Arts, Etc.Fine Art

Bigornia finds art in ordinary objects

When asked “So you’re into fashion...” junior Jamie Bigornia replies, “I’m into everything.” His passion for fashion has led to the production of two fashion shows in La Verne. Although secretive about his designs, his plans include a final spectacular show sometime next year, to be his senior project. / photo by Veero Der-Karabetian
When asked “So you’re into fashion…” junior Jamie Bigornia replies, “I’m into everything.” His passion for fashion has led to the production of two fashion shows in La Verne. Although secretive about his designs, his plans include a final spectacular show sometime next year, to be his senior project. / photo by Veero Der-Karabetian

by Rob Strauss
Staff Writer

Trees. Cars. Cups. Mountains. To Jamie Bigornia, all of these things are art.

“Somebody has to come up with a cup to hold the water,” Bigornia said. “And that is art.”

Bigornia, a junior, experiments with many different forms of art. He feels that art has done many things for him personally.

“It broadened my horizon,” he said.

Fashion design is his favorite form of artwork to experiment with.

“I got fascinated with clothing when I was in high school,” said Bigornia.

During his sophomore year, Bigornia planned to go to fashion design school but decided against it.

“I didn’t want to limit myself,” said Bigornia. “I went to ULV to have that structure. Not just as an artist but as a person.”

While at La Verne, Bigornia has put on two fashion shows, that consisted of ULV students wearing clothes designed by him and his friend, Ivan Matsumoto. Bigornia has not planned any shows this year, but is already preparing for his senior show, which will take place next year.

“There’s tons of sketches I have made,” said Bigornia, commenting on the show he hopes to put on next year.

He cites his influences as being clothing designers Gianni Versaci and Karl Lagersfeld. Bigornia also said he likes to look at fashion magazines.

“I love Vogue and Bazaar,” said Bigornia.

Another form of art that Bigornia experiments with is mixed media. He describes it as being able to make sculptures out of natural things.

“I design anything that has a meaning to me,” said Bigornia, using the example of a lamppost. “It may not have a meaning to somebody else, but it has a meaning to me.”

Bigornia also cites architecture as another type of artwork he enjoys. He has even made a blueprint of the house he wants to live in.

“It has big bay windows and lots of lights,” Bigornia said, laughing. “It is very simple, very minimal.”

This simple type of design comes from his passion for Greek architecture, which Bigornia said he admires because “everything is functional.”

“I love Greece,” said Bigornia. “I think the Greeks have a lot of influence in society today—how we live and how our government is run.”

Bigornia said that he is not proud of any one of his works in particular.

“I am proud of the thought process,” he said. “I’d rather have the thought process than the final product that I’m proud of.”

He does not label his work as being in one particular genre of art. “I don’t excel in any one thing,” said Bigornia. “I have different aspects of art within me.

“I don’t want to tag myself as a contemporary artist or a surrealist artist,” added Bigornia. “It is all art.”

Bigornia feels that some people have too narrow a view of what art is.

“Art is not viewed as beautiful,” he said. “It can be ugly.”

Bigornia’s other activities include being president of the Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Student Union and he is also involved with trying to get art education into the limelight.

Bigornia has proposed a grant for the school to administrators so that ULV students can go to elementary and high schools to promote art education. It is still in progress.

He first thought of the grant while in his Contemporary Art Seminar class.

“We were discussing the importance of art in society,” said Bigornia. “It should be an integral part of education. A lot of things influence art.”

With his sights already set on the future, Bigornia wants to “be a teacher, an art educator for children. I think art is really important in early childhood. Children are bombarded with math and English. You can use art as a release.”

He also plans to sell his clothing designs in the future to “make money.” He looks at it as an honor when people like his artwork.

“It’s total gratification,” said Bigornia, who plans to feature some of his work at a student art show that will be held in May.

“Art is me,” said Bigornia. “It is in all aspects of me.”

Rob Strauss, Editorial Assistant
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