Photographer and artist Yves Wilson got some good news recently when he received a residency grant at the prestigious Vermont Studio Center.
Mr. Wilson is be one of two photographers chosen for the residency in Johnson, Vt., in an environment designed to allow artists to create work in an artistically stimulating but distraction free environment for the month of March.
Mr. Wilson is a 2001 Central High School grad who went on to study at Parsons. I’ve seen him at gallery shows and behind the lens doing documentary work — he’s obviously very comfortable leading a film crew. His work in general focuses on African-American oral traditions using both documentary style and abstract representations. Most recently he has been photographing barbers who serve as therapists, priests, and counselors in the black community.
In his official statement, he said:
As a young photographer I feel it’s my duty to document and translate my peer’s experiences because I recognize their importance and role they play in my history and the history of this country. As cliché as it sounds, my goal first and foremost is to create images that connect with people, pique an interest in a person they might normally not speak to in daily life. Hopefully open up a dialogue of some sort.
He added:
This is an excellent opportunity for me to meet like minded artists, get critiques from professionals, and take the time away from the distractions of daily life. It will allow me to take a step back and look at my entire body of work and build a road map to where I’d like to be as a photographer and artist.
Wilson’s interest in photography began when a chance encounter with the legendary photographer Gordon Parks became an internship. He went on to pursue a Bachelors of Fine Arts from Parsons School of Design which allowed him to study abroad at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in Melbourne, Australia.
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