The H. F. Johnson Gallery of Art at Carthage College presents: Senior Exhibitions. The exhibition runs from April 19 to April 27. The Opening Reception is Saturday, April 20 from 1 to 3 p.m. The gallery is open from noon to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday. Extended hours are from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursdays and from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturdays. Admission is free.
Stewart Lilly is among the artists whose work will be on display. His Senior Photography Exhibition is titled Her Legacy: A Man’s Reflection. Other seniors on display include Helen Merchant – Story Lines, Theresa Kalb – She is Me, Kailee Nunzio – Miniature Trauma, and Michelina Tuzil.
Stewart Lilly has released this artist statement: “I am a graphic designer and photographer who is keeping my family legacy alive. My mom and grandfather are artists, so I am walking in their footsteps while making my own path in the art world. One of the works presented is titled Her Legacy: A Man’s Reflection, based on the women in my life. Each piece is someone who has impacted me growing up since I was raised without a father.”
“The second body of work displayed is titled Real Eyes, which consists of the eyes of certain people in my life with whom I have some bond. If you listen to their audio, you will hear about their story and what they have endured to be who they are today.”
“Throughout my practice, my family and friends have been my muses as subjects of inspiration. They are why I keep going, not only to improve my skills but to better myself as a person. When someone first meets me, I am a shy and quiet person. But forcing myself to get up close and personal with my subjects brings my extroverted self out of the shell. Getting to that point will help me be more confident in approaching strangers and having them participate in a more extensive project of mine. All my years of knowledge have led me to this point, and I will only expand my expertise further.”
“All of my photography is black and white. I wanted to take the color away to make the viewer look at the finer details of the photo and also make them think more about the subject’s meaning. I became invested in black and white photography in Darkroom Photography and have fallen in love with film photography. Although the film process is intriguing, getting the perfect picture can be challenging. Therefore, turning my digital photos to black and white gives them that nostalgic film feel.”
He further explains the motivation behind Her Legacy: A Man’s Reflection. “As I grew up without a father, I was raised by my mom, sister, and grandmother. These three women have significantly impacted my life, and I wanted to showcase their influence. Each woman featured has taught me something different in life, and I will carry it with me as I continue to age.”
As for Real Eyes, “I started this project my senior year at the beginning of my thesis. I wanted to ask people in my life if I could take a picture of their eyes and question them on their life and how they see the world. You never know what is going on in someone’s life until you ask or if they are open to share. I want to keep expanding this project and ask random strangers on the street to push myself out of my comfort zone. The reasoning for capturing their eyes and answers is because I want to get a better understanding of how people experience life.
I asked everyone the following questions: What is your name? Can you describe a bit of your background of who you are? What are some hardships that have shaped you to be the person you are today? Or what are some prejudices you’ve encountered in your lifetime? What is one message you want the world to know? What’s your favorite part of your job or life? Do you have a most memorable memory? What’s your biggest fear in life? How do you contribute to conservation and biodiversity? Do you have any regrets?”
Carthage College is located at 2001 Alford Park Drive.