Portraits and poems, underneath the gravel | Arts & Entertainment

Blending photography and poetry is the focus of the exhibition “The Gravel Underneath” that is opening at the Patton-Malott Gallery at the Anderson Ranch Arts Center from 4:30-6:30 p.m. today. The show is part of the Latine Visiting Artists Program and is a collaboration between visual artist Kathya Maria Landeros and students at Bridges High School in Carbondale. 

Landeros is joined by Rebeca Mendez as part of the 2024 Latine Visiting Artists Program. They are at the ranch working as visiting artists in the studios and participating in the Latine Arts and Education Workshop. On Saturday from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. the two will participate in a public panel discussion at Schermer Meeting Hall about cultural identity and representation within their work.

“The exhibition highlights the transformative power of art in fostering self-expression,” said Andrea Jenkins Wallace, vice president of artistic affairs at Anderson Ranch. “It underscores Anderson Ranch Arts Center’s dedication to inclusivity and empowerment, providing a platform for students who have overcome challenges to share their stories and perspectives.”

Back in February, Landeros worked closely with students at Bridges High School, capturing their portraits on film with her large format camera. In addition, she guided them in using disposable cameras to explore their own perspectives.

Bridges is an alternative school that serves teenagers who have struggled in other educational environments. The school helps the student body regain their confidence and ability to learn with curiosity. Most of the students at Bridges have been to other schools from Aspen to Rifle and have often slipped through the cracks.

English teachers Adam Carballeira — “Carb” to the students — and Andrea Harris mentored the students in the writing of the poetry that accompanies the photographs. 

“It’s always powerful when our students get to work with professionals in the community, especially artists,” Carballeira said. “We are always trying to find ways for them to take up space, and to show them that their words and ideas matter. The combinations of poems and images in this exhibition creates a kind of tribute to these young people’s strength and beauty, and the important role they play in our society.” 

Landeros is of Mexican-American heritage. She grew up in Sacramento and went to college and grad school on the east coast at Vassar and Massachusetts College of Art and Design in Boston. She is currently a professor at Wellesley College in Massachusetts in studio art and photography. She specializes in large format photography. 

“The large format camera is a simple box camera that consists only of a film plane/ground glass, a lens and bellows in between to block light.” Landeros explained. “Without any interior components, the photographer sees the image upside down and reversed — 180 degrees, left to right. Instead of roll film, it takes sheet film one must load by hand- in my case each sheet of film is 4-by-5 inches. It is a simple tool that dates back to the earliest camera technology. The large film size renders things beautifully.

“It is a very meticulous and slow process. Making portraits is a more collaborative process. The subject has to stay still for some time for the image to be captured. They have to really want to have their photograph taken. I think of it more as taking a photograph rather than taking a picture.”

Landeros shared her artistic process and philosophy with the students. She said this collaborative nature was ideal for the project with the high school students from Bridges.

“We really wanted a buy-in from the students,” Landeros said. “We went to the school to talk about collaborating on the project and the students who wanted to do it agreed to have their portraits made. … The idea is that photography is very similar to writing. You are just telling your story through images rather than words.” 

Landeros emphasized authenticity and dignity in capturing the students’ everyday lives. The portraits reflect the students’ resilience and individuality, echoing the ethos of Bridges High School as a supportive environment for students seeking academic success and personal growth.

Selected artworks from “The Gravel Underneath” are also on display at the school’s district office in Carbondale where the school board convenes. 

“Having our pictures taken with that big, old camera was memorable,” student Keaton Wessling said. “I can remember it more clearly than any selfie I’ve ever taken with a phone, and it was cool how the camera was far away, but the portrait was up close and personal. The camera saw us in a different way.”

The students came up with the name for the exhibition — “the gravel underneath them.” Every student employed the term into their poem.

“I said I looked scared in the photo, and Carb said, ‘Yeah, you do look scared,’ and I realized I am kind of scared a lot of the time.” said Paige Altomare, another student who participated in the project. “I think the photos she took captured my demeanor. And then the poems showed something deeper, or a different side. My poem isn’t scary, it’s hopeful. It’s low-key good. It’s how I want to be.”

When asked what she hoped the students took away from the project, Landeros said, “I wanted the students to see that we all have such interesting stories to tell and everyone’s story is worthy of telling. I wanted them to see the connections between visual literacy and literacy. And I wanted them to have their work and their lives validated by seeing their stories told in a gallery setting. I hope it is affirming for them to get to share their stories.”

What does Landeros hope the public viewing the exhibit will glean from seeing the work? 

“I hope people get a perspective of young people and open up to the idea of what art can be, and what more community-engaged work looks like,” Landeros said. “Art is so often a very static thing, but I want people to see that art can be everywhere and everyone can be an artist.”

This is the third year of the Latine Visiting Artists Program, with previous artists including Ronald Rael and Maria De Los Angeles in 2023, and Rafael Fajardo and Ricky Armendariz in 2022. 

“The Gravel Underneath” will be on display until Oct. 25. For more information on Anderson Ranch, visit andersonranch.org.