PHOTOGRAPHY & IMAGING
20 NYU TISCH B FA C ATA L O G
contents
Karolina Lajch
4
Wenjie Yi
8
Sammy Ray
12
Liu Liu
16
Luke Parker
20
Taylor Bissey
24
Robin Takami
28
Jay Arora
32
Angelica Negron
36
Jack Seidenberg
40
Ellen Shuan
44
Fiona Tam
48
Mark Wei
52
Ari Adams
56
Dani Loya
60
Hao Wang
64
Anna Betts
68
Mariel Llano
72
Matthew Reiser
76
Nina Dietz
80
Erica Palmieri
84
Nick Whiteford
88
Raafae Ghory
92
Melody Yu
96
Sophia Berger de Souza
100
Junyan Hu
104
Katerina Voegtle
108
Wenyu Li
112
Katie McGowan
116
Phoebe Nakry Lincoln
120
Denise Tien
124
Gigi Santo Pietro
128
Karolina Lajch
Pamiȩtasz?
4 5
“Pamiȩtasz?” (translation: Do You Remember? ) is an exploration of the reliability of human memory, specifically the unreliable nature of my own. Even when armed with about seven years worth of prints from my family archives, I still found it difficult to disentangle my earliest memories into distinct individual events. Photographic documentation that was meant to jog my memory just added to the mess inside my head. I came to the realization that the perceptions we have of ourselves, especially at such an early age, stem from the way we interpret things such as childhood photographs or stories told to us by parents. To me, this was incredibly frustrating in itself, and even more so given the fact that I have absolutely terrible memory. I decided to relinquish my obsessive need for order and comprehension. I found myself creating new memories, or rather, new interpretations of my past. These compositions attest to the murky and layered ways in which memory and artifacts operate as well as to our ability to manipulate and present data however we please.
Pfützen This project explores the passing of time, memory, and space. My photography is a metaphor. Plants have a small life span, so their changes are easily detectable. My mom saw me after a change. Diving into memories is like swimming in a pool of time, in a submerged room deep down the hole. Experiences in life have ters decay and fade away. Impacts evolve. Traces remain. What happened is irreversible. The only thing I cannot fight is time. A fresh white in dyed water turns blue in one week. The flawless
she struggles, the more she becomes the blue. Little by little, the decay is silent, a slow death, a definite one.
Wenjie StudentYiName
A fish is choked without water, tied up, cold as ice. At the market entrance, it is another piece of meat. The fish stares straight: what is the rule of living in another galaxy?
8
WHAT DO I TAKE?
WHAT CAN I OFFER?
Sammy Student Ray Name
WHAT DO I BRING?
12
13
Images make up our understanding of the world, each other, and ourselves and when viewing an image there is a unique intersection of perspectives. The world of the imagemaker meets with the world of the model in a picture’s creation, and once shared, a viewer now interprets this meeting however they wish. At this intersection however, many of us are already very likely to have some informed ideas about what we’re looking at, whether or not we know it. As an installation of handmade LED Panels, this work breaks down the image to its base pixel form, forcing viewers to reckon with the limitations of imagery as a medium, an object. Paired with randomizing video portraits as well as shifts in color and sound, this installation seeks to illuminate the limitless nature of the photographic subject that exists beyond the captured moment.
14
15
This is not a statement, but this series of pictures captured what I have learned from these past four years in New York. If it were not for New York, I probably would have never come to NYU; throughout these four years, I was
Liu Liu
to right. This is a collection of photos that I believe best represents my understanding of this place.
16
17
Luke Parker Student Name
amazingly enough,
20
nothing happened
today with the countless things that can be done just on your phone, sitting back and doing nothing feels like a crime, and yet when everything you create will one day be surpassed or forgotten, it can seem pointless. one day a time will come where of all the things you’ve done in your life, it’ll be as if you did nothing. and in a world where everything feels like an empty distraction from overwhelming anxiety that comes with nothingness, why do anything if nothing is going to happen anyways?
but even in these nothing moments, there’s a true sense of beauty that lies inside these brief escapes from expecting something to happen.
