Hello! My name is Tyson Gentry and I am a high school art teacher. I work with high school students to develop their skills within the elements and principles of art so that they can utilize these tools in combination with their creativity to become amazing artists.

Within my artwork, I combine the use of several different mediums in order to tell a story about my experiences within our world and how I’ve processed those moments. The subject matter and process of these works being made has ranged widely throughout my time at AU, going all the way from performance video art about my body, to humorous sculpture of a humanoid rat that resembled a local bowling alley worker. It is important to me to express and present both joyful and light hearted moments in my art as well as more serious and somber subject matter. The contrasts in mood and tone present the full range of day to day emotions one can experience, and presents an overall more accurate look on my life. Within my work, I want the viewer to feel as immersed as possible within the world I was creating the work from. I have implemented this through the use of bright colors, eye catching compositions, the use of unusual materials such as body hair and raw meat, and the use of sensory elements such as sound and smell.

Looking back, what advice would you give yourself?

Take inspiration from as many different viewpoints as possible. Take advice from non-artists!

My favorite A+D memory is all of the great conversations and connections I had with friends throughout drawing classes.

My favorite A+D class had to be Advanced Drawing. I was pushed to take my time and make a cohesive body of work, which resulted in some of my favorite art I’ve made by far.

What moment, project, and/or critique in your Art + Design career at AU has been pivotal to who you are as an artist or creator?

The final critique in Advanced Drawing was very special to me. Being able to show my semesters’ worth of work and explain its concept was a moment I was very proud of. Having people being able to relate to my experiences shown through the work made me feel as though I had accomplished what I had set to do.

Teaching high school art in South Carolina!

I hope as an artist that a viewer can relate to any of the moments from my personal life that I share through my art, and feel seen by that similar experience. As a teacher, I hope to inspire students to pursue art, and see that art and design can be used within their everyday life no matter the career path in life they choose. 

My senior show will be mainly comprised of my Advanced Drawing work which is medium to large scale abstract drawings that present subject matter such as childhood memories, love, regret, and overstimulation.