Friday’s annual BFA Photography Alternative Show a great success

On Friday, hundreds of people crowded shoulder-to-shoulder inside of an unfinished building to gaze at photographs and artwork.\nThe event was the BFA Photography Alternative Show. Despite the cold weather and the rather modest location, the crowd of about 700 to 800, according to Fine Arts Professor Osamu Nakagawa, was all smiles as they observed the artwork.\nThe unfinished drywall of the entryway was adorned with hundreds of photos taken by students. The photos were of various Bloomington residents and were labeled with the person’s name and how long he or she has resided here. This collective project was what seemed to be drawing the most attention according to senior Mia Beach.\n“People came to the show just to see their picture or others would recognize someone,” Beach said.\nOther eye-catching displays were x-rays of the abdomens of people who had swallowed items ranging from a knife to blades of grass, and pictures of bones.\nA large crowd gathered around a makeshift table of cinder blocks and plywood covered with about 100 tea light candles. A box of matches lay next to them. All stood watching the candles melt to liquid in anticipation of the reward: a photograph that lay at the bottom. They were family photos belonging to senior Julie McLenachen.\n“A lot of people have been saying they can relate to my photos,” McLenachen said. “I’ve had a great reaction to them.”\nAlso on display were close-up, cropped photos of album covers from artists such as Pink Floyd. \nPhotographs were not the only thing on display, though. There was a large box with cut out pictures of sheep playing violins. These sheep were situated on a picture of grass, and a string attached to a hidden, robotic arm made these sheep appear to play their instruments.\nThe air was filled with music and chatter, and by about 10 p.m., the table holding the complimentary food provided by Siam House was strewn with empty bowls, plates and cups.\nThe building itself smelled of cut wood and the unfinished concrete floors were gritty. Plywood lay in corners and measurements were scribbled in multiple places along the halls. Chandeliers and the occasional floodlight provided light for all. \nThe crowd seemed impressed with all the student works on display. Beach said this year’s turnout was much better than last year’s.\nThis is the 10th annual exhibition of the BFA Photography Alternative Show.