Embedded Files
Curatorial Rationale
When we have a routine and a one direction mind, as humans we tend to overlook small but major parts of the rest of the world around us. As a part of our society today most attend school and go to work; it’s what we are conditioned to do. During this process we develop routines in order to have consistency. These routines at some point end up making us miss these small things. Through my work I aim to have viewers look around them a second time, question their surroundings, themselves and look for things that they may have overlooked in the past and now understand their value after they have seen my work. I use photography because it allows me to capture the world around me in its rawest state possible. I was inspired by photographers like Nan Goldin and Vivian Maier, in their works, they capture people and their surroundings but also reveal glimpses of the world we may have not otherwise seen without their wandering eyes.
In my photos I used people in my community like Point of the game and the Untitled Artworks, nature seen in It's a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, architecture which can be seen in Through the trees and Birthday Sign, and my usual surroundings seen in Self Portrait and Mommy Loves You. I put eyes outside of my body. I know even I tend to overlook minimal things just like everyone else. I wanted to look around me and have an open mind. I had to take a step back from my usual routine and I strived to capture the slower moments in fast pace scenes and see the hidden values that people would usually overlook. In each of the photos I zoomed in on how I came about the photo and the value it holds. I do this to further get my viewers to think about their routines and how they can slow themselves down to catch the value that surrounds them.
In the photos I took up close shots of these subjects to put them right in front of the viewers. I wanted people to be able to see the little details they overlook and bring it to their attention in hope they can open their eyes and minds to other things they may overlook. I also printed the photos It's a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood and Mommy Loves You large because in my opinion they had some of the simplest beauty and possibly the most than get overlooked.
It's a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood is a zoomed in image of a tree's branches with blossoming flowers and the sun's light shining through it giving highlights on the flower buds. The value this photo holds is life in nature. Most people won't look up at the trees or smell the flowers on their way because it's not part of their destination. However the point of this work and the exhibition is for viewers to also look at their journey and make it part of their destination and consume the beauty the journey holds. Mommy Loves You was a message written by a mother to her child that is no longer with her. The message was stopped in its journey and found a new destination than was in my journey. Even though it wasn't meant for me I felt that it helped value in my life and I felt empathy for this mother and her loss.
I wanted the portraits like Untitled 1, Untitled 2, Self portrait, Point of the Game, and Blue skies around the large images because I thought they would attract the viewers attention with their stare. These photos hold a stare from the subject into the lens then give the allusion they are staring at the viewer through the photo. I wanted these photos to make the viewer have an unsettling feeling in order to provoke their mind, to unlock the door to open their eyes. The photos I selected each have something in common. They each were overlooked and went unnoticed, leaving their value and beauty unappreciated due to our own ways.
Birthday Sign
Birthday Sign
Inkjet print,digital photomontage, stock images
30.48 cm x 40.64 cm
This photo captures a birthday sign that was posted for a little girl's birthday party 3 months before I took the picture. The family had moved out but I still asked why they never took it down. They said their little girl wanted to leave it up because her party got cancelled but she still wanted her friends to know that it was her birthday and then she was turning 6. They let her keep it tup because even though it was getting torn and dirt from outside weather it still made someone happy.
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Untitled
Untitled
Inkjet print,digital photomontage, stock images
40.64 cm x 30.48 cm
I took this image with the intention to capture the subject off guard. I wfocucatch an expression on his face that was a glimpse. The point of the photo is to make it look simple. To see little details and not just see a face and a boy stretching. The takeaway is that simple expressions give a person their meaning.
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Untitled
Untitled
Inkjet print,digital photomontage, stock images
40.64 cm x 30.48 cm
In this photo I aim to capture the person's stare. I used color and contrast to make the light around the subject and on his face vibrant in his dark surroundings. I want his eyes to capture the viewer's attention and show light in a dark place. I believe this gives a calm feeling in an unsettling image but his eyes also catch the viewer's mind and question what is going on in his.
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“It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood”
“It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood”
Inkjet print,digital photomontage, stock images
76.2 cm x 50.8 cm
This is a zoomed in image of a tree's branches with blossoming flowers and the sun's light shining through it giving highlights on the flower buds. The value this photo holds is life in nature. Most people won't look up at the trees or smell the flowers on their way because it's not part of their destination. However the point of this work and the exhibition is for viewers to also look at their journey and make it part of their destination and consume the beauty the journey holds.
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City Through a Window?
City Through a Window?
Inkjet print
40.64 cm x 30.48 cm
This photo was taken on the CTA orange line. In the reflection of the window you can see part of downtown Chicago. This picture was inspired by Vivian Maier’s use of reflective objects to see another perspective of what we usually see and open our eyes to the unnoticed things around us. At first glance this photo appears to be a window view of the city on the train, but is actually a reflection on glass with a black curtain behind giving a new way to see the city using parts of it itself.
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Mind of the Game
Mind of the Game
Inkjet print
40.64 cm x 30.48 cm
I chose this image because it slows down what is otherwise a fast experience: playing in a baseball game. The child’s face shows the intensity of the game. I focused on capturing the determination in his facial expressions. This expression shows that to the people around him it's just a game, but to him there is an intensity as he focused on the game.
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Mommy Loves You
Mommy Loves You
Inkjet print
76.2 cm x 50.8 cm
The art of this image was the words written to a baby boy missed by his mother. These words that wished they were spoken to her child, but could not be heard, carried a mother's broken heart. These words hold a part of a person's soul. This balloon was caught on a tree and didn't make it to her son. This was a message that couldn't be heard and it was read by an outsider me. The take away I want the viewer to have is that a little balloon caught in trees can hold someone's world but be a little spec of ours.
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Self Portrait
Self Portrait
Inkjet print,digital photomontage, stock images
40.64 cm x 30.48 cm
In this image I capture myself and my boyfriend how I took this picture in a large mirror in my bedroom. This inspiration behind this photo is Vivian Maier's Self Portrait. She captured herself in a store front window and looked straight ahead. I aimed to use the camera lens as my own eye. I wanted to see what everyone else sees when they look at me. I caught myself where I am most comfortable and my guards are down.
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Untitled
Untitled
Inkjet print,digital photomontage, stock images
40.64 cm x 30.48 cm
Inspired by Nan Goldin’s snapshot aesthetic, I focused on highlighting the person's face using natural lighting. I wanted to keep the picture mostly unedited to keep the image as raw as possible to really capture the essence of the person. The stare that is captured here gives people an unsettling effect. This comes from the audience looking into the subject's eyes looking straight into the lens. This effect gives the audience the feeling the subject is looking at them and questioning them.
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Silos
Silos
Inkjet print,digital photomontage, stock images
30.48 cm x 40.64 cm
In this image is an old silo that is in Canaryville. These used to hold grain and seeds. They are 4 giant metal cylinders that stand on Halsted by the stockyards. These cylinders used to hold wheat, corn, barley and other crops were stored within and sold in a “new” market called The Chicago Board of Trade when they were still in use. This is a historical artifact in my opinion than is let to sit here to crumble away. This like other silos still hold history even though it is no longer in use.
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