We Met Over Coffee: Our Saxbys Upenn Artists
When we decided to dramatically renovate Saxbys UPenn, we knew wanted to construct a space that doubled as a welcoming café and a gallery for local art. This vision inspired a partnership with UPenn’s Fine Arts Department to exhibit work curated and created by UPenn students. The inaugural two-person exhibit, Dichotomy, features works selected from the undergraduate studies of two promising UPenn Fine Arts seniors: Gina DeCagna and Terrill Warrenburg. We chatted with Gina & Terrill about their work, their time at UPenn, and the Saxbys drinks that got them through the installation process.
Tell us about you! How did you first determine you wanted to be a Fine Arts major?
Gina: I was really set on being an English major when I came into Penn — which I still majored in — but I added on the Fine Arts major because I couldn’t resist the pull of actively making things in the studio. I am naturally a very visually oriented person, and I’ve always wanted to be an artist (and an author) since I was a child.
Terrill: As far back as I can remember, my family would visit museums, galleries, and festivals. Inspired, I would find a way to do my own thing sketching, sculpting, drawing, painting, and snapping photographs.
I also come from a family of artists, going back five generations. Art was always something I gravitated towards and understood. In high school I chose to be a Studio/Commercial Art major, and the ambition continued in college.
What are your favorite materials to work with?
Gina: I’ve done a lot of work in traditional drawing media like charcoal and graphite, so those might be my favorites. Recently I’ve branched out into sculptural media like wood and copper and steel wire. I also love working with paper. Really anything can be used for mark-making, sculpting, and constructing.
Terrill: My favorite material to work with is charcoal. There is something liberating about being able to use this pure, dynamic, natural medium with my bare hands. It has such a range depending on application; it can be exciting, dramatic, and intense, or soft, ethereal and gentle. Technically speaking, it is also forgiving to work with which is a huge bonus.
Gina, we’re so obsessed with the sculpture you created for our front room! What was the inspiration for that piece?
That’s the first piece I’ve finished for an independent study with Penn Fine Arts Senior Lecturer Joan Wadleigh Curran entitled “Drawing On and Off the Wall,” which is an exploration of the drawing medium in spatial terms, i.e. in 3D. This piece, entitled A Waltz with Time (This Mortal Coil), is a spatial layering of several dozen graphite drawings on translucent, synthetic vellum literally stitched together with copper and steel wire that coils off the wall. The wire becomes a three-dimensional drawing line as it bounces with the kinetic energy of my two-dimensional drawing lines, tracing contours and becoming a part of value of individual pieces. It is symbolic of time and one’s collected, associative memory; the translucency speaks to that act of looking forward and back. I worked with the visual imagery of tree rings — a metaphor of generatively growing with the passage of time.
Terrill, we love the gallery wall of grayscale pieces you created — it catches your eye as soon as you walk into the cafe. What was the inspiration behind these pieces, and how did you decide to display them together?
This wall is actually one collective artwork, Identity 8, comprised of nine separate works. The idea was to create a “self-portrait” by constructing eight different abstract representations of my personality. Each of the eight pieces on the outside has a central word or idea like spontaneity or intimacy and works to convey that using a limited color palette and different mark-making strategies. The eye in the middle is a realistic drawing of my left eye and is on translucent mylar. Ideally, one would place this translucent eye on top of each of the eight aspects of my personality to depict both what I see and also what I am made of.
What was the thought process behind “Dichotomy”?
Terrill: When Gina and I were looking over our bodies of work, we came across several similarities in our studio practices and interests. We both have a range of work from abstract to representational that incorporates organic and inorganic elements. Also considering that it’s a two-person show, we came up with the idea of dichotomy to unify our work. We designed the show to embody this idea, designating opposite ends of the exhibition space for each artist and sharing a middle area where our work would coalesce.
How did you decide what pieces to gallery at Saxbys?
Gina: I’m mostly showing my favorite pieces from my junior and senior years, but I have one “wild card” piece that I thought would be fun to include, even though it might stick out aesthetically from all my other pieces: my Benjamin Franklin typographic portrait composed entirely with the words of the U.S. Constitution. I actually created this in high school, but it seemed like a good fit for a Penn campus coffee shop!
Terrill: I have a few pieces that are large in scale and need a big wall like the ones in the newly refurbished Saxbys — in particular my Identity 8 composition with the eye in the middle.
As Penn seniors, you’ve spent at least four years getting to know the city. What are some of your favorite things about Philly? What sets it apart from other cities, in your eyes?
Gina: I grew up in New Jersey right outside New York City, so, for a long time, it was like I never knew any other cities existed. Even when I first moved to Penn, I was constantly comparing Philadelphia to New York. Fast-forward a bit, and I love this city more than any other one. It’s more local and down-to-earth. There’s a sense of community and caring — that’s what sets it apart.
Terrill: There’s a lot of visual and performing art happening in Philadelphia, and so much history throughout the city. I love Philadelphia because it is accessible enough that I can visit sites and see shows, and it’s also a big enough city that there are exciting things happening all the time. I often attend the First Fridays to see the gallery openings throughout the city. It is particularly exciting to attend my teachers’, friends’, or my own openings and share this experience with people I am personally connected to.
What are your favorite places to go in Philly? (Besides Saxbys, of course…)
Gina: I enjoy visiting South Philly and the Italian Market area, as well as Chinatown. Even though I’ve been preoccupied with the polished Penn campus, it’s been important for me to get off campus as much as I can and be aware of Philly’s grit. Exploring inspires a lot of my art-making and writing.
Terrill: I love the Washington Square Park area near Locks Gallery, where I worked this past summer. It’s a beautiful neighborhood graced with historic buildings and must-see art. I also love riding my bike down by the Schuylkill River. I am a huge fan of the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Barnes Foundation, as well as the Fabric Workshop and Print Center. There are many other outstanding venues in the city. It is hard to name only a few.
We have to ask! What’s your go-to order at Saxbys?
Gina: Chai tea latte! That’s how I powered through the installation process at Saxbys.
Terrill: Cold Brew Iced Coffee for productivity and a hot green tea for unwinding.