An interdisciplinary display on climate change and human impact on the South Carolina coast.
Gabriela Griggs
AC&T Editor
Photo by Zoey Molina
Art from the “In Extremis” exhibit
“In Extremis,” an interdisciplinary exhibition by Winthrop professor Claudia O’Steen, hosted a reception on April 10, 2026. This gallery remains on display at Blue Goose Art Supply on Oakland Avenue until May 2.
As an adverb, “In Extremis” means “in an extremely difficult situation” or “at the point of death.” This particular exhibit is defined as an examination of climate change and the human impact on the South Carolina coastline.
“As marshes erode, salt water encroaches on the maritime forests, slowly killing living trees and turning them into decaying lumber. This work is the search for a transitional landscape and methods to quantify it. It is about personal and historic observations documenting a shifting landscape over time, and how all of these things combine to create a new environment that is in constant flux,” O’Steen’s website reads.
This exhibition involves an array of materials, ranging from acrylic paint and wood to timelapses and petri dishes. This gallery is defined as a “multimedia installation,” a kind of curation that is a favorite of O’Steen.
“My favorite [art form] is interdisciplinary installation, and that’s why I do it, because I enjoy it the most. I think the reason that I find it interesting is because I would get so bored just working in one medium. Because my work is so research based, I like to use different materials and different art forms to explore different types of data and information. I find it really interesting when other artists do that too, [using] a wide range of media to explore different ideas. I appreciate art that I can look at and enjoy visually, enjoying the materials that are used, but also spend more time with it and let the ideas reveal themselves. I enjoy the process of trying to make connections between works,” O’Steen said.
Many of the materials provided particular challenges for O’Steen, especially as she worked multiple kinds of media together, like multiple woods, screens, and cords.
“Some of the pieces were technically difficult to build, like some of the wooden pieces located at the front of the space. They were difficult to construct, but the process was very enjoyable… I love working in the woodshop,” O’Steen said.
However, like many endeavors involving technology, there were some difficulties in regards to the works that involved electronics.
“The most frustrating part is technology failing, which always happens. I had a screen in the show that died the day of the reception, so it’s [frustrating having to] frantically replace that. Usually during the duration of a show, a couple things will fail and you have to replace [them,] so there’s always the stress of if your technology is going to work,” O’Steen said.
For O’Steen, this is her first solo exhibition in the area. “In Extremis,” which was first shown in New Orleans at the New Orleans Film Festival, was also housed in the Spartanburg Art Museum before moving to the gallery in Blue Goose.
“This is the first
that I’ve had in Rock Hill. I’ve been here a while… but my projects are usually multi-year projects because I do a lot of research. Prior to this one, I was working on a long term project in Lake Superior, so it made more sense to show that work over there. Before that, I did a project in Estonia and more arctic related stuff. This is the first one that was specific to South Carolina where it made a lot of sense to show here,” O’Steen said.
Blue Goose Art Supply, which opened in late 2024, has recently begun hosting many galleries curated by Winthrop students. This space allows full artist control over how their work is presented in the gallery, which is especially important for solo shows like “In Extremis.”
“It’s such a cool venue… I also think it’s great because most galleries around here, in my opinion, are more traditional. I think it’s cool that they’re letting people take over the space and do whatever they want, [which feels] more contemporary to me. I think the way they collaborate with students is really great; my students have hosted exhibitions there and it really gives them the opportunity to understand what it’s like to work with a professional gallery. It’s different than them just installing their work on campus,” O’Steen said.
O’Steen plans to take themes and ideas explored in “In Extremis” onto campus in the next academic year.
“I am teaching an Art and Environment course next spring that is going to work with artwork similarly to how I [did] in this project. I’m hoping to collaborate with students from across campus, anyone who’s interested in art and the environment can take [the course] and it will end with an exhibition in Blue Goose,” O’Steen said.
That course and subsequent exhibition will be hosted next year. Individuals interested in witnessing “In Extremis” for themselves may do so on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 12 p.m.–3 p.m., or on Fridays and Saturdays from 11 a.m.–3 p.m. until May 2 at Blue Goose Art Supply. O’Steen will also be hosting an artist talk and walk through at the gallery on April 30 at 7:30 p.m.
