Senior Exhibits 2019

Your everyday emotions and actions are sometimes the most intimate things about you. What drives you to feel what you feel and do what you do? Everywhere you look, you see what may seem like small emotional interactions in everyday life—like picking up your child from school or going out for ice cream—but if you look deeper, those actions and emotions may just tell you the most important things. They may aid in telling you why someone makes the decisions that they do, or why someone feels the way that they do about something.
I aim to capture those simple, intimate emotional interactions amidst everyday life. Throughout all my work, I capture this sentiment, whether the object I am shooting is alive or not. I love seeing how simple things interact with the hustle and bustle of everyday life, and I seek to find out why we as humans are the way that we are. I believe that all of us are so marvelously made in the image of the God who created us, and because of that, I seek to find connections back to that belief within my work. Digital photography has quickly become my medium of choice, especially street photography, because it is a quick way to snap the intimate moments that happen in the blink of an eye. I usually have my camera with me so that I can be ready for that at any given moment.
What you are experiencing now is my street photography series titled “Embodiment”. This term is defined as “a tangible or visible form of an idea, quality, or feeling.” Using that definition as a reference point for my photographs, I created a series of nine different photographs that embody the Fruits of the Spirit. These are a set of nine different character qualities that are outlined in the Bible. They are as follows:
- Love
- Joy
- Peace
- Patience
- Kindness
- Goodness
- Gentleness
- Faithfulness
- Self-Control
Each of the photographs in this series are documented through the street photography style. I have not posed anyone in these images. I do not know anyone in these images. I simply have been in these places, with my camera in hand, looking for the intimate emotional interactions of everyday life. While taking the photographs, I have been thinking about how they could relate back to the Fruits of the Spirit. I have numbered the photographs instead of titling the nine qualities. Just as I seek to understand why humans are the way that they are, I want my viewers to pursue this through their experience with my art.
In closing, I ask again: What drives you to feel what you feel and do what you do? Is it by chance that you are the way that you are, or is there a deeper driving-force that shapes who you are? For me as an artist experimenting with these questions, I have seen a deeper meaning within the simple, every day actions and emotions of humanity than what is seen on the surface. I hope that “Embodiment” will help you think about the simple emotions and actions that you choose to display, and, most importantly, help you see that you are marvelously made.

Seven

“Out of Nothing” is a photography exhibition that walks the viewer through the story of creation. The Bible illuminates how our world came into being through God speaking it into existence over the course of seven days. My photographs bring form to this extraordinary event. We recognize the trees, the water, the magnificent landscape around us today and it is awe-inspiring. To think about this creation in its purest form, just seconds after exploding into its splendid nature, merely reflecting its Creator, is almost daunting to think about.
These blurry, fuzzy, abstract photographs speak to this idea of the incredible task of bringing form to such a miraculous event. How can one know how this event took place? I hope this wondering and questioning of creation, and its evidence all around us today, fuels the viewer to investigate my photographs.
I chose to photograph in an out of focus and abstract way to evoke a feeling of beginning. The start of something coming into form, filling itself out. Searching for its beginning and end, still finding its edges, edges that are ultimately drawn in by its Creator. These images also draw the viewer in as they contemplate the subject itself. The photographs are just recognizable enough to be relatable, but altered enough to draw back on the idea of something coming into form.
I am drawn to the contemporary photographer, Uta Barth, who also photographs in a nondescript way. Her aim is to provoke her viewers into the act of looking and the process of perception. She creates images that remind us of the subtle passage of time, and the instinctive pleasure of seeing. I long for my viewers to be drawn into my photographs in response to their own beliefs and experiences. I allow for this by the use of blur and abstraction which removes any recognizable features that could distract the viewer from the event at hand.
What we see around us has origins. Origins that people everywhere have thoughts about, but no matter the stance of the viewer, I hope they can wrestle with the genesis of creation as they investigate my photographs.

