Bethany Edwards
The Eye of the Beholder.
Bethany Edwards’s The Eye of the Beholder is both formal and relaxed. It’s formal in the staged positioning of the two subjects, the way that (it appears) they aren’t interacting with one another, and that one of them is interacting with the camera. But it’s relaxed in the apparent comfort the subjects have with the photographer. They’re told to stand still, but you can see the wheels turning in their heads, their personalities coming through.
Soleil Nelson Mack
The Fog.
The Eye of the Beholder is part of “The Beautiful People,” a Wábi Gallery show at Known at 139 Orange St., running now through Sept. 30. The show exhibits photographs from this year’s FOCUS Fellowship participants: Marcus Burson, Bethany Edwards, Alexandra Guzman, Tywain Harris, Jameelah Irshad, Haiven Montgomery, Soleil Nelson Mack, Yetunde Olowosoyo, Luca Jaden Rivera, Abril Rosario, Eric Sledge Jr., and Wes Oske Weston.
The one-year-long FOCUS Fellowship, run by Wábi, is open to New Haven-based teenagers “who demonstrate a true interest in a career as a fine art or commercial photographer,” as Wábi’s website states. The program offers “technical skills in photography, the history of photography, exposure to contemporary photographers, portfolios, and a final exhibition.” The goal of the program is “to help young talented artists learn, explore, network, and enhance their understanding of the business of being an artist.”
The program’s emphasis on fostering both artistic and professional development are evident throughout the show. The strong work from each photographer shows how each of their voices is already coming to the fore. Exhibiting together is a lesson in the power of networking and community, in that the work of each individual helps amplify the other voices. Taken all together, the show offers realism and style, points of view and delicate glimpses into the photographers’ lives and the people around them.
Some photographers take a more abstract approach, playing with what effects are achieved when they leave the subject intentionally blurry. With The Fog, Soleil Nelson Mack uses a pane of frosted glass and deft camerawork to create a compelling image. Does the person on the other side of the glass need help? Or are they just reaching out to communicate? Or is it all just an accident? Either way, something is said about the need, and the difficulty, of connecting with others.
Yetunde Olowosoyo
The After Party.
Several other photographers dive deep into a documentary style of photography sometimes startling in its intimacy. Yetunde Olowosoyo’s The After Party feels almost like the kind of picture that shouldn’t have been taken. It’s people cutting loose in a private space, with little awareness that their picture is being taken. There’s a sense of trust demanded of the photographer, and by extension, the viewer. We’ve been given this fragment of life as a gift. It’s up to us to treat it with respect.
The same goes for some of the unlabeled photos in the show; perhaps it’s for the best that everyone involved in the image is essentially anonymous. In the above photograph, the subject is treated with dignity. The image captures a sense of the man’s humor and vitality. As a person on the street asking for money, he’s someone many people avoid even eye contact with. The photograph suggests that maybe we should stop, and talk, more often, and discover the complex people behind the assumptions we make.
Other unlabeled photographs are more symbolic and gestural without being pedantic (perhaps a credit to the quality of the instruction in the program). This unsigned, untitled photo conveys strength and power, but not toward a specific, simplified message. It allows us to engage, to reflect in ourselves what kind of personal history has gone into the attitude in the set of the jaw. The photograph doesn’t say anything obvious, but it is most certainly speaking.
“The Beautiful People” runs now through Sept. 30 at Known, 139 Orange St., 4th Floor, and is open during regular business hours.