Date of Award
Spring 6-1-2024
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Fine Arts (MFA)
Department
Photography
First Advisor
Laine Rettmer
Second Advisor
Shona Kitchen
Third Advisor
Maya Krinsky
Abstract
For a long time, I have been thinking about what contemporary photography is, what its position is, and what the relationship is between artists and audiences. At the same time, I was developing my concepts and photographic directions and trying to make my work and my perspective on photography relevant. Winter Solstice includes a series of essays that locate my thinking and my work. Its title references the longest night of the year.
The position of photography has changed significantly over the past few decades. The way people read photos is also changing. Perhaps because of reverence for art and the artist’s authority, or perhaps because of habits, the reading of artworks often relies on the artist’s explanation. I have great doubts about all of this, as I will discuss in the following pages.
I believe that photography has a unique position that cannot be replaced. In my work, I use color, symmetry, structure, and abstraction to create a metaphorical space for the human need for melancholy, distance, and introspection. I hope viewers will read and feel these images through their own experience.
Recommended Citation
Cao, Jingwen, "Winter Solstice" (2024). Masters Theses. 1215.
https://digitalcommons.risd.edu/masterstheses/1215
Creative Commons License
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