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Peter's Picks of the Show Through the Student Lens photography by high school students and their teachers
Allendale Columbia
Peter Marr picked his favorite
photos of the show
All images copyright by the individual photographers
Ralph Waldo Emerson has famously stated that “Self-trust is
the precondition of original perception”, a statement that is inspired by the
intent of communicating. Here in this excellent exhibition, we see countless
examples of photographs supporting this philosophy, and we all should be
inspired by the contagious enthusiasm this show extends to us. The magic of
youth is a delight which is never truly itself until it is shared with others.
This is a delightful demonstration of fresh vision, and intuitive, unrestricted
awareness, one in which E. E. Cummings would have proudly said, “The eyes of my
eyes are opened”.
Peter A. Marr
Untitled By Ted Bradford
We are truly fortunate to have three of
Ted’s outstanding images on display, from which I have chosen “Untitled”
to comment further on. In this dramatic print, we envisage a
powerful, penetrating male portrait, interspersed with splashes
of vivid colors and neutral artistic brush strokes, and there is
even some faint lettering weaving its way over the model’s body.
Like many of the other prints in this wonderful display of
youthful talent, Ted’s image exemplifies “Through
the Student Lens” in showing the amazing talents of these
high school artists. Breaking
through stereotyped perception, and showing freedom from
premeditated ideas, the portrait by itself would have been
memorable, but the enrichment by using many of the available
modern digital techniques has resulted in a truly exceptional
image. The splashes of purples and related colors, together with
the broad neutral brush strokes and splashes of white, certainly
are an awakening to creative insights. One could imagine the
model being dropped vertically into the surf or other media,
resulting in a forceful and violent upward splashing. However,
with the striking black swathe of hair and black paint streak on
the face, together with the mysterious lettering suggesting
“existence where there is no death”, I feel there is more
sinister scenario, reminiscent more of mythology. I see a Greek
God, an intense fragile, lonely entity, whose life is pervaded
with demons that he is continually fighting. These demons give
rise to deep and frightening thoughts, which he longs to burst
free from. It is a continuing life-long struggle. This print is
imaginative, dramatic, remarkable and thought-provoking.
Untitled by This is a
truly innovative, imaginative and artistically presented image.
Rarely do we see a circular print that has such a visionary and
striking impact, aptly described by an alternative title as
Looking into another world. We get used to moving so fast that
we miss the ability to see the world with unconstricted awareness,
but happily in this outstanding image, Suzanne has reawakened our
sense of wonder in her openness to see the world freshly. It is
important to visualize and get caught up in the excitement of what
this photograph says to you. I see a window into an aquarium, where
delicate life forms dance and play in their own private world, a
world little different than that countless eons ago, except that
these beautiful creatures are in a restricted space. But what a
space it is, as we see an underwater delight of resplendent pastel
colors, contrasted against three silhouetted observers, who are
caught by the camera in their own slice of time. This idyllic
aquarium scene is captured for posterity with one of the modern
recording mediums so prevalent today. The overall image is simply
stunning and powerful, and stands by itself as a stellar photograph.
We can only marvel at the intimate relationship between the present,
as presented by the three observers, with the exquisite vista
through the porthole of life that has little changed over millions
of years.
Untitled by
This is a truly
striking, dynamic image that wonderfully exemplifies both a zest for
life and a free spirited approach to photography that is a great
tribute to the artistic skills of the author. This zest for life is
beautifully summed up in the Latin saying “Dum
Vivimus vivamus”, while we’re alive, let us live. O the many
facets to be admired in this print, I particularly liked the tilted
line of the slide, the powerful curved metal arch of the steps
thrusting into the vast negative space of the deep blue sky, and of
course, the choice of a unique camera position. The latter so
dramatically captures the young girl about to plunge into what could
be a bottomless abyss for some young people. The whole scene has a
thrilling tension so wonderfully captured here, a suspense so
prevalent for some people who risk such a downward plunge. We truly
feel the emotion and fear from the tightly gripped hands on the
arch, all the way to the feet in the open sandals that are
desperately trying to brake on the slick, shiny surface of the
slide. This is a traumatic moment in time, where the decisive
decision of letting go for an elated ride or possible disaster is
superbly captured, a decision that we do not know the outcome of.