CHARRERÍA This project aims to document the charrería, the equestrian tradition of Mexico, within San Antonio, Texas in the United States. The figure of the charro traces back to the Spanish conquistadores and Mexican haciendas. Following the Mexican Revolution, and the division of many haciendas, the Charros sought to maintain tradition through establishing the Asociación Nacional de Charros in 1921 and then establishing the charreada (seen as the equivalent, and forerunner of the American rodeo) as Mexico’s national sport in 1933. Asociación de Charros de San Antonio was established in 1947, the first in the United States, as a way to preserve and honor charrería for future generations. The charros compete in a series of events at the charreada to show the skill of the rider and the horse. While many of the events in the charreada are dominated by men, the women ride in intricate choreography at a gallop side saddle
Taylor Bissey
in an event called escaramuza.
24
25
26
27
WHITEBOX This is a portrait series about the role of the individual in large systems of labor, and the medium of portraiture itself. When complexity becomes obfuscated by necessity and functionality— ranging from the devices in our pockets to the mass systems of infrastructure surrounding us—the process is called “blackboxing.”
Robin Takami
This series re-approaches environmental portraiture by invoking the conventions of studio and formalized portraiture—the resulting stark composition not only situates the subjects in their work atmosphere, but transparently presents the studio technique used to create the image. Whitebox thus reverses the notion of blackboxing to emphasize the role of the individual and anatomize studio iconography.
28
29
30
BIG
Kruger National Park is one of Africa’s largest game reserves and an exotic wildlife safari destination. Located in South Africa, it covers an area of 7,523 square miles and is home to a high
Jay Arora
density of mammals, birds, and reptiles. People visit Kruger to see the Big Five: lions, leopards,
32
G AME
rhinos, elephants and buffalos. The park’s goal is to allow people to observe these animals in their natural habitat while ensuring the safety of the animals and the visitors. Endangered species are carefully watched and tracked to ensure their safety from poachers and hunters. In this series of photographs, I wanted to capture the beauty of the Kruger and its unique population. Over a 6-day period, I covered numerous miles on foot while I tracked animals and their breeding grounds. I spent hours on the ridge to capture the perfect shot of an animal as it approached a lake or relaxed under a tree. I found myself focusing on endangered species such as the White Rhinos and the Wild Dogs.
33
35
36 37
Angelica Negron
38
39
Seven Stars Before I first picked up a camera, the closest thing that I could do to keep myself tethered to reality was to read Japanese literature. I was far from comfortable in my head so why not indulge in some attempted escapism by reading Dazai, Murakami, Mishima, and Soseki? As a result, Tokyo became a romanticized place for me to fantasize about being existentially confused in. I went on a search to find the isolation and emotional alienation described in Murakami or Dazai’s Tokyo. I was quickly taken by the sense of purpose people had on the streets. With my rangefinder, I traversed the city to see if I could learn anything about the human condition by reflexively taking photographs.
Jack Seidenberg
I could not tell if the frantic energy on the streets was people running towards their destination, or a way of escaping themselves. But how much of my existential woes and anxiety was I projecting onto my subjects? By running to Tokyo, was I just trying to run from my lack of purpose or was it an honest attempt to open up emotionally in a different context? With the sensibility of a flâneur, I captured the urban strangeness and characters I passed while contemplating those questions.
40
41
JACKSON HEIGHTS
A part of the Northwestern part of Queens, Jackson Heights is one of the most diverse neighborhoods in New York City with the inclusion of a group of distinct individuals. I tried to explore and pinpoint some of the historical monuments of Jackson Heights, and capture the interactions among people that happen around these locations to help viewers understand what Jackson Heights is like today. I think the medium of black and white
Ellen Shuan
film photography works well with the project because when I am walking around in New York City it makes me feel as though I am traveling back in time. Overall, I hope to be able to capture more of the historical aspects of Jackson Heights, and engage with as many subjects as possible to have them connect with the camera, which could help lead me to a richer understanding and connect to the unspoken culture of Jackson Heights.
