By: Bridget Cunningham '21
“What would you talk about if asked to tell a personal story?”
That’s the question Sophie Rosen ‘18 asked of some 20 classmates and friends. The result is STORIES, a photo exhibition now on view in the Wikoff Student Gallery in the Nott Memorial.
An opening reception will take place on Oct. 10, 5-6 p.m.
“My inspiration for my art is people,” says Rosen, a psychology major with a strong focus in photography and the visual arts. “I’m so fascinated by portraiture, but I’m more interested in what a viewer can take away from looking at any given picture.”
The striking, emotional sequences of Rosen’s candid portraits are followed by quotes from the participants that reveal the nature of the subject matter. The stories relate to such complex topics as sexual violence, mortality and illness. Rosen draws a viewer’s attention to the underlying pain and loss all individuals carry.
“Everyone has a story,” she says. “No matter how happy, smiley or put-together a person may seem, no one knows for sure what has happened in that person’s life. I learned so much about people that I wouldn’t have imagined possible had I not asked which of their stories impacted them most.”
The exhibition runs through Nov. 27.