5×5: Parsons Photo Show Highlights by Olivia Gilmore

The imminent summer heat has affected the Lint-rollers; we are emerging from the collective New York languor to produce an exciting, albeit belated, 5×5. Today we acknowledge the talented and hard working Parsons The New School, Photography class of 2014, which debuted its thesis work at Milk Gallery in Chelsea on May 20th, 2014. Here, is: awe and felicitations, to all of you who completed your degree at Parsons this year. The Parsons Photography Thesis show featured many emerging fine art and commercial photographers. A caveat: this list is, by no means, comprehensive. There was so much work worthy of mention that we were unable to include.

Jonathan Gardenhire, “I Too Know Rivers”: Gardenhire’s work debuted as an installation and shows an aptitude for portrait-making and a depth for conceptual framework. In its entirety, Gardenhire’s work “explores representation, sexuality and masculinity in black culture.” See his website for additional portrait work and video work. Particularly, Sweet Thang: Young Women of Hip Hop, is series worth viewing, as well as (Untitled) The Perfect Human.

 Casey Dorobek, “In Irons”: Casey Dorobek’s thesis was accompanied by a book. The photographs are from Howard Beach, Queens, a neighborhood built on marshlands and surrounded by water. This is classic, thoughtful, black and white photography at its finest. To purchase a copy, get in touch with Casey!

Lilly Arsenault, “Some Velvet Mornings”: Arsenault’s series shows plainly that intimate portraiture can still be done. These portraits and self-portraits attest to the nostalgic power of analogue film.

Delaney Allen-Mills, “Otherwise Untitled”: Picture yourself in a room with an ink-jet printer spouting out images every 2-minutes. This was Allen-Mills’ installation at Milk. The printer sat on a shelf, several feet above your head; the prints eventually fell onto the floor. Viewers could collect images and take them home. Allen-Mills work featured a written brochure of ‘note,’ that compliments the gesture of the lone printer accomplishing a repetitive task.

Lauren Margit Jones, “; a desire.”: Lauren Margit Jones explores the male nude in her thesis series. She juxtaposes these sensual portraits with portraits of classical sculptures. They are natural, and quite personal glimpses into these sitters’ lives.