2023 "FOCUS ON YOUTH":
FEATURED EMERGING ARTIST
Photographer:
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Proud Sponsors of Focus on Youth 2023
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Mary-Elizabeth Boatey is a proud photography major soon to be attending the Rhode Island School of Design. She started out taking photos in a more “professional” setting, away from ease and simplicity while riddled with the expectation of artist intent in her freshman year of high school. After being denied her initial choice of Studio-in-Art 1, the prerequisite to the more advanced drawing and painting classes, she was “stuck” in 3D design. She was referred to a photography teacher after being introduced to the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, and the rest is history.
She is thrilled to be pursuing photography with the hopes of exploring the limits and bending the rules to create a different perspective. One of her favorite photographers is Summer Wagner, a “director of rituals” and a person who completely shatters the limits of digital photography. She admires Wagner’s color grading and composition which drew her to staged photography. Mary-Elizabeth loves everything from editorial to candid photography and is excited to see what the future holds.
Mary-Elizabeth’s photo “Birth” is being featured for advertisement for the Quiet as It’s Kept, International Black Art Exhibition at the Trolley Barn Gallery in Poughkeepsie, New York. She is also a member of the Youth Curatorial Team at Trolley Barn Gallery this summer.
She is thrilled to be pursuing photography with the hopes of exploring the limits and bending the rules to create a different perspective. One of her favorite photographers is Summer Wagner, a “director of rituals” and a person who completely shatters the limits of digital photography. She admires Wagner’s color grading and composition which drew her to staged photography. Mary-Elizabeth loves everything from editorial to candid photography and is excited to see what the future holds.
Mary-Elizabeth’s photo “Birth” is being featured for advertisement for the Quiet as It’s Kept, International Black Art Exhibition at the Trolley Barn Gallery in Poughkeepsie, New York. She is also a member of the Youth Curatorial Team at Trolley Barn Gallery this summer.
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"I am naturally drawn to nature as a botanical garden enthusiast as well as the natural organization of clutter found in many second-hand thrift/antique shops." ~ Mary-Elizabeth Boatey |
Mary-Elizabeth discusses her journey as a photographer and her love of nature and family.
When did you first become interested in photography?
I first became interested in photography on a whim. In fact, I desperately wanted to move towards traditional art upon entering high school. Unfortunately, many others in my grade wanted the same thing, and the Studio in Art 1 class filled up before I got the chance to enter. The only other available class was 3D design, which certainly pushed me out of my comfort zone. But with the guidance of a dear educator, Ms. Richter, I had such a positive experience those first couple of months.
When did you first become interested in photography?
I first became interested in photography on a whim. In fact, I desperately wanted to move towards traditional art upon entering high school. Unfortunately, many others in my grade wanted the same thing, and the Studio in Art 1 class filled up before I got the chance to enter. The only other available class was 3D design, which certainly pushed me out of my comfort zone. But with the guidance of a dear educator, Ms. Richter, I had such a positive experience those first couple of months.
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At this point, we reached the call for submissions for the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, and with the encouragement from my teacher, I submitted a couple of photographs I had taken of my family that summer. To my surprise, I received a Gold Key award and met with my school’s photography teacher, Mrs. Talbot. The rest is history! What types of subjects/situations do you find most inspirational? I am naturally drawn to nature as a botanical garden enthusiast as well as the natural organization of clutter found in many second-hand thrift/antique shops. My love for antiques remains a hobby, a love for pictures of docile trinkets outside of my professional work. However, my interest in nature has turned into a passion to show the world the beauty I see when I look through my camera’s lens. |
Clasp
© Mary-Elizabeth Boatey |
Drip
© Mary-Elizabeth Boatey |
Some of your pieces show the human hand interacting or connecting with elements from nature. Is ‘the human connection to the natural environment’ a theme you often consider when planning a piece or series?
The human connection to the natural environment is certainly one of the many ways I find myself interpreting my pieces. More specifically, I leaned into a brief topic discussed in my AP World History class – Chinese landscape paintings or “Shanshui Hua.” Although many of my pieces don’t mimic the exact horizontal balance these historical pieces depict, I try to maintain the essence, by focusing on the nature that engulfs my subjects rather than the subjects themselves. In a lot of Chinese landscapes, it is common to see small figures scattered throughout the piece to demonstrate the sheer and almost overwhelming mass of land that is so much more apparent and permanent on the earth than ourselves. I also realize that this method is common in a lot of architectural photography. This has led me to focus many of my works on the gifts of nature. What was the inspiration behind your piece “Birth?” My piece ‘Birth’ involved a bit of an unconventional process as I rushed to complete a late assignment that I was struggling with. |
Birth
© Mary-Elizabeth Boatey
© Mary-Elizabeth Boatey
This assignment involved creating your own theme and developing a thesis to support your artistic intent. I jotted down various words to describe what I wanted to capture, such as ‘ripe, unity, growth,’ but was never really sure how to capture it. One day, my mom, my grandparents and I were sharing a pomegranate, and I ended up just taking some pictures of it on a whim. It wasn’t until I scrolled through my contact sheet and reviewed my work that I felt the weight of the picture and the meaning behind the simple moment of togetherness I experienced with my family: I was the pomegranate, and the hands of my mother and grandparents were the ones who had planted, nurtured, and sprouted me into the bright red fruit which we enjoy so much.
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More on “Birth”: For others, it may be “fertility” that first comes to mind when contemplating the pomegranate (a common meaning for pomegranate in many cultures). For me, it was community. What do you hope the takeaway is for viewers?
To put it simply, it’s known that children are a product of their environment. They are impressionable and vulnerable, desperately latching onto whatever nourishment or care they receive. The pomegranate in this sense symbolizes birth, death, and community. The cultivation of the fruit results in a beautiful product, but it is also desired by others and is quickly consumed by the world. Your piece “Wilt” provokes the idea of beauty in aging – the juxtaposition of textures in both the rose and the human hand is incredible. Is there anything else you’d like to say about this piece? I really do love this piece because there is such beauty in aging, and I feel our generation struggles to appreciate this. The evidence of wisdom and the impact of the world down to your fingertips pulls you closer to understanding what it really means to be alive. I find myself photographing a lot of these textures throughout my day to day just to honor the beauty of the wise. |
Wilt
© Mary-Elizabeth Boatey |
Other works, such as “Linger,” also seem to examine, celebrate and honor the elder community/aging. What is one thing you learned from a grandmother (or someone else from an older generation) that you know you’ll pass down to others in the future?
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My grandmother is a strong, intelligent, and caring woman who warms my household whenever she is present. She’s the inspiration for many of my interests – especially antiquing! My grandmother, my mom, and I never pass by a good thrift shop. Overall, this care and appreciation for sustainability has been carefully passed down through my family, and I am forever grateful. What does your work say about how the generations lift each other? As much as our own age groups tend to have a set of ‘responsibilities’ in respect to their roles – as parent, guardian, child, or friend – a symbiotic relationship exists through love and trust. Despite our individual responsibilities, there is an expectation of respect and care for those with more experience, just as love and nurturing are expected of those who raise children. The proper exchange of these responsibilities is what creates a family/community and keeps us whole. |
As a young, Black artist, do you hope to inspire others in your community in any way through your work?
I’m embracing melanin! Capturing the hues of birth and age amongst such a pigmented tone holds an immense amount of beauty that is worth celebrating! There is a uniqueness in the stories – our skin, scars and all!
I’m embracing melanin! Capturing the hues of birth and age amongst such a pigmented tone holds an immense amount of beauty that is worth celebrating! There is a uniqueness in the stories – our skin, scars and all!
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