44
46
Nightshade
Fiona Tam
This series is an illustration of the familiar made unfamiliar, it is anything but what it is. These images may seem distorted at first, but they were not altered in any way. I intend to blur the line between reality and imagination. This is done by introducing negative space. The negative space removes them from their familiar settings, dramatizes and discards any assumptions one may have. As a photographer, my job is to help the viewer see by revealing and masking, choreographing the interplay of light and shadow. On the other hand, I will not tell the viewers what to see and what not to. I do not want to determine or put a frame around the subjects I shot, I leave this work to the viewers. We are the director of our own imagination, we see what we want or expect to see.
48
49
Déjà Rêvé I’ve only had a handful of moments where I truly felt as if I knew what I was doing with my relationships, with family, friends, or partners. There have been, however, a select few instances that have felt as though they were pulled straight from my deepest reveries. These rare moments, when I have a sense of prescient command over my decisions are by far outnumbered and swept away by the circumstances of my life’s routine. My lucid dreams act as a sandbox where I can test out real-life situations, without risking any damages. However, no matter what choices I made in these dreams, the results a throughline in the convoluted puzzle of life is impossible.
Mark Wei
myself slowly washed away by the tides of my life.
52
Nevertheless, instead of proactively trying to make decisions that would alter the outcome, being a passenger and letting life take over does not seem too unsettling. When moments in my lucid dreams show up in real life, making the same choices leads to surprising outcomes. It is these precious fragments of sweetness that we try to cling to and that is what makes life meaningful. It does not matter which path one takes, the outcome is never the same and that is what makes us human. Memories.
53
Euskal Herrian A Documentary Photo Project
Euskal Herrian is a documentary photobook
struggling for its independence from Spanish
in which modern leftist and independentist
the defeat of the Spanish Republican Army
by Ari Adams. The book documents the ways Basque youth display their cultural identities through the revival of traditional displays
of public performative arts such as dancing,
playing music, and singing poetry. Additionally, a central part of Basque youth leftism
is frequent public engagement, demonsta-
tion, manifestation and greater participation in Basque politics through a multi-faceted
politically oriented financial system created
through bar-hopping and protest attendance. The Basque Country, which is a semi-autonomous region of Northern Spain, has been
rule for more than one hundred years. After
by the Spanish Nationalist Army in 1939, the Basque language--the oldest spoken lan-
guage in Europe--was outlawed from being spoken in public and came under threat of
becoming extinct. With little political power to fight for independence under the fascist
regime of Francisco Franco, a violent struggle was launched by the extremist group ETA, which caused fear among and terrorized
both Spanish and Basque citizens. After the
death of Franco in 1975, however, the legality of speaking Basque was restored as well as
political autonomy. With this, peaceful forms of protest be-
came common place in Basque society and the voicing of local politics and the embracing of local traditions can now be seen in every corner of the
region. The photographs from Euskal Herrian do not show a new form of civic unrest or engagement in the Basque
Country but rather intend to
Ari Adams
highlight how public displays
56
of politics are a part of how
young leftist Basques engage with both their culture and
their history through acts of
mixing politics and pleasure.
Left Unsaid Daniela Loya’s project Left Unsaid is about healing and coming to terms with past mistakes. Using her mouth as the physical camera, Daniela apologizes for the hurtful words once spoken and captures the moment when what has been left unsaid for so long is finally expressed.
Dani Loya
These images portray the people she holds closest and the damaged relationships that have just begun to mend.
60
The abstract dark aesthetic of the portraits alludes to the conflicting feelings, painful history, and heightened tension that surround these memories and relationships.
