Somewhere Else
by Halee Pratcher
About the Artist
I go by Halee Jane, a 20-year-old photography student who uses photography to communicate with and interpret the world around me. A class of 2022 photography major at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Interview with the Artist
What does your piece represent? My art piece has a grungy look that has the intention to capture meaning behind each of the photos. My goal was to capture fleeting moments or thoughts of vulnerability in fleeting encounters.
Material used to create this piece? The materials I used to create this art piece was a 35 mm film Canon PV82, followed by dodging and burning the photo in a dark room, then editing on Photoshop and highlighting the people I had photographed.
How does this art piece impact social-political issues? Socially, it can provide a sense of awareness and the need of freezing time just enough to reflect and value what is not being said out loud.
How does this artwork represent your background? I come from a supportive community of people that I very much care for. So I focus on showcasing them through my works.
Why did you pick these two subjects? Well, the photo of the girl is my best friend since my teen years. Someone I have grown together with and in this photo my goal was to reflect her as someone who was reliable just as she has been. The boy in the second photo is also a shy friend of mine who is photogenic but doesn’t perceive himself that way and that is what I wanted to capture.
Editorial Notes:
“They both follow that theme of solitude and the need for escape.”
“This seems like a piece that many people will develop their own interpretations on what message the photographer is trying to say.”
“I get the whole emotional appeal from this piece because of the [subject’s] look.”
Team Judgement:
We believe this artist did an excellent job with their art piece in the following categories: Theme, Execution, Content, Craftsmanship, Relatable and Relevance.