Portraits Through Barriers (2014)

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Through Barriers (2015)

People are often seen through barriers, yet our minds eye fills in the gaps of these barriers without our noticing. This project is meant to not only force viewers to recognize that these barriers exist, but see what information we can gain about people just using the visual information provided.

Patrick through his Bike Wheel Patrick and I are roommates. I got to know him better because we both share a love for bicycles. He rides a fixed gear street bike; I ride a vintage three speed bike which used to belong grandmother in the 1970s but I restored it to use last summer.	Ramsey and Patrick through Instagram Ramsey and Patrick dated for almost a year. This was the first night I met Ramsey. I got to know both of these two better because we all spend copious amounts of time on the internet. This is a photo of the two of them taking a picture to put on Instagram.	Jaclyn through Blinds Jaclyn and I are roommates and she's sadly moving out this year to be a community advisor for a dorm. This photo shows her through the blinds of our apartment.
Juan Carlos, Baptista, and Jaclyn This is a portrait of Jaclyn and the fish that we share i our apartment. Our friends won the goldfish at DeKalb's annual Corn Fest. We weren't sure who they belonged to, but now we all take care of them. I constantly had to ask Jaclyn what their names were until I took them home for spring break. Jaclyn and I also share a love for the style of the 1950s. As seen through the lenses of her cat eye glasses.	Juan Carlos & Baptista through Bowl This is a portrait of the fish that we share in my apartment. Our friends won the goldfish at DeKalb's annual Corn Fest. We weren't sure who they belonged to but we all take care of them. I got to know the fish better because I took them home for spring break, and instead of watching TV the first two days I just watched them through a new bowl that my mother got for them.	Self-Portrait though My First DSLR This is a photo of myself in my room in my apartment. Surrounding me are some of my favorite cameras to shoot with and favorite collectables from my vintage collection.
James Through Peephole James is one of my best friends at school. He used to visit me everyday around 3 pm when we were doing homework or eating between classes. This is a photo of him as I saw him everyday before I started just throwing my keys from the balcony.	Jamie through Elephant Glass I dated Jamie in the fall this year but this is a photo from the first time we ever hung out in my apartment. He was the first person I've ever fallen in love with and the first boy who ever told me I was beautiful. Most people who know me are used to getting their picture taken but this is one of the first photos I ever took of him. I wanted to show him what he looked like through my lens.	Self Portrait Through Diabetes I've learned a lot about myself through my relationship with my diabetes. I was diagnosed almost ten years ago with Juvenile Diabetes. Diabetes has taught me responsibility, patience, and strength in the fears of life.
Self- Portrait through Glass This is a portrait of myself through a glass vase. I bought the vase because it was curvy and reminded me of a female figure, but what I find more interesting is the way my body seems distorted when viewed through the glass. But also the visual comparison of shapes also forces the viewer to see my body in relation to this shape.	Trent through a Doorway This is a photo Trent who is a brilliant Printmaking and Painting student at NIU. I got to know him because we both used the same studio space for drawing classes. Despite his sassy attitude, he's a beautiful gentleman. This is a view through a doorway into a room where his paintings were stored during the first few weeks of summer.	Steven through Porch Door Steven is the only person who will ever understand why this photo is so important to me. This fall, I accidentally got locked out of my friend's apartment and slept on the back porch. When I heard Steven making breakfast in the morning. He opened the porch door and let me inside. I almost missed him, but he came out right at the right time.
Steven and Margot through a Window This is a photo of my friend Steven and Margot. Steven is seen through his drum set and through the frame of his window in his living room. Margot is on the right hand side looking at him as they were talking.	Ian Through a Looking Glass & Guitar This is a portrait Ian singing and playing a show at The Abbey Pub with his band The Pistachio Brothers. Ian and I have known each other since we were kids, but he's grown into a beautiful musician, artist, and young man I'm honored to call my best friend. Ian and I share a common interests in music, art, and all sorts of goofy things. If it wasn't for him I'd probably be listening to some really awful music.	Emily Through Dreamcatcher & Mic Emily Nichols is probably of of the most hard working and talented women that I have the privilege of calling one of my friends. She recently released an EP on bandcamp that I've had stuck in my head all summer. This is a portrait of Emily singing live at The Nucleus with Woo Park.

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