Amalgamation: The Senior Fine Art Photography Exhibition
The RIT Fine Art Photography Class of 2019 is excited to announce the opening of their BFA senior thesis exhibition, AMALGAMATION. The show will open Friday, March 1st at 5PM in the William Harris Gallery located on the RIT campus. It is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served.
AMALGAMATION features the work of seven seniors. MacKenzie Crable, Noah Estrella, Morgan Simonson, Justin Scalera, Alexandra Gataeva, Megan Switala, and Gillian Rockwell will display new work that represents the culmination of a year of exploration. Included in the various self-directed work will be straight photography, performance art, photo-sculpture, and collage. Themes related to personal identity, sense of place, darkness, and the unknown are part of the artist’s investigations.
The Exhibition will be on display March 1st to March 22nd. Artist talks hosted by the William Harris Gallery will be Tuesday March 5th and Thursday March 7th at 2PM.
My name is MacKenzie Crable. I use color psychology and mark making in my photography. I’ve been exploring the duality of cerebral thinking versus artistic making. This body of work uses the color yellow for its association with creativity and confidence but also because it can produce anxiety and criticism. mackenziecrable.com
My name is Noah Estrella. I utilize photography to probe self-portraiture and actions to contemplate the psyche and identity. In this work, my body interacts with the environment—the white walls of a room—to analyze and question the place and impact humans have on the world.
Alexandra Gataeva is a human currently residing on Earth that participates in activities referred to as visual arts and photography.
My name is Gill Rockwell. My work in the BFA Fine Art Exhibition is heavily focused on nature and the connection humans have with nature. This exploration has been influenced by the Japanese practice of forest bathing. I’m interested in the idea of “taking in the forest atmosphere” and how being exposed to an increased supply of oxygen can affect people who practice forest bathing. I’m hopeful that my work will inspire my audience to go out and experience this phenomenon for themselves.
I am Justin Scalera. I spent the past year documenting the Kodak Park Works, the oldest and largest manufacturing plant of photographic materials in the world. This work was photographed exclusively using large format black and white film. The film was produced in the very buildings I was photographing. My images are monumental portraits of the architecture and infrastructure that shaped Rochester and the photography world as a whole. You can visit see more of Justin’s work at http://justinscalera.com/
I am Morgan Simonson. My work consists of abstract and surreal photographs manipulated digitally and physically to represent my emotions. My inspiration comes from works that portray journeys of self-reflection or rediscovery such as Dante’s Inferno. I burn my hard copy of my images and display them in the hope of creating something beautiful out of destruction. https://morganesimonson.myportfolio.com/
I am Megan Switala. My work is focused towards my personal views about domestic violence. I have been interested in this subject for more than a year. I am curious about ways to create a connection between the photographer and the audience. I have been using self-portraiture to bring out my own emotions and thoughts when creating my stories. I am trying to use an interactive voice to help bring others involved in domestic violence the chance to tell their stories. http://meganswitalaphotography.com
