The graduate showing by Alyssa Razo and David Richards at Fresno State University provided an interesting out come to the series both artist have been working. Having partaken in classes with both of the exhibiting artists, I found the show to be an interesting outcome. Alyssa’s work, whom I am more familiar with, deals with the contemporary problem of high divorce rates among parents and the divide this causes in families. She tells her story of being a child of two cultures. Not truly connecting with her father, or his side of the family. She uses her camera to bridge the gap of language and time lost. She also documented her mother. Alyssa incorporated old family photos, which add an element of history and further incorporating herself into the story. The connection between the statistic of divorce rates and her story was strengthened Alyssa’s choice to dedicate a section of wall to telling the story of her cousin, a single parent, who is raising her own child.
David’s work utilized the space differently, the arrangement of photos on the walls were meant to mimic that of the activity they depicted, rock climbing. There were also small installation touches that further enhanced the showing. The photos hold a conversation between the climber and the nature with which they interact. While not simple relaxed images, a tension could be felt between the images, a feeling, I imagine, one might feel being suspended from the side of a mountain.
Together the graduate student work was interesting and provide to very diverse themes showcasing the artist.