2012 Student Invitational

March 19 – May 31, 2012
Jeffrey J. Hoone Gallery
Flatscreen Monitor
Reception: Tues, March 27, 5-7pm

Best of Show: Dan Wetmore
Honorable Mentions: Julia Ferrier, Erin Geideman, Fernando Perez, and Alice Plati

Light Work is pleased to announce the award recipients for the 2012 Light Work Student Invitational exhibition: Dan Wetmore, Best of Show; and Honorable Mention award recipients Julia Ferrier, Erin Geideman, Fernando Perez, and Alice Plati. The award recipients were chosen by guest juror Jörg Colberg (Publisher/Editor, Conscientious).

Exhibiting artists include Martin Biando, Marielle Brown, Lena Budd, Julia Ferrier, Amy Francisco, Andrew Frost, Erin Geideman, Lana Hijazi, Robert Hopkins, Benjamin Jackson, Lauren Jones, Stephanie Keefe, Sarah Kinslow, Joe Lingeman, Alexandra Marino, Sarah O’Connell, Fernando Perez, Gabriela Perez, Matthew Pevear, Alice Plati, Nick Pray, Teddi Raifaisen, Casey Rosen, Jessica Scarfo, Deanna Smith, Alyssa Stone, Chris Trigaux, and Dan Wetmore.

It is very hard to define what exactly constitutes a good photograph. The moment you are exposed to one, however, you immediately recognize it. When looking through the photographs submitted to the Light Work Student Invitational, my sole intent was to find good photographs, regardless of their content, regardless of whether they were portraits or landscapes, color or black and white, staged, or fleeting moments. My task was not an easy one since there were many candidates. I am very happy with my final selection, because I think it showcases the diversity of the students’ visions.

I was immediately drawn to Dan Wetmore’s portrait of a woman selling (or maybe giving away) newspapers. It shows a fleeting moment isolated from life, a scene many of us would just walk by without looking. A photographer’s task is to find those small moments that look for us – since often enough we are too busy or too scatter-minded to do it ourselves – and to then distill a little bit extra out of them, to make each and every small moment not just some small moment, but an artist’s. Dan’s photograph does this brilliantly. The photographer’s hand is invisible; the portrait feels natural, and yet very visible at the same time. Only he was able to take this particular photograph.

Jörg Colberg
Guest Juror

Dr. Jörg M. Colberg was born in Germany in 1968. After obtaining his Ph.D., he moved to the United States in early 2000. Colberg is the publisher and editor of the popular website Conscientious, one of the most widely read blogs dedicated to contemporary photography.

This exhibition received support from Syracuse University’s Division of Student Affairs Co-curricular Fund.