photos-by-emilyc

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Artist’s Statement By: Emily Calderon

My final portfolio is entitled, “Live, Laugh, Love!” With this collection of photographs, I have attempted to capture various snippets of my life, that when melded together, form a composite of who I am.

As a single mom, I wear many varied hats. I am a full-time student and hold a full-time job. Needless to say, I have a busy and hectic life. This is not accomplished without the love of good friends and family. I utilized this portfolio to highlight the friends and family that have assisted me in my life and to showcase the loved ones in my circle. These images chronicle a “typical” day in my life as I go to work, attend to my son, meet with friends and participate in a class field trip. Along the way, the photographs are sprinkled with significant people from my life.

My involvement in this portfolio has given me cause to think of my personal relationship with photography. Often times, photographs were taken at mandatory events such as graduations and weddings. Bulky cameras and the use of film, for most, made things difficult for the average picture taker. Things have completely changed with the advent of digital photography. No film! No developing! Everyone with a phone can take a picture. People have rediscovered photography.

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Title: Escaping The Inferno

Title: Theo: Homeless At Age 7

Presentation By: Emily Calderon

Photography: Mini Research Project

Photographer: Gabrielle Lurie

Website: www.gabriellelurie.com

Bodies of Work: 1) Escaping the Inferno, and 2) Theo: Homeless at age seven.

The bodies of work that I have decided to write about are two pieces from the works of Gabrielle Lurie. The projects are Escaping the Inferno, and Theo: Homeless at age seven.

The photojournalist was born in Washington D.C., educated at NYU and found her fame and fortune in San Francisco.

These two projects are similar in that they both chronicle events that have a severe impact on the quality of life of the people and events photographed. These projects differ in that, one event was caused by an act of nature the other was caused by the inaction of a political system.

The first project that interested me was,” Escaping the Inferno.” The photos in this project speak to the power and destruction leveled by the fire that devastated Butte County, California in November of 2018. This fire caused the death of eighty-six people and the destruction of 19,000 structures.

In the two photos attached, the aggressive style of Gabrielle Lurie appears to jump right out at you. The first photo depicts a one family home fully engulfed in flames. Although not high in resolution, the picture is accented by diffused light, caused by the ashes and embers filling the sky. This tends to have the photo give off an eerie and surreal affect. The use of dark muted colors by the artist, in my estimation, adds to the starkness and reality of the event.

The second photo that I decided to speak to is the burned out vehicle sitting by the side of the road. The vehicle, apparently destroyed by the great fire, sits accented by automobile lights. Once again, this gives the photo a surreal feel. The indirect lighting from the rear of the car, sets an eerie tone. The one thing that these two photos share is, the ability to provoke thought. Upon first thought I wondered, Where are the victims now? How was it when the fire came? Who took these pictures?> How did they do it?

The second project of Gabrielle Lurie that I decided to write about is entitled, ”Theo: Homeless at 7“. This is also a story of a disaster but unlike the first project, it is a political disaster.

The political disaster in question is that of homelessness. This is a malady experienced by an increasingly large amount of people. The series of photos depicts, seven year-old, Theo and his mom, from Berkley California, as they bob and weave through their sea of homelessness.

Ms. Lurie captured the full experience of Theo and his mother. Through her use of available light photos, she was able to capture the extreme love between Theo and his mom. The photos follow Theo and his Mom as they navigate their way through their daily routine while living in motels, RVs and cars.

There are many photos in this project that have captured my attention. I have picked two of these photos to discuss they are below.

The first photo from that project that caught my imagination is from the Sarah Ravani article, “Letter from Washington D.C.”. This photo Shows Theo and his Mom embracing inside of their tent which it pitched under the highway overpass. This photo utilizes muted colors, dark lighting and slight contrast. The one constant that Ms. Lurie has captured is the love between Theo and his Mom.

The last photo that I wanted to discuss was taken in July of 2020. It shows Theo as he sits in his tent, his home, in a park in Berkley. Once again Ms. Lurie’s work is highlighted by the contrast of the photos and her use of available light. The photos exhibit Ms.Lurie’s ability to show the true emotion of people as they experience some of the most dehumanizing aspects of life.

Bibliography Page

www.sfchroinicle.com

www.garriuellkelurie.com

www.nppa.org

NPPA - The Campfire Teamwork, Sue Morrow January/February 2019

http://www.gabriellelurie.com/paradise-lost

http://www.gabriellelurie.com/theo-homeless-at-age-7

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Nan Goldin 3/2021

By: Emily Calderon

This Nan Goldin photo depicts the activism side of Goldin. This photo, “Shame On Sackler” makes reference to the Sackler family, who has made their billions by profiting off of the death in addiction cause by prescription drugs such as OxyContin and Vallium. Ms. Goldin’s main argument against Sackler is that they have been providing funds to various cultural institutions around the world in an effort to cleanse themselves from the aura of the deaths and addictions caused by their drug marketing. This cause has embolden Ms. Goldin in that she herself has survive a drug addiction and over dose due to opioids.

