Orndorff Displays Identity in Cameron Art Exhibition

Haley Berry
Staff Writer

2016 Cameron graduate Victoria Cortez-Orndorff is exhibiting her art collection “Identity,” on display until Oct. 23 in the Cameron Science Complex.

Orndorff held an art show on Sept. 22 to explain to students, faculty and potential art buyers why she added certain pieces to this collection. For her, “identity” is more than the title of her current exhibition.

“Those pieces represent who I am,” she said, “and I used colors that tie me in as an artist. I’m very passionate about this collection. These pieces are a part of me.”

Orndorff discovered her love of visual media early in her life. When she was in school, she had her chance to recreate a renowned piece from a well-known artist.

“We were introduced to Vincent Van Gogh,” she said, “specifically his ‘Starry Night,’ and how to recreate that with crayons and watercolors. Hands-on activities like that inspired my creativity.”

Two of Orndorff’s family members worked with her in her early years and are responsible for making her the artist she is today.

“My grandfather used to be an architect,” she said. “He would always sit down and draw with me. My uncle is a comic book enthusiast. He would always try to recreate panels, and he would give me some of his comic book cards to try to recreate the scene with my own style.”

These experiences helped Orndorff develop her distinct style. One of the pieces in her collection is a project she completed as a senior.

The charcoal piece is a hybrid of a pug and an octopus attacking one of the seven wonders of the world, “Stonehenge.” She named that piece “Pugtopus.”

“I watched this commercial one time,” she said, “and there was this huge pit-bull-headed dog with a Chihuahua body, and it was causing destruction in the town.

“When my former art teacher assigned a piece that had to have a head of one animal with the body of another animal, I knew I wanted to have a pug and something with a lot of legs that could really do some damage.”

Works like these encapsulated the style Orndorff developed over years as an art student. Psychology graduate student and long-time friend Jacob Jardel said she has come a long way in her work.

“I’m happy to see [Orndorff] exhibit her hard work in such a method and a place where many of our fellow students can see just how awesome she and her work are,” Jardel said. “I’m proud of her and all she’s accomplished.”

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