Paper or Plastic
Workers' Perspective
No Money
Part 1
No Money
Part 2
Cultural Perspective
Cultural Perspective of Work
Difficulty of Filing for Unemployment
Part 1
Difficulty of Filing for Unemployment
Part 2
skip to main |
skip to sidebar
Part 1
Part 2
Part 1
Part 2
Perspectives: An Abstract View of the Economic Crisis
Part 1
Part 2
Part 1
Part 2
Artist Statement
Elizabeth Ferrufino
Sociology
Class of 2009
Home Town: Rockville, Maryland but living in South Bend, IN
According to the U.S Bureau of Labor, Indiana has a 9.4% unemployment rate as of February of 2009. In today’s economy, everyone is affected in one way or another. Each day people are laid off, others are hired, and salaries and wages are cut. The line at welfare gets longer and places like WorkOne, where people file for unemployment, are overwhelmed by the large pool of applicants. On the news, we hear about large businesses going bankrupt and about the struggling automotive industry. During these times, we see the impact of the recession, but we see it from different perspectives.
In this project, photography is taken beyond documenting what is there. The intention of this series is to present the different perspectives of how the economic crisis is viewed. The project is a culmination of voices of individual stories. As Jean Charlot said, “Born of circumstances, a unique source of inspiration feeds their art.” The sources of inspiration of these artistic and abstract photographs are the stories of neighbors and other members of my surrounding community. As I see how they live and hear their stories, I feel complied to do something for them, to voice their feelings. Therefore, in this project, the voices of the members of my community are embedded within the images, and together they express how they are affected by the recession and how they deal with it. My actions may not provide them with a living wage, but it will let the audience know of their existence and provoke dialogue that can stimulate an environment for change.
There is no one way to capture everyone’s perspective, for this reason, these photographs are intentionally ambiguous and abstract. To further promote this ambiguity, each piece is given a broad title to encourage the viewer to stop and meditate. Each image tackles a different circumstance: a person cleaning floors for a living, an unemployed person seeking governmental assistance, an individual finding themselves in an unimagined situation, people facing the harsh reality that they cannot provide for their families. This project is a work featuring the collective voice of all affected by the economy today, no matter their differences.
In this project, photography is taken beyond documenting what is there. The intention of this series is to present the different perspectives of how the economic crisis is viewed. The project is a culmination of voices of individual stories. As Jean Charlot said, “Born of circumstances, a unique source of inspiration feeds their art.” The sources of inspiration of these artistic and abstract photographs are the stories of neighbors and other members of my surrounding community. As I see how they live and hear their stories, I feel complied to do something for them, to voice their feelings. Therefore, in this project, the voices of the members of my community are embedded within the images, and together they express how they are affected by the recession and how they deal with it. My actions may not provide them with a living wage, but it will let the audience know of their existence and provoke dialogue that can stimulate an environment for change.
There is no one way to capture everyone’s perspective, for this reason, these photographs are intentionally ambiguous and abstract. To further promote this ambiguity, each piece is given a broad title to encourage the viewer to stop and meditate. Each image tackles a different circumstance: a person cleaning floors for a living, an unemployed person seeking governmental assistance, an individual finding themselves in an unimagined situation, people facing the harsh reality that they cannot provide for their families. This project is a work featuring the collective voice of all affected by the economy today, no matter their differences.