By Megan Kawasaki
Large clusters of photo prints were pinned onto the walls of Feldman-Horn Gallery for “(sub)culture,” an art show put on by students in Kevin OâMalleyâs Photography III Class.
Each of the 11 students in the class photographed distinct groups of people to depict subcultures such as school clubs and families.
“Itâs an assignment that Iâve given over the years, but Iâve never done a combination where they have to do a subculture on campus and off campus,” OâMalley said.
Simone Bookman â12 photographed the subculture of student musicians, a choice inspired by her own interests in music.
Seeing the musicians with their instruments revealed them in a different light than seeing them casually around campus, she said.
“I took many pictures of Justin [Sohn â12] and he just looked so different in them,” Bookman said. “I didnât just see a person who inhabits the same campus as me. I saw part of who Justin really is. As a photographer, it was cool to be able to bring something out of people that I donât really see. I donât think Iâd ever done that before.”
OâMalley said he was impressed by the range of subjects that were chosen.
He believes that not showing his students a lecture by the late professional photographer Diane Arbus gave the students more freedom creatively with their projects, since they didnât feel tied to a particular example.
“I think it worked better this way,” OâMalley said, “It was a really nice mix.”
