Two years ago, Thomas Walker, currently a senior-year computer science major, began to brainstorm a compilation of ideas and art pieces that he would later develop into his senior capstone project, “Out of Order.”
“Out of Order” will be displayed along Swearingen Hall from April 11-21, and is composed of poster prints, drawings, and mixed media pieces all enhanced with augmented reality special effects. It addresses themes of despair, queerness, coming-of-age and Christianity.
When he began the project as a sophomore, Walker’s primary inspiration for his project came from his own experiences.
“This was two years ago,” Walker said. “I didn’t think of myself as an artist at the time, but I thought it would be cool to make a couple art pieces that related to my experience. I just felt like I wasn’t really being understood well by the people who were close to me, and I thought making art would be a way to express myself… Then I kept having more and more ideas.”
Walker’s work provides insightful commentary on what it means to come of age, to wrestle with the idea of masculinity and to encounter homophobia within the Church.
“It’s about the feeling of despair and hopelessness,” he said. “It’s not a positive or cheery show, but it [involves] the challenges that queer people can have in Christian cultures, or as Christians themselves… it’s inspired by me, in a way-abstracted from my own experiences.”
Technology also plays an integral part in this show. “Out of Order” is an interactive exhibit, allowing attendees to use their phones to observe Walker’s work through an app called Artivive, which enhances each piece with movement and animation. The exhibit’s title–inspired by a sign Walker saw while visiting the Samford cafeteria–relates to both Walker’s chosen topics and the mediums of his art.
“I was in the caf, and in the back, one of their fridges had broken, and they had [a sign] taped to it that said ‘Out of Order,’ and I just thought that made sense,” Walker said “That’s the title, it encapsulates the series because it’s sort of a pun, it incorporates that technology aspect, … and metaphorically captures that state of mind I was trying to convey of being confused about yourself, being at a loss of what to do in your circumstance.”
There are a total of 15 pieces displayed in Walker’s exhibit, each one tackling similar themes. First in the queue, and one of two different pieces that parodies commercials, is a poster, photograph and accompanying free-verse poem that spoofs a “Got Milk?” advertisement, retitling to “Got Hurt?” The poem serves as an important introduction to the exhibit, detailing Walker’s journey of self-discovery, rejection, and jaded feelings towards the Church and his community.
While it is largely an exhibit that deals with these painful realities, Walker’s “Out of Order” exhibit concludes on a positive note. The final piece in Walker’s lineup, titled Thomas.exe and featuring a self-portrait digitally altered to look like a glitch, contains the Latin word “resurgam” in its description.
“I think over time, just going through life and working on this project allowed me to process these feelings,” he said. “I remember working on one of my pieces and finding a Latin word… ‘resurgam.’ The word means ‘I will rise again.’ I’m coming back–this isn’t the end for me–I have a future and somewhere to go from here.”
According to Walker, “Out of Order” doesn’t seek to be a declarative collection of art. Ultimately, his work seeks to promote open, judgment-free dialogue about what students at Samford who identify as LGBTQ+ experience.
“I would hope people would look at it and have sympathy or understand how it could be difficult for someone who doesn’t identify as straight to be a part of the Samford community, and what difficulties they might face if they want to be a part of Christianity,” Walker said.
Staff Writer
