honorable mention
Megan O'Neill united states
title
Leave Me
Because “we see things as we are,” the resulting body of work, Leave Me, speaks to themes that are personal to the experience of documenting Cuba froman American’s perspective. In four different collections of 10-12 photographs in each, echoed forms, colors and subjects string together to both create a holistic representation of Cuba while simultaneously connecting motifs that are beyond just the Cuban experience. The photographic series Leave Me makes use of how personal experience tends to influence perception, conditioning reactions to the work. Due to the chaos that previous experiences create, the individual perception of the viewer creates barriers to the interpretation of the work. Through the use of imagery, both barriers and chaos show their ability to be contained by the capturing of a photograph. This idea continues through the photographs of items that reflect the concept of containment. Leave Me explores how the pre-conditions of man’s own experience cause chaos that must be contained in order to survive.
Along with studying photography, Meg minored in International and Global Studies with a focus on Global Capitalism in Latin America and the Caribbean. In the winter of 2010, Meg traveled to Trench Town, Jamaica where her interests in human perception of territory began. This interest was further explored during her travels in the winter of 2011 to Cuba, where Meg produced photographs that reflect a comprehensive portrait of place as a reflection of the self. Her photographs draw connections between Caribbean and American experiences, through the shared human experiences. Experiences such as violation, helplessness, self-revulsion, repulsion, and aggression, as experiences that are personal, not only influence the way we perceive place, but they actually define it in very specific ways, specific enough to be considered as embodiments. Meg conveys the impression of these experiences of perception of place through the movement of the body in relation to the horizon line, which provides disorientation to the viewer in order to convey feelings of a wounded hope that is struggling to move beyond the barriers of experience. Meg’s photographs attempt at resolving the separation between violation of self and place as seen as a reflection of body.
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entry description
Anais Nin once said, “We do not see things as they are. We see things as we are”Because “we see things as we are,” the resulting body of work, Leave Me, speaks to themes that are personal to the experience of documenting Cuba froman American’s perspective. In four different collections of 10-12 photographs in each, echoed forms, colors and subjects string together to both create a holistic representation of Cuba while simultaneously connecting motifs that are beyond just the Cuban experience. The photographic series Leave Me makes use of how personal experience tends to influence perception, conditioning reactions to the work. Due to the chaos that previous experiences create, the individual perception of the viewer creates barriers to the interpretation of the work. Through the use of imagery, both barriers and chaos show their ability to be contained by the capturing of a photograph. This idea continues through the photographs of items that reflect the concept of containment. Leave Me explores how the pre-conditions of man’s own experience cause chaos that must be contained in order to survive.
about the photographer
Meg O’Neill is a recent graduate of Sewanee: The University of the South. She received her Bachelors Degree in Art with a focus in photography. Throughout her studies, Meg became fascinated with photography’s ability to convey experience, connecting people. Meg has been the first to receive The Robert Bowden Shepard Jr. Award for photography two years in a row, as well as The Robert Bowden Award in the Spring of 2013.Along with studying photography, Meg minored in International and Global Studies with a focus on Global Capitalism in Latin America and the Caribbean. In the winter of 2010, Meg traveled to Trench Town, Jamaica where her interests in human perception of territory began. This interest was further explored during her travels in the winter of 2011 to Cuba, where Meg produced photographs that reflect a comprehensive portrait of place as a reflection of the self. Her photographs draw connections between Caribbean and American experiences, through the shared human experiences. Experiences such as violation, helplessness, self-revulsion, repulsion, and aggression, as experiences that are personal, not only influence the way we perceive place, but they actually define it in very specific ways, specific enough to be considered as embodiments. Meg conveys the impression of these experiences of perception of place through the movement of the body in relation to the horizon line, which provides disorientation to the viewer in order to convey feelings of a wounded hope that is struggling to move beyond the barriers of experience. Meg’s photographs attempt at resolving the separation between violation of self and place as seen as a reflection of body.
back to gallery