SOAR Profile - Tanner Apple

Name: Tanner Apple 
Major/minor: Studio Art/English 
Expected date of graduation: Spring 2014 
Hometown: Easton, Pa. 
Project title: An Exploration of Social Class in the Context of Historic and Contemporary American Portraiture 
Project advisor: Aron Johnston

While Tanner Apple’s SOAR project is technically completed, the studio art major sees much potential in continuing his work into the future. “The subject became more and more engaging as research continued, and the artwork I produced is encouraging to continue working with the subject,” he says.

During his project, Tanner researched the history and practice of American portraiture in an effort to better understand the relationship between class and the portrait. The undertaking provided a great opportunity to gain real work experience in his field of study and to learn more about the subjects that interested him.

“Through the research conducted, I learned a great deal about art, specifically portraiture, as well as social class in a sociological sense,” he says. “The research also influenced and aided my professional production of artwork.”

With an eye toward one day working in publications or the entertainment industry, Tanner would like to write fiction and find success as a working artist in the contemporary art world.