January | February 2006 - Boston Photography Focus

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12 | DOCUMENT Claire Beckett (Jamaica Plain, MA), Specialist Takia Rust, 1164th Transportation Company, Framingham, MA, From the series “National Guard,” 2005, C-print, (original in color), 24 x 20 inches, Courtesy of the artist the Museo Guggenheim Bilbao (Bilbao, Spain), the Ars Electronica Center (Linz, Austria), among many other international venues. Patten is currently completing his Ph.D. at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Media Lab. Their websites are arvelophoto.com and jamespatten.com. CLAIRE BECKETT (Jamaica Plain, MA) Since 2004, Claire Beckett has been photographing members of the Massachusetts National Guard. Traveling to a variety of training camps in the Greater Boston area— from Dorchester, to Hingham, Framingham, and the cape—Beckett usually stays the weekend along with these soldiers in training. The MA National Guard recently made headlines for its decline in numbers and recruitment efforts in malls. Beckett’s concern for this group stems in part from a curiosity about war and those that represent our country and us. Most importantly, perhaps, she is interested in the attendant personal transformation that often goes along with someone’s service, before and after they enter conflict. Beckett’s project calls into question many issues, from the balance of civilian and military life (these forces refer to themselves “M-day” or Mobilization day soldiers) to the role of the military and war in society. Originally from Chicago, IL, Beckett earned a BA in Anthropology from Kenyon College (Gambier, OH) and is expected to earn her MFA in photography from Massachusetts College of Art this spring. From 2002-2004, she was a Peace Corps Volunteer and AIDS educator in the Republic of Benin in West Africa. SUZI CAMARATA (Boston, MA) What began as a project for Suzi Camarata’s studies at the Art Institute of Boston in 2001, has since grown into a deep relationship with the ethnically and economically-diverse neighborhood she calls home, Mission Hill. For 3 years, she has photographed the businesses that line Tremont Street and Huntington Avenue for a community calendar to benefit Mission Hill Main Streets. Part of the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Main Street Program and a non-profit, the Mission Hill neighborhood joins 18 other designated areas sponsored by the city of Boston. From the Hispanic-oriented Fuentes Market rebuilt after a fire to a Somalian store turned coffee shop which continues to act as a local outpost for social counseling, the establishments represent a microcosm of Boston and its development. Even these short 5 years, the area has begun to show signs of gentrification, with artist live/work spaces and chain businesses beginning to replace the very same enterprises she first documented. Born in Korea, Camarata grew up in Japan and Dallas, TX. She holds a BA in political science from the University of Rochester (Rochester, NY) and pursued studies in photography at Art Institute of Boston. Her exhibitions include solo shows at Gallery Diablo in Mission Hill and group exhibitions at venues such as Panopticon Gallery (Waltham, MA) and the Texas Photographic Society (San Antonio, TX). Camarata is a freelance commercial photographer, specializing in portraits and weddings. Her website is camarataphotography.com. CHRIS CHURCHILL (Amesbury, MA) Christopher Churchill’s project focuses on the Patrick O’Hearn Elementary School in Boston’s Dorchester neighborhood. The school sits on Dorchester Avenue—in close proximity to potential inner city issues—and serves children from diverse ethnic, linguistic, and ability backgrounds in grades K-5. The co-founder of the school, Dr. William Henderson has been an educator in Boston for the past 33 years, and the principal of O’Hearn for the last 16. Many of the school’s over 220 students qualify for a free or discounted lunch. With a relatively low student to teacher ratio, the school itself boats a high level of parental involvement. Churchill’s stunning portrait of Dr. Henderson, who is visually-impaired, shows him posed pensively in his school’s halls, the raking light streaming through the windows. O’Hearn is nationallyrecognized for its full-inclusion program— integrating students with general, special, and gifted needs together—and Churchill’s images reflect this unique diversity. Born in Maine, Churchill graduated from the Maine Photographic Workshops in 1998 then moved on to study with John Goodman and Gus Kayafas in Boston. His recent exhibitions include a two-person show at Phillips Exeter Academy (Exeter, NH) and a solo show at the Salt Institute of Documentary Studies (Portland, ME). Both exhibits focusing on a body of work created on the criminal unit of the Augusta Mental Health Institute. Churchill’s work can be found in many collections and galleries including the Boston Public Library, The Addison Gallery of American Art (Andover, MA), the Boston Drawing Project at the Bernard Toale Gallery and the DeCordova Museum Corporate Art Program (Lincoln, MA). His editorial and commercial clients include Boston Magazine, The Sunday Globe Magazine, Harvard University, Hill Holliday Advertising Agency and The Federal Reserve Bank. Churchill currently teaches various one-week classes at the Maine Photographic Workshops. His most recent project is a series on religion in America. His website in www.christopherchurchill.com. Suzi Camarata (Boston, MA), Fuentes Market, From the series “Inside Mission Hill” and the 2004 Mission Hill Main Streets Calendar, C-print, (original in color), 2003, 12 1/4 x 12 1/4 inches, Courtesy of the artist and copyright Suzanne Camarata