The strong, bold colors and the wonderful reflection all contribute
to make this an outstanding image. One should point out that the
sense of urgency for the girl to let go is further emphasized, maybe
unintentionally, by the hand and arm of another person, anxiously
awaiting their turn on the slide. You certainly sense there is no
going back, and one can intuitively feel that the changeover from
fear to exhilaration is a split-second away.
Sleeping by It might
surprise some people that I chose a very dark image for one of my
“picks”, but to me, the mood and atmosphere created by the low light
value, is just right for the subject matter. Sleeping is dark and
mysterious, very necessary, but often very disturbing. Emily,
through great perception and awareness, has given us awesome mystery
with an ordinary event. I am reminded of someone who asked Dizzy
Gillespie where his jazz came from? He replied, “It’s out there man,
don’t you hear it?” Sleeping is out there, don’t you experience it?
With the distorted tangle of bedclothes and ghostly images of legs,
Emily has captured the true essence of sleeping, evoking the strange
and varied positions that people get into. One becomes fascinated by
trying to follow the patterns and vague human entities, that one’s
eyes rarely travel, or if they do, rarely stay, on the bolster at
the top of the photograph, which certainly has the highest light
value. This alone is mysterious, as our photographic teachings imply
that our eyes always tend to go to the highlights or dominant color
in a photograph. Just another example of how youthful artistry has
defied our normal old fashioned mores. With this dramatic and
intriguing print, one can easily go beyond (and hopefully the
observer will), visually following the shapes and apparitions, to
transport our thoughts into the cerebral cortex to follow dream
sequences. Most of our dreams follow dark and mystical pathways, so
I hope that this enigmatic print will jolt every observer into
looking at, or at least imagining, their own sleep patterns. An
impressive, intriguing, powerful image. Over the Edge by Very often, the simplest
subject matter can make the most dramatic and meaningful photograph, especially
in the hands of a youthful, talented and artistic photographer like Hannah. It
has been said that awareness is so constricted, that the possibility of change
is not even recognized. Furthermore, enlightened photography has been described
as unobstructed communion between self and the environment. Photographing one’s
sneakers from a vertical perspective would not qualify as enlightened
photography, although it might be an excellent record or even an advertising
shot. Move part of the feet over a deep opening, chasm, or in this case a
dramatic shaft, then the situation dramatically changes. Momentarily, one
focuses on the blue jeans and sneakers, but then the eyes quickly take in the
eerie expanse below, an unknown area that can easily become frightening and
possibly claustrophobic. There is no depth perception here, and although the
artist is positioned over what is probably a modest drop in height, the ominous
presence of a flight of stairs, disappearing from view beneath her feet,
certainly elevates the anxiety. Anyone who suffers from a fear of heights may
have trouble visualizing this print, whilst others may want to explore in their
minds some of the more mystical questions that this image gives rise to.
Certainly, we all want to know where the stair’s lead to, and what could be
beyond. This photograph is another excellent example of how the power of seeing,
can lift a picture out of the ordinary, into an image the commands great thought
and insight. Excellent work.
A Flight of Fancy by This is another exquisite image that clearly illustrates the
freedom, imagination and artistry so prevalent in the work of the youthful
photographers in this exhibition. Here, the vision is uninhibited, as is the
gymnastic freedom and flexibility of the young girl, as she effortlessly and
majestically executes a back-flip, a maneuver that is eloquently captured in
peak action by the photographer. The image is bursting with life, conviction and
ebullience, certainly enhanced by being shot in black and white against a
neutral background. The graceful curve of the body culminates to a point as the
hands and feet come together, giving the graceful illusion of a parachute gently
descending, to bring its precious cargo safely back to earth. The freedom and
youthfulness is further emphasized by the free-flowing hair, splaying out in all
directions, together with the casual dress attire. We just love and are amazed
by the charm, energy and vitality of youth, of spontaneity, and of fearlessness,
as the artist curves her body through space, knowing that she will land securely
on her feet. We also know that she will repeat the same motion again and again,
until she becomes exhausted on her A
Flight of Fantasy. Just a wonderful, outstanding image, delightfully
captured for all of us to enjoy and admire.
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