Giovana P.O. Artist Statement 12/03/15

            Every environment is defined by the experiences that occurred within it, just as an atmosphere may contain the energy of an individual that was once present in it. A home is especially one that every individual has somehow become attached to and when discovering different aspects of it in other locations, there is a sense of attachment and recognition that increases value to those places. Whether it is to create nostalgia, melancholy, joy, or eeriness, an empty setting that emits an energy from itself can be attached to the presence that was once existent there. Coming from a culture that bestows worth upon the settings of our lifetime - as well as the action of returning to these places to demonstrate appreciation and gratefulness toward the significance of it in our lives - I have decided to explore what exactly is about these locations that make us personify them as if they were of contribution in our lives. In my photographs, I am exploring what, in both objects and places, represents my personal definition of a home. Through the exploration of antique homes, my current/local home, and my home back in Kissimmee (all located in Florida), I decipher what a home is to me and welcome my viewers to do the same.

Kyle Tapley - Last Ones?

Steve Reyes Theme Statement

The theme that I’m most actively pursuing in my collection of photography this semester is the exploration of surface textures. In my first couple of  weeks of going out into the field with my camera, I found that it was difficult to find subjects of which I could emphasize in a composition. My style of photography typically revolves around the monument, meaning an individual subject is to be the main focus of the composition. Having run into this difficulty, I adapted to the situation by choosing a more abstract approach to photographing my environment. Instead of focusing on a whole subject at once, I would focus on details of a subject exclusively, essentially taking the power away from the object as a whole.

In exploring this new approach I was able to find a much greater ease in finding things to photograph, and with pleasing results. The compositions that I create typically include a wide tonal range of blacks, greys, and whites, and revolve around highlighting surface textures that are out of the ordinary. I see my compositions as a sort of homage to abstract paintings that explore moods and feelings rather than narratives or information. It is my hope that my compositions would allow my audience to view their own environment with a keener eye towards small details, and develop a fondness for abnormal textures.

Steve Reyes 11/20/2015

Erin Lentz 11/20/15

Kyle Tapley - 11-20-15