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Jane Suh: Artist Statement

Posted on May 19, 2015 by Jane Suh

I like the comfort of knowing my surroundings. It is an innate human quality that has helped me to survive and thrive in different environments. My economics background has trained me to be direct and calculative. Thus, I have become accustomed to look forward when solving a problem, around me when analyzing an equation, and occasionally behind me when referencing a derivative. I take the adage “keep a level head” both figuratively and literally, making sure to examine life’s situations from my vantage point.

But what happens when I look up? Down? Does changing my point of view alter what I see? This body of work tackles this question by showcasing the city of Philadelphia from different vantage points. In order to do so, I have captured scenes of Philly’s bustling streets from above – on bridges and the rooftops of parking garages – as well as its monumental buildings and skyscrapers from below. Images of myself looking out from these vantage points represent the act of shifting my perspective.

So, did changing my point of view alter what I saw? I’m not quite sure if it changed what I perceived visually, but it did give me a strange sense of control. Being able to capture every movement from above was empowering and made me feel invisible. Gazing up at a skyscraper from below allowed me to take in every detail – every crevice, reflection, and deflection of light.

Although my own vantage point is comforting and familiar, shifting my gaze up and down allowed me to be more aware, sensitive to my surroundings, and observant. But maybe more importantly, it allowed me to appreciate the things that were once unnoticed – life outside the problems, equations, and derivatives. As I prepare to transition into the next stage in my life and leave my undergraduate career behind, I hope to retain a habit of examining life’s situation from many vantage points, not just my own…stopping occasionally to look up and down.

Photography and Text by Jane Suh

About the Author: Jane Suh is a recent graduate of the University of Pennsylvania. Class of 2015

Light Table: Claims to Fame – Michael Buffer, Let’s Get Ready to Rumble

TWS: Happy Mother’s Day!

Jean Ward, Jersey Shore Circa 1950's — Jean Ward: Jersey Shore, Circa 1950’s

Photography by Milt Ward, Circa 1950’s.

May: Cover Shoot

I’Mani Sellers: Lost Childhood

Posted on April 20, 2015 by I’Mani Sellers

I went back home for spring break and realized how fast all the children in my life are growing up and I decided to go to one of the parks closest to me. I have noticed, that in my hometown, a lot of children do not spend their time in the park with their friends. When I was younger, we lived to be able to go to the park and still swing on the swings, and even now when we’re trying to channel our childhood, we will go back to the parks late at night.

In my town, children have a lot of responsibilities, besides just being a student; it goes way beyond chores. Most children back at home, end up taking the roles of parents and having to leave their childhood behind, and with that they leave the parks behind also. Having fun is a lost art at home, when you’re younger. They are not allowed to relax and enjoy their childhood anymore.

I wanted to capture the park when there was snow on the ground, because I believe it went with the attitude children have towards the parks, cold. The park only feels warmth from the sun, and the stray animals that scamper through it. I wanted people to see the conditions that the park is left in. It is abandoned, not maintained, the equipment is rusting and losing it color.

Parks still cause me to feel nostalgic, and it makes me want to find a way to find the lost childhoods of the generation after mine.

About the Author: I’Mani Sellers is a sophomore with a focus on the field of STEM, College of the University of Pennsylvania, Class of 2017.