61
62
63
Hao Wang
The Recreation of Adam
64
Freedom is a profound word. People are always fighting for freedom, but what is real freedom? The definition of freedom from google is “the power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants without hindrance or restraint”. Most people are still stuck in human society. They enjoy the convenience provided by human society while in the meantime they long for the primitive life that liberates them from all rules. They are obsessed with the idea of “nature”. Modern people like natural things. They eat organic. They wear clothes made from “natural materials”. They sincerely believe that anything that is artificial or in another
word made by humans is harmful or generally less good than what is “natural”. However, in the meantime, people do not really want to leave this artificial world. They are sitting on the artificial toilet writing a post on an artificial device complaining about the artificial society and saying they really want to go back to the grand nature. In this case, the idea of nature consists of the idea of freedom. People hate rules and public opinions that set requirements for them and ask them to do something they do not like. But the question is, whether human beings now can manage the freedom they are asking for. My point is that I hope that people can really go out to see this huge world.
65
Love & Rage
Anna Betts
The New Faces of Activism
68
Throughout history, young people have been at the forefront of political activism, and with the rise of social media, young people have been
introduced to political issues outside of the traditional realms, therefore providing more opportunities for new voices to be heard. Due to these
online platforms, young activists have been granted a place within mainstream popular culture, often gaining thousands of followers such as
16-year-old Climate Activist, Greta Thunberg, who gained over seven million followers on Instagram in just over a year.
My project focuses on the young activists who are becoming the face of
the Climate Crisis Movement by leading, founding and becoming members of organizations namely Fridays for Future , XR Youth (extinction
rebellion youth), The Sunrise Movement , and many more. Photography
has frequently been adopted throughout history as a tool of and for activism, as images play a fundamental role in portraying and shaping the world we live in. By documenting these events and subjects, I aim to make these activists, and the work that they are doing, known and heard. I aim
to illustrate and exhibit their frustrations, courage, competence, potential, dedication, and optimism that thankfully persists through this uncertain and bleak political climate.
70
71
Mariel Llano
BEHIND THE MASK
72
Mexico’s version of professional wrestling is one of the country’s biggest spectator activities today. Characterized by colorful masks, flamboyant personalities, a whole lot of Spandex and sequins, it’s an edge-ofyour-seat spectacle unlike any other. Mexican wrestling uses masks as a homage to the Aztec warriors of ancient times, as they frequently donned masks during rituals and religious ceremonies. Using masks allows wrestlers to serve as a blank canvas that fans could project emotions and stories onto.
73
MATTHEW’S GARAGE
In “Matthew’s Garage,” auto enthusiast Matt Reiser reviews a series of vehicles from previous decades and explains what makes them more intriguing than vehicles produced today. Through a variety of images and videos, Matt makes a case for
Matthew Reiser
current vehicle designers and manufacturers to harken back
76
to the craftsmanship, materials and aesthetics of a bygone era. He includes first-person accounts of vehicle owners who reveal their enchanting stories and share insights into their passion for owning a car from a previous decade.
77
78
79
Nina Dietz
NEW YORK CLIMATE: 2020
80
New York City has 520 miles of coast line. It is composed of 70% non-permeable surfaces, making it that much more susceptible to flooding. New York City’s geography makes it uniquely vulnerable to the existential threat of Climate Change. Some areas of New York are already seeing the effects. Many neighborhoods along the New York City coast are at sea level, and some are already inundated multiple times a month at king tide events and with every storm surge. The areas hit hardest by Hurricane Sandy in 2012 are also facing the most bracing aspects of the Climate
Crisis. Southeast Queens, Jamaica Bay, South Brooklyn, and eastern Staten Island, are all facing destruction, either from the creeping sea level rise that will see much of the area below projected sea levels by 2080, or from the next Sandy, a storm that is still very much present in the lives of people living in these areas, where recovery is still underway. As we contend with the inevitability of Climate Change, it is necessary to take a moment to recognize the consequences that have already begun and appreciate the full scope of impact should we act or allow it to go unchecked.
