Surface_Tension, 2009
Surface Tension
October 21 - November 14, 2009
Reception: Wednesday, October 21, 6-8pm
School of Visual Arts (SVA) presents “Surface Tension,” an exhibition of thesis work from the 2009 graduating class of the Master of Professional Studies (MPS) in Digital Photography Department. The exhibition is curated by artist and SVA faculty member Dan Halm.
Surface tension is the adhesive force that aligns separate molecules into one perfectly smooth surface, explains curator Dan Halm, which he likens to the similarly unifying process of creative exploration that the participating photographers experienced over the past year. “What impressed me the most about this group of photographers is how fearless each one of them is in capturing their subjects,” says Halm. “From technical know-how to emotional impact, they all move beyond what one comes to expect within the realm of digital photography.”
The images in “Surface Tension” are an amalgam of responses to national events, private fears, hidden desires and personal epiphanies, taken from bodies of work completed on a digital platform. Department Chair Katrin Eismann explains, “The works in the show are evidence of the creative freedom and exceptional quality now available to photographers using the latest technology.”
Images from Todd Carroll’s OVERLOOK consider how surveillance cameras in the urban landscape create a culture obsessed with distrust.
In Solitary Manhattan, Tolga Adanali offers a rarely-seen view of the busiest crossroads of the New York City, capturing moments of emptiness and quiet. Daniel Bolliger’s Creatures/Gestalten is a series of fashion photographs conceived around the theme of stranded twin creatures placed in dislocated landscapes. Finding Love is a documentation of Michaela Dalzell’s quest to understand more about how and with whom New Yorkers find love as they endure the hustle and bustle of big city living. With The Esoteric, Molly Emmons presents large-scale portraits of discomfort that explore the nature of anxiety and its relationship to individual human experience. Robert Herman’s multimedia installation Sylvie went shopping tells the story of a woman’s shopping excursion which triggers a daydream of sexual fantasy. Nicole N. Kim’s Spiritual Birthday reveals moments of intimacy in worship, highlighting the very personal relationship between Christian believers and the Divine. Hye-Jung Lee’s series The Art of War follows a mysterious and imaginative young protagonist and her experiences, combined with short quotes from Sun Tzu's text of the same name. David Mager’s series Main Street portrays the pride and creativity inherent in a community of small business owners in New Jersey. A Hunting Story is Lindsey Miller’s lush and feminine depiction of West Texas. In her series In-between Double, Hye-Ryoung Min creates a lyrical landscape of layered images which explore mirrored thoughts and juxtaposed meanings. Judith Monteferrante’s The Nude Matured explores the often hidden beauty in aging, as she portrays a series of sophisticated, mature women cognizant of their desirability. The Completely Visible World, Jaime Permuth’s variation on the story of Adam and Eve, is a future dystopia set in a city not unlike New York. For her series Memories Abandoned, LaNola Stone explores a personal narrative of fading childhood memories, through images of her 6-year old niece wearing items from her childhood wardrobe in her now abandoned home. Daniel van Flymen delves into a world bright with freedom, youth and sexual abandon. Damian Wampler documents a day in the life of a Sudanese refugee in Darfur in Brooklyn, revealing some of the struggles of the transplanted Darfuri community.
