The story behind this photograph

Left to right, Maria Blonden, Randhy Rodriguez, Mrs & Mr. Gonzales, Emilia Hung, Fernando Rendon Perez

“Connecting Ends” thesis Exhibition at the SVA Gramercy Gallery, NYC: The excitement in the room is high and I am pleased to know that the show is being well received. Days before the event, after inviting most people I know, it had occurred to me that I should connect with old friends from high school whom I have not seen in eleven plus years.

This exhibition was my opportunity to connect  and invite them to join our thesis celebration. To my surprise, some were available despite such short notice. I was full of joy to have learned the news. Consciously, I thought of the title of the exhibition, “Connecting Ends” and then realized that in order to connect the ends I needed to go beyond the first connection.

This is how Facebook can be good for some of us. Via Facebook, I connected with my wonderful  biology and Earth science high school teacher, Mrs. Gonzales, who happens to be the end of  my connection to my good friend Emilia Hung.

This photograph is a representation of a well titled exhibition.

I would like to thank Bina Altera for composing the title of the event.

"Connecting Ends" Day After of Final Installation

Left to right art work from Bina Altera, Heather Meyers, Stephanie Rachel Guttenplan, Diana Mathura and Dila Atay

Left to right, works from Bina Altera, Heather Meyers and Stephanie Rachel Guttenplan

Immemorial  Bina Altera
Immemorial is a series of images of objects that represent legacy, death, personal relationships or power symbols that act as footprints or significant markers in people’s lives.

 Beauty Blueprints  Heather Meyers
In Beauty Blueprints the artist photographs her subjects and then has them mark-up their portraits for retouching. This process becomes a collaborative exploration of the effects of societal ideals of beauty and self-image.

 Mind Chatter  Stephanie Guttenplan
Mind Chatter presents a visual representation of an ongoing internal dialogue in a collection of self-portraits that express fantasized and theatrical private thoughts.  the effects of societal ideals of beauty and self-image.

Left to right, works from Diana Mathura and Dila Atay

A Fisherman's Journey  Diana Kahrim
Born and raised in a fishing village in the Caribbean, the artist grew up with her father’s stories that shaped her life, defined her values and inspired her ambitions. In A Fisherman's Journey she returned to the village of her birth to photograph its residents and explore a way of life that so intimately influenced her.

Fruits of Nature  Dila Atay
In Fruits of Nature elaborate miniature still lives address the imaginary line of fear and wonder as humankind interacts with wildlife. Additionally,the work questions how much damage humankind is causing to the planet and what we can do to right our wrongs.  

Left to right, works from Randhy Rodriguez, Rou Bing Li and Lavonne Hall.

Works from Randhy Rodriguez

Sub conscious way  Randhy Rodriguez
Sub conscious way explores the effects of imposed architectural spaces on the subconscious mind and how the uninviting, confusing and labyrinthine design of subway stations is beautiful and inspiring when seen with an inquisitive eye.

Left to right, works from Ruo Bing Li and Lavonne Hall

Fashion Meet Flora  Ruo Bing Li
Fashion Meet Flora uses the stylistic conventions of fashion and beauty photography to explore the relationship between the human and natural worlds. Some of the images have a fresh, pastel quality, while others are dark and moody. This project creates a sense of blooming beauty, suggesting that beauty exists in all realms of life.

 Correlations  Lavonne Hall
Correlations is a project that explores the connection New York City residents feel to specific locations within their city. Two elements of each image—the subject and the location—form a complex relationship of layers and reflections.

Left to right, works from Elizabeth Harnarine and Shelly Au

Throughput  Elizabeth Harnarine
Throughtput examines the strange experience of living with Crohn’s Disease and the discovery that, despite the overwhelming amount of information and technology available, there are very few options for controlling its impact on daily life.

 Two Beautiful Daughters  Shelly Au
Two Beautiful Daughters is a series of images depicting how China’s rapid growth has ushered in the destruction of history and communities. The artist finds hope and courage through the chaos and brokenness of demolition.

Left to right, works from Anna Colliton and Imara Moore and Yannick Bindert

Thursday on the Island  Anna Colliton
Thursday on the Island is a visual representation of a mystery story that explores the themes of loss, isolation and confusion, as well as searching and finding.

 Revelation Through Trees  Imara Moore
After her father’s death, the artist found herself comforted by trees, which appeared to her as representations of a dialog between reality and spirituality. Revelation Through Trees is a collection of photographs taken during this time.

 Wild Encounters in the Remnants of the City  Yannick Bindert
Wild Encounters in the Remnants of the City combines the tragic beauty of abandoned structures with the symbolic hope of renewed life found in the presence of wildlife.
The artist imagines an eyewitness account of the last man on Earth, for whom these encounters have taken on new meanings of beauty, companionship and survival.

Left to right, works from Cana Atay and Alice Kivlon

Disquieting Muses  Cana Atay
Disquieting Muses portrays fictional stories based on conscious and unconscious memories. They tell the journey of a conflicted woman seeking to find and overcome moments in her past that haunt her.

 Dreamscapes  Alice Kivlon
The illustrations in Dreamscapes are seeded from the artist’s dreams. Each element in Dreamscapes, recognizable or not, is fraught with meaning; the relationships within the pieces recreate the intensity of a fleeting dream.

Left to right, works from Joong Yeol Ahn and Vicente Muñoz

The Pale City  Joong Yeol Ahn
The Pale City City explores thoughts and emotions regarding the current crisis and looming military threat from North Korea. The artist uses found imagery to integrate violence and militarism into scenes of everyday life.

Euphoria  Vicente Muñoz
Euphoria seeks to understand electronic dance music, DJs, and raves as a means of social interaction, pleasure and escape from reality.  

Left to right, works from Masha Ermak and Peige Denkin

The Strangers  Masha Ermak
Inspired by a raw chicken, the artist abstracts her own body to invent new creatures with human personalities. The Strangers flips beauty on its end, playfully forcing the viewer to see the human form in a new way.

 Danseuses d' Adagio  Paige Denkin
In Danseuses d' Adagio the artist uses an all in-camera technique to show the inner strength and power found, but often overlooked, within ballet dancers. Focusing on female pointé dancers and the wide range of motion that propels them, she hopes to reveal the truth behind these athletes, emphasizing the fluidity of their movements with the raw strength of their bodies.

Left to right, works from Clay Patrick McBride and Masha Ermak

Underworld  Clay Patrick McBride
Underworld investigates the New York City subway system and its passengers. It portrays the subway as a separate and almost subconscious realm, where the basest of human fears of apply.

"Connecting Ends" Window signage

Window signage at the SVA Gramercy Gallery. The show is up on the walls and looking great!