I journeyed through the lobby of the Boston Playwrights’ Theatre, mostly devoted to showcase student and up-and-coming drama, to admire Headlong, a group exhibition of photographs about human beings. The showcase was produced by an independent study class, led by Stratton McCrady at Boston University. Five student photographers had their work featured in the show: Erik Teague, Tara Matkosky, Didi Pathak, Steven Meyer and John Schwartz.
The artists’ representations of human beings reflect what is most important to them, each collection of photographs portraying a different story and a different personality. Although the tone and subject matter changes from one artist to another, the variations do not detract from the overall exhibit.
Erik Teague, a graduate student studying costume design, took his love for the masquerade and made the mask both a symbolic and literal theme in his photographs, which all share a dark and sinister tone. I loved their strong and unwavering glares at me. Teague effectively plays with light and shadow as well as unconventional angles, using a drama reminiscent of the theater.
The transition from the hard-edged gothic masked models to bright, beaming young brides was unexpected but refreshing when venturing toward the purity of Tara Matkosky’s collection. Matkosky is a directing major in the College of Fine Arts, and her talent for direction and a clear vision comes through in her work. The models look comfortable and confident in their poses. The combination of Mastkosky’s actress-models and her ability to compose their expressions and poses like a film production shared qualities with Alfred Stieglitz’s pictorials.
Didi Pathak, with her background in biochemistry and her plans for medical school, focused on the dexterity and ability of the human hand. In one photograph, Pathak shoots a hand hovering over a row of candy-hued bowling balls, looking more like a screenshot from a futuristic science-fiction movie than a leisurely day at the lanes. Her background in science is apparent in her careful use of precise angles and geometric shapes.
Next up were Steven Meyer’s bright and energetic photos. Meyer, majoring in set design in the CFA, utilizes vibrant colors, rich texture and ephemeral beauty to hoist his photographs to the level of a professional fashion photographer. For one image, Meyer shot the fluid movement of a dancer dressed in a flowing, Grecian-style gown mid-leap on a building rooftop.
If I was in a dream before, John Schwartz’s photos brought me back down to earth. Schwartz, a photojournalism major and a pit bull breed activist, focused on the docile nature of the pit bull in his photo collection. Darcy is Schwartz’s own brindle best friend, a pit bull-mix that doubles as the BU senior’s muse. Her beguiling gazes seem almost human as she perks her ears toward the camera with curiosity. In another photograph, Schwartz captures the tender relationship between Beau, a nearly 100-pound pit/mastiff mix, and his owner, Zoe, a Brookline resident.
HeadLong took five very different personalities and united them with one common theme: human beings. Although the photographers all interpreted “human” in a variety of ways, from the “masks” we wear to the relationships with our pets, the passionate work from a motley crew of talented students ties the work into one unified collection.
HeadLong will be at 949 Commonwealth Ave., Boston University’s Playwright’s Theatre, until May 7.
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