Artist Becky Behar gives talk for photo exhibition, ‘Interlaced’

■ Behar’s photos emulate themes of motherhood, domesticity, and transience.

By GRACE DOH JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

In celebration of photo-based artist Becky Behar’s solo exhibition “Interlaced,” the Women’s Studies Research Center at Brandeis hosted an opening reception and artist talk on Jan. 26 at the Kniznick Gallery, where Behar’s photographs will remain on display until Feb. 22. Behar discussed her artistic process, the series of works on view in the exhibition, and her current studio practice.

Behar started photography at the age of 45, and as a mother of three, she began her career at a point when her children were transitioning into adulthood. One of the series in the exhibition, “Seeing You, Seeing Me,” contains posed portraits of her 21-year-old daughter and still lifes of domestic scenes.

Heavily influenced by painter

Johannes Vermeer, the photos have a highly luminous quality as sunlight pours through windows onto the rich tones of the subject matter. This series examines the fleeting nature of time as Behar captures images of her daughter, flowers, and fruit in her home environment. She ruminates on how the time of day, the time spent photographing her daughter, and the experience of motherhood are all transient moments in her life. The opening reception welcomed not only Brandeis community members, but also friends and family of Behar who came to see the arrangement of works. Works on display included portraits, still lifes, monitors that detail the stories behind select photo series, and ceramic tile baseboards with cyanotype patterns of various items that can be found throughout her works. Curator and artist Olivia Baldwin collaborated with Behar in the arrangement of pieces for “Interlaced.” The two initially considered using only one of the See EXHIBITION, 5 ☛

Tressie McMillan Cottom awarded 2023 Gittler Prize

Brandeis has selected Tressie McMillan Cottom as the 2023 Joseph B. and Toby Gittler Prize Recipient, in recognition of her celebrated work as a sociologist, author, and New York Times columnist. Cottom is also a professor at the Center for Information, Technology and Public Life at University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill and a 2020 MacArthur Fellow.

Created by the late Professor Joseph B. Gittler, a sociologist and faculty member at several universities, the Gittler Prize is an annual award that recognizes “outstanding and lasting contributions to racial, ethnic, and/or religious relations.” Cottom’s bodies of work, including “Lower Ed” (2017) and “Thick: And Other Essays” (2019), spans a variety of topics, from the racial hierarchy of beauty standards and dress codes to the concerning rise of for-profit colleges from the perspective of someone who was once a recruiter for two for-profit colleges herself.

Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-VA) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) praise

Best indie albums

 Read all about the best indie albums of 2022 and be sure to check them out.

By JANE FLAUTT

“Lower Ed” for insightfully disclosing the unjust dynamics that enable higher education meritocracy to exacerbate social inequality and for sparking important conversations about the benefits and harms of higher education. In 2019, her collection of essays, “Thick,” received many accolades, including a nomination for the National Book Award, not only for her analysis on personal experiences with body image as a Black woman but also for its powerful storytelling, poetic prose, and innovative form. Cottom will be in residence at Brandeis from Oct. 25 to 27, and she will be hosting a public lecture on Oct. 26. On the same day, Brandeis will host a ceremony to officially award Cottom the Gittler Prize, which includes a $25,000 cash prize and a medal.

Rent prices spike in Waltham

By JEN CRYSTAL

JOSH GANS

— Anika Jain