The first time I viewed Nan Goldin’s photo, I must say there were a few photos that caught my eye. The first was the dark deep and warm color of the photos themselves. This was complemented by the deeply personal nature of her work. This photos seem to grab people in their candid unguarded moment.

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“A Day In My Life/My Life In A Day”

My project is entitled, “A Day in My Life/My Life in a Day”. In my sequence of photos, I have sought to capture the subtleties of both the documentary and narrative approach. I chose the backdrop of a day in my life, to show my life in a day. The photos contrast between my mundane, objective life, to my more subjective and imaginative side.

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Title: “Atlas” Title: “Window Washer”

For my assignment, I chose the Laurence Miller gallery which is located in New York City. It is the longest running gallery devoted to the art of photography. The exhibition that I chose to review was that of Wendell Macrae. The exhibition is entitled, “Rock, Paper Scissors��.

This exhibition is a collection of forty, rare, black and white photos - taken during the early 1930s. These photos are significant because they show the true builders of America, American workers, as they went about their way to pull the country out of the inequities caused by the great depression.

There are many photos in the collection that caught my fancy but having to decide on two of them, here are my choices. The first print that comes to mind is titled, ”Atlas”. It is a print of a huge structure bronze sculpture that stands in front of Rockefeller Center on Fifth Avenue.

The second print that caught my attention is “Window Washer”. What intrigues me about this picture is its simplicity. To think that people we were ok with strapping on a flimsy work belt and cleaning windows at a height of thirty to forty stories above the city, is mind blowing. The fact that the artist utilized “black & white photography is also noteworthy in that it capture the effect of “tonal gradatioin”.

Emily C.

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Title: Somewhere Over The Rainbow

Stapleton, SI

2/22/21 @ 5:07 pm

Technical info: Sharpness

Title: City Lights

Atlanta, Ga

1/10/21 @ 11:43 pm

Technical info: Available Light

Title: Flying Out Of NYC

Queens, Ny

2/9/21 @ 4:42 pm

Technical info: Brightness

Title: Til Death Do Us Part

Bedstuy, Bk

1/29/21 @ 10:52 pm

Technical info: Available Light

Title: City Scene

Bedstuy, Bk

1/29/21 @ 11:00 pm

Technical info: Available Light

Title: Sunset Rise Over Staten Island

Saint George, SI

2/1/21 @ 6:46 am

Technical info: Available Light

Title: City Cruisen

Manhattan, Ny

1/30/21 @ 12:13 am

Technical info: Available Light

Title: Fine Wine

Stapleton, Ny

2/7/21 @ 10:33 am

Technical info: Available Light

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The reading that the class was assigned to read this week was compelling as well as thought provoking. There were many aspects of the reading that caused me to look at life from a more analytical perspective as well as from a spiritual perspective. One of the most resonating aspects of the reading was the memories that I remember as I grew up with people of color in my neighborhood and remember hearing of the horror stories of them having to get their hair straightened before going to church. The part of the story when Deborah Willis described how her mother use to do their hair with a hot comb. That story not only brought back memories, but it also shows me how significant culture is in our communities. Culture is the way that people tend to conduct themselves. It is comprised of two parts, material, such as jewelry, food, clothes and even hair. Also, it is nonmaterial such as beliefs, ideologies, values, and norms. This picture that I chose represents memories, but it also represents culture. Both my friends’ African American culture as well as my culture. This was an interesting assignment which has opened d my mind in culture.

[photos-by-emilyc]

Self-Regard Potrait

By The New York Times June 19, 2020

Self-Regard 

Rahim Fortune

Kyle, Texas

“I wanted to explore the parts of myself that are exposed and public, the parts of myself that are private and sacred, and the parts of myself that I work to destroy and unlearn.”

Emily Calderon

Staten Island, Ny

Similar to Rahim and I quote “I wanted to explore the parts of myself that are exposed and public, the parts of myself that are private and sacred, and the parts of myself that I work to destroy and unlearn.” So over the weekend I did some deep reflecting of myself and discovered that in the process a part of myself was missing and felt empty and I didn’t know why. I kept doing some deep meditation and soul-searching within myself so that I can learn what it was that made me feel this way. So, I can work to destroy it and unlearn any lies that was place in me. This self-regard potrait help me to selfreflect within myself on a deeper level. I now understand how important it is to value and know one’s self worth. Dignity is very important. Don’t allow anyone to take away your dignity and the only way that they can take it is if you give it to them.🙏🏽🦋🥰