Rest

Stars

Fish

Recompense

Five

When I tell friends and family that I make art about witches, no one seems surprised. As a child, I was obsessed with fantasy and magic, going out into the woods behind my house to look for evidence of unicorns, fairies, and dragons. I'm reasonably sure I never found any, but that love has stayed with me to this day and is the most significant influence in my art.
A second, but no less significant influence on my art is my fascination with history. My grandfather is a huge fan of the History Channel, and would frequently watch it in the evenings when I was young. I would sit with him and learn about the rise and fall of the Roman Empire; about the struggles of Boudicca and the Iceni people of the British Isles; about Ghengis Khan and Alexander the Great; and about the Malleus Maleficarum, and the 50,000 people burned to death because of it.
As a young teenager, I dipped my toes into both the textile and digital arts. Digital, because I couldn’t not experiment with it, having grown up in the digital age. Textile, because knitting is portable, relaxing, and kept me focused in class. While these two art forms may at first seem diametrically opposed, considering one is the most cutting edge and new while the other is almost as old as the human race, to me, they aren't at all. Textile arts is my bridge to the past, and my best attempt at real-life magic -- taking just a few pieces of string and creating something that didn't exist before. Digital art is my connection to the future. It’s a whole new type of magic. After all, what is more magical than art that is utterly intangible, but still somehow exists?
For this particular work, I want to capture the devastating effect that witch hunts had on medieval communities. Women who were once trusted and respected healers, midwives, and wise women were suddenly being accused of using magic to try and hurt their neighbors, and of worshiping the devil. These women went from being influential community leaders to being tortured and murdered. I chose to paint a triptych to help tell these stories. In the center panel is a medieval wise woman. She has medicinal herbs drying on the wall behind her and is knitting using homespun yarn. She is at peace. To the right, she is being dunked, which is the practice of repeatedly putting someone into the water to see if they float or sink. To the left, her trials are over, and she is being burned at the stake by the villagers she once cared so much for. Surrounding the work is a scrolling pattern that encircles four herbs associated with the dead and funerals: mullein in the top left, wormwood in the bottom left, marigold in the bottom right, and asphodel in the top right.
When viewing this work, remember to appreciate the magic in everyday things, because you never know when they might be gone.

CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 Attribution NonCommercial-NoDerivs

Witch Hunt

Seperation

Land

Three

With storybook characters being used to shape children’s realities, fiction has always been an important part of growing up. Whether it be kindness, bravery, intelligence, or style, there are many ways a favorite character can shape us, and in our widely connected world, there are more characters than ever for people to grow up with. In Become What You Love, I use costume and photography explore the influence of fiction on myself & challenge you to do the same.

Some of my earliest memories are opening Burger King Pokémon toys and playing Mario Kart with my cousin. An interest in television and games followed me into adulthood where I began cosplaying. Cosplay is a hobby about making and wearing costumes of your favorite characters. The hobby is both fun and fascinating because it made me realize how ingrained fictional characters are into our lives and how important it is to us that they feel real. Companies like Disney are especially aware of this since meeting and even dining with costumed characters is a big draw of visiting their theme parks.

I combined my interest in cosplay with my photography concentration to create self-portraits in costume. The characters I chose to emulate are ones important to me, however I strive for the photos to be something anyone can appreciate.

First, I picked Dawn who is the protagonist of Pokémon Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum which are video games from 2006. Pokémon is something I’ve loved my whole life, but for a long time it was seen as something for boys. Dawn helped me appreciate femininity since her cute pink clothes were different from other Pokémon protagonists’ and showed me that I could like a game people thought was for boys and still be girly. I also vividly remember being excited for these games’ release and staring at their map imagining the new places I would explore. In this photo set, I showcase the many places you can visit in Pokémon by having a different environment for each photo.

Next I chose Princess Serenity from Sailor Moon. I watched Sailor Moon when I was 14 and loved its message of beauty and inner strength. Characters like Princess Serenity who are elegant and graceful, yet powerful, made me want to become an eloquent person. In the story, Serenity is the princess of the Moon Kingdom who falls in love with the prince of Earth. I chose an ethereal garden setting for my photos to reference the beautiful plants Serenity loves the Earth for.

My final character is Phosophyllite from Land of the Lustrous which is a graphic novel I am currently reading. The story is about humanoid gems and deals with being broken, repaired, and dealing with loss. At this point, Phosophyllite is trapped by their own decisions which is something I wanted to reflect in my photos. I also adapted symbolism from the graphic novel like butterflies representing the departed and Phos’ gold arms melting when they are stressed. I feel that Phosophyllite’s story encapsulates growing up and being filled with self-doubt and uncertainty.

