It's not tunnel vision that photography major Jennifer Parlock addresses in her senior thesis exhibit. It's a much more specific problem. "It's kind of the fact that we overlook things. You notice things, but you don't notice things. It's like you are walking around with one eye covered," Parlock said to explain her exhibit "One Eye Open" which is currently showing at the Student Art Gallery at the Pittinger Student Center.
The exhibit opened November 22 and runs through December 10. Although the exhibit is accessible every day, there will be a reception from 5 to 7 pm on December 6 when visitors may enjoy hors d'oeuvres, tour the exhibit and meet the artist. There are 21 "close up" photographs that are on display from Parlock's work over the fall semester.
Parlock, who also has a minor in digital publishing, has been working with photography since her senior year of high school, but said "for the past couple semesters I've been concentrating on macro photography and using my macro lens. I like getting up close to objects and getting details."
For the exhibit, she took between 10-15 rolls of film of everyday objects from her house. She took the film to Wal-Mart for development, but printed the pictures herself. Then she chose the best photographs for the exhibition.
To help with deciding what photographs to use, Parlock turned to her mentor photography professor Andrea Murrill. "I liked the way she would compliment me, and when I was doing something wrong, she would give me tips on how to fix it. She was just very positive." Parlock chose Murrill for her mentor as she has been working with her for the past two semesters
Although the photographs are all of everyday objects, it is difficult to determine what most of the objects are. Parlock said, "I tried to concentrate not so much on the lighting, but tried to get an angle where you couldn't tell what the object was." As clues to the nature of the objects, she searched the dictionary for double meanings of words associated with them, and used the opposite definitions as the titles of the pieces.
Despite the titles, some of the objects are still difficult to determine. Parlock frustrated many people with "A Sole Fastened by Straps" because they could not tell what the object was, and she refused to tell them. Part of the appeal of the photographs is that they are not always identifiable, and the objects remain a mystery to the general audience.
"I don't necessarily want to describe why I took a photograph, or the meaning behind it. I shoot what I want to shoot and hang it up, and that's what it is," said Parlock.
"One Eye Open" is a one of Ball State's unique opportunities for students to challenge themselves to see life in a new perspective, and for Parlock, who plans to graduate at semester, to share in her final project what she has discovered by looking at life with both eyes open.
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