The Imagine: a photography exhibition by MOE

The Imagine: a photography exhibition by MOE

MARCH 12, 2020 - SEPTEMBER 2020

This exhibition was curated by the Student Curatorial Committee.

I was taking pictures of pink stuff like the shark and seahorse, so then I had an idea to figure out if that specific picture could become a beautiful collage that is peaceful and non-violent. The pictures of the people, specifically my friend Jamal and the staff, will eventually become part of a giant collage in the main hallway. I stared the camera up into the sky, and I saw a bright beam of light which was the sun. The sun is made of giant pieces of fire in outer space. So I decided to take a picture of the sun to see how it was zoomed in and zoomed out. I took it under the tree, to see what it’s like when it’s black and just one beam of light. The blue wheel thingy is a type of monkey bar, and I took a picture of it because I was on a hunt for something blue. I found a giant piece of blue, just like that. I took a picture of Dr. MLK for Black history month so that I can also add that to the collage in the main hallway; I wanted to take a picture of him because he is one of my favorite people that organized a non-violent march on Washington DC. His friend Rosa Parks was an inspiration to him. I like collage because it’s a form of art that is really flexible, and you can make it with bunch of pieces of different things. Sam Vernon created a giant collage, and so I wanted to make a collage of my own made of all different people.

In my life I have seen a bunch of hating and violence and punching, and I don’t think that’s very pleasing to people. I’ve seen that happen to young children getting bullied, like myself - I was bullied, so I want people to know that just because of your gender or skin color, it doesn’t mean you’re different, or not the same, or you can’t play with them just because of those things. That isn’t fair. Why not let other people play with you just because they’re white or black or a boy or a girl or both? I’m from Portland, Oregon, and that’s where I grew up. I have a new dad who makes music, and he’s one of my favorite people in my life. My mom is an artist who volunteers with KSMoCA here at Dr. MLK Jr. School.