Throughout our lives, we experience countless stories, but some leave lasting impressions. I hope that my photography has inspired you to remember them!

[2.5] Phosophyllite

In one very dark moment of my life, I was told by someone very dear to me, “Your pain is a gift”. At the time that phrase seemed so trivial, and honestly shook me to my core. How could someone fail to understand the reality of what I was currently experiencing? In all truth, this person understood something deeper than I was even aware of. I needed to hear this statement in order to pull through that pain I felt. That simple phrase carried me through the ups and downs of my physical discomfort, eventually encouraging me to pursue my art and life more deeply despite the surging ache I often feel. I have looked back on this moment often, and found a fascination with the ability to communicate on a deeper level, both with others and within our own internal dialogue. All Pain is the Same is a representation of my own and several others’ stories through film photographic transfers onto mirrored surfaces.
 
I believe we currently live in a society in which suffering in individuals is consistently compared. In hearing these comparisons through everyday conversation, I have come to question why we are fighting to prove our pain is greater than another’s instead of reaching out a proverbial hand as if to say “I may not understand what you’re going through, but I can appreciate it”. All Pain is the Same is designed to reach out this hand. Each person that experiences this exhibition will look upon seven unique stories of mental, physical, and spiritual torment, but in doing so, they will also see their own difficult experiences physically reflected back towards them. The photograph connects the subject with the viewer in silent appreciation for each other’s trauma. We all will or have experienced hardships within our lives, and I believe it is time to stop the judgmental evaluations and instead recognize how we can heal through having an open dialogue about this suppressed topic.
 
I quickly found a home in studio portraiture and film photography when it was introduced to me around three years ago. I love the studio for its ability to isolate the subject, and feel a strong draw to film photography, especially when using the 4 x 5 camera, for its intimacy and slow process. This combination has quickly become my preferred method of photographing. Through this process I am allowed to get close to my subjects, both in a physical setting and in spending the time to truly understand their story. I am fascinated with traditional and alternative photographic printing methods, and have always loved the unique look of wet plate collodion prints. The reflective nature of the glass plate and imperfect photographs produced by the process drew me in, and I found a desire to reflect this stylistic approach within this exhibition. After photographing each subject, I digitally printed their portrait onto an ink transfer material, and then transferred the ink onto a glass mirror. Due to the printing process, the final image is beautifully imperfect, and the result is the ability for the viewers to see themselves integrated into each image. Therefore, no two perceptions of the images will ever be the same. By allowing the viewer to see himself or herself physically within the image, they will create a shared experience with the subject in the photograph.
 
Throughout my life, I have always had a desire to understand how the individual plays a role in the community around them. I believe community is necessary, and in today’s world we are often focused on our own individual path and forget to look back to see who might be falling behind. When I was at a low point, I had a hand reach out to help. In hearing the stories (some for the first time) while photographing my models, I found that the way each one healed was by having someone else reach out that same hand. We need community, and we have a desire to communicate on a deeper level with one another. Let us look at these photographs in this light, and let us walk away with a deeper understanding of those that are portrayed on the wall and those that are standing next to us.

