Professor Val Brinkerhoff and Christina Domingues, Visual Arts

With the contribution of the Undergraduate ORCA Scholarship, the B.F.A. Photography show, “A Quest for Eve”, was created and presented for public viewing April 1st through the 14th, in the Harris Fine Arts Center. The show was also displayed in the photography department in the Brimhall Building for May and June. The ten framed still lifes and portraits, displayed with quotes, an artist’s statement, and comment book, depict the values and emotions gained throughout the development of a child into a young woman. In a world where innocence and purity are slowly being substituted for quite lesser values, it was my desire to create a series of photographs that represent the essence, beauty, and values that true women possess.

After having reflected upon the results of my work in technical processes and artistic expression, I feel that the show was a success, and that I accomplished what I had originally set out to create.

Through the creative process, I faced many challenges. What models, still lifes, film, and experimentation I chose, were all important decisions for me to make. After researching other photographers’ and artists’ works pertaining to the theme of symbolism, I researched values and qualities that are needed for a child’s growth and maturity. After this, I worked with film and exposure tests. This helped me to get the exact grain, color, and film type that I needed. Clothing was made, as well as props and backgrounds. After getting to know each of my subjects, I photographed them in the style that I felt appropriate for each of their personalities, and then created a more artistic feel and look to each image by using diffusion in printing. I believe that this method of working was very successful for what I wanted to achieve.

This project was a very emotional and challenging one for me. I knew that I wanted to create something that was true to myself and my values, and to others as well. After picking up my comment book from my show, I received responses such as;

“Thank you so much for taking the artistic potential of photography to a transcendent level. The cohesion of words and haunting, though enlightening, images affected me emotionally and gave me chills. How refreshing to see an ennobling portrayal of women in a world which increasingly undermines our divinity while claiming to empower us…” – K.M.

I appreciate comments such as these tremendously, for they help me to grow and understand the direction that I need to continue in my work, and also comfort me in knowing that so many others see and feel the damage of certain elements of the media in our society today. The project has not only sharpened my creativity, technique, and focus, but also has helped me to understand more about who I am and the role women have in society.

Fig. 1 “Hayley” accompanied with quote, “What are so mysterious as the eyes of a child?” -Phyllis Bottome Fig. 2 “April” accompanied with quote, “There is in every true woman’s heart a spark of heavenly fire, which lies dormant in the broad daylight of prosperity, but which kindles up and beams and blazes in the dark hour of adversity” -W. Irving