EXPOSURES

Exhibition Dates: April 24 – September 5, 2021
Closing Reception: August 25, 2021 5:00 – 7:00 p.m.

The Photography Area of the Wonsook Kim School of Art at Illinois State University is excited to present work that not only spans the depth and breadth of its student body, but also highlights a range of the photographic medium. Using a variety of techniques and approaches, from documentary storytelling to abstract studies of the body to cameraless photograms, these student artists have chosen to use photography as an avenue for creative expression. The students who enroll in Photography courses at the WKSOA come from a range of majors and possess various levels of experience with photography, but each student brings their own sensibilities and interests into their work.

Toni DiPrima (BFA Art ‘22) poignantly pairs image and text by placing her grandparents’ love letters and other remembrances directly on light-sensitive photographic paper in “Love Bill.” DiPrima then exposes and develops the image in the black-and-white darkroom, creating one-of-a-kind photograms that bring a love story back to life with haunting beauty.

In her moving series “Love Never Dies” Hyojung Lee (BFA Graphic Design ‘21) photographs the many ways her mother-in-law honors the memory of her late husband after 46 years of marriage, a testimony to enduring love even after death.

Matt Frostman’s (BA Photography, ‘21) “Sensus Coporis” features close up studies of body surfaces that document scars of past sports injuries, including wrestling, track and football, using dramatic lighting and strong contrast in black and white.

In “Touch,” Katherine Vernon (BFA Photography ‘21) evokes a sense of tactile intimacy with soft colors, translucent materials and close cropping. Printed onto canvas inkjet paper from scanned color negatives and hung directly from the wall, the work also explores materiality of photography.

Sharzhad Hamzeh’s (MA Theater Studies ‘20) dynamic images of masked dancers on ISU’s verdant campus show viewers an important lesson we have all learned in the face of a year of unprecedented challenges in her project “Dancing in Quarantine.” Hamzeh’s photographs demonstrate that regardless of the circumstances, we will overcome the trials and tribulations of the COVID-19 pandemic through resilience, grace, and creativity.

FACULTY

Jin Lee, Professor of Photography
Jason Reblando, Assistant Professor of Photography
John Steck, Jr., Instructional Assistant Professor of Photography