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Youth, the unifying factor
The teen years, a transition we all share, are used by one artist to depict how human continuity and cultural variety are interwoven.
By BRANDY STARK
© St. Petersburg Times,
published October 4, 2001
Artist Janice Garrin captures the culture and diversity of teenagers in School Girls, left, part of “YouthCulture: The Global Youth Project,” hosted by the Arts Center.
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Janice Garrin uses art to explore the culture, issues and diversity of teenagers. The Pinellas County artist first presented her ideas in 1986 during her senior year at the Rochester Institute of Technology in New York, photographing teenagers to represent the transition between childhood and adulthood.
After she moved to Florida, an art grant allowed her to reinterpret and display the works. With a second grant, Garrin is working on another phase of the project, using a digital video recorder to create a documentary about teenagers' roles in society.
Garrin, 39, is the featured artist in "YouthCulture: The Global Youth Project," hosted by the Arts Center; it runs through October 26. She'll hold a free gallery talk at 2 p.m. Oct. 13 in the center's Stanley Gallery.
We recently talked with Garrin about the show and her other projects.
Q: How do you describe your art?
A: I consider myself a multimedia visual artist. I create photo-based installations, and my main medium is photography. I do a variety of works, though I am known for my pieces based upon the subject of youth.
Q: How did you get started in art?
A: I was going to school for a degree in medical technology, but it didn't suit me. My brother is an artist, and I was very inspired by him. So I changed degrees and graduated with a BA in photographic fine art.
Q: What message do you want to convey in "YouthCulture"?
A: I feel that there is a common thread in humanity: We all go through a process of growing up, sort of a "teenagerhood," if you will. I want to utilize my art as a vehicle for intergenerational communication for addressing issues confronting today's youth. It's my hope that we can all discuss things together, to help solve some of the problems and to promote the good things that are happening.
Q: How do you select your subjects?
A: Sometimes, I go out with a predetermined idea that I'm going to do a photo shoot. I go to places that I think will have interesting people who embody what I am trying to say through my shows.
Goin’ to Lunch by Janice Garrin
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Other times, they find me. For example, I was dropping off artwork for a show a while back when I saw a young man riding by on a scooter carrying a guitar . . . I started driving around the area, and finally I saw him. I yelled at him from my car and pulled over. I asked him to wait for me; I had to go home and get my camera. From this experience, I got Purple Guitar, a piece currently displayed in "YouthCulture." It was a matter of circumstances.
Q: Your works are described as "selenium-toned fiber-based silver prints." What does that mean?
A: My works are museum-quality archival prints, which enhances my processing technique. To help preserve my photographs, I utilized a fiber-based paper which I think aids in the longevity of the prints. The toning process adds the element selenium to enhance the black shades, the intensity and the shadow details. It also stabilizes the silver in the photograph, making it last longer.
Q: What advice do you have for new and emerging artists?
A: Through my education I was often exposed to a variety of artwork. While I enjoyed it, I have tried to follow my own passions and my own heart. . . . The best advice I can give to others is be true to your convictions and create works that come from within yourself.
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At a glance: "YouthCulture: The Global Youth Project" continues through Oct. 26 at the Arts Center, 719 Central Ave., St. Petersburg. Free admission. Gallery hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday; noon-4 p.m. Sunday.(727) 822-7872. Gallery talk by Janice Garrin, 2 p.m. Oct. 13 at the center.
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