Conveying Movement and Expression in Stillness

By Karis Fuller
Asst. Arts & Entertainment Editor

Photography is an art form wherein the artist has only a split second to capture something beautiful. For senior photography major Caroline Bert this could not be more true. Bert is in the midst of her last semester, and she has used her passion and dance experience to fuel her creative works. “Movement is the most obvious form of expression,” Bert said. She has danced for a majority of her life and has been a Zumba instructor since June 2017 for both adults and children at Dance Innovation and Crunch Fitness.

Bert’s work is being shown until April 21 at the Fotofoto Gallery in Huntington, N.Y. in an exhibition titled— “Hang Your Best Shot.” Her senior project, entitled “Opposing Forces,” is her most recent work. The installation was designed to be interactive, “I wanted to turn it into an experience for the viewers,” Bert said. Viewers could engage and alter certain pieces. For example, Bert used a set of blinds and collaged an image on each side so the viewer could control and flip between the two.

This solo exhibition utilized mixed media and installation art, 3D artwork that is designed to transform a space, to create her exhibitions. Bert took shots of dancers and altered them into black and white, and combined the edits of these images to create one piece. The contrast of black and white signals the “opposition” mentioned in the collection title. The concept behind these layers was to conceal and reveal emotions at the same time. “Usually only the photographer is [able to] witness the raw emotions on set,” Bert said.

Bert explained what she loves most about being a photographer. “I like being able to create a scene that isn’t real,” she said. Bert initiated a campus photography club during fall 2017. She will continue to serve as the club’s president during her graduate studies.

Bert reflected on what she has learned over her four years in the photography program. She mentioned that the professors in the fine arts department are always supportive of her “crazy ideas,” such as collaborations. “Photography doesn’t have to be bound to printing and paper,” Bert said. She was encouraged to test her limits and bend the classic rules of camera, subject and photo.

More of Bert’s work can be viewed on her website www.carolinebertphotography.com/ or on her Facebook page, Caroline Bert Photography.