81
82
83
Erica Palmieri
!"#$%&'(%
84
!"#$%&'(%)is a personal reflection of the artist’s adolescent years. Erica Jordan Palmieri developed an inner critic that stemmed from her psychological diagnoses, social pressures, and crippling fears. Her goal for this series is to face these challenges head on, overcoming shame through self-discovery and ultimately connecting her past to her future. Erica utilizes her memories, childhood journals, and old and new images to create visual representations of her experiences. As a result, the creation of this series has put the past where it belongs. Erica honors these formative years as a guide to the happier, healthier person she is today.
Nick Whiteford
Nothing At All Happened Today Yet it is Sickening
88
exploration of a New England town through American facades and landscape. The work is a composite resulting from my own Images, my great grandmothers, and archival images. Through the interaction with my own familial history with the mundane in the town, I hope to achieve a deeper interrogation of the American landscape and psyche.
89
StudentGhory Raafae Name
Hajji
92 93
94
Melody Yu
THE BROKEN WINDOW
96
For this project, I used large format to make im-
movement that marks Chinese history that
ages inspired by the Chinese cultural revolution
even people born after the 80s who have nev-
propaganda posters made during 1966-1967. The
er experienced it always hear about it and are
cultural revolution was a sociopolitical move-
very familiar with the propaganda posters.
ment initiated by chairman Mao in 1966 to cel-
However, our ideas about society, mon-
ebrate communism. A lot of posters were made
ey, and life all have changed tremendously af-
during the movement with an anti-bourgeois
ter the termination of the cultural revolution
sentiment. They indicated that people would
under the influence of capitalism. I followed
have a bright future if they believe in chairman
the vintage aesthetic but made the details
Mao and work collaboratively in agriculture and
and contents of the images different from
production without class hierarchy. Mao’s ef-
the posters by using contemporary elements
forts turned out to cause much painful struggle
such as recently written fiction, credit cards,
and heritage losses. It was such a monumental
and so on to reflect modern ideology. 97
98
99
Looking for Sophie In the late 1800’s, my great-great-grandmother, Sophie Oppitz, then two years old, migrated from Falkenau, Bohemia to the south again, this time to New York City. Because of her audacious and atypical decision, most of the next generations ostracized and exLooking for Sophie
-
Sophia Berger de Souza
to New York City a century after her own passage and sharing the
100
and answer questions about her whereabouts and reasons, while also posing new ones through old family photographs, documents,
101
Junyan Hu
bioclast.co
autocorrelations
104
autocorrelations
@bioclast
bioclast.co
autocorrelations
autocorrelations
COTIDIANA
VIDA
LA Katerina Voegtle 108
Cuba captures the imagination in polarizing
they pass on the street, the cobalt of workers’
ways. Couched in the language of the Cold War,
jumpsuits, and bodies pressed together on the
the island is forever elevated, but also reduced,
guagua. It is the echo of a man selling coffee
to a symbol. For some, it’s a socialist utopia.
down the streets and the pulse of the clave
For others, it’s a threat, a warning. Time and
leaking from cracked doors on Sunday after-
again, Cuba is simplified to the Revolution, or
noons. Evading sensationalism, I focused my
to salsa and cigars. While these are all part of
camera on the smaller details, the mundanities
the island, what does it mean to reduce the
of daily life in order to focus on the everyday,
nation to such broad strokes? Beyond this,
and on the complexity and joy with which life
Cuba is the nod of one santera to the other as
is lived on the island. 109
111
I SPY WITH MY LITTLE EYES Few people in my life have ever fully understood my obsession with the beach and amusement parks. As someone who grew up in a metropolis, I experienced the struggle of living every day at a fast pace and constantly seeking a breath inside of the concrete jungle. After I came to New York, Coney Island became my escape land, the place where I take the pressure of Manhattan off for a little while. Every time I go, I am drawn to taking pictures of children. They are laughing, running around and enjoying the beach with their families, not affected by the stressful environment of the city. This is a medium-format project I shot from 2018 to 2019 about children on Coney Island during many visits. Coney Island serves as a get-away for me as well as a place to document these pure souls having their joyous moments. I have never figured out the reason I take children as my primary subjects given the fact that I’ve never considered myself a kid person. It could be that I have come to realize I am vicariously living through their experiences with my lens, or maybe it is
Wenyu Li
as simple as they remind me of myself and that
112
I used to seek the same liberation as a child. In the process, it dawns on me that there is nothing more profound than the fact that their innocence represents the escape from adulthood that I am pursuing and have not yet had a grasp on.
