inspired her was how fascinating the clouds of ink were as she painted one day. So, she decided to capture the beauty up close and personal — the simplicity made it beautiful.
Shank said her favorite part of creating this piece was discovering what the ink looked like on camera, and the result blew her mind.
Her goal was to share the amazement in her discovery. She wanted to give students a new perspective of art and a chance to experience it differently.
“In our society, we tend to overlook things,” Shank said. “It is absolutely stunning that it created a piece of art itself.”
It took her about two weeks to film and edit. She started her process by envisioning the product she wanted to create, and then wrote down notes. She spent the rest of her time filming in the studio after studying her notes.
Shank knew she wanted to be an artist ever since she was young, but her journey began at SU, where she tried to find her medium.
“I had no idea what I was good at, but I realized after time went by, I realized I was an average artist,” Shank said.
More than anything, she wanted to separate herself from the group. She ultimately found her skill in video production and instantly fell in love.
At only 19 years old, she has founded her own film company called Hallelujah Productions, where she creates films for weddings and corporate companies. However, she always leaves time for her own creative pieces.
Shank attributes the artistic growth she experienced at SU to William Whiteley, the chairperson of the art and design department.
“His help has really allowed me to do the things that I want to do,” Shank said. “He has been a huge help in my video production.”
“Ink in Motion” will remain on display in the Brindle Gallery through April 19. The exhibit can be viewed during gallery hours from 8 a.m. to noon, Monday through Thursday, or by appointment.
The Slate welcomes thoughtful discussion on all of our stories, but please keep comments civil and on-topic. Read our full guidelines here.