DOCUMENT | 13 Christopher Churchill (Amesbury, MA), Dr. Bill Henderson, from the series “Patrick O’Hearn Elementary School, Dorchester, MA,” 2005, gelatin silver print, Courtesy of and copyright Christopher Churchill LISA KESSLER (Boston, MA) From 2002 to 2004, Lisa Kessler photographed the sexual abuse crisis in Boston’s Roman Catholic Church as a project titled “Heart in the Wound.” In Boston alone over 800 people reported abuse to the church (it is estimated that 100,000 were abused nationally). Kessler took great care to show the whole gamut of the crisis from the protests at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross in the South End (just down the street from where Kessler lives) to Cardinal Bernard Law’s resignation in December 2002 and Bishop Sean O’Malley’s installation, to the settlements, support groups, and eventual legislation. Through the project, Kessler aimed not only to document and shed light on this pivotal period and issue in her sensitive black and white images, extensive interviews, and short film on DVD, but most importantly to use it as a platform from which to discuss child sexual abuse in general. Originally from New York, Kessler is a freelance documentary and editorial photographer and educator with almost 20 years of experience. Currently teaching at Northeastern University and the Maine Photographic Workshops, she holds a BA in history from Brown University and a MS in journalism and photojournalism from Boston University. Kessler was a finalist in the 2005 Artist Grant Program for Massachusetts Cultural Council, and in 2004 received an Honorable Mention for the Honickman Foundation First Book Prize in photography from the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University (Durham, NC) for this project. An early version of “Heart in the Wound” received the 2002 Award of Excellence from the Pictures of the Year International competition in the Magazine News Story category. Kessler’s work is in the permanent collection of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. She has exhibited at the Danforth Museum of Art (Framingham, MA), Scollay Square Gallery (Boston, MA), Boston Arts Academy, and the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute (Birmingham, AL). SURENDRA LAWOTI (Somerville, MA) Surendra Lawoti’s project, “Fire,” presents firefighters from the five fire stations in his adopted hometown of Somerville, MA. Lawoti approaches his work by spending countless hours listening to the stories of the firefighters. He is interested in their experiences in confronting the wrath and unpredictability of the fires, as well as the uncertainties, close calls, and losses. From the piercing stare of District Chief Peter St. Clair (Appointed October 31, 1977) to the casual integrity of Firefighter William James Powers (Appointed October 12, 1969), Lawoti approaches each person with a close-up, straightforward effect and style. Currently, he is expanding this project by photographing the firefighters of the neighboring city of Cambridge, MA. A native of Nepal, Lawoti came to the US in 1994. He received his BA in photography from Columbia College Chicago and his MFA in photography from Massachusetts College of Art this past spring. Featured in a number of solo and group exhibitions, Lawoti has received grants from Artadia (2002) and Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs (2001 and 2002). His work is included in the LaSalle Bank Collection, Ruttenberg Collection, and the Citibank Corporate Collection. Lawoti has taught for the Marwen Foundation, which offers after-school programs to underprivileged Chicago-area high school students. In addition, he has taught at Massachusetts College of Art’s high school summer program as well as the Cambridge School of Weston’s summer art program. Currently, he is an adjunct professor of Photography at Montserrat College of Art (Beverly, MA) and also works for Color Services, Inc (Needham, MA). He was recently accepted into the Boston Drawing Project at the Bernard Toale Gallery (Boston, MA). Lawoti’s website is www. surendralawoti.com. Lisa Kessler (Boston, MA), Prostrate, Boston, MA, May 2002, From the series “Heart in the Wound,” 2002, gelatin silver print, 16 x 20 inches, Courtesy of and copyright Lisa Kessler MICHAEL MANNING (Cambridge, MA) Michael Manning’s featured project began in the winter of 2002/2003 with his desire to discover for himself how the economy and cuts in social programs were affecting people living on Boston’s streets. On his first day out, he met Lee, the leader of a group of homeless persons, self-titled “La Familia,” generally living near Chinatown. After a bit of testing, Lee allowed him into their world. The next day Manning returned to find out that one of the group, Ramiro, or Papa as Lee called him, had suffered a serious head injury and was taken to the hospital. Ramiro spent almost 2 months at Spaulding Rehabilitation Center, during which time his family often undertook the long trek to visit him. Only minutes after his release back to the street, Ramiro started drinking again. “La Familia” continues to look after each other, a true family in every sense of the word. (As an apt coda, Lee will get her first apartment this December.) Manning’s project is an insightful, human look into a world we often see in Boston, but sadly is often overlooked. A Cambridge-based photographer with over 15 years of experience, Manning has been awarded four 1st place awards from the New England Press Association. Originally from New York, Manning attended Nova Scotia College of Art and Design and graduated from the Art Institute of Boston. He has
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January | February 2006 - Boston Photography Focus

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