By Elyssa Phan, Staff Writer & Photographer
If you’re interested in photography, here’s a name to keep in mind: Photoville.
On May 2nd, FVHS AP Photo/2D Design and AP Art History class went on a conjoined field trip with Ocean View High School to Photoville in Los Angeles.
FIRST OF ALL, WHAT IS PHOTOVILLE?–
Photoville is a pop-up photography festival featuring all kinds of different photography exhibitions and projects, and workshops from artists all around the world. It is located outside the Annenberg Space for Photography in Los Angeles, and is free and open admission to all.
MY EXPERIENCE –
With the highly urban setting, the scene that plays out when you first step into Photoville adheres to the the image that usually comes to mind when you hear the words “contemporary”, “artist”, “photography.” To put it clearly, Photoville operates in small “boxes” and tents scattered across the lawns that are set in the middle of a cluster of typical Los Angeles buildings. Each “box” or booth features a different photography exhibition each based on unique topics and themes.
One project that was particularly memorable to me was the Fourth Grade Project by Judy Gelles. This collection of photos featured fourth graders from all around the world (USA, China, Dubai, England, India, Israel, Italy, Nicaragua, St. Lucia, South Africa, and South Korea) with their backs turned towards the camera, along with a quote answering the following questions: “Who do you live with? What do you wish for? What do you worry about?”.
“The mission of the Fourth Grade Project is to share the hopes and fears of fourth graders around the world to foster empathy and understanding,” the canvas reads in front of the project.
The project truly captured the innocent and pure spirit and energy of fourth graders today (a couple were shown dabbing), while still hinting at the dark undertones of the varying climate they are growing up in.
A favorite among many students on the field trip was a photo project featuring portraits of a variety of (super cute!) dogs dressed up in exuberant flower crowns against sparkly and colorful backdrops. These portraits were paired with background stories of the dogs along with their current status (some were recently adopted while others were still in wait for their new owners). This was honestly such a wholesome project and it was absolutely beautiful to see the light in the eyes of the dogs.
For all the movie lovers, a must-see gallery to check out is the Movie Behind the Scenes one. Viewers can see a lot of interesting photographs capturing the behind-the-scenes of movies such as Forrest Gump, Basic Instinct, Spider Man, among many other iconic films.
My personal favorite from Photoville was the exhibition “Paths of Discovery: Art Practice and Its Impact in California Prisons (Second Edition).” This gallery featured many photographs of prison inmates creating art during their recreation time in prison. Featuring a lot of personal close-ups and innovative angles, these images “…tells stories of the men and women who discover — through prison fine arts programs — untapped skills, new passions, and the rewards of introspection and self-discipline.”
There were so many other interesting and fascinating exhibitions for all sorts of different audiences (water in photography, photojournalism, a photo collection of immigrants who have just completed the Naturalization Test to name a few more). For most of these exhibitions, the artists themselves were present next to their galleries, so it is a great opportunity to come up and talk to the artists personally as well.
By the end of the field trip, our classes also had the opportunity to come into a conference room and listen to a panel of young photographers from West Los Angeles high schools talk about their personal photography projects submitted for the #YourTurn movement.
Aside from photography galleries, Photoville also featured a pop-up set for visitors to take pictures at and post to their social media accounts using the hashtag #SetInTheStreet. This project, created by Justin Bettman, consists of many beautiful-decorated interior spaces (often 60s-themed) and is set all around the world, such as in New York City, London, Berlin, Moscow, and Prague. This particular set in LA was filled with warm and saturated tones, from the wooden chestnut desk, terra-cotta-colored carpet, to the wood-panelled walls. Pastel-colored details such as a light blue typewriter, matching light blue stapler, and a pale yellow telephone tied the entire 60s-themed room together.
At Photoville, there’s really an exhibit for everyone. Whether you’re interested in the works of photography or not, Photoville is definitely an attraction to check out. Unfortunately, the last Photoville exhibition in Los Angeles was May 5th, but be sure to keep this name in mind for future years to come.