All Pain is the Same

The inception of Grateful Days begins in high school, when a career counselor came to speak to my junior class to help us decide what our plans were after graduation. Like the majority of other sixteen year olds, I was still coming to terms with who I was, who I would be, what I would accomplish and what my strengths and weaknesses were. These are big questions to ask yourself at such a young age and unfortunately, I did not find the answers to those questions through one assembly, so I kept searching. I met with coaches, counselors, teachers searching high and low until I was asked one seemingly absurd question: “When you’re working on a group project, what part do you take control of?” When I heard that question, I immediately knew the answer. I am the planner and the coordinator; I find comfort in the known. That is who I am.
During this discovery period, I put too much focus into the details and the immediate future. This caused me to lose clarity as to what makes me who I am. This disparity is how I discovered that it is just as important to nurture and embrace the qualitative aspects of a person. I needed to organize my time diligently while being constantly reminded of the myriad of people, memories and lessons that drive me fundamentally.
Now, five years later, I have created the Grateful Days planner to be the marriage of these prodigious lessons. Permeating the planner are areas meant to bring out creativity and personality while fostering elements that make me who I am. These elements are exemplified in the details of the planner. A few examples include the font, which I created using my mother’s handwriting; the areas for coloring in, which are made up of sketches depicting things which are important to my life; and the reflection areas, which are based on questions I ask myself to keep sight of the big picture.
In much the same way that a single day is a conglomeration of tasks, events and thoughts, this planner is a conglomeration of pieces that make up who I am. It’s a manifestation of the ‘gears’ and pieces that come together to make a day, week, month, year and a lifetime. No two people will have the exact same pieces that make up who they are, but the calendar changes very little from year to year. With this in mind, I made an effort to investigate the makeup of a day and follow the same format to underpin normalcy and consistency in the short-term. This planner is meant to be a living work that not only highlights the day-to-day, but the things that make each person unique.
This planner is a blank slate; a canvas made for each user to paint a picture of the past, present and future while fostering cognizance of how the details, both grand and minute, come together to make us who we are and drive our every action.

CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 Attribution NonCommercial-NoDerivs

Cover

CC BY-NC 4.0 Attribution-NonCommercial

Aka Pekku

Inside Cover

Four

Concept Sheet of Aka Pekku

Concept Illustration of Aka Pekku

Light

In one very dark moment of my life, I was told by someone very dear to me, “Your pain is a gift”. At the time that phrase seemed so trivial, and honestly shook me to my core. How could someone fail to understand the reality of what I was currently experiencing? In all truth, this person understood something deeper than I was even aware of. I needed to hear this statement in order to pull through that pain I felt. That simple phrase carried me through the ups and downs of my physical discomfort, eventually encouraging me to pursue my art and life more deeply despite the surging ache I often feel. I have looked back on this moment often, and found a fascination with the ability to communicate on a deeper level, both with others and within our own internal dialogue. All Pain is the Same is a representation of my own and several others’ stories through film photographic transfers onto mirrored surfaces.


 


I believe we currently live in a society in which suffering in individuals is consistently compared. In hearing these comparisons through everyday conversation, I have come to question why we are fighting to prove our pain is greater than another’s instead of reaching out a proverbial hand as if to say “I may not understand what you’re going through, but I can appreciate it”. All Pain is the Same is designed to reach out this hand. Each person that experiences this exhibition will look upon seven unique stories of mental, physical, and spiritual torment, but in doing so, they will also see their own difficult experiences physically reflected back towards them. The photograph connects the subject with the viewer in silent appreciation for each other’s trauma. We all will or have experienced hardships within our lives, and I believe it is time to stop the judgmental evaluations and instead recognize how we can heal through having an open dialogue about this suppressed topic.


 


I quickly found a home in studio portraiture and film photography when it was introduced to me around three years ago. I love the studio for its ability to isolate the subject, and feel a strong draw to film photography, especially when using the 4 x 5 camera, for its intimacy and slow process. This combination has quickly become my preferred method of photographing. Through this process I am allowed to get close to my subjects, both in a physical setting and in spending the time to truly understand their story. I am fascinated with traditional and alternative photographic printing methods, and have always loved the unique look of wet plate collodion prints. The reflective nature of the glass plate and imperfect photographs produced by the process drew me in, and I found a desire to reflect this stylistic approach within this exhibition. After photographing each subject, I digitally printed their portrait onto an ink transfer material, and then transferred the ink onto a glass mirror. Due to the printing process, the final image is beautifully imperfect, and the result is the ability for the viewers to see themselves integrated into each image. Therefore, no two perceptions of the images will ever be the same. By allowing the viewer to see himself or herself physically within the image, they will create a shared experience with the subject in the photograph.


 


Throughout my life, I have always had a desire to understand how the individual plays a role in the community around them. I believe community is necessary, and in today’s world we are often focused on our own individual path and forget to look back to see who might be falling behind. When I was at a low point, I had a hand reach out to help. In hearing the stories (some for the first time) while photographing my models, I found that the way each one healed was by having someone else reach out that same hand. We need community, and we have a desire to communicate on a deeper level with one another. Let us look at these photographs in this light, and let us walk away with a deeper understanding of those that are portrayed on the wall and those that are standing next to us.