you

if walls could talk...

I have always been fascinated with history, especially how it lingers. In the Utah Valley area there is  a tremendous amount of architecture that is leftover from past periods. Often this architecture is overlooked because it has been adapted, painted, or renovated into something else. However, basic elements of a building can still gesture towards its original use. There is a pizza parlor off Springville Mainstreet. It is a pleasant building, but many decades ago the building was used as a hotel. My mission was to capture certain elements of the building that still resonate with its historical and original use as a hotel. My shots became more detail shots, but I like to consider each detail with the context of the building as it was originally used.

Above is a step behind the pizza parlor. I liked how plain and ordinary it is, even though it once acted as a threshold for the hotel. Something so ordinary as a rotting wooden step is actually a part of history. The details seem to speak to the building in its hay day.

The above image is a shot of the brick wall behind the parlor. The peeling paint seems to show the passing of time, where there are various layers from the various uses of the building. Even though the building is now white, there are patches of blue paint and plain brick seen.

The above image is a shot of the brick wall behind the parlor. The peeling paint seems to show the passing of time, where there are various layers from the various uses of the building. Even though the building is now white, there are patches of blue paint and plain brick seen.

Above is my favorite leftover element from the hotel. The sign "rooms entrance" is still visible above the old door. I imagine patrons passing in and out of this door that is now unused for the most part. Above this old door and sign is an awning that more closely matches the new use of the building as a pizza parlor.

This last shot is a view looking up at the brick wall attached to the building. This texture shot allows an onlooker to picture themselves in that position, staring up at this wall that is obviously whitewashed. I wonder what the wall looked like for the original hotel, for patrons passing under the building and staring up in a similar fashion. I imagine they would be able to see the plain brick that is hidden under the white.

composition: it's horseshoes and handgrenades

Lateral Symmetry:

This is a bridge near an old rail yard in Provo. I liked the symmetry in this piece because it isn't solely two elements that are symmetrical. For this bridge, there are several elements that combine together to create varying levels of symmetry. For example, the rails on the ground are symmetrical, but they are closer in proximity. In contrast, the overhead metal frame is completely symmetrical, but it is located above the rails and a lot more complex. I particularly enjoy the little facets, crevices, and workings of the metal that make up the frame. This shows how lateral symmetry doesn't have to be overly simple, but it can be comprised of smaller parts that all contribute to the uniform whole.

Asymmetry:

This piece plays more with the composition and placement to create asymmetry. Normally photographs emphasize people: people are the first element we notice. However, the person in this image is really small. This gives more weight and size to the surrounding scene. The shrouding darkness contrasts nicely with the illuminated portion of the picture. The person dressed in black also contrasts nicely with the illuminated person. The smallness of the subject contrasts with the "largeness" of the scene, giving a feeling of perspective that is more reflective and questioning. The asymmetry is achieved through the dense weight of the light contrasting with the overrunning darkness surrounding the scene.

Radial symmetry:

This piece shows architecture that I feel gestures towards radial symmetry, even though it isn't a complete circle. I like how the elements seem to grow out of a center focal point, the point where the ornate beams come together. Above the focal point are two fan-like elements. These "fans" have lateral symmetry, but contribute to the overall radial-like symmetry of the ornamentation. Below the focal point are two wedge-like pieces that attach to the corner of the cross-beams. These are likewise laterally symmetrical. When both sets of elements are combined, they create the overall radial symmetry. I like the radial elements because they are more dynamic than regular lateral symmetry.

the sexualization of mothers

Women in society are objectified and sexualized. We all know this. However, I thought that this was  limited to women who are single or newly married: women who aren't mothers. I was wrong.


Maria is a 32-year-old working mother of 3 boys


This cover of Time Magazine created a lot of controversy. My narrative is concerned with the image itself. 


This is an 8 1/2 month pregnant mother doing squats in the gym.






















This narrative—mothers sexualized—is new to me. As a single guy, I never paid much attention to messages about mothers at all. Now that I'm married, I tend to notice more of the messages geared to women. Common in all three of the images is the image of a woman in her 30's. Each of these women depicted is clearly a mom. The implication is that each has been a mom for some time. This sets the scene for a striking narrative: these women are controversial because they are mothers, yet they are acting out their pre-maternal role as women, which is physical and sexual. Notice the attire. Image one and three depict mothers who are in a workout bra and microshorts. Image two shows a mom breast feeding in a tank top without a bra, and, she just happens to look very fit as well. The attire is connected to the gym that they implicitly go to on a regular basis. The attire in all three images subtly suggests sexuality and physical prowess, all traits usually ascribed to women who are not mothers.

I picked these three images in particular because they set a nice juxtaposition. They juxtapose motherhood directly with womanhood, specifically the sexual side of womanhood. Media and society have built the sexual side of womanhood up as a marketing ploy, for both women and men. Depicted sexuality sells products to men who innately pay attention to sex-related things. Likewise, depicted sexuality sets a new standard for women that they can attain by purchasing certain products, patronizing certain clothing stores or beauty brands, and behaving in a certain way socially. It is interesting to me that this sexuality is so pervasive that it is now affecting motherhood. Not ex-mothers who are wanting botox, but women who have young children and are at the height of their mothering roles. This sexual narrative challenges the notion that women have to compartmentalize phases in life to fulfill the role of motherhood. Instead, the narrative strongly shows how women are sexual and mothers at the very same time, and with apparent ease.

It is interesting that the images aren't inherently controversial by themselves: we see attractive women in sports bras and microshorts almost on a daily basis. The controversy in these instances comes from the way each woman challenges the normal role of motherhood, and by extension, how each woman sexualizes her role in motherhood. In the first image, Maria responded to critics by saying it was her intent to inspire. Indeed, she did inspire. She inspired women to focus on their pre-maternal sexuality in greater earnest. The same emphasis is given in the latter two images. The sexualized mom narrative asks quite openly, why be a mom when you can be a sexy mom? It isn't my place to judge if this is good or bad: I am neither a woman nor a mother. I did think it interesting to notice a new narrative forming for a demographic of women that is ever shrinking in westernized culture, the culture that told women they had to be sexy. Now western culture tells women they have to be sexy in their motherhood: not just before, not just afterward.