Classroom Series

I have always been amused by the way college students in classrooms are depicted in commercial photographs. Often, they are engaged and sitting at full attention. Some have their hands raised, eager to ask or answer questions. The fact is students throughout a semester generally appear far more passive. This does not mean they are bored, or a teacher is uninspiring. Students are simply in a receptive state of mind. As a visual artist my area of interest has always been to document the human condition. Specifically, people and communities over a long period of time in order to record change. Documenting classrooms seemed like a perfect addition to my explorations. Starting in 2008 to the present, I periodically document a variety of classes on campus and off, that includes other institutions throughout New England. Using a large-format camera for its deliberate accuracy, both in details and contemplative approach, my participants have to hold still for a duration of one second while I open and close the shutter on my tripod mounted camera. For students, it is a mildly amusing procedure and a welcome momentary distraction. Each photograph is then cataloged and filed for posterity under the title Classroom Series.

Since the outbreak of Covid-19 in early 2020, the project took on a shocking and poignant significance. The “New Normal,” with all of its strategies and guidelines; social distancing, wearing of masks and minimal interaction, dramatically changed the physical and psychological dynamics of the classroom. The appearance of students past—with their expressions of passivity, have been replaced with peering eyes filled with fatigue and anxiety. Before Covid-19 I assumed I was simply cataloging subtle changes in student’s dress attire and the appearance of pedagogical environments. During the “New Normal,” my records are disclosing dire consequences.