Trading Spaces-- Jill Suda's Review

The works were by four people and are connected using the common topic of traveling to create the works. All pieces were photography and were 4 separate narratives within each persons works. I didn't find the exhibit something I, myself, find interesting because it was very simple images that seemingly anyone could take with the right camera. There were out of the 20 images maybe 5 or 6 that I found exhibit worthy and thus my not attending the artist talk, and therefore writing my blog today. I felt as though either the pieces should have been shown as 4 separate exhibits or more cohesive using a more connecting topic other than travel. If the title of the exhibit hadn't been what it was I wouldn't have known why these works were in the same space.


The piece I did find enjoyable though was a piece by Tracy Longley-Cook, entitled Ripening. I found this piece interesting due to the strength through the black and white composition. It was created using photography and possibly a photo enhancer of some sort to create the black and white technique and then was printed and framed in a thick white mat and a simple black frame.


The reason I feel this piece appealed to me was probably do to the feel of the anticipation to the piece, you can almost feel the hand waiting for the perfect moment to pick the fruit. The desire the person holds to taste the fruits of their labor. The black and white also adds to this because the first ever photos were done using a black and "white" coloring taking you back in time and making you think of how things have changed since the older years and how in America today we don't appreciate the simple things compared to the old days where the simple things were all you could appreciate. The simple creation of an orange is so mechanized in today's society the thought of someone actually picking it isn't what is actually seen in real life, all we see is a crate of fruit to sort through and pick the least rotten. So this image makes me think deeper into what is actually happening today. Are there still orange orchards where people pick orange one by one and appreciate the "fruits" of their labor.