Magazines in checkout aisles often spotlight celebrities in their glamorous or disgraceful states, but thanks to a student photography major’s project, the average Joe has a chance to shine.
Senior photography major Alyssa Taitague exhibits portrait photographs of her family members in the style of a magazine cover in order to show viewers that non-famous people deserve to be recognized just as much as any celebrity.
Taitague’s photography exhibition presents pictures of the ones closest to her: her mother, father, brother, sister and fiancé. Each portrait also features questions and answers, bits of wisdom and opinions that each family member has to offer.
Inspiration for Taitague’s exhibit comes from her admiration of magazine covers and her family life.
Taitague’s fascination with magazine covers stems from her own curiosity of how they capture people’s interest.
“[Magazine covers] are supposed to be that whole ideal,” Taitague said. [They] make people really want to become what they see [on a cover].”
The questions and quotes on Tatiague’s family portraits were placed in order to give the pictures the same flashy look of a magazine cover.
Taitague said she asked her family questions based on what she wanted to learn about them.
She said that she would spend at least an hour or two on each piece trying to create the image. She received critique from her family, peers and professors who helped her to generate the ideal look of a magazine-style photograph.
Taitague said that the purpose of the exhibit was to help viewers relate to the average people on her magazine covers, rather than idealize the already-admired celebrities.
“I wanted viewers to be able to connect to and read [my family members’] answers and reflect on their own identity, as well and maybe figure themselves out in a way,” she said.
Taitague said her exhibit also allowed her to discover a little about herself.
“I feel like I don’t look at people the same anymore,” Taitague said. “I think if you view each relationship in connection to [family members] that it would change how others treat and view other people too.”
This exhibition is a small step toward Taitague’s goal of becoming a magazine photographer.
This photography exhibit is free and available for viewing Tuesday and Thursday from noon to 5 p.m. and on Wednesday from noon to 7 p.m. It is located in the Max L. Gatov West Gallery located on upper campus.