In leaves no step had trodden black is an exhibition of alumni of the School of Visual Arts BFA Photography program. The title, a line from the well-known Robert Frost poem The Road Not Taken, alludes to both the innumerable possibilities of implying narrative with photography, as well as the numerous choices each artist has made in their use of the medium. All photographs have the uncanny ability to convey some type of story. The most common is time based, when a photograph suggests either an action in the moment, one that has just taken place, or is about to. Sometimes, though, the narrative revolves around questions concerning the photographer's motivations, rather than the subject of the photo. Why did the photographer decide to show their subject in this manner? What was their thought progression? Implied narrative is sometimes constructed, other times found, and yet other times only hinted at through the artist's process. There are a myriad of ways that photographs signify meaning, and these twenty photographers, all alumni of the School of Visual Arts BFA Photography program, incorporate varied strategies. This points to the strength of the department, one that does not espouse a rigid philosophy, but rather encourages each artist to find their own unique way.
Eric Weeks | Photography & Video
Eric Weeks is an artist using photography and video, a curator, and Chair of Photography at the Pennsylvania College of Art & Design in Lancaster, PA.