Spaceworks Alumni and Tacoma Community College Art Instructors Alice Di Certo and Kyle Dillehay have a new exhibit of photography opening today at The Gallery at Tacoma Community College. The exhibition is on display through December 18 and everyone is invited to the artist reception on Monday, November 4th from 4 – 7pm. For a schedule of gallery talks presented by the artists, click here.
A Deeper Look: Stories and Faces
The Gallery at Tacoma Community College
6501 South 19th Street, Tacoma, WA 98466
Exhibit Dates: Oct. 30 – Dec. 18, 2013
Gallery hours: Monday – Friday, 12-5pm, Free
Reception: Monday, November 4, 4-7 pm
Di Certo’s art tells the stories of children and young adults who have experienced bullying. “When they see their own portraits, I hope each of these individuals see themselves the way I see them: brave, strong, smart, beautiful, and worthy of respect,” said Di Certo. The photos are posted with the children’s stories. Di Certo notes that she did not interview everyone involved in the bullying incidents. “What I have learned is, bullying can be about perception as well as ‘facts’ reported,” said Di Certo.
Dillehay photographed couples in which partners feel “opposite” to each other in some way. He posted the photos with each couple’s handwritten notes. “The adage that opposites attract will be the emotional cornerstone for this project,” said Dillehay.
Read on for longer statements by the artists.
Alice Di Certo statement:
This series of photographs depicts children and young adults who have experienced bullying, taunting, verbal and or physical harassment. This collection of images and personal stories are meant to illuminate the adversity and perseverance young people have even when they are repeatedly beaten down, and to further empower these same young and brave youth, who, on a daily basis are forced defend who they are, who or what they like, and how they feel. When they see their own portraits, I hope each of these individuals see themselves the way I see them: brave, strong, smart, beautiful, and worthy of respect.
The adjoining narratives come from extensive interviews with the subjects and their family members. This is not a journalistic piece in which I researched the facts beyond the stories they shared with me. What I have learned is, bullying can be about perception as well as “facts” reported.
My hope is that viewers of these stories and portraits will walk away with the idea that we cannot live and interact with people assuming that others are like us. Not everyone is annoyed or hurt by what we are annoyed and hurt by and vice versa; there are many situations that would make one just shrug that are out right plain painful for others. It is critical to be aware of another human’s feelings and thoughts even if we think we can’t relate. For me that is true empathy and acceptance.
The photographs were shot digitally and printed on metal. I wanted the portraits to be luminous as a metaphor for my subjects’ ability to overcome and for having the faith to keep going in spite of daily hardships.
Kyle Dillehay statement:
“I produced 4” x 5”, black and white, photographic portraits of couples originating from opposing cultural, racial, economical, and sociological backgrounds. Different countries have different cultures, culture is the collective programming of the mind which distinguishes the members of one category of people from another. This opposing background between partners is the catalyst that I used to obtain revealing and expressive portraits revealing the depth of the relationship between two people; the adage that opposites attract will be the emotional cornerstone for this project. The area below the print contains the couple’s hand written statements regarding their opposite relationship issues.
Technically, I have been exploring a printing process that requires a large negative to make contact prints (which is why the prints are 4” x5”). The images are printed onto hand coated vellum paper using platinum based light sensitive emulsions. Platinum based emulsions produce subtle gradations of tone with unsurpassed delicacy and depth. The contact prints have to be exposed to UV light rays from the sun, fluorescent black- lights, or some other UV light source in order to be exposed properly. This time of year the exposure times under the sun can easily last over 40 minutes, if the sun is out! Also, because platinum is chemically stable, the prints are estimated to last more than 1000 years if properly stored.”
partial funding for the artists provided by:
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