115
NO VACANCY Each state in the United States has its own identity, both idealistic and stereotypical. These identities are manufactured divides and arbitrarily imposed borders, breaking up the continuity of the physical landscape. They act on immigration, access to guns, access to abortion rights,
Katie McGowan
determine political representation and even provide some with a solid, well-known identity. In an era
116
of extreme political divisiveness, rote landscape is a way to connect on a plane beyond of different ideologies or a place they have never seen. The qualities of land claimed by states transcends their borders, both national and continental. Flora and fauna with weeds and grasses coat the topographical base of America. Despite the land’s subjugation to human manipulation, it all returns to the same sort of equilibrium. Cleared land grows back and blends together across the greater landscape of our country. 117
119
Phoebe Nakry Lincoln
A PERSON, A PLACE
120
As we go through our daily lives, we are unintention-
these places that make an imprint. When displaying
ally creating a map. Maybe not one discernible to oth-
these photographs together, this exhibit shows the
ers, but to us it means something, a personal map.
variety of people I have photographed, as well as my-
“A Person, A Place” explores people and the loca-
self. I had to visit all the locations, but they directed me
tions that are significant to them. I asked the question
to them. Using a camera to create double exposures
“what’s your favorite place?” to several people. Some
on film, the final result is often a mystery. The devel-
could tell me right away, but for others it took time to
opment of the final image allows part of the person to
think of one. I got varied answers that ranged from a
be hidden or part of the location to be hidden, blended
specific spot to a general area. This led me to believe
together. This result leads me to wonder, when visit-
that as much as a place influences the memories we
ing a place, do we leave part of ourselves behind? Do
make, it’s also the people we are with when visiting
we bring part of the location with us?
121
122
123
Denise Tien 124
SIDEWALKS
The architecture, design and diversity of New York City present interesting relationships between environments and expressions of individuals. This collection of street photographs shows the hustle and bustle of the city, but also the quieter moments and individual experiences. It shows the structure of the city and the way living beings move through it, including how clothing is advertised and how people present themselves to the public. For the majority of the images, Tien in the way individuals hold themselves when they are not aware they are being photographed. Tien walked the streets of Manhattan with no direction in mind, these photographs were taken, and there is an aspect of loneliness to them. In the future, Tien would like to roam the streets with her camera once again, this time with the sense of community she has gained from living in Manhattan. It will be
128 129
Gigi Santo Pietro
ACCESSIBILITY We strive to provide excellent digital access to all. New York University is committed to supporting an information technology environment that provides individuals with disabilities an equal opportunity to participate in the University's programs, benefits, and services as their peers without disabilities. This resolve is grounded not only in NYU's commitment to the inclusion of all members in its community, but with the knowledge that accessible digital content generally enhances usability for everyone. If you experience accessibility issues on this site or have concerns please contact designshowinfo@nyu.edu.
Ulrich Baer Caitlin Berrigan Wafaa Bilal Terry Boddie Isolde Brielmaier Kalia Brooks Sandrine Colard Yolanda Cuomo Thomas Drysdale Cate Fallon Nichole Frocheur Snow Fu Mark Jenkinson Melissa Harris Elizabeth Kilroy Lili Kobielski Astrid Lewis-Reedy Elaine Mayes Ari Melenciano Editha Mesina Diana McClure Charles Nesbit Lorie Novak Paul Owen Karl Peterson Christopher Phillips Shelley Rice Joseph Rodriguez Bayeté Ross Smith Jeffrey Henson Scales Deborah Willis Cheryl Yun-Edwards
staff
faculty
2016-2020
Mark Bussell
Edgar Castillo Niki Kekos Patricia McKelvin Mary Notari Adam Ryder Caleb Savage