This past week’s senior theses displayed at the Zilkha Gallery mostly offered some fascinating photography, although some installations showcased other forms as well. Sarah Emily Haas Albert ’23 and Claire Femano ’23 displayed gorgeous black and white photography exhibitions titled “Joint Axis” and “Fog Area,” respectively. Albert’s “Joint Axis” displayed multiple photos featuring individuals in extravagant positions. One perfectly captured someone swinging on a fence, while another depicted someone in the middle of a field. Some showed subjects in intricate dancing positions, including one that featured a young child. Every subject in these photographs was captured beautifully, and the installation centered themes of dancing and/or contorting the body to fit a specific form.

Femano’s “Fog Area,” also captured in black and white, displayed seemingly unconnected pictures. They featured a girl sitting on a ledge, a gorgeous bird’s eye view of a beach with dozens of footprint paths, some kids playing a game, pointed toes in a mirror, a little girl in the light of a window, a blurred hand, and a sea, among others. Though I may not have understood what they meant, I could tell that a lot of care and attention had gone into perfecting the lighting and composition for every single one of them. I don’t think they would have worked the same in color.

Annie Wendorf ’23 presented a group of color photographs called “Middleweight,” with most of the pictures revolving around sporting events, including swimming, hockey, wrestling, football, and tennis. Many of the pictures utilized slight blurriness and hectic framing to present the idea of being at a sporting event. I am curious how the exhibition would have changed if all of it were in black and white.

Kelly Nano-Miranda ’23 had an amazing set of color photographs called “The Static Album.” These photos portrayed friends and family members in various situations, and the resolution and lighting of each one showed some of the best technique in the entire gallery. One image had a transparent reflection in a mirror, using a photography trick. Even a simple photograph of a person in a chair was interesting, as they were surrounded by a group of people sitting down to eat in the dark. People holding a dog, walking on the beach, sitting by a campfire, and even on a dock all seemed to be having fun in the photos. There was even a small video of a man and little girl walking through their environment. Though I don’t know the artist’s intention, Nano-Miranda produced a fantastic selection of people simply enjoying their lives in very different scenarios. If their goal was to capture the essence of the joy of doing activities with friends and family, they definitely succeeded.

Nina Kagan ’23 produced what is perhaps my favorite exhibition of the entire gallery, making a chair out of road signs and a luminous stack of more road signs, with both creations centered around a short video telling a story presumably about Kagan’s experience with their father by the Salton Sea in California. It was very moving, and managed to hold my attention. The project was titled “Manifest Destiny/Retail Space for Lease.”

“Leaf Wall,” by Tatiana Meyer ’23, meanwhile, was exactly what it sounds like: a small wall of carefully placed paper leaves that lined an entire surface, leaving few gaps.

“Take a Walk and See How You Feel” by Catherine Capeci ’23 was downright incredible. Though “Manifest Destiny/Retail Space for Lease” was my personal favorite, this one was a close second. The installation consisted of three drawings, the largest of which portrays a long perspective view of a series of houses and their inhabitants. The tone and perspective of this drawing is professional and looks like something out of a gigantic photo album. Every space is filled with so many extra details that you might miss something if you breeze by it too quickly. The other two drawings depict a plate of vegetables and a diner, respectively, and despite their small size also appear professionally-done. The exhibit is amazing and should be recognized as such.

Several senior thesis weeks are left, each week offering new, interesting, and profoundly moving works of art. Check out the Zilkha Gallery this week and the following few weeks to see for yourself.

Nate Wheeler can be reached at nwheeler@wesleyan.edu.