Opening Reception: Point of Contact MFA Photo Show

William Harris Gallery is presenting "Point of Contact," a group exhibition of thesis projects by MFA candidates in RIT's highly ranked photography and related media graduate program. The work varies from digital to analogue photographic processes while weaving through contemporary conversations of visual culture and representation. It highlights topics such as memory, intimacy, gun violence, Chinese culture, media and the experience of American service members.The opening reception is scheduled for 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 2, in William Harris Gallery. The show runs until April 19. About the artistsMichael Guinto: "Portraits of a Camofluer" uses camouflage to explore the genre of portraiture through the lens of a combat camera veteran. By collecting and deconstructing personal archive photographs, he reconstructs the image of an individual service member.Ileana Hernandez: "My Dear Americans" is an interpretation of gun violence in the United States from the perspective of a mother and a Mexican immigrant. The multimedia project includes video work, an interactive installation and large-scale photographs with intervention. By using diverse materials and methods, Hernandez shows an understanding of the wide reach of gun violence in America, specifically in terms of white privilege, civic engagement and the effect on children.Jean Marques: "That Which Has No Name" is a body of work that explores themes of intimacy, family history and notions of home. Marques highlights his personal experience through the use of collage, mark-making and handwriting.Lindsey Palmer: "Minutes, Days, Years" is an installation-based work incorporating a companion letter. The images are impermanent and experimental cyanotypes on glass, installed over a paper backing intending to rebuild memory damaged by trauma, using a mix of archive images and abstract creations.Mireya Salinas: "Flesh So Peach" is a project detailing Salinas’ visible and physical frustration with the hyper-visibility of whiteness in Vogue magazine as she attempts to highlights women of color.Menghan Tsai: Tsai’s project, "Dream Life," is based on a contemporary Chinese phenomenon known as "social media celebrity," whereby numerous girls undergo plastic surgery, apply on bold makeup and use heavy photoshop on their social media photos in order to achieve a trendy appearance. Reconstructing and highlighting the elements of this issue critiques the aesthetic standard placed on women.Hang Zhang: Zhang’s installation, "福壽/Full Circle," explores the experiences and aspirations of his grandparents, the relationship between generations in the typical Chinese family, and the process of recovering the connection with his family. Zhang’s grandparents’ experiences in the Cultural Revolution and Zhang’s hopes to revive his connection with his family have inspired this work from both personal and cultural aspects.